MOUNT ALTON — Visiting Europe from Bradford just got much cheaper.
Southern Airways Express, the low-fare airline that provides service to Bradford Regional Airport, held a gathering Tuesday evening welcoming a new partnership with Frankfurt, Germany-based Condor airlines.
The partnership brings inexpensive flights to patrons to fly from the Bradford airport to Pittsburgh International Airport, then on to Frankfurt Airport.
Starting May 31, connecting flights to Frankfurt will leave every Monday and Friday from Bradford. The flights will be available between May 31 and Sept. 13.
The new partnership means travelers can park for free at Bradford Regional Airport and “fly for no additional dollars” by starting from Bradford rather than drive a distance to a larger city, explained Mark Cestari, chief commercial official for Southern Airways Express.
The biggest challenge for the airline now, said Cestari, is reaching people who are used to driving to other airports.
With flights to Germany currently around $300 or $400 for a one-way trip or $700 or $800 for a round trip, tickets are about half what they would be through other airlines, according to Cestari.
He noted there is a train station inside the Frankfurt Airport, making it convenient for travelers to reach their next destination.
Tyler Laughlin, manager of government and community affairs for Pittsburgh International Airport, added that, starting in April, Southern Airways Express is slated to begin a year-round service agreement with British Airways.
There are changes coming soon to the Pittsburgh International Airport that intend to make travel easier for everyone going through the airport, too.
Laughlin said the Pittsburgh airport is unveiling today a terminal modernization project to include expanded TSA and a shortened wait time for bags, all while being more cost effective.
To celebrate the new partnership with Condor, organizers gave away two plane tickets to Germany to one of the attendees. Ray Geary was randomly picked as the winner.
According to Cestari, the idea for the international partnership came after learning at a summer event at the Bradford airport that local people taking international trips do not start their trips in Bradford.
“We set out to change that,” he said.
This led to the new partnership with Condor, formerly known as Thomas Cook Air.
Southern has grown very quickly since it started as a small airline in 2013, said Cestari. The airline has grown from 60 employees in 2016 to 600.
The airline came to Bradford when it purchased Sun Air Express, which formerly served the local airport.
Since then, the airline has developed great partnerships with many groups including the airport, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, St. Bonaventure University, local chambers of commerce and the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, Cestari said.
The airline recently purchased Mokulele Airlines in Hawaii, and with that purchase, “We now are the largest commuter airline in the 50 states,” he said.
People can book flights now by going to iFlySouthern.com and searching for flights from BFD (Bradford) to FRA (Frankfurt).
