Delegation will be on 1st Condor flight from Germany

A local delegation headed by Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald once again has taken to the skies in advance of the inaugural flight by Condor Airlines into Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday.

Mr. Fitzgerald and five members of the Allegheny County Airport Authority, including CEO Christina Cassotis, left for Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday evening. They are being joined by representatives from local tourism group VisitPittsburgh, the Allegheny Conference and the local business community.

In a statement, authority spokesman Bob Kerlik, one of those who made the trip, said it “is important to strengthen the business ties that will support the [Condor] service as well as to raise awareness of the flight.”

The authority is paying $24,170 to cover the cost of the trip for its five employees and Mr. Fitzgerald. The others are paying their own way.

Members of the delegation will be meeting with business, airport and airline leaders while in Frankfurt. They will return on the Condor flight scheduled to touch down for the first time in Pittsburgh on Friday. The seasonal service marks the first time the airport has had a nonstop flight to Frankfurt since 2004. It has been considered a priority for years because of the many local businesses with ties to Germany.

The flight will operate on Mondays and Fridays through September.

Mr. Fitzgerald also led a delegation— including representatives of the airport authority, VisitPittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Technology Council — that traveled to Iceland in advance of the first flight into Pittsburgh by Iceland-based Wow Air on June 16.

Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.