Lufthansa's service is now going beyond its operations between Korea and Germany, reaching to China, with the carrier starting operations connecting the three nations.

The German airline began operating the three weekly Munich-Incheon-Shenyang flights Monday. The operation doubled the number of services between Incheon and Munich to six per week, along with the three flights on the Busan-Incheon-Munich route which was launched March last year.

It also operates daily flights between Incheon and Frankfurt.

Although many Korean and Chinese airlines connect Korea and China, Lufthansa is the first European carrier to do so.

The Incheon-Shenyang route will be a touchstone for the airline's service between Korea and China, said Harald Hahn, general manager of Lufthansa's Korea branch, at a media briefing in Seoul Thursday.

Shenyang, China's fifth largest city in terms of population, attracts many Korean travelers, businesspeople and students. The flight from Munich arrives in Incheon at 5:35 a.m. and departs for Shenyang about an hour later, allowing passengers a full day after arrival in the Chinese city.

Munich International Airport is Lufthansa's second hub airport following Frankfurt. The carrier provides connections to 110 other cities from Munich.

A 221-seat A340-300 aircraft will be used for the new operation.

The carrier offers an online promotion, with airfare between Incheon and Munich at 750,000 won ($728) and that between Incheon and Shenyang at 200,000 won.

For Korean passengers, the German airline has Korean cabin crew and provides Korean-style in-flight meal and Korean in-flight entertainment programs. A Korean-language information service is available at Frankfurt and Munich airports.