Condor Ends Boeing Chapter With Final 757 Flight, Considers A321XLR

VIENNA—German leisure carrier Condor Airlines has ended its chapter with aircraft from Boeing, completing its final 757-300 flight from Vienna to Frankfurt on Nov. 5.

“From tomorrow onward, we are an all-Airbus operator,” Condor CEO Peter Gerber told Aviation Week in Vienna Nov. 5, on the sidelines of the Boeing 757 farewell event.

Condor operates a fleet of 22 A320ceo family aircraft, 12 A320neo family aircraft and 18 A330-900s. Over the next two-and-a-half years, the carrier will continue receiving deliveries of the A320neo family aircraft, depending on whether delivery schedules from Airbus meet the targets. By 2029, a total of 43 A320neo aircraft are expected to be in Condor’s fleet.

When asked if the A321XLR had also been under consideration, Gerber said he had nothing against the A321XLR. “It has its specific advantages, when the aircraft is available,” Gerber added. “And that’s why we will, thinking about what happens in the future, think about it. In our considerations, the A321XLR plays a role.”

Gerber said that Condor is facing no major challenges with Pratt & Whitney GTF engines on its Airbus A320/321neo fleet. “In terms of operations it exceeds our expectations,” he said.

Condor’s Rolls-Royce Trent 7000-powered A330-900neo fleet is expected to grow to 21 aircraft by 2027. “Then, there is one-year break, then four more A330s join our fleet by 2031,” Gerber said.

Condor was the launch customer for the 757-300. Since 1990, it has operated a total of 35 757s, both the -200 and -300 variants.

When asked if a modernized 757 would have played a role in fleet planning, Gerber said, “The question is always, how many different aircraft types from different manufacturers can an airline of a size like Condor operate?”

“In principle, the 757 is a great aircraft and a further development of it might have changed the fleet concept if it had been available at the right time,” he said. “But the future is now with an all-Airbus fleet.”

Condor received its very first Boeing aircraft in the 1960s, a 727-100. The carrier also operated Boeing 707s, 737s and 747s.