Lufthansa to resume Kolkata-Frankfurt flights after 35 years

KOLKATA: After 35 years, German airlines Lufthansa plans to resume operations of its passenger carriers from Frankfurt to Kolkata from December, with three weekly flights, airline sources said.

Lufthansa began scheduled services to India with Kolkata as its first destination in 1959, with two flights a week. Lockheed Super Constellation (LH-640) landed here on November 1, after flying 30 hours from Frankfurt via Cairo, Kuwait and Karachi.

The Airlines, however, withdrew its operations in 1971 due to Naxalite agitation in the state, the sources said.

On July 1991, a fortnightly scheduled freighter service was introduced from Frankfurt to Kolkata by Lufthansa Cargo.

"With the resumption of services from Kolkata making it the sixth destination after Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad in the Lufthansa India network, Lufthansa will establish its presence across all metros with 45 weekly flights," the sources said.