Lufthansa Group celebrates 55 years connecting Osaka with Germany

With a tradition that extends more than five decades, Lufthansa Group celebrates 55 years connecting Japan’s Kansai region with Germany.    Described by many as the cultural center and the historical heart of Japan, the Kansai region - including Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Kobe - has had a direct connection to the European nation of Germany since 1969 thanks to Lufthansa German Airlines.

While a lot has changed in the past 55 years, the relationship between Lufthansa Group and Japan remains strong and continues to grow.   Late last year Lufthansa reintroduced Japanese catering in all cabins on flights between Japan and Germany (and vice versa), while sister airline SWISS introduced Japanese catering in Business Class for connections between Switzerland and Tokyo (and vice versa). 

The Lufthansa Group network into Japan includes direct connections to Haneda, Narita and Osaka airports with 31 weekly flights during the 2024 summer schedule.   In fact, connections from Munich to Kansai airport will be increased significantly this year. According to Larry Ryan, Senior Director Sales, Japan and South Korea:

“Based on customer needs, we’re extremely pleased to be able to return to daily operations from Kansai to Munich, enabling connections via our 5-star hub to the entire European continent and beyond.   This is particularly exciting as we see so many of our partners gearing up for Expo’25 in the Kansai area.”

In recognition of Japan’s strong heritage and our deep ties to the country, Lufthansa Group is pleased to commemorate this important anniversary by increasing capacity and strengthening our investment in the Kansai region of Japan.

About Lufthansa Group

The Lufthansa Group is an aviation group with operations worldwide. With 100,000+ employees, Lufthansa Group generated revenue of €35.4bn in the financial year 2023. Our largest business segment is Passenger Airlines while other key business segments include Logistics and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). Other companies and Group functions such as IT companies and Lufthansa Aviation Training form complimentary components of the Group. All airlines and business segments play leading roles in their respective markets.