The Lufthansa Group has released its 2026 summer flight schedule, introducing new intercontinental and European routes, expanded frequencies on high-demand connections, and several operational adjustments across its airlines — Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, and ITA Airways.
Photo: Trondheim.
Together, the group’s carriers will operate over 14,000 weekly flights to 330 destinations in nearly 100 countries, connecting travelers worldwide through their hubs in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and Italy.
Lufthansa Airlines
Lufthansa will focus on a stable and reliable network while expanding to key long-haul destinations. From Frankfurt, the airline will operate five weekly flights to St. Louis, Rio de Janeiro, and Cape Town, and daily flights to Raleigh/Durham, Washington, and Nairobi. Due to strong demand for Scandinavia, Trondheim (Norway) will be added to the Frankfurt network four times a week from May 2026, complementing existing services from Munich. Routes to Bergen and Stavanger will also see frequency increases.
From Munich, two long-haul destinations introduced in winter 2025/26 — São Paulo and Johannesburg — will continue into the summer schedule, served by Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
In response to high operating costs in Germany, Lufthansa will reduce more than 50 feeder frequencies between major domestic routes such as Munich–Cologne, Düsseldorf–Berlin, and Frankfurt–Leipzig. Routes such as Frankfurt–Toulouse and Munich–Tallinn/Oviedo will be discontinued in spring 2026 for economic reasons, though connectivity will remain available via alternative hubs.
SWISS
From March 29, 2026, SWISS will launch flights from Zurich to Poznan (Poland) and, during July and August, to Rijeka (Croatia). The airline will also increase frequencies on several European routes including Alicante, Valencia, Manchester, Montpellier, Tirana, Budapest, and Venice. On long-haul services, daily flights to Tokyo will be offered in April, May, and October, and five times weekly during the rest of the season.
Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines’ 2026 summer program emphasizes popular leisure destinations in Greece, Spain, and Italy, with expanded capacity and new routes. Following strong demand, the airline will also expand its so-called “coolcation” destinations such as Sylt, Edinburgh, and the Lofoten Islands.
ITA Airways
ITA Airways will return to London Heathrow with twice-daily flights from Rome Fiumicino, with additional details of its 2026 summer schedule to follow. The airline will also strengthen direct flights from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate to popular destinations in Greece, Spain, and the Italian islands during the peak summer season.
Brussels Airlines
Brussels Airlines will add Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) to its network from June 2026, marking its 18th destination in sub-Saharan Africa. Flights to Freetown (Sierra Leone) will increase from five to six weekly, with an additional Thursday service. The airline is also increasing capacity within Europe, particularly on routes to Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
Edelweiss
Edelweiss will expand its long-haul offering from Zurich, launching twice-weekly flights to Windhoek (Namibia) from June 2026. The airline will also increase frequencies to Seattle, Punta Cana, and Tampa, and extend seasonal operations to Halifax, Cape Town, and Colombo.
Discover Airlines
Discover Airlines will expand its short-haul network with new routes from Frankfurt to Shannon (Ireland) and Brindisi (Italy), each operating twice weekly. Cyprus will also be added to the network, with daily flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Larnaca starting at the end of March — taking over routes previously operated by Lufthansa.
On long-haul routes, the Frankfurt–Seychelles service will become a year-round connection, while the Frankfurt–Las Vegas route will gain an additional fifth weekly flight.
With its 2026 summer schedule, the Lufthansa Group aims to balance network growth and efficiency, responding to passenger demand while optimizing operational and cost structures across its European hubs.
