Austrian Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, will debut a new weekly nonstop service between Vienna and Ponta Delgada this summer, marking the airline’s first regular connection between Austria and the Azores archipelago.

The announcement was confirmed to Publituris by Thomas Ahlers, Lufthansa Group’s General Director of Sales in Portugal. According to Ahlers, the new Austrian Airlines operation represents a milestone for the carrier, establishing its inaugural scheduled link between Austria and the Atlantic islands.

The Vienna–Ponta Delgada route is part of a broader expansion strategy by the Lufthansa Group, which will operate a total of 309 weekly flights to and from Portugal this summer — a 6% increase over the 291 flights offered during the previous summer season.

“These additions, none of which were operating in the summer of 2025, underscore the Lufthansa Group’s growth strategy for 2026,” Ahlers told Publituris. “The focus is on launching new city-to-city connections, expanding access to the Portuguese islands, and diversifying our summer leisure travel portfolio.”

The expanded schedule will reach all major Portuguese airports. Lisbon and Porto will each gain additional frequencies, bringing both cities to 108 weekly Lufthansa Group flights. Faro will see 66 weekly flights, along with a new Eurowings route to Prague. In Funchal, service increases to 22 weekly flights, complemented by a new connection to Hanover.

In Ponta Delgada, the German aviation group will operate five weekly flights in total, in addition to the newly introduced Vienna service — strengthening the Azores’ connectivity to Central Europe and reinforcing the islands’ growing appeal as a summer destination.

In Diário dos Açores-Paulo Vivieros, director

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