Condor (DE) and Etihad Airways (EY) announced two significant expansions to their strategic partnership on June 11, 2026. The announcements were made at the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Condor will launch a new daily service between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), operated with Airbus A330-900neo aircraft starting November 4, 2026, Aero Routes reported. Simultaneously, the two carriers signed a formal frequent flyer agreement granting Etihad Guest members the ability to redeem miles across Condor’s full flight network.
Bangkok becomes the third route in Condor’s growing Abu Dhabi operation, joining upcoming daily services from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). The partnership builds on the strategic agreement and codeshare deal the two airlines first announced in December 2025. Together, the three Abu Dhabi routes create a new bridge between Germany, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, with Abu Dhabi functioning as the transfer point.
Schedule, Aircraft, And Codeshare Details of the Bangkok Route
Condor will operate the Abu Dhabi–Bangkok service daily from November 4, 2026, using its Airbus A330-900neo fleet. The scheduled departure from Abu Dhabi is at 22:00 local time, arriving in Bangkok at 07:15 the following morning. The return leg departs Bangkok at 19:55, arriving back in Abu Dhabi at 00:10 the next day.
The route will carry both Condor flight designators and Etihad codeshare numbers. AeroRoutes confirmed the codeshare will operate as DE2558/EY1044 on the Abu Dhabi–Bangkok sector and DE2559/EY1045 on the Bangkok–Abu Dhabi return.
This means passengers will be able to book the service through both airlines’ booking platforms with a single ticket and checked-through baggage.
The launch of Condor’s service also coincides with a capacity adjustment by Etihad on the same route. Etihad currently operates six daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok, but will reduce that to four daily from July 1, 2026, maintaining four rotations thereafter through the winter season.
Condor’s new daily service effectively adds capacity and a new operator to the route as Etihad adjusts its own schedule on the sector.
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What The Loyalty Agreement Means for Etihad Guest Members
The frequent flyer agreement signed in Rio de Janeiro goes significantly further than the loyalty arrangement that was in place at the time of the original December 2025 announcement. Under the original partnership, Etihad Guest members could earn and redeem miles on Condor’s Abu Dhabi–Frankfurt and Abu Dhabi–Berlin flights specifically.
The new agreement extends redemption rights to the entire Condor-operated network. This gives Etihad Guest members access to Condor’s leisure-focused destinations across Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and now Southeast Asia. Etihad Guest is a broadly structured loyalty programme: members earn miles not only on flights but also on hotel stays, retail spending, and everyday purchases. Those miles can now be redeemed for travel to beach and leisure destinations that sit outside Etihad’s own network.
The Traveler noted that the loyalty expansion builds on the existing codeshare relationship, which already allows passengers to combine both airlines’ services on a single itinerary. The addition of mileage redemption creates a further commercial incentive for Etihad’s frequent travelers to route through Condor’s seasonal and holiday routes.
What Both CEOs Said at the IATA AGM
The expanded partnership agreement was signed publicly at the IATA AGM in Rio de Janeiro by Peter Gerber, CEO of Condor, and Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.
Jens Boyd, Commercial Director and Member of the Executive Committee of Condor, said in the official press release:
“Our strategic partnership with Etihad is developing very successfully and creating real added value for our guests. With the new connection between Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, we are expanding our offering and strengthening connectivity between Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia. Together, we are providing our guests with even more travel options and flexibility.”
Arik De, Etihad’s Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer, said:
“Our partnership with Condor has rapidly evolved into an important strategic relationship that is delivering value for both airlines, our guests and Abu Dhabi. The addition of Bangkok to Condor’s growing Abu Dhabi operation marks another significant step forward, building on the upcoming Frankfurt and Berlin services and creating new opportunities for connectivity between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.”
De also stated:
“As we continue to grow our network and welcome more visitors to Abu Dhabi, strong partnerships such as this play an important role in extending our reach and creating seamless travel experiences across complementary networks. The new loyalty agreement further strengthens the relationship, giving Etihad Guest members access to more destinations across the Condor network while laying the foundation for even closer cooperation in the future.”
How the Etihad-Condor Partnership Developed
The Condor–Etihad relationship moved quickly from its origins to the current expanded state. On December 5, 2025, Etihad and Condor announced a strategic partnership covering daily Frankfurt–Abu Dhabi flights from May 1, 2026, and daily Berlin–Abu Dhabi services from June 15, 2026, with a comprehensive codeshare agreement. Aviation Week noted that the Berlin route would represent the UAE’s only direct connection to Germany’s capital, filling a significant gap in direct UAE–Germany connectivity.
However, those launch dates were not met. Aerospace Global News reported in April 2026 that Condor shelved both its summer Abu Dhabi services, with both the Berlin and Frankfurt routes pushed back to the winter season. The Frankfurt–Abu Dhabi service is now tentatively scheduled to start on October 26, 2026, and Berlin–Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2026. The codeshare portion of the agreement did move forward on time. AeroRoutes recorded that the reciprocal Condor–Etihad codeshare went into effect from early April 2026, covering routes between Abu Dhabi and Germany as well as selected intra-European leisure destinations.
The June 11 announcement at the IATA AGM adds Bangkok as the third Abu Dhabi route and formally deepens the loyalty dimension of the arrangement. The Bangkok addition strengthens Abu Dhabi’s position as a transfer point between Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
About Condor’s Airbus A330-900neo
The Bangkok–Abu Dhabi route will be operated entirely with Condor’s Airbus A330-900neo. This aircraft type is the cornerstone of Condor’s long-haul fleet modernization, which replaced its ageing Boeing 767 fleet. Condor’s A330neo configuration features:
- Total seats: 310 seats across three cabins
- Business Class: 30 seats, including 26 standard lie-flat pods and 4 Prime Seats, all in a 1-2-1 configuration giving direct aisle access to every passenger
- Premium Economy: 64 seats in a 2-4-2 configuration
- Economy Class: 216 seats
- Inflight entertainment: 4K monitors at every seat, with Bluetooth audio support
- Fuel efficiency: 2.1 litres per passenger per 100 kilometres, producing approximately 20% fewer CO2 emissions than the aircraft it replaced
- Noise reduction: Noise pollution at airports reduced by up to 60% compared to predecessor aircraft
- Cruising speed: 870 km/h
- First delivery to Condor: 2022
SeatCompare noted that all 18 of Condor’s A330-900neos carry identical configurations, removing any uncertainty about which product a passenger will receive. The Business Class Prime Seats in row 1 feature open ottomans, 23.6-inch 4K screens, and pyjamas — a product that has been reviewed as competitive with full-service legacy carriers at significantly lower price points.
The Points Guy described Condor’s A330neo business class as featuring nearly 80-inch lie-flat beds, with each seat equipped with individual 17.3-inch 4K entertainment systems controllable by touch or remote. The aircraft also features Wi-Fi connectivity and significantly enlarged overhead bin space compared to earlier widebody types.
The Competitive Context on the Bangkok–Abu Dhabi Route
Condor’s new Bangkok service enters a well-served market between Abu Dhabi and Bangkok. Etihad has operated on this route for years. One Mile at a Time reported that Etihad will deploy its Airbus A380 on the Abu Dhabi–Bangkok route from October 25, 2026, on one of its daily rotations, with flight EY402 departing Abu Dhabi at 21:10 and arriving in Bangkok at 06:35. The A380’s deployment on this sector significantly increases overall capacity and marks Bangkok as one of Etihad’s newly prioritised leisure routes for the winter season.
Economy Class and Beyond confirmed the A380 will replace an existing Boeing 777-300ER service on that rotation, with Etihad’s A380 seating 337 Economy passengers, 68 Economy Space seats, 70 Business class passengers, 9 First Class occupants in individual Apartments, and one Residence suite. Condor’s A330neo will complement rather than compete with Etihad’s own service on the route, as Condor targets the leisure traveler segment with its pricing structure, while feeding connecting passengers into Etihad’s hub from Germany via AUH.
The Traveler noted that Condor’s Abu Dhabi expansion gives the leisure airline a second Gulf hub to feed long-haul traffic, building on its existing Dubai operations which continue to run on a seasonal basis. Etihad gains additional feed from secondary European points that connect to Frankfurt and Berlin through Condor’s intra-European short-haul network.
Condor’s Abu Dhabi Operation
With Bangkok confirmed, Condor’s Abu Dhabi operation will span three routes once all services are live:
- Frankfurt (FRA) – Abu Dhabi (AUH): Daily, Airbus A330-900neo, launching October 26, 2026
- Berlin (BER) – Abu Dhabi (AUH): Daily, Airbus A320neo, launching October 25, 2026
- Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Bangkok (BKK): Daily, Airbus A330-900neo, launching November 4, 2026
The Berlin–Abu Dhabi route makes Condor the only carrier offering a nonstop link between the UAE and the German capital, as Etihad does not serve Berlin directly. The Frankfurt route competes with Etihad’s own Frankfurt–Abu Dhabi services, but the two airlines have aligned under the codeshare framework rather than treating each other as direct rivals on that route.
The official Condor–Etihad press release stated that onward connections from Bangkok and Germany through Abu Dhabi will give passengers access to Etihad’s broader network, including destinations such as Zanzibar and Salalah — both of which are leisure-oriented beach destinations that align directly with Condor’s core customer base.