Well it certainly puts a new spin on things! But it is a poorly thought through article, how does 30% (as the journalist says himself) give you ownership?
Everyone here in Germany knows Air Berlin was buying Condor. The fact that Arcandor, the parent of Thomas Cook was taking shares in Air Berlin in part payment was also well known.
The fact is that Air Berlin's shares have fallen to such an extent that a deal along the original lines was no longer possible. First thing this morning AB shares jumped over 10% on the news. Although the underlying logic for such a gain is unclear.