Business leaders work to attract German airline

The Hamburg-based Condor Air will meet with Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) officials on Monday, July 19, to discuss the possibility of offering direct flights from Frankfurt to SRQ. And Engel & Völkers Longboat Key/Anna Maria Island president/broker Ray Alexander and agent Tina Rudek are working with local business leaders to show the airline that its business is welcome in the Sarasota area.

Alexander and Rudek are leading “Operation Condor” to rally local businesses from Anna Maria Island to Sarasota to provide value-incentive commitments to the airline and have joined forces with local development groups to devise a plan.

“The value incentive commitment may come in the form of including Condor Air in a promotional venue or some other value-related aspect that helps promote Condor’s service," Rudek said in a prepared statement. "We’re not asking for a direct dollar contribution,”

Rudek said that the proposed direct flights could have a $10 million impact on the Sarasota area.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].