Polish Aviation buys Condor Airlines
Here’s some good news for those planning to fly Condor Airlines’ seasonal route from Sky Harbor Airport this year. The airline has found an investor to secure its future in the leisure travel industry.
Polish Aviation Group, which owns LOT Airlines, said Monday it would acquire Frankfurt-based Condor, which flies more than 9.4 million passengers yearly to 90 destinations in Europe, Africa and the United States. The companies plan for the deal to close in April.
Condor has been looking for a new owner since the collapse of its parent company Thomas Cook Airlines in September. A well-known travel brand in Germany, Condor had been considered the most profitable arm of the company.
German state and federal governments stepped in to ensure Condor’s liquidity by providing bridge loans to allow it to continue operating during the slow winter season.
As part of the Polish Aviation Group deal, the companies will repay those bridge loans in full.
Condor’s future in Phoenix, abroad
Having served travelers since 1956, Condor will continue to operate under its own brand and retain its management. Polish Airlines Group said Condor will become the center of its strategy to build the company into a leading leisure carrier in Europe.
“We want to develop Condor’s iconic brand in Germany and also introduce it to other markets in Europe. We wholeheartedly welcome all Condor employees to the PGL family and invite them to build together one of the greatest aviation groups in Europe,” Rafal Milczarski, president of the management board of PGL, said in an emailed statement.
In the United States, Condor flies to Seattle, Baltimore-Washington, Las Vegas, Portland, Minneapolis, Anchorage, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Fairbanks and Phoenix.
Condor begins its seasonal service three days a week between Frankfurt and Phoenix with departures starting on April 4. That’s a month earlier than in 2019. The service ends in October.
Condor has been pleased with the performance of its Phoenix-Frankfurt nonstop route. That success has attracted competition in 2020, with Lufthansa launching a nonstop to Frankfurt with its Eurowings brand on April 29.
“Condor continues to express their commitment to this market and given their great product and prices, we have
every confidence that they will continue to be successful under this new ownership model,” said Deborah Ostreicher, assistant aviation director at Sky Harbor.
Condor hopes news of the investment by Polish Aviation Group gives customers confidence in the future of the company.
“Together we will serve twice as many passengers, thus forming one of the largest aviation groups and the leading leisure airline group in Europe. Our partners and customers can safely plan their holiday flights with Condor,” Chief Executive Officer Ralf Teckentrup said in an emailed statement.