[tennis1400]

Originally Posted by sguil1

Future of Condor flights between New Orleans, Germany up in air after Thomas Cook collapse

Didn't realize the link between the two. Article makes it sound somewhat promising for condor to continue...



The future of Germany-based airline Condor, which started flights to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport three years ago, is up in the air after the collapse of its 178-year-old parent company Thomas Cook Group over the weekend.

Condor's chief executive, Ralf Teckentrup, said in a statement Monday that the airline had been profitable despite its parent company's difficulties, adding that he is seeking a short-term financial bailout from the German federal government so that it can keep going as an independent company.

The airline operated as normal through Monday, a day after Thomas Cook, which describes itself as the world's oldest travel company, ran out of financial road when it failed to reach a deal with its Chinese owners, Fosun International, as well as bankers and other creditors that had been keeping it afloat.

On Monday, the travel company scrambled to try to bring home more than 500,000 passengers who were stranded around the world even as its 21,000 employees learned they would soon be losing their jobs.

The British government had declined to bail out Thomas Cook.

Condor, which employs 4,900, appears to have better prospects. It has already secured the backing of the provincial government of Hesse, which contains its home base of Frankfurt. The German federal government has a history of bailing out its airlines. For example, it supported Air Berlin two years ago when it was abandoned by its backers Etihad, the Abu Dhabi government-owned carrier.

Erin Burns, a spokeswoman for Louis Armstrong airport, said Condor had informed them that its flights would be operating normally this week, but "we have not yet received confirmation about next season," she said.

https://www.nola.com/news/business/a...ff8c1092a.html

I think if they do fold we will see another low cost carrier enter the market like Norwegian or someone else... but condor has been profitable so maybe Lufthansa buys it.. fingers crossed because I would like to use the airline next summer ... ashame thomas cook took so much down with it