GERMAN AIR carrier Lufthansa has announced plans to begin services to and from Knock in what the airport hopes could generate in excess of €1 million for the west and northwest next year.
The airline, the largest in Europe and the fourth largest in the world, will operate direct flights to and from Dusseldorf every Saturday between May 7th and September 29th, 2012.
Connecting services to Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich will also be available for booking as part of the new service.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar congratulated Ireland West Airport Knock yesterday on delivering the new route, which he said would benefit the region and had huge significance for tourism.
“Germany is a key market for Irish tourism as German tourists tend to stay for an average of a week at a time and travel more widely,” he said.
“This is a great example of how close co-operation between the transport and tourism sectors can deliver a successful result.”
Knock airport managing director Joe Gilmore urged regional trade and tourism representatives to get behind the new services, adding that he was confident this would be the start of “significant expansion by Lufthansa at this airport” in coming years.
“This is a major vote of confidence for this airport and indeed the wider region.”
He said the services had the potential to bring in about 2,000 German tourists.