Airbus A380 makes its debut flight to Denver, courtesy of Lufthansa
Munich and Denver have been connected through an official partnership since 1992, and in 2016, Lufthansa introduced a daily flight between the two cities on the Airbus A380. Since then, the route has seen significant growth. In 2024, a total of 36,400 round-trip passengers were recorded on the Munich to Denver route, and around 169,500 passengers travelled from Munich to Denver. By 2025, Lufthansa was operating the Airbus A380 on this route, with a seating capacity of 509 passengers.
The Airbus A380 landed at the Denver Airport for the first time on April 30, 2025, marking the beginning of daily flights. Prior to this, the route was operated with the Airbus A350-900.
Denver Airport, also known as Denver International Airport, has made preparations for A380 operations, with two gates now equipped with double jet bridges. Interestingly, due to Denver's elevation, the Airbus A380 can operate there without payload restrictions, except on very hot summer days.
Lufthansa's Munich hub employs around 12,000 staff, and the airline also operates alternative flights to Denver from Salt Lake City and Phoenix Sky Harbor airports.
In North America, Denver International Airport handled over 82 million passengers in 2024, making it the third-largest airport in the region. Munich Airport, on the other hand, expects around 44 million passengers in 2025.
Kurt Hofmann, an aviation industry journalist, often discusses topics related to commercial aviation on Austrian, Swiss, and German television and radio stations. He has been following the growth of the Munich to Denver route closely.
It's worth noting that United Airlines also operates on the Munich to Denver route, transporting around 420,000 passengers since 2016.
The partnership between Munich and Denver, and the daily Airbus A380 flights by Lufthansa, have strengthened the connections between Europe and North America, offering passengers a comfortable and efficient travel experience.
