Condor Adds Three Daily Frankfurt To Gatwick Flights

Condor is about to redraw its European city map in a visible way, because from April 2026 the German leisure carrier will start three daily flights between Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW), adding London to its network for the first time. The carrier confirmed the move in a November 14 press release, describing it as a route aimed squarely at both business travelers and city break passengers, with tickets already available through condor.com, the call center, and travel agencies.

Condor's New Frankfurt To London Gatwick Route

Condor will connect Frankfurt Airport and London Gatwick three times per day starting April 2026, marking the first time the British capital appears on its route map. The airline and trade outlets stress that this is not just another leisure link, but a city pair chosen for its mix of financial center traffic and high demand for weekend city breaks.

Slot data reported by industry media shows a clear business friendly pattern. Current filings indicate departures from Frankfurt around 0820, 1400, and 1815, with London Gatwick departures around 1020, 1540, and 1950, creating options for morning departures, mid day meetings, and evening returns in both directions. Flight times are roughly 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 35 minutes, in line with existing Frankfurt to London services.

Condor and London Gatwick officials frame the new route as a way to cement connectivity between two of Europe's most influential financial hubs, while giving passengers across London and the southeast a direct link into Frankfurt and Condor's wider network. Condor chief executive Peter Gerber calls the move "another clear signal" of the airline's growth in the European market, and Gatwick's chief commercial officer Jonathan Pollard points to improved flexibility for day trips and short stays.

For travelers, the practical upshot is simple. If you live or work closer to Gatwick than Heathrow, you gain a new nonstop into Frankfurt on a carrier that is actively courting both corporate and leisure traffic, rather than treating the route as a pure feeder for long haul flights.

Latest Developments In Condor's European Network

The Gatwick announcement does not stand alone. It sits on top of a rapid expansion of Condor's European city network that has been underway since early 2025.

Earlier this year, Condor added nine European city destinations from Frankfurt, including Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino, Vienna, Zurich, and Prague, many with daily or twice daily frequencies. In July 2025, the airline followed with plans for three more Frankfurt nonstops, adding Barcelona, Budapest, and Venice from May 1 2026, again with morning, afternoon, and evening departures to make the routes useful for both business and city break travelers.

At the same time, Condor is resuming service on two eastbound routes. Weekly Düsseldorf to Sulaymaniyah flights in northern Iraq are scheduled to restart in December 2025, serving a strong visiting friends and relatives market, while daily Frankfurt to Tbilisi flights return in June 2026 to tap growing interest in Georgia's capital.

Industry analysis links all of these moves to a deliberate strategy shift. After the end of a special prorate agreement with Lufthansa, Condor has been building its own European feeder and city network rather than relying heavily on another carrier's short haul system. Gatwick, with lower operating costs and fewer slot constraints than Heathrow, fits that plan by giving Condor access to London's catchment without paying Heathrow level charges or chasing transatlantic connectivity it does not need.

By April 2026, the Gatwick route will rank among Condor's highest frequency European services, alongside triple daily Frankfurt flights to Zurich, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna, and Berlin, with Milan and Prague also scheduled to reach up to three flights per day.

Analysis

From a traveler's point of view, the key change here is airport geography and frequency. Frankfurt Airport remains one of Europe's major hubs, and London Gatwick is the second busiest London area airport with strong rail and coach links into central London and the south of England. Putting three daily nonstops between the two means you can plan same day out and back trips for meetings in either city, or build flexible arrival and departure patterns around conferences, trade shows, or long weekends.

The route also quietly shifts the competitive map. Lufthansa previously operated Frankfurt to Gatwick before discontinuing the nonstop in June 2024 to concentrate its London presence at Heathrow, leaving Gatwick connected to the Lufthansa Group primarily via Zurich on Swiss. Condor's arrival restores a German carrier on the city pair at Gatwick and gives passengers who prefer that airport an alternative to Heathrow or City when they need Frankfurt.

On board, Condor is gradually rolling out new Airbus A320neo aircraft across its short haul network, including the expanded city routes from Frankfurt. These jets offer larger overhead bins, Wi-Fi options, and a refreshed cabin, with a two class setup that includes a short haul business product and an economy cabin with complimentary water and a small snack. Travelers using the new Gatwick route should expect a similar product mix as more of the fleet is modernized.

Background

Condor has historically been known as a leisure specialist that carried German vacationers to Mediterranean beaches, the Canary Islands, and long haul sun destinations. Under its current ownership, it has been pivoting toward a more balanced model, keeping its long haul holiday strength while adding dense short haul city routes that can stand on their own for point to point traffic and also feed long haul flights when needed.

From the corporate travel side, Condor is explicitly targeting business demand. Executives have stressed in interviews that the airline is building a product that large and mid market companies can actually use for regular trips, and the choice of a triple daily schedule between Frankfurt and London Gatwick is consistent with that push.

For leisure travelers, the story is simpler. London remains one of Europe's most popular city break destinations, and Frankfurt offers its own mix of museums, riverfront walks, and convenient access to the Rhine and Main regions. Three flights a day in each direction give you far more flexibility around hotel check in, cruise departures, and rail connections than a single daily service would.

If you are booking from April 2026 onward and your plans allow you to use Gatwick instead of Heathrow or City, it is worth pulling Condor's new flights into your fare search, especially if you value multiple same day options or are combining a London trip with Condor's broader leisure network from Frankfurt.

Final thoughts

Condor's three daily Frankfurt to London Gatwick flights are not just another seasonal add on, they are a structural move into one of Europe's most important city pairs at business friendly frequencies. For travelers, the result is more choice on a key route, a fresh option at Gatwick, and better flexibility whether you are crossing for a meeting in the financial district or a long weekend in one of Europe's signature cities.

Sources

• Condor to fly three times daily to London starting April 2026
• Condor to Add Frankfurt London Service
• Condor expands city route network
• Condor announces 3 daily flights from Frankfurt to London Gatwick, returns to Sulaymaniyah and Tbilisi
• Frankfurt Condor adds London Gatwick to its route network three times daily