Condor Bets Big on Gatwick: Introduces Three Daily Frankfurt-London Flights from 2026

In Europe’s changing airline world – where partnerships crumble and airports adapt – Condor is stepping up. The budget-focused German airline has now split from Lufthansa’s regional web and revealed plans for three daily trips linking Frankfurt (FRA) with London Gatwick (LGW), kicking off April 1, 2026. This will mark its debut at any London airport. Far beyond adding a flight path, this move shows intent to stand alone.

The shift

Revealed November 14, 2025, follows Condor pushing faster into its City Network, looking at short flights across Europe meant to boost traffic for busy long-distance trips from Frankfurt. Due to a German court decision early this year, the Special Prorate Agreement (SPA) fell apart, which once let Condor use Lufthansa’s local and regional routes. Now the airline must create its own network instead. Gone are the days riding on Lufthansa’s short-flight strength; today, Condor focuses on direct travelers and building its own links, especially for vacation getaways across the Atlantic to the U.S., Caribbean, and farther.

Flying mostly A320s and some A321s – painted in Condor’s bold stripes – the timetable shifts around to fit different needs: mornings, afternoons, or evenings, so it works whether you’re on a work trip or just out for fun near London. Check this split-up (times are local):

These schedules allow same-day comebacks plus smooth layovers in Frankfurt for Condor’s far-flung routes, whereas Gatwick runs cheaper with quicker turnarounds than packed Heathrow – making it appealing for budget-focused airlines such as Condor.

Peter Gerber, CEO of Condor, said:

“With London Gatwick, we are adding another exciting metropolis to our city network, offering business travelers and city tourists even more options. The launch of this route is another clear signal of our growth in the European market.”

The ripple effects of competition

Frankfurt to Gatwick has solid local demand with more than 2,500 people each day at peak times, once you count connecting trips, but nonstop flights vanished after British Airways quit in 2005. Lufthansa tried briefly then backed off. Since then, airlines under the Lufthansa umbrella, like Eurowings Discover, pushed most efforts toward Heathrow and London City, which left Gatwick short on service from Germany’s main business hub. Now Condor is stepping in with three daily flights, flipping the script by challenging the high fares on Lufthansa and BA’s dominant Heathrow run while offering office workers a budget-friendly, quicker option down south near London.

This launch ties into Gatwick’s strong recent run. Just one week in November 2025 saw the airport add four fresh airlines – Condor, Jet2 (parking five A321neos starting March 2026), Uzbekistan’s Qanot Sharq, alongside Isles of Scilly Skybus – showing how fast it’s shifting toward becoming Europe’s boldest alternate hub. While easyJet and Vueling expand operations, Jet2 joins them, pushing Gatwick past its old image as just a budget getaway spot; instead, it’s turning into a mixed-use base that starts rivaling Heathrow on major EU business corridors.

Folks on the move get clear perks – plenty of options, lower prices, plus quick train access from Gatwick into central London. Some A320s even pack business sections; certain models boast flat beds in Prime Class, which isn’t common anymore for shorter trips.

Moving forward

This path shows a bigger shift – airlines breaking free from big airline alliances. Court rulings and competition checks are slowly ending old team-ups, so companies such as Condor show independence works when they run their own regional flights. Should the Gatwick trial work out you can look out for bold new direct routes launching from Frankfurt by 2027, maybe hitting smaller hubs near Paris, Milan, or parts of northern Europe.

In a sector slowly bouncing back from pandemic chaos and now wrestling new supply limits, Condor’s move at Gatwick seems sharp, more like strategic foresight than luck. Sure, Frankfurt still dominates German long-distance travel, yet regional connections are shifting fast and this airline just grabbed a solid slice of that changing pie.

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