[Aviation News] According to Civil Aviation Resource Net of China (CARNOC), German leisure carrier Condor is expected to become the first foreign airline to establish an operating base in Hainan. The move would also make Condor the first European airline to establish an operating base in China.
In a recent social media post, Xia Chun, Condor’s China representative, revealed that from late October 2026 Condor will withdraw the Airbus A330-900 from its Hainan services. These flights will be replaced by daily Airbus A320neo services on routes linking Sanya and Haikou with Bangkok, alongside as well as scheduled services linking Hainan with the five Central Asian countries.
According to the post, the Central Asia services are expected to become Hainan’s first scheduled seventh-freedom passenger and cargo services. Such a move would be significant for the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
On July 27, 2025, Condor launched the Frankfurt–Bangkok–Sanya route under fifth-freedom traffic rights. Operated by the Airbus A330-900neo three times weekly, It became the first scheduled fifth-freedom passenger route connecting the Hainan Free Trade Port directly with Europe.
The airline further expanded its presence in Hainan on February 6, 2026, with the launch of the Frankfurt–Bangkok–Haikou route. The service is operated twice weekly by Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.
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