New York Welcomes Inaugural Condor Airbus A330neo

German leisure carrier, Condor, operated the first revenue flight of its brand-new Airbus A330neo on Monday, February 12, between Frankfurt and New York-JFK.

Condor flight DE2016 left Frankfurt Airport (FRA) at 11:50 AM, touching down at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) almost 9 hours later.

“We are thrilled that New York-JFK is our first North American gateway to receive our next-generation A330neo aircraft, which is truly a game-changer for Condor and for transatlantic travel,” said Mikko Turtiainen, director of sales for The Americas at Condor Airlines.

Photo: Courtesy of Airbus

“The response to the A330neo by the first guests to fly with us has been overwhelmingly positive. We can’t wait to have more Americans experience this modern, stylish, and sustainable aircraft as we roll out more of our A330neo fleet across North America.”

Now operating at JFK’s Terminal 7, Condor allows all its passengers to easily connect with its partners Alaska Airlines and JetBlue, located in Terminal 7 and the next-door Terminal 5, respectively.

Inaugural Event: Welcome A330neo

Condor’s check-in areas at JFK were adorned with colored balloons and a “Welcome A330neo” banner to celebrate the imminent arrival of the new plane that will shape the airline’s future long-haul operations.

As the striped plane arrived from Germany and parked at its gate, a group of media representatives was allowed inside the plane to witness the airline’s all-new interior concept.

Photo: Airbus A330neo, Economy Class. Courtesy of Condor.

Condor has chosen a modern dark blue with sand-colored accents in Economy and Premium Economy, while a dark blue and mahogany palette is predominant in Business Class. Overall, the palette and seat design are stylish and tasteful.

Condor now offers passengers in-flight connectivity through its “FlyConnect” wi-fi service in cooperation with Telekom, a German provider. The airline has three connectivity packages, ranging from €7 to €20.

Photo: Airbus A330neo, Economy Class. Courtesy of Condor.

Each seat has an in-flight entertainment screen with more than 80 movies and 97 series, destination documentaries, and airport information. In addition, the airline provides free headphones for Business and Premium Economy passengers, whereas Economy Class passengers can purchase one for €3.50. Interestingly, passengers can pair Bluetooth headphones to the entertainment system—a very welcome feature.

Condor’s Future Fleet Plans

The leisure airline’s maiden flight on its brand-new flagship marks the beginning of a fleet renewal program, which will see its oldest Boeing 767 aircraft phased out, giving way to the next-generation wide-bodies manufactured by Airbus.

Currently, Condor operates a fleet of 51 planes, composed of Airbus A320/321, A300-200/300, Boeing 757-200/300, 767-300ER, and the brand-new A330neos.

According to Condor, the A330neos will make up the carrier’s long-haul fleet by 2024. As the German launch customer for the aircraft type, Condor expects to fly up to 16 A330neos, as well as 41 A320neo family planes by 2024.

The new A330neos and A320neos will provide Condor with reduced fuel consumption, reduced overall operating costs, and an all-new cabin product in Business, Premium, and Economy Class.

Photo: Airbus A330neo, Premium Economy Class. Courtesy of Condor.

The new wide-body planes have a total capacity of 310 passengers across three cabin classes, including 30 Business Class seats and 64 Premium Economy seats, with the remaining 216 seats in standard Economy class.

Condor’s all-new Business Class product offers seats that can be converted into 76-inch by 19-inch lie-flat beds, while the four seats in the front row offer enough space for two people to enjoy a quiet meal.

Photo: Airbus A330neo, Business Class. Courtesy of Condor.

The A330neo’s ‘Airspace’ cabin provides extra comfort for passengers, with larger overhead bins and ambient lighting. Condor’s fleet also provides passengers with high-speed broadband and inflight connectivity, and its inflight entertainment system offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and podcasts.

The Airbus A330neo is the latest variant of the popular wide-body aircraft product. The plane is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, fitted with updated wings and aerodynamic innovations, which help to cut fuel consumption and carbon emission by up to 20%. As a result, the aircraft’s fuel burn is well below the industry average, burning just half a gallon of fuel per passenger per 62 miles flown.

The A330neo is also the world’s first aircraft to be certified for lower CO2 emissions which will be universally required by 2028. Its state-of-the-art flight and navigation systems also reduce noise pollution by up to 60%.

– Written by Enrique Perrella and Fergus Cole