Austin airport to launch new German nonstop next year
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has scored yet another international nonstop with new, seasonal service to Frankfurt, Germany beginning next year.
Condor Airlines, which has operated in Germany since the 1950s, said Wednesday it will launch direct service to Frankfurt starting June 17, 2016. At this time, the service is slated to run seasonally until Sept. 1.
The service to Frankfurt International Airport will be offered twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, officials said.
“I am pleased to welcome Condor to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport next summer with a new nonstop to Frankfurt, Germany. New options for air service bring new business, jobs and tourism to Austin,” Austin Mayor Steve Adler said in a statement Wednesday. “Recently the airport opened a bigger, better U.S. Customs area and a bright airy new security checkpoint area. And we are continuing to facilitate growth with a terminal expansion in the works.”
ABIA is one of the fastest-growing midsize airports in the nation, setting passenger traffic records and adding new flights and new routes at a dizzying pace even as other regional airports have seen service decline amid airline consolidation.
Last year, the airport set a passenger record with more than 10.7 million travelers, up 7 percent or more than 700,000 passengers, than a year earlier. It also marked the fourth consecutive year the airport has set a passenger traffic record.
This year, at least 17 new routes — including Frankfurt — have been announced or launched at Austin-Bergstrom, including new nonstops to Seattle, Portland, Ore., Las Vegas, Chicago, Branson, Mo., Cincinnati, Boston, Fort Lauderdale and Toronto. In three years, ABIA will have added at least six new carriers including Condor, Allegiant Air, British Airways, Air Canada, Texas Sky/Public Charters and Branson AirExpress via Buzz Airways.
And Wednesday’s news comes as the airport continues to expand its menu of international offerings, from a newly expanded U.S. Customs area that could eventually triple the number of passengers it handles an hour, to several new flight options across U.S. borders.
The boost in international travel has signaled a new chapter for the Austin airport, experts have said.
Today, Austin travelers can choose from several new nonstop flights to Mexico, London, Canada and eventually Germany.
And British Airways this year is slated to upgrade to a bigger plane because of robust demand for their London service. The airline, which launched in Austin in 2014, will upgrade from a Boeing 787 to a Boeing 777 this fall. The new plane will seat an additional 66 passengers, or 280 total.
“This latest flight addition, Condor Airlines nonstop from Frankfurt, is a direct reflection of how our city continues to evolve as a premier destination for travelers,” Bob Lander, Austin Convention and Visitor’s Bureau president and CEO, said in a statement. “Visitors — both leisure and business — from Germany currently represent one of our top overseas inbound markets and we know that this flight will definitely increase that number.”
ABIA’s traffic growth has also led to several expansion projects. This past year, the airport added its 19,000-square-foot U.S. Customs center that has doubled - and could later triple - the number of passengers it processes to 600 an hour.
This month, ABIA opened a new six-lane security checkpoint and new concourse connection to the east ticket lobby. The project is part of a $62 million, more than 55,000-square-foot “terminal east infill” development slated to be completed by September with the addition of new baggage carousels and administrative offices.
Construction also continues on a $155.5 million parking garage, a five-story structure that will house a rental car facility with short-term public parking on the first floor. That facility could open as early as October.
As for Wednesday’s news, Austin will mark the third new U.S. market for Condor in the past year. The carrier has also launched nonstop service in Providence, Rhode Island and Portland. Oregan. It marks the 10th overall U.S. city served by Condor, the carrier said.
The carrier describes Frankfurt as “a highly populated city in the center of Germany and the financial heartbeat of continental Europe,” according to its release on the new Austin service Wednesday.
“The densely populated ‘Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region’ is the second largest metropolitan region in Germany. Located in the central western part of the country, this region stretches over parts of the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate,” the carrier said, adding that major cities in the region include Frankfurt, Mainz, Wiesbaden and Aschaffenburg. “The region consists of a rich cultural landscape, offering everything from national museums, theatres, operas, pulsating nightlife and much more. Frankfurt is an excellent starting point for tours throughout Germany and Europe.”
On Thursday, a vice president for Condor was slated to meet with airport officials personally to help expand on the carrier’s future plans in Austin.
“The addition of the already 10th destination in the United States next year shows clearly how important the U.S. market is for Condor. The demand for passengers to travel to Germany or beyond from North America is as high as never before,” Ralf Teckentrup, Managing Director at Condor Airlines, said in a statement. “And we want to cater to those who want to avoid crowded and congested hubs and rather travel nonstop to Frankfurt from their home airport such as Austin, Texas. And once in Frankfurt, passengers can connect to basically any major destination in Europe.”
Starting next summer twice weekly, departing flights are scheduled to leave Austin at 7:55 p.m. and arrive in Frankfurt at 1:10 p.m. the following day, airport officials said. Arrivals to Austin will depart Frankfurt at 1:25 p.m. local time and arrive in Austin at 5:55 p.m. local time.
The carrier will use their 259-seater B767-300ER, which offers business, premium and economy seating.