German leisure airline Condor will fly non-stop between Frankfurt and Costa Rica beginning next year, the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) said.
The route will commence in October 2020 with twice-weekly offerings using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
Currently, Condor operates a direct, but one-stop route between Frankfurt and the San José area. The airline connects Frankfurt and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, continuing with a fifth-freedom flight to Juan Santamaría International Airport in Costa Rica.
Beginning next October, a layover in the Dominican Republic will no longer be necessary. A press release from the airline suggests Condor will stop flying to Santo Domingo by the end of 2020.
“Condor’s decision was influenced by the support and confidence that ICT maintained toward the airline during the bankruptcy of its parent company Thomas Cook, a company from which it has already completed its separation,” said María Amalia Revelo, Minister of Tourism, in a statement.
Condor’s parent company, Thomas Cook, declared bankruptcy in September, but the German subsidiary secured a loan from state-owned bank KfW to continue operating.
“I am confident that at the end of this process a new partner will be found for Condor that will secure a sustainable future for the airline and enable further growth,” insolvency administrator Prof. Dr. Lucas Flöther said at the time.
Condor’s ongoing existence would be beneficial for Costa Rica.
According to the Tourism Board, more than 74,500 Germans visited Costa Rica in 2018, and the organization expects an increase this year.
German airline Lufthansa also connects Costa Rica with Frankfurt nonstop.
