Our History (1955-2006)

1955
Condor, the charter flight airline from Thomas Cook AG, is founded on December 21st as “Deutsche Flugdienst GmbH” by the four partners Norddeutscher Lloyd (27.75 %), Hamburg-Amerika-Linie (27.75 %), Deutsche Lufthansa (26 %) and Deutsche Bundesbahn (18.5 %). The base airport is Frankfurt am Main. The fleet consists of three British-made Vickers Viking two-engine propeller aircraft, each with 36 seats.

1956
The company’s tourism flight operation begins on March 29th with a pilgrimage flight to the “Holy Land”. Within the first year of operation, Majorca and the Canary Island of Tenerife are already added to the flight schedule.

1959
Deutsche Lufthansa AG takes over 95.5 percent of the capital.

1961
Deutsche Flugdienst GmbH takes over “Condor-Luftreederei”, founded in 1957 by the Hamburg-based Oetker concern, and changes its name to Condor Flugdienst GmbH. This move returns a tradition-rich name to the Lufthansa family, stemming from the Lufthansa subsidiary “Syndicato Condor Ltda”, founded in 1927 in Rio.

1962
Condor Flugdienst GmbH has a 63.3 percent market share of all German tourism air travel. Some 32,000 passengers are transported in this year – Majorca is the leading destination with 18,400 passengers.

1966
The first longhaul flights go to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kenya and the Dominican Republic.

1971
Condor is the world’s first leisure airline to use a Boeing 747, the “Jumbo”, in its fleet.

1973
With turnover of 291 million Deutschmarks, Condor is the world’s leading holiday airline. The fleet consists of a total of 14 Boeing aircraft:  Two Boeing 747s, two Boeing 707s and ten Boeing 727s.

1989
Together with Turkish Airlines, Condor founds the airline SunExpress.
Condor buys Südflug GmbH, which is a subsidiary of Condor afterwards.
“Condor Flüge individuell” (today Condor Individuell): Condor no longer markets only charter capacities, but now also uses its individual seat business do sell airline seats alone to end customers directly.

1991
Condor is the first tourism airline to introduce a separate, more comfortable class into its aircraft: The new Condor Comfort Class creates new quality standards.

1992
In fall the subsidiary Südflug is integrated into Condor.

1995
Condor expands its shareholdings. Meanwhile Condor-Touristik-Verbund owns holdings in alpha Holding GmbH (30 percent), Kreutzer Touristik GmbH (37.5 percent), Fischer Reisen GmbH (100 percent) and 10 percent of Öger Tours GmbH. Condor additionally assumes the 40 percent owned by Lufthansa in the Turkish charter airline SunExpress.

1996
For Condor’s 40th birthday celebration, American painter James Rizzi creates a Boeing 757 as a flying work of art, the so-called “Rizzi-Bird”.
With twelve firm orders, Condor Flugdienst GmbH is the first customer for the Boeing 757-300.

1997
Condor Flugdienst GmbH belongs to C&N Touristic AG (today Thomas Cook AG):  With the merger of Condor Flugdienst GmbH and NUR Touristic GmbH, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and KarstadtQuelle AG have created the basis for an integrated tourism concern with a European format – both partners each hold 50 percent in the company.

1998
At the start of the year, Condor founds “Condor Berlin GmbH”, a 100 percent subsidiary with its headquarters in Berlin Schönefeld.  By the end of the year, Condor is awaiting six Airbus A320-200 aircraft, the most technologically modern shorthaul aircraft in the world.  They replace the four previously leased Boeing 737-300s.

2001
Condor redesigns the Comfort Class in its Boeing 767-300 aircraft, featuring new seats with significantly increased space between seats and an on-board entertainment system equipped with portable DVD players.

2002
Thomas Cook becomes the integrated international tourism brand:  Condor is transformed into the new brand, “Thomas Cook powered by Condor”.  In Germany, the Condor and Condor Berlin airplanes gradually bear the new Thomas Cook design:  The fuselage sections of the aircraft feature the Thomas Cook logotype in the future, and the tail unit displays the Thomas Cook logo.  The reference “powered by Condor” makes it clear that the new airline brand is relying on the tried-and-true Condor quality.  In June of 2002, the first of a total of 50 Condor aircraft takes off displaying the new paint job.

2004
Starting in May, the Thomas Cook AG airline in Germany returns to the skies under the Condor brand name. As the first and up to now only German airline, the new Condor also begins offering discount prices on Longhaul Flights: Starting at 99 Euros, guests can fly with Condor to America, to the Caribbean, to Africa and to Asia.  Discount introductory prices also apply effective immediately for short and mediumhaul destinations, starting at 29 Euros.

2005
Condor Berlin welcomes another Airbus A320 and now operates a fleet of 13 aircraft of this type.

2006
In March, Condor Flugdienst GmbH celebrates its 50th Birthday. Various events and promotions bring its exciting history to life once again. In the anniversary year 2006, Condor sends a flying declaration of love to the world: The uniquely designed Boeing 757-300 named “Willi” after Wilfried Meyer, who decisively shaped Condor’s image for 30 years. Highlights include the larger-than-life fly on the tail, the motto “Wir lieben Fliegen” (“Born to fly”), and the colorful hearts.

On October 16, Condor welcomes its 150-millionth passenger since 1956 on board. As a token of appreciation, the "guest of honor" and his family are seated in Condor Comfort Class. 

Take a look at our special Condor birthday treat: 50 years of Condor microsite!

2008
Travelers to far-away places can enjoy a brand-new on-board experience with Condor. While overhauling the cabins in its Boeing 767 long-haul fleet, Condor introduces a new Premium Economy Class in addition to the regular Economy Class. It offers 6 inches more legroom compared to the standard Economy Class. The seats are spaced 36 inches apart, and the service includes in-flight catering with premium meals and many other extras. Comfort Class was also upgraded. In addition to redesigned seats, Condors offers portable DVD players with swiveling 10" monitors in Comfort Class.

A separate technical unit, Condor Technik GmbH, is set up to perform the highly demanding repair and maintenance work on the Condor Boeing fleet at Frankfurt Airport.

2009
Condor retrofits its Boeing 767 long-haul aircraft with newly developed aerodynamic winglets. This 6.5 foot wingtip extension reduces not only noise emissions, but also fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.  Fuel savings for each airplane and year run at around 1,300 metric tons, since improved aerodynamics helps planes reach their cruising altitude faster, and less thrust is required during the flight and the landing approach. Condor is the first airline in Germany to fly with the new large winglets. The first airplane with the new aerodynamic wings takes off in May 2009. Starting at the end of the year, the entire Boeing 767 fleet will fly with the fuel-saving wingtip extensions.