SAN ANTONIO – Condor Airlines announced it will discontinue its service to Frankfurt from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and several other North American airports in 2025, citing a recent ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice.
The court’s decision overturned a longstanding measure enforced by the German Antitrust Authority, which required Lufthansa to provide feeder flights for Condor’s network.
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The ruling ends a partnership that allowed North American passengers to book through itineraries on Condor and Lufthansa, including seamless baggage transfers.
In response, Condor plans to restructure its 2025 schedule, ending flights to Frankfurt from Baltimore (BWI), Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), Phoenix (PHX), and San Antonio in the U.S., as well as Edmonton (YEG) and Halifax (YHZ) in Canada.
“This is not a decision we take lightly,” said Dr. Jens Boyd, Condor’s Commercial Director. “Condor has cultivated strong professional and personal ties with San Antonio and the other affected communities over the years, and we deeply regret the loss of connectivity and service this will cause. We remain committed to exploring all avenues for fair competition, though we recognize that further legal proceedings will take time to resolve.”
Local officials expressed disappointment but emphasized the region’s potential to attract future international flights.
Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, CEO of greater:SATX, highlighted San Antonio’s strong support for trans-Atlantic travel, noting the economic and business benefits of international air service.
“This summer, the San Antonio region demonstrated its strong support for trans-Atlantic travel,” Saucedo-Herrera said. “While we understand Condor’s challenging business decision based off the ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice, we remain deeply grateful for their investment in San Antonio.”
San Antonio’s 2024 summer marked a milestone for international travel, with Condor’s flights boosting passenger traffic to Europe by 30 percent and nearly 450 passengers flying daily in each direction.
“Our community has long asked for service to Europe, and last summer’s numbers proved we have a market to sustain nonstop service,” said Jesus Saenz, Jr., Director of Airports for the City of San Antonio. “We will continue to work with community partners to expand nonstop service from SAT.”
Despite the setback, local leaders hope to pursue opportunities to restore trans-Atlantic connections, building on the momentum of recent successes in positioning San Antonio as a gateway to Europe.