Lufthansa continues to expand its network in the United States.

For the very first time in its history, Lufthansa will offer service to the Tampa Bay area, the gateway to the West Coast of Florida.

The new nonstop service from Frankfurt will begin on September 25th, 2015.

The airline will be operating five weekly flights in summer and four weekly in winter on the Airbus A340-300 on the route between Frankfurt and Tampa.

Tampa Bay joins Miami and Orlando as Lufthansa’s third destination in Florida.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area, a rapidly growing metropolitan region with nearly three million residents, sits on the Gulf of Mexico and boasts some of America’s best beaches.

Flight LH 482 will leave Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub and arrive in Tampa in the afternoon (local time) after a flight of nearly eleven hours.

The return from Florida is a night flight, which will depart in the early evening and touch down at Frankfurt Airport in the morning of the following day. 

The A340-300 seats a total of 298 passengers in Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class offering the comforts and quality that Lufthansa is known for, with the newest cabin layout in all traveling classes.

In all classes, passengers will enjoy an individual in-flight entertainment system with a plethora of offerings, along with fast broadband Internet connectivity via the FlyNet Wi-Fi hotspot on board.

“We’re delighted that our passengers will soon be able to fly in comfort, non-stop from the West Coast of Florida to Frankfurt,” said Karl Ulrich Garnadt, Lufthansa Board Member and chief executive, Lufthansa German Airlines. 

“We’re expecting the new direct connection to elicit huge interest and demand, especially from leisure travellers.”

In addition to enjoying the quality service that Lufthansa offers its passengers, Tampa Bay area residents will enjoy direct access to the rich culture and history of Frankfurt, as well as medieval towns, cosmopolitan cities and magnificent palaces that Germany, in its entirety, offers.

“We see a promising growth potential on long-haul in the leisure travel business and Lufthansa intends to be more committed to this segment in the future.

“The new flight to Tampa is a first step in that direction, and further attractive offerings will soon follow,” emphasised Karl Ulrich Garnadt.

Tampa is known as the birthplace of commercial aviation. 100 years ago, the first commercial flight in history occurred between St Petersburg and Tampa on January 1st 1914.