Lufthansa has introduced a non-stop service between San Jose, California and Frankfurt, Germany.

The new service, which will commence on April 29th, 2016, will be the first non-stop flight from Silicon Valley to the European gateway hub of Frankfurt.

The five-times-weekly service will be operated using Airbus A340-300 equipment.

The new eastbound LH 489 service will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as a night flight, leaving San Jose in the afternoon and arriving in Frankfurt the following morning.

The corresponding westbound LH 488 service will also operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, departing from Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub in the morning and arriving in San Jose in the early afternoon after a 12-hour flight.

The schedules have been designed to provide the best possible connections with other Lufthansa services in Germany, and to and from Europe, Asia (including India), and Africa at the Frankfurt hub.

“It’s an exciting time at Lufthansa as San Jose is one of several new, important destinations that we plan to add to our network in the coming months.

“Furthermore, we will be the first European airline to offer direct flights from San Jose to Germany, Europe and beyond, which emphasises the importance of this region to our airline,” said Juergen Siebenrock, vice president, Americas, Lufthansa German Airlines.

“Passengers from the Silicon Valley area will now be able to experience the quality service and premium products that Lufthansa has always been known to offer, including our brand new Premium Economy Class that offers extra space for comfort and relaxation, as well as an elevated experience.

Lufthansa is the first European airline to offer non-stop service from San Jose, whose airport is increasingly developing into an international hub.

Since its terminal modernization was completed in 2010, the airport has welcomed new non-stop services to various destinations, including Tokyo and Beijing.

Through its home base at Frankfurt Airport and together with its Lufthansa Group carriers and Star Alliance partners, Lufthansa provides passengers connecting through Frankfurt with convenient access to the world’s largest airline network and more than 1,300 destinations worldwide.

Lufthansa travellers from and to San Jose will have three seating classes to choose from: Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy.