The German holiday airline gave a glimpse into the cabin of its Airbus A330 Neo for the first time. Condor has designed the interior elegantly – and there is even a surprise.
It was a nail-biter. On December 27th, Condor’s first Airbus A330 Neo will take off for Mauritius with passengers for the first time. But at the last moment there was a mishap in Toulouse. The plane rammed a building with the tip of its wing.
Luckily, things didn’t end well, so it might be repaired in time. Now is die D-ANRA in Frankfurt – and Condor boss Ralf Teckentrup invited his employees and the media to visit the new aircraft.
A substance that caused a lot of stress
He says that the small accident in Toulouse wasn’t the only thing that almost messed up the schedule. “This fabric here,” says the airline boss, pointing to a velor-like cover on the back of a business class seat, “was quite stressful.” Alcantara is the correct term. It is kept in the same very dark blue as the other fabrics in the business travel class and also the Condor-typical stripes on the back wall.
But even if the fabric in other colors was already approved for use in aviation – not in this one. And in a fire test, he then developed a little more steam than the examiners would have liked. “It almost caused a four-week delay once more,” said the Condor boss. Luckily, it turned out that the vapor had only developed because the fabric had been accidentally sprayed twice with fire retardant.
Can be used as a suite
Now the approved fabric is part of the A330 Neo’s Business Class cabin. And the dark blue in combination with brown wood and beige tones creates a classy impression that surprises when one has previously seen the green and white ring plane from the outside. The seats can keep up with those of the big competitors. Each has aisle access, storage space and – now standard – converts to a flat bed.
Condor is also participating in a trend of recent years, at least a little: the first row of business class is becoming a kind of mini first class. The screens there are significantly larger than those in the other seats. There is also a kind of ottoman at the foot of the seat where another person can sit down. With an accompanying folding table, you can dine together or play something there, for example. The second seat also has a seat belt so that you can stay together even in turbulence. However, it is not approved for take-off and landing.
Business Plus costs more
The two middle seats have the same extras, but can also be used as a small shared suite. If you want to use the Business Plus, you have to pay a little more for it. How much, Condor does not reveal yet.
Between Business and Economy, Condor sells a Premium Economy – however, the seats are more comparable to the products that other airlines call Economy Plus. They offer more leg room, there is a different menu and also amenity kits for the travelers. Premium Economy and Economy are kept in sand tones, which also look classy.
Small stripes everywhere
When designing the cabin, the airline paid great attention to detail. The stripes are really everywhere; even on the locks of the folding tables. The lights on the ceiling in the entrance area also have a striped pattern. Condor boss Teckentrup is visibly proud of this and shows another detail on the Economy seats – a small label on the edge, also with dark blue stripes.
For the 65-year-old, the renewal of the long-haul fleet is the last big step before he retires. After 19 years at the top, he thinks it’s the right time. It is not officially known when exactly his successor will take up his post. His contract officially runs until the end of 2023. But his successor might be on board as early as Easter.
Get an impression of the cabin of Condor’s first A330 Neo in the image gallery above.
