Condor and Airbus signed an agreement to acquire seven A330-900neo jets on Thursday. The widebody aircraft will be delivered starting in 2022 and will replace the Boeing 767-300 currently in use.
The German leisure airline also confirmed its intention to lease another nine A330neo, but did not detail the plan or the lessor it is negotiating with.
According to Airbus, Condor will use the new jet in the international network that includes destinations in the Americas, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.
“We are proud to be the German launch customer for the A330neo. Thanks to the latest technology and maximum efficiency of the aircraft, we will be taking off with our new plane from Autumn 2022 with fuel consumption of just 2.1 liters per passenger per 100 kilometers,” said Condor CEO Ralf Teckentrup.
“By operating the A320 and A330neo aircraft side by side, the airline will benefit from all the commonality economics these two premium products offer, with the embedded flexibility to address new and existing markets with the right-sized, right-efficiency aircraft,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer.
Thomas Cook collapse
Condor currently has a fleet of 50 aircraft, including 15 Boeing 767-300, 13 Boeing 757-200 and 22 A320 family jets.
Founded in 1955, Condor had Lufthansa as a shareholder, but from the 2000s onwards, the British company Thomas Cook began to acquire shares in the company.
In 2013, Condor was merged with other airlines in the Thomas Cook group. However, in 2019, the British travel group collapsed, causing Condor to suspend routes to various destinations.
With the help of the German government, Condor maintained its operation and this year had 51% of its shares taken over by Attestor Capital, which committed to investing in the modernization of its fleet.
