Route Analysis: Leipzig/Halle-Hurghada

LEJ-HRG

Leisure carrier Condor is resuming service from Leipzig/Halle (LEJ) after an absence of three months.

From Jan. 30, four routes are being reinstated to the airline’s network, connecting LEJ with the Egyptian resort of Hurghada (HRG) and the Canary Island destinations of Fuerteventura (FUE), Gran Canaria (LPA) and Tenerife South (TFS). HRG will be served 2X-weekly, while FUE, LPA and TFS will each receive 1X-weekly flight.

Götz Ahmelmann, the CEO of LEJ operator Mitteldeutsche Flughafen, said there was pent-up travel demand in the Saxony region and the restoration of Condor’s services sent out an “optimistic signal.” He added: “We are convinced that demand for tourist flight connections will increase significantly beyond the winter vacations as soon as the travel restrictions fall.”

Condor has served HRG from LEJ regularly since March 2014, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airline offered as many as 5X-weekly flights between the destinations, providing about 2,200 two-way weekly seats. However, the route was suspended in March 2020 as the coronavirus crisis deepened.

Hurghada is a popular vacation destination on the Red Sea and was served by four carriers from LEJ during the winter 2019/20 season. As well as Condor, Corendon Airlines, FlexFlight and SunExpress Deutschland also provided scheduled flights. The latest OAG data shows that Corendon plans to offer a 2X-weekly service in February. FlexFlight last operated LEJ-HRG in September 2020, while SunExpress Deutschland ceased trading in June last year.

Condor’s restoration of routes from LEJ comes as the airline prepares for its long-term feeder agreement with Lufthansa to expire. The cooperation arrangement, which sees Lufthansa feed its former subsidiary’s long-haul flights from Frankfurt (FRA), will end in June.