Another first for Brisbane

CONDOR B767-3Q8 D-ABUO  (CN 29387)

With Covid 19 grounding airlines all over the world, some airlines are introducing repatriation rescue flights, and Brisbane has seen three airlines call in here that we have never seen before or would ever see. First it was Qatar who started coming in on the 30th March and continue to come in daily around 5pm, and will do so for another week. 

QATAR B777-3DZ A7-BES (CN 64089)

Then last Thursday it was a one off flight from Nepal Airlines 

NEPAL AIRLINES A330-243 9N-ALZ (CN 1878)

Then yesterday we had another first in the way of Condor Airlines. 

Condor arrived here at 9pm on Saturday night and depart yesterday at 3.45pm for Frankfurt via Phuket. Condor called into Sydney a few days earlier as well and they will be getting a few more flights. Condor is participating in the repatriation of German citizens from around the world. And, as a result Condor has opened up a temporary crew and aircraft base in Phuket, Thailand. While airlines are cutting regular operations, repatriation services are leading some to run some interesting flights. Sydney has seen airlines like LOT, Austrian Airlines and KLM call in in the last few weeks. (KLM pulled out of Sydney 20 Yrs ago.) While Condor is now flying to places it previously didn't, the airline is taking a step further with a new base in Phuket. On these long-haul repatriation flights, the workhorse for these operations is the airline’s Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. According to Condor, these aircraft have a range of 10,550 kilometers (6,555 miles). Bali and Australia, both popular tourist destinations, are just out of range for the 767 to operate nonstop. As a result, the carrier is operating these flights with a stop in Phuket, Thailand. To support the number of flights the airline is running from Denpasar (four more in the next week) and four 767s coming out of Australia, it made sense for Condor to open a base there. This allows for crews to change and stopover.