New air routes are always thrilling for travelers eager to explore new destinations and for aviation enthusiasts who cover such events.

On May 31, Lufthansa commenced a new nonstop connection between Seattle and Munich, operating A350 aircraft on this route. The airline already offers daily flights to Frankfurt from Seattle, which started in 2008, using A330 and A340 aircraft.

The new flights are designated LH488, departing SEA every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday at 6:50 PM, and landing in Munich at 1:45 PM the following day. The return flight from MUC to SEA also operates on the same days, departing at 3:30 PM and arriving at 4:59 PM.

A Lufthansa A350 taxiing to the terminal at SEA on its inaugural flight from Munich
A Lufthansa A350 taxiing to the terminal at SEA on its inaugural flight from Munich.

Flight LH488 arrived at SEA to a traditional water-turret salute from the airport fire department
Flight LH488 arriving at SEA to a traditional water salute from the airport’s fire department.

Don Bunkenburg/Senior Director Sales USA Central, West & Central America Lufthansa Group
Don Bunkenburg, Senior Director Sales USA Central, West & Central America of Lufthansa Group.

Rick Duncan/SEA Airport Director, Aviation Business & Properties
Rick Duncan, SEA Airport Director, Aviation Business & Properties.

Traditional ribbon-cutting event at the departure gate
A traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the departure gate.

Lufthansa is a member of the Star Alliance, providing seamless connections with its 26 partner airlines.

The Lufthansa A350-900 at the gate in Seattle
Lufthansa A350-900 at the gate in Seattle.

The introduction of this service marks the third new international route added by SEA in 2024, joining Hainan’s flights to Chonqing and Alaska Airlines’ service to Toronto, bringing the total to 50 international routes servicing 33 destinations through 25 different airlines.