Condor Deepens Gulf Footprint With New Abu Dhabi Routes & Etihad Tie-Up
New Abu Dhabi Flights From Frankfurt & Berlin
Condor is set to significantly expand its presence in the Middle East in summer 2026, adding two new daily routes to Abu Dhabi (AUH) from Germany:
-
Frankfurt – Abu Dhabi
-
Starts May 1, 2026
-
Daily service
-
Operated by Airbus A330s (including A330neos)
-
-
Berlin – Abu Dhabi
-
Starts June 15, 2026
-
Daily service
-
Operated by Airbus A320neos
-
The Frankfurt route will mark Condor’s first Gulf operation using its new A330neo fleet, positioning the widebody for long-haul leisure and connecting traffic via Abu Dhabi.
ID 72492296 | Air © Nordroden | Dreamstime.com
How The Etihad Partnership Works
These new routes are built around a strategic partnership and codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways:
-
Etihad will place its EY code on Condor’s new Abu Dhabi flights from Frankfurt and Berlin.
-
Condor passengers will gain easier access to Etihad’s long-haul network from Zayed International Airport, opening up simple one-stop itineraries to destinations across the GCC, Asia, Africa, and beyond.
Etihad already operates 2x daily Abu Dhabi–Frankfurt, while Eurowings serves Berlin–Abu Dhabi 3x weekly (launched in November). Condor’s daily Berlin flight adds a second carrier on that city pair and strengthens the capital-to-capital link between Germany and the UAE.
Condor’s commercial chief Jens Boyd calls the agreement “the great foundation” for connecting Berlin and Frankfurt to the GCC and beyond, while Etihad stresses that Germany remains a “vital market” and highlights clear demand for additional Berlin and Frankfurt options.
Condor’s Growing Middle East & Leisure Footprint
The new Abu Dhabi services build on Condor’s existing Middle East network, which currently includes:
-
Dubai
-
Berlin – Dubai: daily
-
Stuttgart – Dubai: 4x weekly
-
-
Beirut
-
Düsseldorf – Beirut: 2x weekly
-
With Abu Dhabi added from two German gateways, Condor gains a second major Gulf hub alongside Dubai, while leveraging Etihad’s network for year-round connecting traffic rather than relying solely on point-to-point leisure demand.
More Condor Growth Planned For 2026
The Etihad tie-up isn’t Condor’s only major partnership move. Earlier this month, the airline also signed a deal with Southwest Airlines, giving inbound Condor passengers access to same-ticket, through-checked connections across the United States.
Starting January 19, 2026, Condor customers will be able to link via:
-
Boston (BOS)
-
Las Vegas (LAS)
-
Los Angeles (LAX)
-
Portland (PDX)
-
San Francisco (SFO)
-
Seattle (SEA)
Beyond partnerships, Condor has an ambitious schedule of new European routes from Frankfurt in 2026, including:
-
Frankfurt – London Gatwick (LGW): 3x daily from April 1
-
Frankfurt – Barcelona (BCN): starting in May
-
Frankfurt – Budapest (BUD): starting in May
-
Frankfurt – Venice (VCE): starting in May
These additions continue Condor’s evolution from a primarily German leisure carrier into a hub-and-spoke player with meaningful feed on both sides of the Atlantic and now in the Gulf.
Bottom Line
Condor is making a serious push into the Middle East with new daily Abu Dhabi flights from Frankfurt and Berlin, underpinned by a codeshare with Etihad Airways. The deal gives Condor customers easy one-stop access beyond Abu Dhabi while bolstering Etihad’s reach in Germany.
Combined with its new partnership with Southwest and multiple new European routes from Frankfurt, Condor is clearly shifting from niche leisure operator to a more integrated network carrier, using smart partnerships to unlock long-haul connectivity without joining a global alliance.
