Lufthansa is returning with an increased flight schedule to Sylt. This comes after the airline cut 20,000 short-haul flights following the abrupt shutdown of its regional subsidiary, Cityline, in April, which significantly reduced services to destinations like Westerland, making it difficult to reach the island directly from Munich.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr is now rectifying this situation. A company spokesperson confirmed to the magazine that the planned schedule of six weekly flights from Munich to Sylt has resumed this week. During the high season in July and August, the airline will further augment the service with an additional weekly flight. Furthermore, Lufthansa is transitioning to a larger aircraft on this route, utilizing an Airbus A319 instead of the smaller Embraer. This increase in aircraft size is expected to boost monthly capacity by approximately 30 percent.
Tourism operators on the island had previously complained extensively about the poor connections. Herbert Seckler, the proprietor of the popular restaurant Sansibar, noted that the flight cancellations were detrimental to the island. He recalled that Joachim Hunold, the founder of Air Berlin, often advised him that “a resort is only as good as its accessibility.” While his restaurant remains packed, Seckler emphasized that the overall lack of good connectivity is problematic, declaring that the northerly location feels “forlorn,” even with regard to rail transport. The Deutsche Bahn currently does not offer direct connections, such as from Frankfurt, to the island without requiring a change of trains. “For families with small children, that is a deal-breaker,” the Sansibar owner criticized to Focus. However, the Sylt-ICE train service will resume non-stop connections to the island starting July 11.
