German leisure carrier Condor has set a firm closing date for the buyout by British investment firm Attestor: 31 August 2027. In a statement issued on 25 September 2026, the airline confirmed that Attestor has exercised its option to acquire the remaining 49% of the company, with the transaction scheduled to complete on that date.

The stake in question has been held by SG Luftfahrtgesellschaft on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Hesse — a legacy of two consecutive crises. Condor's former parent, Thomas Cook, collapsed into insolvency in 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic followed within months. Berlin and Wiesbaden stepped in with state support that kept the airline flying through both shocks.

"Following the early repayment of the state aid received by Condor in spring 2026, the 49 percent stake previously held by SG Luftfahrtgesellschaft on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Hesse will be restructured," Condor said in its statement.

That early repayment, completed in spring 2026, was the precondition for the shareholder restructuring now underway. Condor described the milestone as "the end of an extraordinary chapter in the history of the German airline."

Attestor entered the picture in 2021, joining Condor as a long-term investor while the carrier was still working through the aftermath of state support. The 2021 agreement included an option for the London-based firm to acquire the remaining shares at a later date — the option now exercised. "[Attestor] has actively supported the company's strategic development ever since," Condor said.

Reports of Attestor's intention to exercise the option circulated in July 2026. Those reports also suggested the firm might sell a minority share to a larger airline once it holds full control, though no such transaction has been confirmed.

Condor's fleet underscores why the carrier has attracted sustained investor interest despite its turbulent corporate history. According to ch-aviation data, the airline operates 55 aircraft, supplemented by 17 wet-leased units. The owned fleet comprises 18 Airbus A330neos, 12 A321-200s, nine A321neos, nine A320-200s and seven A320neos — a long-haul and short-haul mix built around one of the more aggressive Airbus widebody commitments among European leisure operators.

The delivery pipeline points to continued expansion under consolidated private ownership. Just under 40 new aircraft are scheduled to join the fleet, deepening the transition to a modernized, largely Airbus-standard operation. That fleet renewal carries cost implications — fuel burn and maintenance economics on the A330neo and A320neo families versus the ceo-generation aircraft they replace — that will shape Condor's competitiveness in the German leisure market against Lufthansa Group's leisure arms and the low-cost carriers circling Frankfurt.

Once the transaction closes in August 2027, Condor will move fully out of public-sector shareholding and into single-investor hands for the first time since the Thomas Cook collapse. Whether Attestor retains that position long term, or brings in an airline minority partner as reported in July 2026, will determine the carrier's next strategic direction.