Updated at 7:55 p.m. on June 1
St. Louisans can now get to Europe on a non-stop flight, an option that hasn鈥檛 existed for more than two decades.
Wednesday marked the beginning of Lufthansa鈥檚 service between St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Frankfurt, which will operate three times a week.
鈥淪omething like this has the ability to change the perception of St. Louis,鈥� said Kitty Ratcliffe, President of Explore St. Louis. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not 鈥榝ly-over country鈥� if people are flying here.鈥�
Ratcliffe said she expects the number of travelers to the region from Germany and other European countries like Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Italy will grow exponentially because of the new route.
The new flight is a major achievement for the airport, regional business and government leaders, who鈥檝e long sought a direct flight across the Atlantic, said Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Lambert鈥檚 director. The lack of direct flights to Europe has been a sore point for many in the region, especially since airports in smaller markets have been able to secure non-stop flights, she said.
When TWA operated a hub in St. Louis there were regular non-stop flights to Europe.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably been the number one ask of things that people call and said, 鈥榃hy can鈥檛 you get this done?鈥欌�� she said.
One of the major challenges in Hamm-Niebruegge鈥檚 eyes was a lack of regional cohesion in presenting a strong pitch to airlines.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot for an airline to come into a market this size on international service and not know whether or not it鈥檚 going to be supported and whether it鈥檚 going to be successful,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking for those first two years to test the market and see.鈥�
St. Louis鈥� airport has been an attractive location for Lufthansa to expand to because of the region鈥檚 size and robust travel with Europe, said Don Bunkenburg, who heads sales and commercial business for the airline in the western U.S.
鈥淔inally we had enough aircraft and backing from the right corporations in the local community to be able to introduce the flight,鈥� he said.
And now that it鈥檚 here, business leaders in St. Louis expect the route will see significant success. It was a main desire of many foreign owned businesses, said Tim Nowak, executive director of World Trade Center St. Louis.
鈥淭ime and again, the number one barrier to increased investment in this community was lack of connectivity,鈥� he said.鈥淪t. Louis has world class industries, an educated workforce.鈥�
Nowak explained it became a priority for his organization and many others throughout the region to relaunch direct international flights to Europe鈥檚 mainland.
Along with the inaugural flight from Lambert, Nowak and a delegation of 31 other business and government leaders are going to Germany to promote the route and St. Louis region. It鈥檚 a connection local leaders want to see expand, said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones.
鈥淭his breaks a longstanding log jam for people in St. Louis to get to continental Europe and other parts of the world,鈥� she said.
The new flight can enhance St. Louis鈥� standing as a transportation, shipping and geospatial hub to foreign companies, Jones added.
It also helps St. Louis become more accessible and attractive for tourism and conventions, which can bring people to the region who may not have considered visiting, Ratcliffe said.
The new route also has interest from outside the business community in St. Louis. Behija Fejzic was at the airport to pick up her mother who was traveling back from Bosnia.
鈥淚鈥檓 just excited to see her and it鈥檚 really awesome that she doesn鈥檛 have to struggle with the language barriers having to connect through different cities,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne connection makes it a lot easier.鈥�
Fejzic a travel agent who lives in St. Louis, said the non-stop flight from St. Louis to Frankfurt significantly cuts down on how long it takes to travel there. Before this option, a trip to Sarajevo would mean multiple connecting flights, she said.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e basically traveling for a whole entire day,鈥� Fejzic said. 鈥淭his is just going to be so much easier.鈥�
Other locals agree.
鈥淵ears ago we used to be able to do two legs to get to Europe,鈥� said Ballwin resident Matt Mercurio. 鈥淲e鈥檇 go to Atlanta and then straight to Prague. In the last couple of years we鈥檝e had to go to Chicago or New York or some other city, then Amsterdam, then to Prague.鈥�
He was at the airport Wednesday to welcome his in-laws who are from the Czech Republic.
鈥淚 hope the region really supports this because it鈥檚 a big deal,鈥� Mercurio said. 鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been like this since TWA. It鈥檚 a big deal if we can keep an international terminal here.鈥�
Many of the upcoming flights are already essentially full, Fejzic said. At A.M.E. Travel Services, Fejzic said many of her clients want to take this flight, but it鈥檚 only offered on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty much sold out, especially departing from St. Louis,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e at the point where we鈥檙e doing premium economy because the economy seats are being booked very quickly.鈥�
Eric Schmid covers economic development for 漏 2024 外网天堂. He previously covered the Metro East.
