Condor Regains Lufthansa Feed Access Amid EU Antitrust Measures
Condor (DE, Frankfurt International) will regain access to Lufthansa’s (LH, Frankfurt International) feeder flights at Frankfurt International Airport following interim measures imposed by the European Commission. The decision stems from ongoing concerns that the A++ transatlantic joint venture (JV) involving Lufthansa, Air Canada, and United Airlines is restricting competition on the Frankfurt-New York route.
The European Commission announced that it had issued a supplementary statement of objections to Lufthansa, ordering the airline to reinstate Condor’s access to feeder traffic under the terms of a Special Prorate Agreement (SPA) the two airlines had previously agreed upon in June 2024. The Commission fears that the termination of the SPA, which enabled Condor to access Lufthansa’s short-haul network to feed its long-haul flights, could harm competition and force Condor to exit the Frankfurt-New York market.
Condor, which began operating on the Frankfurt-New York route in 2021, currently offers 4x weekly flights to New York JFK. Lufthansa, on the other hand, provides daily flights to both JFK and Newark. Other carriers serving the route include Singapore Airlines (JFK), United Airlines (Newark), and Delta Air Lines (JFK), though Condor’s withdrawal would significantly reduce competition.
The termination of the SPA in 2020, followed by subsequent court rulings, led to the arrangement ceasing entirely in December 2024. Without access to Lufthansa’s feeder network, Condor recently canceled six seasonal services to the U.S. and Canada, citing the lack of viable feeder traffic from Europe. The European Commission highlighted this as evidence of the potential harm to competition if Condor cannot secure sufficient feed traffic.
Lufthansa has expressed disagreement with the Commission’s position, with a spokesperson stating, “We do not share the EU Commission’s position and are currently reviewing the Commission’s new announcement in the next few days.” Condor has not yet commented on the development.
The interim measures are part of the Commission’s broader investigation into potential antitrust violations by the A++ JV, which includes Lufthansa, United Airlines, and Air Canada. The investigation originally began in 2013, with commitments from the airlines to address competition concerns by providing slots and feeder traffic to competitors. These commitments expired in 2023, prompting the Commission to reopen its scrutiny of the JV in August 2024, citing potential breaches of competition laws.
The regulator emphasized that the reinstatement of Condor’s feeder access is a necessary step to prevent “serious and irreparable damage to competition” on the Frankfurt-New York route. This measure also ensures that Condor can continue operating its transatlantic services while the Commission’s investigation into the JV’s practices continues.
The decision underscores the European Union’s commitment to fostering competition in the aviation sector, particularly on critical transatlantic routes. For Condor, the reinstatement of feeder traffic from Lufthansa offers a lifeline to maintain its presence in the highly competitive Frankfurt-New York market. The outcome of the Commission’s broader investigation into the A++ JV could have further implications for airline partnerships and competition on transatlantic routes in the future.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com