Condor launches direct flights to Goa from Frankfurt, Munich

Panaji, Nov 2 (UNI) In yet another big boost to high spend tourism in Goa, Condor Airlines, Germany's sister concern of Lufthansa, commenced its direct weekly flight service to Goa from Frankfurt and Munich today.

Honourary consul of the Federal Republic of Germany Ms Cecilia Menezes and the Condor Manager in Goa Joao Xavier (Bush) Miranda received the inaugural flight at the Dhabolim international airport this morning and greeted the 238 passengers from Frankfurt.

''This will herald a significant point in the bilateral relations between India and Germany with the launching of the direct weekly flights today. The flight to Frankfurt leaves Goa every Thursday and to Munich Sunday,'' Ms Menezes said.

Condor has a fleet of 14 Airbus 320, 9 Boeing 767 and 13 Boeing 757 and it takes just eight and a half hours journey, cutting short journey to Mumbai and over night stay there till date to reach Germany and back, says Mr Bush.

On an average, as many as 25,000 Germans used to visit Goa every year through chartered flights earlier run by Condor. Now that it had launched regular commercial flights, it had stopped running chartered flights.

These Condor flights can connect to all major airports in Europe and the rest of the westren world with the German flag carrier Lufthansa.

Welcoming the development, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa President Mr Ralf D'Sousa said it was a day of reckoning for the tourism industry.

WIth this and earlier launching of TransAir from Moscow and St Petersburg and Srilankan airlines from Colombo to Goa, it proved beyond doubt that Goa could take on all international flights with a gusto and now set the ball rolling with many more including the Emirates eyeing for Goa for operating direct flights, he added.

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