San Antonio loses only nonstop flight to Europe, as Condor Airlines ends service
AUSTIN (KXAN) — San Antonio International Airport has lost its only nonstop transatlantic service after Germany-based Condor Airlines discontinued service to Frankfurt.
The airline also canceled flights to Baltimore, Minneapolis and Phoenix, as well as Edmonton and Halifax in Canada.
The cancellation was due to a ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice, according to a press release from the city of San Antonio. The court overturned a long-standing measure that required rival airline Lufthansa to provide feeder flights to Condor's network, the release said.
The measure had allowed passengers to fly to Frankfurt from North America on a Condor flight, then connect to another destination on a Lufthansa flight using the same ticket, with their bags checked through to their final destination.
"This is not a decision we take lightly. Condor has cultivated strong professional and personal ties with San Antonio and the other affected communities over the years, and we deeply regret the loss of connectivity and service this will cause," said Dr. Jens Boyd, commercial director for Condor Airlines. "We remain committed to exploring all avenues for fair competition, though we recognize that further legal proceedings will take time to resolve."
The seasonal route initially launched in May 2024, becoming San Antonio's first-ever nonstop service to Europe. At the time, Mayor Ron Nirenberg called it a "spectacular win for San Antonio."
The number of passengers flying from San Antonio to Europe increased 30% over the summer, according to the city's release.
"Our community has long asked for service to Europe and last summer's numbers proved that we do have a market that can sustain nonstop service," said Jesus Saenz Jr., San Antonio's director of airports.
Condor previously operated nonstop flights to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, beginning in June 2016, but the route was canceled in September 2018. Lufthansa currently flies nonstop between Austin and Frankfurt. More than 200,000 passengers have flown on the route since it resumed in April 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic.