European Commission Orders Lufthansa to Support Condor’s Frankfurt-New York Route

The European Commission has called on Lufthansa to restore charter airline Condor’s access to its short-haul network, a move aimed at supporting Condor’s Frankfurt-New York route, according to Reuters. This directive comes as part of an ongoing investigation into a joint venture between Lufthansa, United Airlines, and Air Canada, which the EU executive body believes may be limiting competition on flights between Frankfurt and New York.

The Commission’s expected interim order would require Lufthansa to reinstate feeder services that were previously in place. These arrangements, which allowed Condor to connect passengers to and from Frankfurt via Lufthansa’s network, had been agreed upon in June 2024 but ended in December. The European Commission is concerned that without these feeder flights, Condor might be forced to discontinue its Frankfurt-New York route, potentially reducing consumer choice and competition.

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Condor has expressed support for the European Commission’s stance. The charter airline has been vocal about the challenges it faces without access to Lufthansa’s short-haul network, emphasizing the importance of such connections for its long-haul operations.

Lufthansa, however, has pushed back against the Commission’s view. According to Reuters, the airline stated that it is reviewing the latest announcement and highlighted a previous court ruling in Germany from December, which found that Lufthansa was not obligated to maintain the special agreements with Condor. The airline added that Condor could still access its feeder flights under standard international conditions, similar to other carriers.

The investigation by the European Commission centers around concerns that the joint venture between Lufthansa, United, and Air Canada could reduce competition in the transatlantic market. The Commission’s intervention underscores its commitment to ensuring fair competition in the aviation sector, particularly on highly trafficked routes like Frankfurt-New York.

Source: Reuters