Flights to Germany on the rise

Silvery traces of afternoon rain trickled down the window, blurring the view of the tarmac beyond the streaked pane. Inside the terminal, passengers waited in varying degrees of impatience as the red and white Airbus 332 completed its taxi across the wet, glistening blacktop.

Jeffrey Thomas rested in a rare moment of stillness with his forehead against the glass, one fingertip following the path of a meandering raindrop down the smooth surface.

"He's a very good traveler," said Krista Thomas as she reached out to smooth down a wayward cowlick in her 4-year-old son's tousled blond hair. "The flights to and from Germany are always a bit of adventure and fun combined with a bit of restlessness and grumpy moods," she added with a wry smile.

Krista and Jeffrey, along with husband Jason, are a part of the growing number of seasonal residents in Fort Myers who spend the off-season nearly 5,000 miles away in Germany.

"There is a large demand for routes between Fort Myers Germany," said Kristina Harmon, sales manager LUT International Airways. "There is a large population of Germans and Austrians in Fort Myers."

Beginning May 1, LTU changed its routes to both Munich and Dusseldorf to nonstop flights. Previously, both flights made stops in Miami, and the Munich flight was routed through Dusseldorf.

Laska Ryan, airport spokesperson, said the change in routes qualified the airline for the incentive program offered by Southwest Florida International Airport to encourage non-stop routes to high-demand destinations. The program will provide financial assistance to the airline for the period of one year while the transition is made to help the airline cover the costs of opening up a new non-stop route.

LTU's Airbus 332, which serves both the Munich and Dusseldorf routes, has an 18-passenger capacity in business class and an additional 305 seats in economy.

"This is a trial run to see how the bookings go," said Harmon, "but so far the bookings are looking just fine. We are running at pretty high capacity."

Photo by Jessica Waters, Banner

Demand for flights from Southwest Florida International Airport are increasing, and LTU International Airways flights to and from Düsseldorf and Munich, Germany, no longer stop in Miami. Both routes are nonstop flights as of May 2.

The current flight schedule of one flight to Munich every Wednesday and a flight to Dusseldorf every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, will last through Oct. 31, when the airline will switch to its winter schedule. The winter schedule will have fewer flights due to the reduction in demand during the winter months, said Harmon. Passengers are a combination of vacationers, business travelers and seasonal residents, she added.

"The new nonstop flight is nice because it cuts out the hassle of changing planes," said Krista Thomas as she shouldered her carry-on bag and herded husband and son toward the gate. "And it takes a good chunk of time off the trip, which is a bonus when traveling with an energetic child and a husband who hates flying."

LTU, known as a vacation airline for upscale leisure travelers, is continuing its focus on their traditional customer but also trying to attract more of the business travelers traveling to destinations their routes serve.

"We are offering our business class travelers special touches like extra-wide leather seats while still keeping the service nicely priced compared to other carriers," said Harmon.

Harmon added LTU is very pleased with the new terminal at the Fort Myers airport. Having flown in to Fort Myers a number of times from her home city of Miami, Harmon said she is impressed with the new services and the convenience of the new terminal.