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Economy

First Nonstop Flight Between San Diego And Germany Takes Off Next Year

The first nonstop flight between San Diego and Germany will begin operating next May on a seasonal basis, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority announced Thursday.

The German airline Condor will fly between Lindbergh Field and Frankfurt three times a week — Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays — using a Boeing 767-300 extended-range aircraft. The flights will begin May 1, 2017, and continue through Oct. 5.

"Germany is San Diego's largest destination country in Europe without nonstop service, so we're excited to add this seasonal destination to our growing list of nonstop international flight options," said Thella Bowens, the airport authority's president and CEO.

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Condor is Germany's third-largest airline and focuses on leisure travel, according to TripAdvisor.com.

"We are very pleased to introduce this new link between San Diego and Frankfurt, giving Southern California a unique choice for their travels to Germany, and with our numerous partner airlines we offer flights beyond Frankfurt to over 120 destinations across Europe at very competitive prices," said Jens Boyd of Condor. "Furthermore, San Diego is a very attractive destination for European tourists and we also will stimulate traffic from this direction."

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Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., said Germany is becoming a major international market and a top partner for exports and foreign investment.

The Frankfurt connection is San Diego's second intercontinental nonstop destination, along with London and Tokyo.