Ohio's capital has never had a nonstop flight to Europe. That changes on May 5, 2027, when Lufthansa begins flying between John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) and Frankfurt three times a week — the first direct transatlantic link in the city's history.

The route runs Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight LH407 leaves Columbus at 4:20 PM and lands in Frankfurt at 6:15 AM the next morning; the return, LH406, departs Frankfurt at 11:15 AM and reaches Columbus at 2:00 PM local time. Tickets went on sale October 20 via the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. Flying a 287-seat Boeing 787-9 with Lufthansa's new Allegris cabin — 28 lie-flat Business Class seats, 28 Premium Economy and 231 Economy — the airline is clearly chasing more than holidaymakers.

The commercial logic rests heavily on German business ties. The Columbus area hosts around 38 German-based companies, and Germany ranks among Ohio's top sources of foreign investment. Bayer, for one, has poured billions into pharmaceutical operations in nearby New Albany. Add a JobsOhio revenue guarantee — a state programme that cushions airlines' early losses on new routes, not buys out seats — and the launch risk drops considerably. JobsOhio says the same mechanism has backed dozens of route launches and expansions across the state.

For travellers, the real win is Frankfurt itself. As one of Europe's biggest hubs, it opens one-stop access to destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia — without the usual hassle of connecting through another US gateway first. Central Ohio passengers have historically had to detour through Chicago, New York or elsewhere just to cross the Atlantic.

There's precedent for this bet working. Lufthansa launched Austin–Frankfurt in 2019 and St. Louis–Frankfurt in 2022 with three weekly flights; the St. Louis route has since grown to five weekly frequencies in summer 2026 thanks to strong loads. Columbus hopes to follow the same path: start measured, prove demand across all three cabins, then expand. Corporate contracts, visiting friends and relatives traffic, and Frankfurt-bound connecting passengers will all need to stack up for the route to stand on its own once the state support ends.

If you live in central Ohio or plan a German-rooted trip there, this is the easiest Atlantic crossing the region has ever offered — and a rare chance to fly Lufthansa's newest long-haul cabin from your home airport.