DALLAS — German leisure carrier Condor (DE) will launch its first direct Chinese destination in July 2025, connecting Frankfurt (FRA) to Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX).
The Sanya service will utilize DE’s existing Bangkok route (launched September 2024) as a connecting point. After a layover at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport BKK, the A330neo aircraft will continue to Sanya. DE's FRA-Sanya service will operate three weekly flights using its A330neo aircraft.
Peter Gerber, DE's CEO, was upbeat about the new route, saying, “We are very confident that, based on the planned launch of the new flight connection and the close cooperation with our new partners, we will be able to offer our guests a very attractive new vacation trip destination in Sanya.”
Condor serves Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand and Male in the Maldives in the Asia-Pacific Region. The airline also serves Bangkok and Male five times weekly, while Phuket sees four weekly flights.
Network Restructuring
An aviatinoweek.com report notes that, following both the December 2024 transition from a special prorate agreement to an interline agreement with Lufthansa (LH) and the February 2025 European Commission (EC) decision to drop interim measures regarding access to LH's network, DE has strategically pivoted toward more substantial leisure offerings.
The EC decision has restricted the airline’s access to feeder traffic at Frankfurt, meaning fewer connecting passengers, making some North American routes less viable.
As a result, DE will end service to seven North American destinations: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, San Antonio, Edmonton, Baltimore, and Halifax. However, the airline will maintain its service to Miami, which has enough demand to operate without additional feed.
The carrier is redeploying aircraft to add frequencies on leisure routes and enter new destinations, including Bangkok and Phuket, which start in September 2024. DE will also launch new flights to Panama in June 2025.
Europe's short-haul network will also see an update, with a DE A320 stationed in Vienna and increased frequencies from Frankfurt to destinations including Berlin, Hamburg, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, and Zurich.
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April 2025
