German airline Condor has resumed daily flights between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv, marking its return to the Israeli market after a 70-year hiatus. The inaugural service took off on Saturday, with flights scheduled to depart from Frankfurt each afternoon and return from Tel Aviv the following morning.

Condor’s original flight to Israel was a pilgrimage journey in March 1956. Since then, the airline has grown to serve more than 10 million passengers annually across over 70 destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. Its fleet, consisting of 60 aircraft, operates under a distinctive livery featuring colored hoops along the length of its planes. The company employs more than 5,000 staff worldwide.

The new Frankfurt-Tel Aviv route is part of Condor’s broader strategy to expand its international network and respond to increasing demand for air travel between Israel, Germany, and other destinations served by the airline. Peter Gerber, Condor’s CEO, highlighted the strategic importance of Israel as a destination and emphasized the benefits of offering passengers direct flights from Frankfurt alongside convenient onward connections.

Flights are operating through Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international gateway, at a time of heightened summer travel demand. The airport has been handling more than 90,000 passengers daily, with recent reports indicating an average takeoff delay of 65 minutes—the highest recorded this year. Additional congestion concerns arise from potential increased use of Ben-Gurion Airport by U.S. military refueling aircraft.

Condor’s reentry into the Israel market is seen as a response to rising passenger volumes linking Germany and Israel. The airline’s daily service aims to facilitate travel for both business and leisure customers while integrating Israel more fully into Condor’s global route network.