Condor to cut 200 million euros as restructuring costs bite

Condor is tightening its cost-cutting programme, aiming to save 100 million euros in each of the next two financial years — 200 million euros in total. The airline's management informed employees of the plan on Thursday, 17 September.

The savings drive comes as Condor carries out what it describes as the largest restructuring in its 70-year history. The carrier is moving beyond its traditional role as a leisure airline serving beach and nature destinations, adding more city connections that increasingly place it in the network-carrier segment. From Frankfurt, it now flies year-round to Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and in Europe to Milan, Prague, Vienna and Zurich.

The expansion is not entirely voluntary. Lufthansa ended its feeder agreement with Condor shortly before Christmas 2024, after many years of partnership, leaving the airline dependent on its own connecting traffic to fill long-haul flights. Building that traffic costs money.

Other pressures have arrived at the same time. Lufthansa Group is competing with Condor on many routes through its subsidiary Discover, and has taken other steps that affect the carrier, most recently removing a discount for Condor staff. Higher kerosene prices, driven up by the Iran war, have added to costs during the expansion phase.

Condor has already trimmed onboard service, recently dropping free water on its shortest routes as part of efforts to simplify its catering logistics and save money. Those measures alone are not enough. The airline has been working on a savings programme for months.

Condor continues to report losses. Its fleet includes Airbus A330neo aircraft, one of which was pictured in Frankfurt.