German charter airline Condor has kicked off its Christmas travel season with its first flight from Frankfurt to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The flight took place on December 18th and will continue throughout the winter season. The three-times-weekly flight will be the first since the airline stopped service to Punta Cana in March and will compliment the airline’s existing holiday offerings, including resort destinations in Cuba and the Maldives.
Condor’s resumption based on other successes
The decision to re-launch flights to Punta Cana was based on Condor’s successes in Cuba, according to the airline’s CEO, who made the following statement in a press release:
“We see from our flights to Cuba that Germans want to travel – and responsible travel is possible thanks to extensive protective measures and hygiene concepts throughout the entire journey. We are delighted to have been able to add one of the most popular destinations for Condor customers, the Dominican Republic, back to our flight schedule. So nothing stands in the way of a winter vacation on Caribbean dream beaches.” -Ralf Teckentrup, CEO, Condor
The airline will operate flights from Frankfurt to the seaside resort three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
According to FlightRadar24.com, the service to Punta Cana will go under flight number DE228 westbound and DE229 returning east. DE228 heading to Punta Cana will take roughly 10 hours, while the return flight will be just under nine.
Condor’s other holiday destinations
In addition to Punta Cana, Condor is operating a once-weekly service (on Sundays) to Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, in the north of the island. Relatively closeby is Condor’s service to Varadero in Cuba – which takes place three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Condor has been flying to Varadero three times a week from Frankfurt since the end of October.
Finally, flying east from Frankfurt, Condor operates a twice-weekly service to Malé in the Maldives, on Mondays and Saturdays.
As part of a November press release, representatives of the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry expressed delight regarding Condor’s service resumptions:
“We are very happy to have managed the restart of the flights to Punta Cana and Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo together with our longtime partner Condor. This shows that the plan for the reactivation of responsible tourism, which was launched by the President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader and the Minister of Tourism David Collado on September 15th, is successful.” -Petra Cruz, European Director of the Tourist Board Dominican Republic.
Operating the Boeing 767-300ER
Flying these long-haul services will be Condor’s fleet of Boeing 767-300ERs. There are currently 16 of these jets in the Condor fleet, although data from Planespotters.net shows that just seven are currently active while the remainder are listed as ‘parked.’
The airline says that “depending on the route, season and demand, B767 airplanes may be equipped with a smaller or larger number of business class seats.” Indeed, Condor has two configurations for its 767s, which are as follows:
- Version 1: 18 business class, 35 premium economy, and 217 economy seats
- Version 2: 30 business class, 35 premium economy, and 180 economy seats
The airline notes that all seats are equipped with seatback inflight entertainment systems.
Do you have any winter holiday plans? Will a flight on a Condor jet be part of those plans? Let us know in the comments.
