Condor Flugdienst – or as most people know it Condor has been busy shopping – and has selected the Airbus A330neo for its fleet replacement.
Condor Airbus A330-900neo – Rendering, Airbus.
The order 16 aircraft is split into two components:
- A firm order for seven aircraft
- An intent to lease a further nine aircraft.
They will order the payload optimised Airbus A330-900neo for its renewal. In turn, the airline will become the launch operator of the A330neo in Germany.
The airline will operate the A330neo on its international long-haul network to the Americas, Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. A three-class cabin is planned for this, featuring Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class seating options. Seating densities have not been disclosed yet.
The aircraft is planned to have Wireless IFE installed on it, along with other connectivity options. Details again, are a little thin on the ground but should be interesting to examine as the aircraft goes from a purchase to a reality.
The first aircraft is expected in autumn 2022, whilst the replacement of the entire long-haul fleet is scheduled to be completed by mid-2024.
Condor A330-900neo in-flight – Rendering, Condor.
In Quotes
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International.
“Condor excels in operating profitably many routes no other carrier is able to; we are proud to see a demanding airline such as Condor selecting our latest-technology A330neo as the aircraft of choice, building the future of their widebody fleet in the relentless pursuit of lowest operating costs and passenger comfort,”
“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.”
“The A330neo has won a thorough competition yet again, as it has in the vast majority of competitive evaluations these last three years. The decision by Condor to modernise its long-haul fleet with A330neos will also set a new benchmark on the airline’s trajectory towards more sustainable flying. We thank and applaud Condor for confirming the competitive value of the A330neo.”
Condor CEO Ralf Teckentrup said:
“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 litres per passenger per 100 kilometres. With this value, we are the front-runner in Germany and, as the most popular leisure airline, we will consistently continue to interweave the themes of sustainability and holidays.”
“On board, our customers can expect the highest levels of comfort in a brand new Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class. We are looking forward to our new aircraft and to the successful cooperation with Airbus as a strong partner by our side.”
Moving to the future
You’ve got to love a good logo – Image, Condor
Condor currently operates 13 Boeing 767-300ER in their long haul fleet, with the airline operating the Airbus A320, Airbus A321 and the Boeing 757-300ER.
It seems the airline is slowly drifting to standardising on Airbus equipment, allowing for managed type ratings and reduced costs too.
With an average age of 26 years old, it was a matter of if, not when Condor chose to replace its long-haul fleet.
There’s a lot more to this story to come, as the airline chooses how to outfit its new fleet, in terms of IFE, seating and so on.
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