MSP loses two German airlines, gains another

Condor exits Minneapolis-St. Paul due to a court ruling, while Lufthansa hands it over to a subsidiary in 2025.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
December 31, 2024 at 6:46PM
Condor Airlines' red-striped Boeing 757. (Condor Airlines/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Goodbye Condor and Lufthansa, hello Discover.

After an up-and-down history at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Germany’s candy-striped Condor Airlines revealed over the Christmas holiday that it would not resume service to Frankfurt from MSP and five other U.S. cities in 2025 — thanks to a German court ruling in favor of competitor Lufthansa.

Lufthansa, the German giant, previously announced it will exit MSP on April 29. In the meantime, it will continue to fly the route four days a week throughout the winter. On Google Flights, we noticed MSP-FRA fares in early spring from $875.

But then, not much will change for fliers: Lufthansa will hand over the route to its leisure subsidiary Discover Airlines starting May 2.

A passage to Frankfurt is interesting not necessarily because of the German city itself, but as a potential budget connection to countless European vacation destinations, like $921 to Split, Croatia, in May.

But Minnesotans’ savings may be now muted by the loss of competition from Condor.

about the writer

about the writer

Simon Peter Groebner

Travel Editor

Simon Peter Groebner is Travel editor for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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