Discover Airlines opens Finnmark to Europe with new direct route

The establishment of the new direct route between Frankfurt and Alta is historic: it is the first direct air connection between Europe and Finnmark. The inaugural flight will be on December 19, 2024.

The route is aimed at holiday and leisure travellers from Germany, Italy, and several other countries on the continent.

" We are delighted to expand our route portfolio to include Alta and to offer the only direct connection from Germany as of winter 2024." says Helmut Wölfel, Commercial Director at Discover Airlines.

"Alongside Evenes, which we only fly to in summer, it is already our second destination in Norway. This reflects the popularity of the region, especially among travellers from Germany" Wölfel adds.

A New Era for Finnmark
The new route from Frankfurt to Alta is not just an upgrade of the route offerings; it is a recognition of Alta and Finnmark's unique appeal and potential in the tourism market.

"The establishment of this direct route with Discover Airlines is a major milestone for the tourism industry in the Alta region, and for the entire local community," asserts Katja Pettersen, Head of Tourism at Visit Alta. "Connectivity has always been a major challenge and a barrier to further development in our sector, but this new route is a 'gamechanger.' Discover Airlines brings Europe closer to Alta and Alta closer to the big world," the tourism chief rejoices. She is delighted that genuine Arctic experiences will be more accessible to foreign guests – as early as next winter.

Fruitful Collaboration
Avinor and Visit Alta have worked hand in hand to launch this route, and the collaboration has been crucial. "We have a clear strategy to collaborate with destination companies to realize new air routes," explains Martin Langaas, Route Development Manager at Avinor. "The power that lies in working with destination companies to develop realistic route proposals and standing together in the sales pitch to airlines is a prerequisite for success."

Two Weekly Round Trips
Discover Airlines will operate the route with two weekly departures in each direction throughout the winter season 2024/25. Flights will take place on Thursdays and Sundays, departing from Frankfurt at 09:05 and arriving in Alta at 12:40. Return flights from Alta will take off at 13:25 and land in Frankfurt at 16:50. The flight time is estimated at 3 hours and 35 minutes from Frankfurt to Alta, and 3 hours and 25 minutes on the return.

Day	Flight	Direction	Departure	Arrival	Flight Time
Thursday	4Y1302	FRA-ALF	10:05	13:40	3h 35min
Thursday	4Y1303	ALF-FRA	14:25	17:50	3h 25min
Sunday	4Y1302	FRA-ALF	10:05	13:40	3h 35min
Sunday	4Y1303	ALF-FRA	14:25	17:50	3h 25min

Seamless connections at Frankfurt
Thanks to full integration into the Lufthansa network at its Frankfurt hub, it is now even easier and more convenient for travellers from all over Europe to travel to Alta.

"A seamless booking process and connections in Frankfurt make all the difference," says Helmut Wölfel at Discover Airlines. “Alta is a perfect addition to our leisure travel portfolio.”

Future Prospects
This route could be the beginning of several exciting initiatives from Alta.

"Local enthusiasm and energy lend credibility and momentum to Avinor in our collaboration with the airlines. If we succeed with this route, we have more exciting things on the way from Alta," concludes Langaas.

About Discover Airlines:
Discover Airlines is the Lufthansa Group's quality leisure Airline in Germany, flying travelers from Frankfurt and Munich to the most beautiful holiday destinations in the world. Since the summer of 2021, Discover Airlines has complemented the Lufthansa Group's offering in the growing segment of leisure travel. Guests benefit from an end-to-end booking process and seamless transfers at the Frankfurt and Munich hubs as well as at many global destinations of the Lufthansa Group and its partner airlines. Discover Airlines is headquartered in Frankfurt, currently operates a fleet of 24 aircraft and employs around 2,000 people. The flights can be booked on discover-airlines.com, via all booking channels and websites of the Lufthansa Group, and in travel agencies.