Discover Airlines takes over MSP’s Lufthansa Frankfurt route May 2

Discover Airlines is taking over a key international route from its sister carrier Lufthansa for nonstop service between Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and Frankfurt International Airport (FRA).     

Discover Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Group, will operate flights from MSP four times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) beginning May 2, nearly a year after Lufthansa launched the route. Discover’s first flight to MSP is scheduled to arrive at 2:05 p.m. with the first departure to FRA scheduled that day at 4 p.m.

"We’re thankful for Lufthansa Group’s commitment to MSP as it works through a challenging aircraft delivery environment that necessitated the airline shift,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates MSP. “After the successful launch of this route last year, we're happy to welcome Discover Airlines to continue the vital business and leisure link between Minnesota and Germany.”

Discover Airlines is Lufthansa Group’s leisure-focused airline, with a growing U.S. business travel base accelerated through network growth in North America. Discover will operate the MSP-FRA route on an Airbus A330 aircraft, featuring up to 302 seats, including 27 business class seats with full lie-flat beds, 31 premium economy seats, and 244 economy seats. Discover Airlines offers a comprehensive entertainment experience with personal screens at every seat. Starting in summer 2025, all passengers will benefit from free and unlimited messaging.

“Discover Airlines offers a seamless travel experience, whether it’s direct to Germany or across Lufthansa’s extensive worldwide network anchored through its Frankfurt hub,” said MAC Chair Rick King. “And as summer approaches, we’re thankful for the strong inbound leisure market, too, that introduces travelers to all that Minnesota and the Upper Midwest have to offer.”     

“We are excited to take over this important connection between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Germany,” said Marco Götz, chief commercial officer at Discover Airlines. “Over the past year, we’ve seen growing demand for nature-bound holidays and outdoor activities, and we’re thrilled to add a destination that offers these experiences in abundance. Minneapolis-St. Paul, with its stunning natural beauty, is a perfect fit for our expanding route network, and we’re especially excited to offer this option during the popular summer holiday season.”

Discover Airlines is operating its first year of MSP-FRA flights as a seasonal route through late October out of MSP’s Terminal 1. Flights can be booked via discover-airlines.com or lufthansa.com.