BWI to gain new European connection
Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport will add a second connection to Europe next summer when Germany's Condor Airlines is planning to launch twice-a-week service to Frankfurt.
The seasonal Monday and Thursday Condor flights are scheduled to begin July 2 and continue into October. Currently, the only scheduled trans-Atlantic flights from BWI are the daily departures to London's Heathrow Airport aboard British Airways.
BWI chief executive Paul Wiedefeld said Condor's decision to come to BWO follows years of courtship.
"This is really a big win for BWI to get another international connection directly to the hub of Europe," Wiedefeld said.
Frankfurt is one of the most important international airports in Europe, with connections to many destinations beyond Germany. Wiedefeld said Condor would serve BWI with Boeing 767 jets carrying 270 seats.
Unlike the airport's flagship British Airways service, the Frankfurt flights will not require a subsidy from the state, Wiedefeld said.
In past decades, BWI offered scheduled service to continental Europe but lost much of that business with the rise of Dulles International Airport. In recent years in has added flights to the Caribbean basin, including Air Tran service to Cancun.
Wiedefeld said BWI's strong growth in recent years, along with its status as a top airport for Southwest Airlines, has increased its attractiveness to international carriers.
"They're numbers guys, and they're looking at the numbers," he said.
Comments
Great news! The more direct connections to Europe the better. As a side benefit, Frankfurt Airport has great train connections, taking passengers efficiently around Europe. Perhaps we could learn a few things about rail-air connections . .. .
Posted by: s. Howard | October 3, 2011 11:26 AM
If Howard is referring to BWI, it does have Light Rail, MARC, and Amtrak connections.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 3, 2011 12:45 PM
Demographically - BWI chief executive Mr. Paul Wiedefeld should court Airlines that fly to India. By doing so a huge segment will fly BWI instead of IAD.
Posted by: Mr. T | October 3, 2011 1:25 PM
connecting to frankfurt will open up the doors for Indian travelers who can use Lufthansa to reach the southern part of the country.
Posted by: world traveler | October 3, 2011 2:56 PM
I just flew a US carrier out of Dulles (United) with a European carrier (Brussels Airlines) connection to Africa. The difference in service was shocking. The US carrier had crappy food, interiors that looked like they hadn't been maintained in months, and nasty, old stewardesses with attitudes. The European carrier had good food, well maintained interiors and pleasant service. It was like night and day. US airlines better get a handle on their crappy union stewardesses and stewards, or they will go the way of the US auto industry.
BWI needs more European carriers.
Posted by: T Bird | October 3, 2011 3:02 PM
Perfect niche carrier to serve BWI-- seasonal service without the need to fill the front-of-the-bird with higher yield business class travellers the ideal prescription for the primary market area served by BWI. Congrats to the entire BWI air service development team! BTW-- will be interesting to see how many originating pax using a customer service-driven Condor come from the Md DC suburbs and even the "wrong side" of the Potomac and supposedly IAD territory.
Posted by: Old Timer | October 3, 2011 5:52 PM
Yes, BWI does have 3 rail connections.
The Amtrak shuttle could be improved.
And Amtrak and the airlines could offer air/rail packages, so that people in Aberdeen (BRAC) or Wilmington would find BWI to be a reasonable (or better) alternative to Philadelphia.
Posted by: s. Howard | October 4, 2011 11:10 AM