Air Berlin
Encyclopedia
Air Berlin PLC
& Co.
Luftverkehrs KG
(stylized as airberlin or airberlin.com) is Germany
's second largest airline
, after Lufthansa
, and Europe's sixth largest airline in terms of passengers.
The airline operates an extensive network including holiday destinations in the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands
and North Africa
as well as intercontinental destinations in Southeast Asia
, the Caribbean
and the Americas
.
Air Berlin concentrates on serving major German and European cities to attract business traffic. A total of 23 German cities are served, more than any other airline. Its largest hub
is Berlin-Tegel Airport, followed by Düsseldorf Airport. Other important destinations are the focus cities
Nuremberg Airport
and Son Sant Joan Airport, Palma
.
On 26 July 2010, the Oneworld
airline alliance
announced that Air Berlin had been invited to join. Full membership is planned for the start of 2012.
The airline is headquartered at the Airport Bureau Center in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
, Berlin
.
Air Berlin's parent company
, airberlin group or Air Berlin PLC, is publicly traded (FSE
: AB1, ISIN
is GB00B128C026).
In March 2011, it had 8,900 employees. The airline (including subsidiaries
) carried 33.6 million passengers in 2010.
pilot Kim Lundgren and former Modern Air Transport
general manager John D. MacDonald formed Air Berlin as a US
supplemental carriernon-scheduled US airline as classified by the United States Congress
in 1963 and incorporated
it under the name Air Berlin, Inc. in Oregon
, USA, trading as Air Berlin USA and headquartered in Miami, Florida
. This was due to West Berlin
's special legal status during the Cold War
era (8 May 1945 – 2 October 1990), which meant that all air traffic to and from the city was restricted to airlines of the three Western victorious powers of World War II
, i.e. only those headquartered in the US, UK
and France
. In addition, all flightdeck crew (pilot
s, flight engineer
s and navigator
s) on these flights through the Allied air corridors
had to be citizens of one of these states.
Air Berlin's first revenue flight (from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca
) took place on 28 April 1979, with its first aircraft being a Boeing 707–320
, which had been acquired from TWA
. Operating from Berlin-Tegel Airport, the airline was assigned to fulfill lucrative charter contracts operating a series of short to medium-haul IT charter flights to the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands on behalf of Berliner Flug Ring, at that time West Berlin's leading package tour operator. Air Berlin had taken over this contract from Aeroamerica
, another US supplemental carrier, which was based at Berlin Tegel from 1974 to 1979. Additionally, Air Berlin operated weekly scheduled service from Tegel via Brussels
to Orlando
, during a brief period in the early 1980s.
In the spring of 1981, Air Berlin's original two Boeing 707
aircraft were replaced by the more modern Boeing 737–200 Adv
type, which was more appropriate for the airline's IT operations from Berlin to the Mediterranean region, especially to Majorca (where it is now the largest airline operating there).
In 1985, Air Berlin moved its headquarteres to Berlin.
Air Berlin transitioned to a fleet entirely composed of brand-new Boeing 737-300
and 737–400
aircraft during the late 1980s. This coincided with the introduction of a new livery
, which remained relatively unchanged until 2007.
(which led to the end of Berlin's special status), the airline was renamed Air Berlin, and German investors acquired a majority stake in the company with Joachim Hunold, a former LTU
manager, becoming CEO
, a position he held until 2011. Some time later, on 16 April 1991, the airline was re-registered under German law and renamed Air Berlin GmbH & Co. Luftverkehrs KG. Air Berlin joined IATA
, the company also moved away from charters and towards scheduled flights, including important European business centres (which had been served since 1997).
In November 2001, when taking delivery of a brand new Boeing 737–800 fitted with winglets, Air Berlin managed to set a record. The aircraft with the registration code D-ABBC flew the 8,345 kilometres non-stop from Seattle (BFI), USA to Berlin (TXL), Germany in 9 hours 10 minutes.
In January 2004, Air Berlin announced it would cooperate with Niki, a Vienna-based airline. As part of the deal, Air Berlin took a 24% stake in Niki.
In 2005, a partnership agreement with Germania
was signed. It saw Air Berlin leasing some of Germania's aircraft and crew, and Germania became almost exclusively a charter airline. Germania was to have been associated with Air Berlin under a management contract. However, the contract was not signed. At the beginning of March 2008 Germania’s joint owners could not reach agreement about the takeover by Air Berlin, so Germania remained an independent airline.
In 2006, Air Berlin successfully completed an initial public offering
(IPO) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
. Originally scheduled for 5 May 2006, it was postponed until 11 May 2006. The company cited recent rises in fuel costs and other market pressures leading to limited of investor demand and reduced the initial share-price range from 15.0–17.5 euro
s to 11.5–14.5 euros and the stock opened at €12.0, selling a total of 42.5 million shares. Of these, 19.6 million were new shares increasing capital in the company, and the remainder to repay loans extended by the original shareholders and invested in the company earlier in 2006. After the IPO, the company claimed to have over 400 million euros in cash to fund further expansion, including aircraft purchases.
In August 2006, Air Berlin announced that it had acquired 100% of the shares in German domestic airline dba. Flight operations at dba were continued as a fully owned subsidiary of Air Berlin until 14 November 2008, when the dba brand was discontinued due to staff strikes. (dba staff were subsequently offered positions with Air Berlin).
On 28 November 2006, aircraft manufacturer Boeing
announced an Air Berlin order of 60 Boeing 737-800
aircraft, as well as for 15 aircraft of the smaller Boeing 737-700
variant. The combined value of these 75 airplanes would be 5.1 billion dollars at then list prices. Delivery started in 2007. All of these aircraft will be equipped with blended winglets, which significantly improve fuel efficiency.
, thereby gaining access to the long-haul market and becoming the fourth largest airline group in Europe in terms of passenger traffic. This deal lead to the introduction of Airbus A321
and Airbus A330
aircraft into the Air Berlin fleet. The merger of the LTU operations, aircraft and crew was completed on 1 May 2009, when the LTU brand was dicontinued.
On 7 July 2007, Air Berlin announced an order for 25 modern Boeing 787–8 Dreamliner longhaul aircraft, with further options and purchase rights. Three additional aircraft of this type will be leased from ILFC
. Entry into service is projected for 2011.
On 21 August 2007, Air Berlin acquired a 49 percent shareholding in Swiss
charter airline Belair
, the remainder being owned by tour operator Hotelplan. Following the deal, Belair's longhaul business was shut down, and the fleet replaced by Airbus A320 family
aircraft operating scheduled flights on behalf of Air Berlin as well as charter flights for Hotelplan.
On 20 September 2007, Air Berlin announced it intended to buy its direct competitor Condor in a deal that saw Condor's owner, the Thomas Cook Group
, taking a 30% stake in Air Berlin. A variety of considerations, including the rapidly increasing price of jet fuel, led to the abandonment of the deal in July 2008.
In January 2008 Air Berlin introduced a new logo together with a new corporate design. The logo is a white oval shape on a red background (to suggest an aircraft window) where the letter “a” is depicted by a white circle and two white stylised wings. The Air Berlin text element is now in lower case and written as one word. Sometimes the slogan “Your Airline” also features as part of the logo.
In June 2008, CEO Joachim Hunold caused a quarrel with the Catalan People
, when he claimed in an article included in Air Berlin's inflight magazine
that the government of the Balearic Islands
was trying to impose the use of Catalan
onboard of Air Berlin flights from and to Majorca. He claimed that Air Berlin was an international airline and therefore would not have to use Catalan. Hunold went on to criticise the language policy in Catalonia
and the Balearic Islands, claiming that at the time many children could not speak any Spanish
. The Balearic Islands' socialist President, Francesc Antich, explained that his government had simply sent a letter to encourage airlines operating in the Balearic Islands to include Catalan among the languages used for onboard announcements. On 18 June of the same year, Air Berlin announced that it would reduce its long-haul services by 13 percent, as well as cut 10 percent of services on the domestic market in an effort to increase profitability.
In January 2009 Air Berlin started a co-operation with Hainan Airlines
, China’s fourth-largest airline. Both airlines offer jointly market flights between Berlin
and Beijing
. The code-share flights are sold on a reciprocal basis and operated under the relevant airline’s own flight number.
At the end of March 2009, a strategic partnership agreement with TUI Travel
was signed, which is based on a cross ownership of Air Berlin and its direct competitor TUIfly
each purchases 19.9 percent of the other's shares. Following this deal, Air Berlin took over all German domestic TUIfly routes, as well as those to Italy
, Croatia
and Austria
. Also, all of Tuifly's Boeing 737-700
aircraft were merged into Air Berlin's fleet. Further route shifts will see TUIfly abandoning all scheduled flights and relying exclusively on the charter business.
In March 2009 ESAS Holding bought approximately 15 per cent of the voting shares in Air Berlin PLC. The Federal Cartel Office in Bonn has notified Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG that it has no objections to the Turkish company ESAS Holding A.S. acquiring a stake in the airline.
On 28 September 2009, Air Berlin announced it would cooperate with Pegasus Airlines
, thus allowing its customers access to more destinations and flights to and within Turkey
on a codeshare-like basis.
In October 2009 Air Berlin entered into cooperation with Bangkok Airways
. Air Berlin offers passengers the flights operated by Bangkok Airways under its own flight number.
In April 2010 expanded its codeshare arrangements with Russia’s S7 Airlines. The strategic cooperation between Air Berlin and S7 Airlines has been in place since October 2008. New services include codeshare flights via Moscow to destinations such as Irkutsk
, Perm
and Rostov
.
In July 2010 Air Berlin PLC announced an increase in its shareholding in Niki. Following the fulfilment of the required conditions, the agreements notarized on 17 February 2010 have been implemented. Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG indirectly acquired 25.9% of the shares in Niki Luftfahrt GmbH form the Privatstiftung Lauda (private Lauda foundation) and has thereby increased its current shareholding in Niki Luftfahrt GmbH from 24% to 49.9%. In connection with the increase of its shareholding, Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG will grant the private Lauda foundation a 40.5 million-euro loan. The private foundation has the option to repay the loan in three years with cash or through the transfer to the remaining 50.1% of Niki Luftfahrt GmbH´s shares.
In July 2010, it was also announced that Air Berlin would be joining the global airline alliance
Oneworld
. Full membership is planned for the start of 2012. In preparation for joining the alliance, Air Berlin has been offering flights under codeshare agreements with American Airlines
and Finnair
since its 2010/2011 winter schedule came into force. Its cooperation with American Airlines means that Air Berlin passengers gain access to the important American market whilst it also offers codeshare flights with Finnair to Helsinki and within Europe.
Air Berlin PLC founded Follow Me Entertainment GmbH in September 2010 as a joint venture with kick-media ag. This joint venture company has been formed for the individual marketing of image and sound media, books, games as well as events, concerts, tournaments and sponsoring.
The foundations were laid for the first maintenance hangar at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) on 21 March 2011. Air Berlin, which will use the hangar together with Germania as from June 2012, has thus doubled the maintenance capacity of Air Berlin Technik at its Berlin site.
On 1 April 2011 Air Berlin completed the full integration of LTU which it took over in August 2007. There is now only one flight schedule and all the technical services of the Air Berlin Group have been merged into a new company "airberlin technik GmbH". Also in April 2011 Air Berlin underlined the importance of its Düsseldorf hub by creating a new position of "Regional Director North-Rhine Westphalia". With new routes, more frequent flights and additional long-haul flights, Air Berlin is expanding the flights it offers from Düsseldorf.
Scheduled to start on 5 July 2011, airberlin and British Airways have reached a codeshare agreement covering selected flights within Europe on 15 June 2011. The cooperation agreement applies to flights to 40 over European destinations served by the two airlines.
airberlin technik, part of the airberlin group, is a certified EASA Part-145 maintenance organization with approximately 1200 employees providing services to both the aircraft operating within the airberlin group and customers throughout Europe. airberlin technik is recognized and approved by various National Airworthiness Authorities such as USA FAA-145, Canadian CAA-145, Aruba EASA-145, Federal Aviation Authority of Russia, GCAA, United Arab Emirates.
section is offered.
(called topbonus) is operated jointly with Niki. Points (“miles”) can be collected on all flights, and these can be redeemed later for free flights (award flights) or for an upgrade to business class. In addition to the “topbonus Card Classic” there are cards with Silver and Gold status. A Service Card and a Credit Card, for which a charge is made, are also available.
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
& Co.
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
Luftverkehrs KG
Kommanditgesellschaft
A Kommanditgesellschaft is the German name for a limited partnership business entity and is used in German, Austrian and some other European legal systems....
(stylized as airberlin or airberlin.com) is Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's second largest airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
, after Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
, and Europe's sixth largest airline in terms of passengers.
The airline operates an extensive network including holiday destinations in the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
as well as intercontinental destinations in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
Air Berlin concentrates on serving major German and European cities to attract business traffic. A total of 23 German cities are served, more than any other airline. Its largest hub
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
is Berlin-Tegel Airport, followed by Düsseldorf Airport. Other important destinations are the focus cities
Focus city
In the airline industry, a focus city is a location that is not a hub, but from which the airline has non-stop flights to several destinations other than its hubs...
Nuremberg Airport
Nuremberg Airport
Nuremberg Airport is the international airport of the Franconian metropolitan area of Nuremberg and the second-busiest airport in Bavaria. The airport is ranked 10th among German airports and 87th in Europe. It is also a hub for Air Berlin - Germany's second largest airline...
and Son Sant Joan Airport, Palma
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
.
On 26 July 2010, the Oneworld
Oneworld
Oneworld , branded as oneworld, is one of the world's three largest global airline alliances with its central management team, oneworld Management Company, based in New York City, New York, USA. Oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific...
airline alliance
Airline alliance
An airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate on a substantial level. The three largest passenger alliances are the Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld. Alliances also form between cargo airlines, such as that of WOW Alliance, SkyTeam Cargo and ANA/UPS Alliance...
announced that Air Berlin had been invited to join. Full membership is planned for the start of 2012.
The airline is headquartered at the Airport Bureau Center in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is the fourth borough of Berlin, formed in the 2001 administrative reform by merging the former boroughs of Charlottenburg and Wilmersdorf.-Overview:Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf covers the western centre of the City of Berlin...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Air Berlin's parent company
Parent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...
, airberlin group or Air Berlin PLC, is publicly traded (FSE
Frankfurt Stock Exchange
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is the world's 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. Located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is owned and operated by Deutsche Börse, which also owns the European futures exchange Eurex and the clearing company...
: AB1, ISIN
ISIN
An International Securities Identification Number uniquely identifies a security. Its structure is defined in ISO 6166. Securities for which ISINs are issued include bonds, commercial paper, equities and warrants...
is GB00B128C026).
In March 2011, it had 8,900 employees. The airline (including subsidiaries
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
) carried 33.6 million passengers in 2010.
1978–1989: First years of air charter operations
In 1978, former Pan AmPan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
pilot Kim Lundgren and former Modern Air Transport
Modern Air Transport
Modern Air Transport, Inc. was a United States-based non-scheduled and supplemental carrierUS non-scheduled airlines as classified by the United States Congress in 1963 founded in 1946. At different stages in its history it was headquartered in Newark and Trenton, New Jersey, Baltimore, and Miami...
general manager John D. MacDonald formed Air Berlin as a US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
supplemental carriernon-scheduled US airline as classified by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1963 and incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
it under the name Air Berlin, Inc. in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, USA, trading as Air Berlin USA and headquartered in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. This was due to West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
's special legal status during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era (8 May 1945 – 2 October 1990), which meant that all air traffic to and from the city was restricted to airlines of the three Western victorious powers of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, i.e. only those headquartered in the US, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In addition, all flightdeck crew (pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
s, flight engineer
Flight engineer
Flight engineers work in three types of aircraft: fixed-wing , rotary wing , and space flight .As airplanes became even larger requiring more engines and complex systems to operate, the workload on the two pilots became excessive during certain critical parts of the flight regime, notably takeoffs...
s and navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
s) on these flights through the Allied air corridors
West Berlin Air Corridor
During the Cold War era , the West Berlin Air Corridors comprised three regulated airways for civil and military air traffic of the Western Allies between West Berlin and West Germany passing over the former East Germany's territory. The corridors were under control of the all-Allied Berlin Air...
had to be citizens of one of these states.
Air Berlin's first revenue flight (from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
) took place on 28 April 1979, with its first aircraft being a Boeing 707–320
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
, which had been acquired from TWA
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
. Operating from Berlin-Tegel Airport, the airline was assigned to fulfill lucrative charter contracts operating a series of short to medium-haul IT charter flights to the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands on behalf of Berliner Flug Ring, at that time West Berlin's leading package tour operator. Air Berlin had taken over this contract from Aeroamerica
Aeroamerica
Aeroamerica, Inc. was founded as a US supplemental carrierUS non-scheduled airline as classified by the United States Congress in 1963 in 1973. It was headquartered at Seattle Boeing Field, Washington. In 1975 the airline established an overseas base at Tegel Airport in what used to be West Berlin...
, another US supplemental carrier, which was based at Berlin Tegel from 1974 to 1979. Additionally, Air Berlin operated weekly scheduled service from Tegel via Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
to Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, during a brief period in the early 1980s.
In the spring of 1981, Air Berlin's original two Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
aircraft were replaced by the more modern Boeing 737–200 Adv
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
type, which was more appropriate for the airline's IT operations from Berlin to the Mediterranean region, especially to Majorca (where it is now the largest airline operating there).
In 1985, Air Berlin moved its headquarteres to Berlin.
Air Berlin transitioned to a fleet entirely composed of brand-new Boeing 737-300
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
and 737–400
Boeing 737 Classic
The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
aircraft during the late 1980s. This coincided with the introduction of a new livery
Aircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
, which remained relatively unchanged until 2007.
1990–1999: Growth after German reunification
On 2 October 1990, the eve of Germany's reunificationGerman reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
(which led to the end of Berlin's special status), the airline was renamed Air Berlin, and German investors acquired a majority stake in the company with Joachim Hunold, a former LTU
LTU International
LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...
manager, becoming CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
, a position he held until 2011. Some time later, on 16 April 1991, the airline was re-registered under German law and renamed Air Berlin GmbH & Co. Luftverkehrs KG. Air Berlin joined IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, the company also moved away from charters and towards scheduled flights, including important European business centres (which had been served since 1997).
2000–2006: Becoming Germany’s second largest airline
In January 2004, Air Berlin announced it would cooperate with Niki, a Vienna-based airline. As part of the deal, Air Berlin took a 24% stake in Niki.
In 2005, a partnership agreement with Germania
Germania (airline)
Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH, operating as Germania, is an airline with its headquarters in Berlin, Germany. It operates scheduled and chartered flights and aircraft lease services...
was signed. It saw Air Berlin leasing some of Germania's aircraft and crew, and Germania became almost exclusively a charter airline. Germania was to have been associated with Air Berlin under a management contract. However, the contract was not signed. At the beginning of March 2008 Germania’s joint owners could not reach agreement about the takeover by Air Berlin, so Germania remained an independent airline.
Initial public offering
An initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
(IPO) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
Frankfurt Stock Exchange
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is the world's 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. Located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is owned and operated by Deutsche Börse, which also owns the European futures exchange Eurex and the clearing company...
. Originally scheduled for 5 May 2006, it was postponed until 11 May 2006. The company cited recent rises in fuel costs and other market pressures leading to limited of investor demand and reduced the initial share-price range from 15.0–17.5 euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s to 11.5–14.5 euros and the stock opened at €12.0, selling a total of 42.5 million shares. Of these, 19.6 million were new shares increasing capital in the company, and the remainder to repay loans extended by the original shareholders and invested in the company earlier in 2006. After the IPO, the company claimed to have over 400 million euros in cash to fund further expansion, including aircraft purchases.
In August 2006, Air Berlin announced that it had acquired 100% of the shares in German domestic airline dba. Flight operations at dba were continued as a fully owned subsidiary of Air Berlin until 14 November 2008, when the dba brand was discontinued due to staff strikes. (dba staff were subsequently offered positions with Air Berlin).
On 28 November 2006, aircraft manufacturer Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
announced an Air Berlin order of 60 Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
aircraft, as well as for 15 aircraft of the smaller Boeing 737-700
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
variant. The combined value of these 75 airplanes would be 5.1 billion dollars at then list prices. Delivery started in 2007. All of these aircraft will be equipped with blended winglets, which significantly improve fuel efficiency.
2007–2009: Takeovers and expansion
In March 2007, Air Berlin took over German leisure airline LTULTU International
LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...
, thereby gaining access to the long-haul market and becoming the fourth largest airline group in Europe in terms of passenger traffic. This deal lead to the introduction of Airbus A321
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
and Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
aircraft into the Air Berlin fleet. The merger of the LTU operations, aircraft and crew was completed on 1 May 2009, when the LTU brand was dicontinued.
International Lease Finance Corporation
The International Lease Finance Corporation is an aircraft lessor headquartered in Century City, Los Angeles, California.It is the world's largest aircraft lessor by value, though ILFC's rival, General Electric's GECAS unit, has more aircraft...
. Entry into service is projected for 2011.
On 21 August 2007, Air Berlin acquired a 49 percent shareholding in Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
charter airline Belair
Belair (airline)
Belair is an airline headquartered in Glattbrugg, Opfikon, Switzerland. It operates scheduled flights on behalf of Air Berlin and ad hoc charters for third parties. Its main base is Zürich Airport.- History :...
, the remainder being owned by tour operator Hotelplan. Following the deal, Belair's longhaul business was shut down, and the fleet replaced by Airbus A320 family
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft operating scheduled flights on behalf of Air Berlin as well as charter flights for Hotelplan.
On 20 September 2007, Air Berlin announced it intended to buy its direct competitor Condor in a deal that saw Condor's owner, the Thomas Cook Group
Thomas Cook Group
Thomas Cook Group plc is a travel company created on 19 June, 2007 by the merger of Thomas Cook AG and MyTravel Group plc. At flotation on the London Stock Exchange 52% of the shares in the new company were held by the German mail order and department store corporation Arcandor and 48% owned by...
, taking a 30% stake in Air Berlin. A variety of considerations, including the rapidly increasing price of jet fuel, led to the abandonment of the deal in July 2008.
In January 2008 Air Berlin introduced a new logo together with a new corporate design. The logo is a white oval shape on a red background (to suggest an aircraft window) where the letter “a” is depicted by a white circle and two white stylised wings. The Air Berlin text element is now in lower case and written as one word. Sometimes the slogan “Your Airline” also features as part of the logo.
In June 2008, CEO Joachim Hunold caused a quarrel with the Catalan People
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
, when he claimed in an article included in Air Berlin's inflight magazine
Inflight magazine
An Inflight magazine is a free magazine distributed via the seats of an airplane by an airline company.The first inflight magazine was that of Pan American World Airways; now most airlines are distributing magazines...
that the government of the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
was trying to impose the use of Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
onboard of Air Berlin flights from and to Majorca. He claimed that Air Berlin was an international airline and therefore would not have to use Catalan. Hunold went on to criticise the language policy in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
and the Balearic Islands, claiming that at the time many children could not speak any Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. The Balearic Islands' socialist President, Francesc Antich, explained that his government had simply sent a letter to encourage airlines operating in the Balearic Islands to include Catalan among the languages used for onboard announcements. On 18 June of the same year, Air Berlin announced that it would reduce its long-haul services by 13 percent, as well as cut 10 percent of services on the domestic market in an effort to increase profitability.
In January 2009 Air Berlin started a co-operation with Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines
Hainan Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in the HNA Development Building in Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China. It is the largest privately-owned air transport company and the fourth-largest airline in terms of fleet size in the People's Republic of China...
, China’s fourth-largest airline. Both airlines offer jointly market flights between Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. The code-share flights are sold on a reciprocal basis and operated under the relevant airline’s own flight number.
At the end of March 2009, a strategic partnership agreement with TUI Travel
TUI Travel
TUI Travel PLC is a FTSE 250 international leisure travel group listed on the London Stock Exchange. It was formed on 3 September 2007 by the merger of First Choice Holidays PLC and the Tourism Division of TUI AG, which owns 55.09% of the company, operating in 180 countries and serving 30m...
was signed, which is based on a cross ownership of Air Berlin and its direct competitor TUIfly
TUIfly
TUIfly Vermarktungs GmbH is an airline based at Hannover Airport in Langenhagen, Lower Saxony, Germany. The airline offers both charter and scheduled low-cost flights. About 60% of all seats are sold directly, 30% as a part of a TUI holiday package and 10% by other agencies...
each purchases 19.9 percent of the other's shares. Following this deal, Air Berlin took over all German domestic TUIfly routes, as well as those to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Also, all of Tuifly's Boeing 737-700
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
aircraft were merged into Air Berlin's fleet. Further route shifts will see TUIfly abandoning all scheduled flights and relying exclusively on the charter business.
In March 2009 ESAS Holding bought approximately 15 per cent of the voting shares in Air Berlin PLC. The Federal Cartel Office in Bonn has notified Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG that it has no objections to the Turkish company ESAS Holding A.S. acquiring a stake in the airline.
On 28 September 2009, Air Berlin announced it would cooperate with Pegasus Airlines
Pegasus Airlines
Pegasus Airlines is a low-cost airline headquartered in the Halkalı area of Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey. Formerly a charter airline in partnership with Aer Lingus, Pegasus is now completely controlled by Esas Holding.- History :...
, thus allowing its customers access to more destinations and flights to and within Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
on a codeshare-like basis.
In October 2009 Air Berlin entered into cooperation with Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways Co., Ltd. is a regional airline based in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Laos, Maldives, Burma, India and Singapore...
. Air Berlin offers passengers the flights operated by Bangkok Airways under its own flight number.
2010-2012: Joining Oneworld Alliance
| group | interest |
|---|---|
| airberlin technik GmbH | 100 % |
| Binoli Reiseplattform | 49 % |
| Belair Belair (airline) Belair is an airline headquartered in Glattbrugg, Opfikon, Switzerland. It operates scheduled flights on behalf of Air Berlin and ad hoc charters for third parties. Its main base is Zürich Airport.- History :... |
100 % |
| Niki | 49,9 % |
In April 2010 expanded its codeshare arrangements with Russia’s S7 Airlines. The strategic cooperation between Air Berlin and S7 Airlines has been in place since October 2008. New services include codeshare flights via Moscow to destinations such as Irkutsk
Irkutsk
Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
, Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
and Rostov
Rostov
Rostov is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:...
.
In July 2010 Air Berlin PLC announced an increase in its shareholding in Niki. Following the fulfilment of the required conditions, the agreements notarized on 17 February 2010 have been implemented. Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG indirectly acquired 25.9% of the shares in Niki Luftfahrt GmbH form the Privatstiftung Lauda (private Lauda foundation) and has thereby increased its current shareholding in Niki Luftfahrt GmbH from 24% to 49.9%. In connection with the increase of its shareholding, Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG will grant the private Lauda foundation a 40.5 million-euro loan. The private foundation has the option to repay the loan in three years with cash or through the transfer to the remaining 50.1% of Niki Luftfahrt GmbH´s shares.
In July 2010, it was also announced that Air Berlin would be joining the global airline alliance
Airline alliance
An airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate on a substantial level. The three largest passenger alliances are the Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld. Alliances also form between cargo airlines, such as that of WOW Alliance, SkyTeam Cargo and ANA/UPS Alliance...
Oneworld
Oneworld
Oneworld , branded as oneworld, is one of the world's three largest global airline alliances with its central management team, oneworld Management Company, based in New York City, New York, USA. Oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific...
. Full membership is planned for the start of 2012. In preparation for joining the alliance, Air Berlin has been offering flights under codeshare agreements with American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
and Finnair
Finnair
Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...
since its 2010/2011 winter schedule came into force. Its cooperation with American Airlines means that Air Berlin passengers gain access to the important American market whilst it also offers codeshare flights with Finnair to Helsinki and within Europe.
Air Berlin PLC founded Follow Me Entertainment GmbH in September 2010 as a joint venture with kick-media ag. This joint venture company has been formed for the individual marketing of image and sound media, books, games as well as events, concerts, tournaments and sponsoring.
The foundations were laid for the first maintenance hangar at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) on 21 March 2011. Air Berlin, which will use the hangar together with Germania as from June 2012, has thus doubled the maintenance capacity of Air Berlin Technik at its Berlin site.
On 1 April 2011 Air Berlin completed the full integration of LTU which it took over in August 2007. There is now only one flight schedule and all the technical services of the Air Berlin Group have been merged into a new company "airberlin technik GmbH". Also in April 2011 Air Berlin underlined the importance of its Düsseldorf hub by creating a new position of "Regional Director North-Rhine Westphalia". With new routes, more frequent flights and additional long-haul flights, Air Berlin is expanding the flights it offers from Düsseldorf.
Scheduled to start on 5 July 2011, airberlin and British Airways have reached a codeshare agreement covering selected flights within Europe on 15 June 2011. The cooperation agreement applies to flights to 40 over European destinations served by the two airlines.
Key financial figures
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover [Mil. €] | 863 | 1,034 | 1,215 | 1,575 | 2,537 | 3,401 | 3,240 | 3,724 |
| Asset [Mil. €] | 36.7 | −2.9 | −115.9 | 40.1 | 21.0 | −75.0 | −9.5 | -97.2 |
| Number of employees | 1,956 | 2,146 | 2,764 | 4,108 | 8,360 | 8,311 | 8,278 | 8,900 |
| Number of passengers [Mil] | 10.0 | 12.1 | 17.5 | 19.7 | 27.9 | 28.6 | 27.9 | 33.6 |
| Passenger load factor [%] | 76.7 | 79.5 | 75.2 | 75.3 | 77.2 | 78.4 | 77.3 | 76.8 |
| Number of aircrafts | 46 | 47 | 79 | 117 | 124 | 125 | 152 | 169 |
Flight school
Air Berlin has been running its own pilot training scheme since 2007 in a joint venture with the TFC Käufer flight school. Trainees complete their commercial pilot training to the latest industry standards over a period of around 24 months. The Air Berlin flight school was the first flight school in Germany to be awarded a training licence by the German Department of Aviation for the new Multi-Crew Pilot Licence concept in February 2009.Technical Services
| Quota | Shareholders |
|---|---|
| ~ 40 % | diversified holdings |
| 16,48 % | ESAS Holding A.S. (Turkey) |
| 7,51 % | Hans-Joachim Knieps |
| 6,85 % | Leibniz-Service GmbH / TUI Travel PLC Tui As a noun, Tui may refer to:* Tu'i , a title of nobility in Polynesia and some of Melanesia* Tui Awards, New Zealand's annual music industry awards* Tui , a brand of New Zealand beer produced by Tui Breweries... |
| 5,97 % | Ringerike GmbH & Co. Luftfahrtbeteiligung Metolius Foundation |
| 3,82 % | Werner Huehn |
| 3,70 % | JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational banking corporation of securities, investments and retail. It is the largest bank in the United States by assets and market capitalization.It is a major provider of financial services, with assets of $2 trillion and according to Forbes magazine is... |
| 2,93 % | Rudolf Schulte |
| 2,93 % | Severin Schulte |
| 2,64 % | Joachim Hunold, CEO Chief executive officer A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization... Air Berlin PLC |
| 2,39 % | Moab Investments Ltd. |
| 1,58 % | Johannes Zurnieden, Chairman Air Berlin PLC |
| 1,40 % | Heinz-Peter Schlüter |
| as at: 31 March 2011 | |
airberlin technik, part of the airberlin group, is a certified EASA Part-145 maintenance organization with approximately 1200 employees providing services to both the aircraft operating within the airberlin group and customers throughout Europe. airberlin technik is recognized and approved by various National Airworthiness Authorities such as USA FAA-145, Canadian CAA-145, Aruba EASA-145, Federal Aviation Authority of Russia, GCAA, United Arab Emirates.
Passenger Services
In contrast to pure European low-cost carriers, Air Berlin offers free (at the point of consumption) in-flight snacks, drinks as well as newspapers and magazines. Full hot meals are complimentary on long-haul flights. On all Air Berlin routes with a flight time of 60 minutes or longer gourmet meals are offered, which are, according to the airline, created by chefs at "Sansibar", a famous restaurant on the island of Sylt. The airline also offers in-flight entertainment, assigned seating and guaranteed flight connections. On flights operated by Airbus A330-200 aircraft, a dedicated business classBusiness class
Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now...
section is offered.
Frequent flyer programme
Like many other airlines, Air Berlin has a frequent flyer scheme. Air Berlin's frequent flyer programFrequent flyer program
A frequent flyer program is a loyalty program offered by many airlines. Typically, airline customers enrolled in the program accumulate frequent flyer miles corresponding to the distance flown on that airline or its partners. There are other ways to accumulate miles...
(called topbonus) is operated jointly with Niki. Points (“miles”) can be collected on all flights, and these can be redeemed later for free flights (award flights) or for an upgrade to business class. In addition to the “topbonus Card Classic” there are cards with Silver and Gold status. A Service Card and a Credit Card, for which a charge is made, are also available.
Destinations
The airline operates an extensive semi-low-cost network including intercontinental destinations in the United States, the Caribbean and the South East Asia as well as holiday destinations in the Mediterranean region, the Canary Islands and North Africa, with a total of 163 scheduled destinations in 39 countries.Codeshare agreements
Air Berlin has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
|
Pegasus Airlines Pegasus Airlines is a low-cost airline headquartered in the Halkalı area of Küçükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey. Formerly a charter airline in partnership with Aer Lingus, Pegasus is now completely controlled by Esas Holding.- History :... Royal Jordanian Royal Jordanian Airlines is the flag carrier of Jordan with its head office in Amman, Jordan, operating scheduled international services over four continents from its main base at Queen Alia International Airport at Amman Jordan. Royal Jordanian is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization... (Oneworld) S7 Airlines OJSC Siberia Airlines , operating as S7 Airlines, is an airline headquartered in Ob, Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, with offices in Moscow. S7 Airlines has been Russia's fastest-growing airline and recently passed Aeroflot as Russia's largest domestic airline.S7 has operated scheduled passenger... (Oneworld) |
Fleet
As of August 2011, the Air Berlin fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 5.9 years:| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Options | Passengers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | |||||
| Airbus A319-100 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
11 | — | — | 0 | 150 | 150 | 2 Stored |
| Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
36 | 18 | — | 0 | 174 | 174 | 7 operated by Belair (Swiss registered, 1 stored |
| Airbus A321-200 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
10 | 5 | — | 0 | 210 | 210 | |
| Airbus A330-200 | 12 | — | — | 14 | 279 | 303 | |
| Airbus A330-300 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 387 | 387 | |
| Boeing 737-700 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
26 | 8 | — | 0 | 144 | 144 | 10 operated by TUIfly TUIfly TUIfly Vermarktungs GmbH is an airline based at Hannover Airport in Langenhagen, Lower Saxony, Germany. The airline offers both charter and scheduled low-cost flights. About 60% of all seats are sold directly, 30% as a part of a TUI holiday package and 10% by other agencies... (registrations D-AH_) 6 operated by Germania Germania (airline) Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH, operating as Germania, is an airline with its headquarters in Berlin, Germany. It operates scheduled and chartered flights and aircraft lease services... (registrations D-AGE_) |
| Boeing 737-800 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
39 | 48 | — | 0 | 186 | 186 | 4 operated by TUIfly (registrations D-AHF_) |
| Boeing 787-8 | — | 18 | 5 | TBA | 3 will be leased Entry into service: April 2014 |
||
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | 10 | — | — | 0 | 76 | 76 | operated by LGW Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter LGW is a German regional airline officially known as Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter mbH . Since 2007, LGW has been owned by Air Berlin. The Dortmund based airline transported about 50,000 passengers in 2003 and the expected sales is 13 million Euro in 2004... |
| Total | 146 | 97 | 5 | ||||
Fleet development
Over the years, Air Berlin operated the following aircraft types:| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
4 overwing window exits instead of the A319's usual 2 | ||
| Airbus A320 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
|||
| Airbus A321 Airbus A320 family The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001... |
following the LTU LTU International LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services... fleet incorporation |
||
| Airbus A330-200 | following the LTU fleet incorporation | ||
| Airbus A330-300 | following the LTU fleet incorporation | ||
| BAe 146-200 | leased from WDL Aviation WDL Aviation WDL Aviation is an charter airline based at Cologne Bonn Airport, Germany.-Fleet:As of July 2011, the WDL Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft:-External links:*... |
||
| Boeing 707 Boeing 707 The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on... |
Air Berlin USA | ||
| Boeing 737-200 Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers... |
Air Berlin USA | ||
| Boeing 737-300 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
2007 |
2010 |
ir Berlin USA [] |
| Boeing 737-400 Boeing 737 Classic The Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new... |
|||
| Boeing 737-700 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
|||
| Boeing 737-800 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
|||
| Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 | operated by LGW Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter LGW is a German regional airline officially known as Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter mbH . Since 2007, LGW has been owned by Air Berlin. The Dortmund based airline transported about 50,000 passengers in 2003 and the expected sales is 13 million Euro in 2004... |
||
| Fokker 100 |
Fleet policy
The average age of the fleet is currently 5.9 years. Continuous investments in fuel-efficient aircraft mean that Air Berlin jets now use less fuel and produce lower emissions and noise levels. Last year (2010) Air Berlin reduced its average fuel consumption by 1.1 percent to 3.60 litre per 100 passenger kilometres. In May 2001 Air Berlin became the first company in the world to take delivery of a Boeing 737-800 retrofitted with blended winglets to save fuel and protect the environment. Almost all the aircraft in the Air Berlin fleet have now been fitted with this equipment. In February 2011 Air Berlin took delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 featuring the new "Sky Interior" cabin design. All newly delivered Boeing Next Generation aircraft operated by Air Berlin will in future include this improved interior with its newly design side wall and baggage compartments, large window niches and indirect LED lighting.Incidents and accidents
Air Berlin has not experienced accidents or major incidents since its foundation.Awards
- 2008: Capital magazine: “Airline of the Year 2008”, Telegraph Travel Award, World Travel Award 2008 Best Budget Airline
- 2009:European Business Award 2009, oekom research: Award for “Prime” investment status
- 2010: Business Travel Award 2010, ReiseBlick 2010: Airline of the Year, Spain Tourism Award 2010, Clever reisen! 2010: "Europe’s youngest fleet", Skytrax World Airline Award 2010: "Best Low-Cost Airline Europe", Franz-von-Mendelssohn medal, Danish Travel Award : "Best Low Cost Airline"
- 2011: TravelPlus Airline Amenity Bag Awards, Brand Award 2011, ÖkoGlobe 2011
See also
- List of airlines of Germany
- List of airports in Germany
- List of companies of Germany
- Transport in GermanyTransport in GermanyAs a densely populated country in a central location in Europe and with a developed economy, Germany has a dense and modern transportation infrastructure....
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport