German airline Condor to acquire Airbus A330neo jets

German leisure airline Condor said on Wednesday it would order 16 Airbus A330neo jets to replace a wide-bodied fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft. "The first aircraft is expected in autumn 2022, whilst the replacement of the entire long-haul fleet is scheduled to be completed by mid-2024," Condor said on its website. It did not say how it would acquire the planes but market sources said it was expected to buy an unspecified number from Airbus with the rest to be rented from leasing companies. The deal comes a day after EU regulators approved E525.3m in German aid for Condor that will help the airline restructure after an earlier decision was annulled by a European court. It follows a competition between Airbus and Boeing to provide the A330neo or Boeing 787 to Condor, the sources said. Condor has a mixed fleet of planes from both planemakers, but relies solely on its ageing 767s for long-haul needs.<br/>