Nagoya Returns to the Network
Lufthansa will bring back its Frankfurt-Nagoya route on 29 March 2027, flying three times weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The service disappeared from schedules a few years back; its return signals renewed interest in cities beyond Tokyo and Osaka.
Nagoya sits in Aichi Prefecture, the heart of Japan's automotive and manufacturing belt. It also serves as a gateway to Kyoto, roughly an hour away by train, giving visitors an alternative entry point to central Honshu without the congestion of Tokyo or Osaka airports.
Outbound flight LH736 leaves Frankfurt at 2:10 pm, landing in Nagoya at 9:35 am the next day. The return, LH737, departs at 11:30 am and reaches Frankfurt by 6:30 pm local time. Lufthansa will use its Boeing 787-9 fitted with the Allegris cabin: 28 seats in business, 28 in premium economy and 231 in economy.
Tokyo Gets Another Daily Option
From 28 March, Lufthansa will add a daily seasonal flight between Frankfurt and Tokyo-Narita. Flight LH710 leaves Frankfurt at 1:45 pm and arrives at 9:30 am the following day; the return, LH711, departs Narita at 11:20 am and lands in Frankfurt at 6:40 pm.
That service will run alongside Lufthansa's existing daily flights to Tokyo-Haneda from both Frankfurt and Munich, giving the carrier two daily Frankfurt-Tokyo frequencies during the summer peak. Narita handles more connecting traffic and sits farther from central Tokyo, but it offers lower airport fees and more gate availability during busy periods.
The Narita route will also fly the 787-9 with Allegris interiors, keeping product consistency across the Japan network.
Fifty Flights a Week Across Four Hubs
According to Lufthansa Group, the cluster of carriers under its umbrella will operate up to 50 weekly flights to Japan next summer. That includes Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and ITA Airways, serving Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka and Nagoya from their respective European hubs.
SWISS will increase its Zurich-Tokyo-Narita schedule to seven flights a week, up from current levels. Austrian and ITA contributions were not broken out, but the total represents a notable jump from recent operations. During the week of 28 September to 4 October this year, the same four carriers flew roughly 39 services between Europe and Japan, according to schedule data.
Dieter Vranckx, chief commercial officer of Lufthansa Group, called Japan a key market and pointed to the expansion as part of a broader push to diversify long-haul routes. Passengers will also have onward connections through ANA, Lufthansa Group's joint-venture partner in Japan, extending reach to domestic cities and other points in Asia.
Why the Capacity Boost Matters
Japan has seen a steady recovery in inbound travel since border restrictions lifted in late 2022. Visitor numbers have climbed back toward pre-pandemic levels, driven by a weaker yen, pent-up demand and strong interest from European travellers who often combine city stops with rural or cultural itineraries.
Airlines have responded by adding frequencies and reintroducing secondary cities. Nagoya had been a casualty of earlier network cuts; its return suggests carriers now see enough demand to justify service beyond the Tokyo-Osaka corridor.
The timing also aligns with summer holiday patterns in Europe, when leisure traffic to Japan peaks. Fifty weekly flights from Lufthansa Group alone will add significant seat inventory, likely putting downward pressure on fares if other European carriers follow suit.
Bookings for the new summer 2027 flights opened in early October.
