Germanwings has confirmed it will launch new routes between Stuttgart and London Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport later this year.

Services will depart from February and July respectively. 

The decision is part of an ongoing process to move Germanwings ever closer to parent Lufthansa.

As part of the process, the carrier will consolidate it so it flies to all Lufthansa’s European destinations out of Stuttgart as of summer 2012.

As a result, Germanwings will offer five services a week from Manchester to Stuttgart and 21 flights a week from London Heathrow.

The flight times for the new connections from Stuttgart:

Manchester

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (all times are local times)
Departure STR 17:30, Arrival MAN18:20
Departure MAN 18:50, Arrival STR 21:35

Sunday
Departure STR 14:15, Arrival MAN 15:05
Departure STR at 15:40, Arrival MAN 18:25

London Heathrow

Every day
Departure STR 07:20, Arrival LHR 08:05
Departure LHR 08:40, Arrival STR 11:15

Departure STR 12:40, Arrival LHR 13:35
Departure LHR 14:05, Arrival STR 16:40

Departure STR 17:10, Arrival LHR 17:55
Departure LHR 18:45, Arrival STR 21:20

(On Sundays, the last return flight from LHR to STR starts ten minutes earlier)

The news affirms the carrier’s commitment to the UK and Irish markets.

Germanwings already serves London Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh all year round, and Dublin during the summer months, and is reviewing additional options within the market for future opportunities.