Condor to link Cape Town with Frankfurt

Audrey D'Angelo

German airline Condor will fly into Cape Town for the first time this year, providing a seasonal service between Cape Town International Airport and Frankfurt.

The new service will fill a gap created by a change in German airline Lufthansa’s seasonal service from Cape Town, which will fly to Munich this summer instead of its previous route to Frankfurt.

Frankfurt is Germany’s main business destination and Lufthansa flies daily between the city and Johannesburg, using a giant Airbus A380.

SAA also flies to Frankfurt daily from Johannesburg.

However, most Cape Town residents prefer to fly directly from their local airport, and the rebuilt and enlarged Cape Town International Airport is looking to attract more international flights.

Although Condor, owned by international travel company Thomas Cook, is largely aimed at the leisure market, its flights offer three classes – economy, premium economy and “comfort” (business) class. It flies more than 6 million passengers to about 75 destinations, worldwide, every year.

Lufthansa’s decision to change its Cape Town route to Munich this year was taken after protests against noise caused a ban to be imposed on late night arrivals and take-offs from Frankfurt.

Its seasonal flights to Cape Town in summer are aimed mainly at the tourist market, but also attract some business travellers, for most of whom Munich is a less convenient destination than Frankfurt.

A survey published recently by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology showed that business-related travel now accounted for 24 percent of total spending in the travel sector on trips including a stay for at least one night.

Condor’s service, starting on November 3, will provide two return flights a week.