Lufthansa has launched a new service from Gatwick to Frankfurt as well as increasing capacity from Heathrow to the German financial capital with the start of the new winter 2011/12 timetable.

In total Lufthansa is increasing flights between London and Frankfurt by 20.6 per cent with the six additional weekly flights from Heathrow and the 14 times a week service from Gatwick taking the total weekly flights to 117 compared with the previous 97.

The timings of twice daily service from Gatwick, operated with 120-seater Boeing 737-500 aircraft in a two class configuration, have been scheduled to provide passengers with both a convenient connection to the heart of Germany and the quickest onward connections to Lufthansa’s worldwide network which offers 14,092 flights a week to 198 destinations in 82 countries.

Welcoming the new service Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa General Manager UK and Ireland said: “The addition of Gatwick to our route network will bring huge benefits for Lufthansa passengers from across the south-east of England by substantially increasing their travel options. Early indications are that more than two thirds of the passengers using the new Gatwick service are connecting on to our global network route with Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Singapore, Tokyo, St Petersburg, Sao Paulo, Abu Dhabi and Bogota among the most popular onward destinations.

“We have been able to increase our overall services between London and Frankfurt as a direct result of Frankfurt Airport being able to open its new runway in time for the winter schedule. This has provided the opportunity to considerably enhance capacity and this can only be good news for our UK customers. With a total of 117 weekly flights to Frankfurt from the three London airports - Gatwick, Heathrow and London City - Lufthansa now offers the largest number of flight frequencies between these two cities.

“Lufthansa flights from Gatwick to Frankfurt are on offer from just £49 one-way or £89 return, inclusive of all taxes and charges and we pride ourselves on consistently offering a range of extremely competitive fares and a high quality product that provides passengers with their seat, hold & cabin baggage allowances, in flight food & drink, the ability to check-in on line, from their mobile phone or at the airport and all taxes and charges for one all inclusive fare.”

Situated at the heart of Germany and Europe the city of Frankfurt is a short 10 minute train journey from the railway station located directly beneath the airport. As well as being Germany’s financial centre, Frankfurt is a dynamic and international financial and trade fair city with the most imposing skyline in Germany. ,It also boasts an excellent cultural pedigree with first rate museums, high-calibre performance groups, local festivals and beautiful surrounding countryside as well as the traditional German markets, especially popular during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Furthermore, the surrounding Rhine-Main region offers countless sightseeing attractions, from beautiful old towns and ancient castles to a stunning variety of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.