The route returns this summer after ‘intensive engagement’ to bring it back
07:24, 08 May 2026Updated 09:29, 08 May 2026
Lufthansa Airbus A319
After “intensive engagement” with Cork Airport, Lufthansa Group will bring back flights from Cork to one of Europe’s central transport hubs. The route to Frankfurt had been stopped for a time after the German airline shut down its Lufthansa Cityline service.
Now, the airport has announced that connectivity to Frankfurt will be reinstated, as the mainline Lufthansa airline has agreed to continue operating the route. Its regional CityLine subsidiary airline was wrapped up last month with the grounding of 27 aircraft, and Cork Airport say “engagement immediately began” to restore the service for Cork.
The Cork-Frankfurt route was introduced in 2021 and has also proved a very popular route for tourists as well as a key route for business, trade and commerce as the German airport is one of the biggest transport hubs on the continent.
Frankfurt-Cork flights are back every Monday and Friday from June 1, 2026. The service will operate using a larger Airbus A319 aircraft, with a seat capacity of 138, a big boost compared with Lufthansa Cityline’s previous 90-seater aircraft, and continuing the best connectivity between Ireland and Frankfurt outside of Dublin. The service will have a 17:05 departure time and enable connections to destinations including other European cities, and further connectivity to Asia, the Middle East and South America.
The Frankfurt service is a vital connection for Cork, particularly for tourism from the wider Frankfurt Rhine-Main region which is home to over 5.8 million people. Germany is Ireland’s third-largest source market for inbound tourism, and research by Tourism Ireland shows that, after Dublin, the most popular regions for German holidaymakers are Cork and Kerry. Last year, Ireland welcomed a total of 433,000 visitors from Germany.
It’s a huge vote of confidence for Cork, especially during a time when ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to spark fuel shortage concerns. Head of Aviation Business Development & Communications at Cork Airport, Tara Finn, said bringing the route back “is a testament to the strength of the South of Ireland market that Lufthansa have elected to recommence the service using a different, larger aircraft type. We are delighted to be back connecting to Frankfurt from June onwards.”
Seamus Heaney, Head of Visit Cork, added: “This is wonderful news and great credit to the teamwork between Cork Airport, Lufthansa, Visit Cork and Tourism Ireland in restoring this vital connectivity from Frankfurt, which is so important to local tourism.”
The Cork-Frankfurt route had been due to expand to a six-times-per-week service for the summer season this year, but Lufthansa’s Europe-wide flight schedule is currently under review as part of major changes to its operations.
Lufthansa shut its regional CityLine service in April, following staff strike action and soaring fuel costs. The subsidiary airline has grounded 27 of its aircraft as the German flag carrier struggles to cover major losses.
The German airline’s CityLink service, which flew to over 80 destinations around Europe has been axed as a direct result of rising jet fuel prices. The airline also said that recent industrial action by pilots this week has impacted its services.
The group said previously it has been significantly affected by “kerosene prices, which have more than doubled compared to the period before the Iran-Iraq War, and rising costs resulting from labour disputes.”
Till Streichert, Chief Financial Officer and CFO of the Lufthansa Group, described it as “a painful step, especially for our colleagues at Lufthansa CityLine. It is therefore all the more important to find continued employment opportunities within the Group.”
Lufthansa plans further cuts later this year, including removing aircraft from its fleet and reducing the number of flights operated.