Las Vegas to Munich flights to begin in 2017

Condor Airlines, the long-haul discount subsidiary of Lufthansa that has five weekly flights between Las Vegas and Frankfurt, Germany, will begin nonstop flights between McCarran International Airport and Munich, Germany, next year.

Condor officials announced Wednesday that a new nonstop route between Munich and Las Vegas would be among a major overseas expansion by the airline next May.

Flights will operate to and from Munich Wednesdays and Sundays in addition to Condor’s round trips to Frankfurt.

Condor will operate the route with twin-engine 259-seat Boeing 767 jets.

“We are delighted that Condor has announced direct service from Munich to Las Vegas,” Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said in a statement following the airline’s announcement.

“Condor’s new route will offer additional convenience and flexibility for international travelers. Germany is our greatest source of international visitation from continental Europe, with more than 200,000 travelers annually,” Tull said. “This new route further reinforces the opportunity for ongoing growth throughout that region.”

McCarran, which works with the LVCVA in airline service development, is also enthused about the expansion.

McCarran is expected to open seven new gates for international flights early next year after a new pedestrian tunnel connecting the D gates with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility is completed.

“Germany has for years been a fantastic market for Las Vegas, thanks in large part to the success of Condor’s long-running nonstop service from Frankfurt,” Clark County Aviation Director Rosemary Vassiliadis said in a statement following the Condor announcement.

“McCarran International Airport now looks forward to welcoming Condor’s newest service from Munich which will allow for greater connectivity for travelers from southern Germany, Italy, Switzerland and other points beyond.”

The new flights are part of a major expansion by Condor, which is adding New Orleans and San Diego to its list of North American destinations.

The airline began selling tickets on the routes Wednesday.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta