PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh International Airport has welcomed its second new international airline and commenced nonstop service to a second international market within the past week.
The inaugural flight on Condor Airlines from Frankfurt, Germany, carrying airport and community officials, arrived Friday evening to a water arch salute, news conference and celebrations for passengers at Gate C59 and in Baggage Claim.
“We’re thrilled that Condor Airlines has begun serving Pittsburgh and this region from Frankfurt, Germany, particularly because we have so many companies here with international operations which will use this destination,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “Providing this direct flight not only helps those businesses continue to flourish and grow in our region, but could also help attract additional businesses and tourists from Europe because of the connection. We thank Condor for choosing Pittsburgh International Airport and look forward to working with them to serve our business community for years to come.”
The aircraft that will fly the route is the first wide body aircraft (two aisle, 259 seats), to serve Pittsburgh International Airport in more than a decade, and the first time Pittsburgh and Germany have been connected with nonstop service since 2004. The plane will also have room for palletized cargo in the belly, creating additional cargo, high-value manufacturing, and logistics opportunities for the region.
“Nonstop service to Germany has been a top goal for the airport for several years and has been something the business community in Pittsburgh has been seeking for more than a decade,” said Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis. “This flight will strengthen Pittsburgh International Airport’s business and leisure travel connections.”
In addition to companies including Covestro, Bosch, Bayer, Siemens, Aldi and others, Pittsburgh has a number of residents who trace their ancestry to Germany, indicating a healthy leisure summer travel market for the flight.
Paul Overby, Board Chairman of the German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter, called the new service a godsend for Pittsburgh. “As a result of the flight, we anticipate more investment here by German businesses and even greater profile for our region among European travelers,” he said. “This is a fantastic first step, and we are hopeful that the Condor service will expand in coming years.”
Jens Boyd, Director of Long Haul and Revenue Management, said Condor is pleased to add Pittsburgh to its growing list of U.S. destinations, now totaling 11 cities.
“We are pleased to bring Condor’s award-winning, three-class service at attractive prices to Pittsburgh and the Tri State region and giving the local people a unique choice for their travels to Germany and beyond,” he said. “With our numerous partner airlines, we offer flights beyond Frankfurt to over 120 destinations across Europe.”
Seasonal nonstop service to Frankfurt on Condor will operate twice weekly (Mondays and Fridays) until September. Condor is the fourth international airline to offer scheduled service to Pittsburgh International Airport and is the third international carrier to add service within the past two years.
The leisure airline will operate a Boeing 767-300ER with 259 seats in business, premium and economy classes of service on this long-haul flight. All Condor passengers receive complimentary checked baggage, beverages, meals and in-flight entertainment. Condor’s Business Class features lie-flat seats, a personal in-seat, premium touch-screen entertainment system, power and USB ports at every seat and gourmet, five-course meals with complimentary wine, beer and cocktails. Business Class passengers also have access to priority check-in and business class lounges at most airports. Premium Class features seats with added legroom, leg rests and adjustable headrests, a premium in-flight, in-seat entertainment system with an extended program, USB ports at every seat, premium meals and complimentary beverages
Tickets are on sale at www.condor.com, in the travel agency or by phone at 1-866-960-7915 – free of charge.
About Allegheny County Airport Authority:
Allegheny County Airport Authority, which manages Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County Airport, is committed to increasing air service, improving customer service and inspiring growth in the Pittsburgh region. Its 2016 Annual Report detailing growth and improved financial position can be found at flypittsburgh.com/AR16.
Pittsburgh International Airport serves more than 8 million passengers annually on 16 carriers. During the past two years, the airport has increased its nonstop destinations more than 80 percent to include 68 airports. Air Transport World named Pittsburgh International its 2017 Airport of the Year. Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast both named Pittsburgh International a Top 10 Domestic Airport in 2016. In addition, TripAdvisor ranked Pittsburgh International Airport a Travelers’ Choice Favorite for Shopping in 2016.
About Condor:
Condor Flugdienst GmbH has been flying its guests to the most beautiful holiday destinations in the world since 1956. The traditional airline is a 100 percent subsidiary of Thomas Cook GmbH. On an annual basis, more than seven million passengers fly with Condor to about 80 destinations in Europe, America, Africa and Asia. The route network of the holiday airline includes over 230 destinations through cooperations with airlines in the destination areas. Condor was merged with the airlines Thomas Cook Airlines UK, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia in October 2013, to form the Thomas Cook Group Airlines. All companies within the Thomas Cook Group plc. are united under a common symbol: The Sunny Heart. To express their common identity, the aircraft of the Thomas Cook Group Airlines show the sunny heart on their aircraft trails. The sunny heart also shows that Condor is putting its heart into every flight. The fleet of the Thomas Cook Group is comprised of 94 modern and environmentally friendly aircraft, of which 44 aircraft are from the Condor fleet: nine Airbus A320s, seven Airbus A321s, ten Boeing 757-300s and eighteen Boeing 767-300s. The aircraft are maintained by the airlines’ own technical companies. The holiday airline has won numerous awards in recent years, including for the third year in a row, the award for being ‘Germany’s Most Popular Airline’.
NEW CONDOR FLIGHTS TO INCREASE BUSINESS/TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES
