Etihad Airways and German leisure carrier Condor on 5 December announced a strategic partnership that will see Condor launch daily Frankfurt–Abu Dhabi services from 1 May 2026, followed by Berlin–Abu Dhabi from 15 June 2026. The agreement includes a wide-ranging codeshare: Condor passengers will connect through Etihad’s hub to more than 80 destinations across Asia, Africa and Australia, while Etihad customers gain new one-stop access to German domestic and European holiday markets.
The tie-up comes as Abu Dhabi pushes to diversify inbound traffic beyond traditional Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and South Asian source markets. Germany is already Etihad’s largest European market by seat capacity; adding Berlin provides a rare capital-to-capital link and taps pent-up demand from Germany’s booming Mittelstand export sector.
![Etihad and Condor seal codeshare deal, add daily Frankfurt & Berlin–Abu Dhabi flights]()
For corporate travel managers the routes promise shorter door-to-door times for engineers commuting between German industrial clusters and UAE free zones such as Kizad and Masdar. The ability to accrue and redeem Etihad Guest miles on Condor-operated sectors will smooth policy compliance for companies that mandate alliance-based booking tools.
The partnership also signals Etihad’s intent to deepen its European footprint via nimble point-to-point carriers rather than large Joint Venture alliances. Subject to regulatory approval, tickets are already on sale; travel buyers should monitor fare classes because some Condor inventory will not include complimentary lounge access or fast-track security privileges normally associated with Etihad business-class products.
The tie-up comes as Abu Dhabi pushes to diversify inbound traffic beyond traditional Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and South Asian source markets. Germany is already Etihad’s largest European market by seat capacity; adding Berlin provides a rare capital-to-capital link and taps pent-up demand from Germany’s booming Mittelstand export sector.
For corporate travel managers the routes promise shorter door-to-door times for engineers commuting between German industrial clusters and UAE free zones such as Kizad and Masdar. The ability to accrue and redeem Etihad Guest miles on Condor-operated sectors will smooth policy compliance for companies that mandate alliance-based booking tools.
The partnership also signals Etihad’s intent to deepen its European footprint via nimble point-to-point carriers rather than large Joint Venture alliances. Subject to regulatory approval, tickets are already on sale; travel buyers should monitor fare classes because some Condor inventory will not include complimentary lounge access or fast-track security privileges normally associated with Etihad business-class products.
