Lufthansa has solidified its position as a major player in transatlantic air travel, recording a remarkable 84.4% load factor on its routes from Frankfurt to the United States between June 2024 and May 2025. The airline transported approximately 5.3 million passengers on round-trip journeys, making it the fifth-largest carrier in this market, according to data from the US Department of Transportation. Only four airlines—Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and British Airways—carried more passengers during this period.
The majority of Lufthansa’s US-bound traffic originated from its Frankfurt hub, which accounted for 3.3 million passengers, or 62% of its total US traffic. This figure highlights Frankfurt’s significance as Lufthansa’s busiest hub, competing closely with Munich, another major airport in its network.
High-Performing Routes and Passenger Demand
Between June 2024 and May 2025, Lufthansa operated 18 passenger routes from Frankfurt to the United States, although this number has since decreased to 17. The airline’s ability to fill seats effectively reflects its strategic route planning. For instance, routes to Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco reported impressive load factors of 89.1%, 88.9%, and 88.5%, respectively.
These figures suggest robust demand for these key markets. Specifically, the Los Angeles route carried approximately 270,000 passengers, while Miami saw around 233,000 travelers. Notably, the San Francisco route attracted 226,000 passengers, indicating strong interest in both business and leisure travel to these destinations.
Lufthansa’s performance stands in contrast to its Munich hub, which achieved a lower load factor of 81.9% during the same time frame. This discrepancy can be attributed partly to Lufthansa’s use of the Airbus A380 from Munich, which carries a larger passenger capacity.
Routes with Below-Average Loads
While many of Lufthansa’s routes performed well, some fell below the airline’s average load factor of 84.4%. The Frankfurt to Minneapolis route was particularly underwhelming, with only 70.5% of seats filled. This route, which commenced in June 2024, was discontinued in April 2025 due to low demand.
Lufthansa decided to transfer this route to its wholly-owned leisure subsidiary, Discover, which began operations in May 2025. The transition aims to improve performance, especially during the summer months when demand is typically higher.
Other routes such as Frankfurt to Washington Dulles, Dallas/Fort Worth, and New York JFK also reported below-average loads, with load factors of 83.9%, 83.4%, and 82.7%, respectively. These routes still maintain significance for Lufthansa, contributing to overall network connectivity and profitability.
Emerging Markets and Strategic Growth
Lufthansa’s route to St. Louis has emerged as a noteworthy addition to its network. Launched in June 2022, this service has become the only long-haul operation at the Missouri airport. In the year leading up to May 2025, Lufthansa transported approximately 66,000 round-trip passengers on this route.
The St. Louis service operates three times weekly using the Airbus A330-300, Lufthansa’s smallest widebody aircraft, which seats 255 passengers. Notably, analytics indicate that around 45,000 of these travelers connected to other Lufthansa flights at Frankfurt.
The most popular connecting markets from St. Louis include broader Germany, Italy, India, Switzerland, and France. The substantial Bosnian community in St. Louis has also driven demand for connections to Sarajevo, which ranks as the top airport-level market for this route.
As Lufthansa continues to navigate the competitive landscape of transatlantic air travel, its strategic focus on optimizing routes and enhancing passenger experience will be crucial in maintaining its market position and achieving further growth.
