Air Berlin
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Air Berlin buys LTU (Balair next?)
Join Date: Oct 2004
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LTU & Air Berlin
LTU carry a respectable amount of belly freight as well. Any prognosis on what Air Berlin plan to do with this part of LTU's operation? Handling freight doesn't fit well with the LoCo profile.
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Handling freight doesn't fit well with the LoCo profile.
Join Date: Feb 2007
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LTU's medium range flights to Spain, Greece etc. will be incorporated into AB's network and the 32X fleet will be painted in AB colours asap.
LTU's log-haul fleet (consisting of 332 and 333) will remain in its colours and AB (incl. former DI) will feeder them. Only long-haul base will be DUS with only some flights out of MUC - both "surprisingly" major AB/DI bases.
So, they can offer e.g. VLC-DUS-NYC or ATH-MUC-LAX services now.
Source: Varios press releases and news articles.
By the way, AB will acquire a fully certfied 32X maintenance facility (which is already today making profits...) which they only have on a small scape today but which they need for their growing 32X fleet.
LTU's log-haul fleet (consisting of 332 and 333) will remain in its colours and AB (incl. former DI) will feeder them. Only long-haul base will be DUS with only some flights out of MUC - both "surprisingly" major AB/DI bases.
So, they can offer e.g. VLC-DUS-NYC or ATH-MUC-LAX services now.
Source: Varios press releases and news articles.
By the way, AB will acquire a fully certfied 32X maintenance facility (which is already today making profits...) which they only have on a small scape today but which they need for their growing 32X fleet.
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I have to admit that at first I did not see the logic behind AB buying LTU (seemed like two very different operations, LoCo 737 and medium/long haul Airbus charter), but I forgot that AB have bought a substantial number of single aisle Airbusses.
If the above is true then it looks like AB will beat EZY to the LoCo long haul market whilst grabbing another big slice of the German LoCo market.
Interesting to see what happens next...
If the above is true then it looks like AB will beat EZY to the LoCo long haul market whilst grabbing another big slice of the German LoCo market.
Interesting to see what happens next...
It could be argued that FlyGlobespan have beaten all low cost carriers to the long haul market.
The LTU AB330's are also regular on Malaga runs from Germany - 2 noted on the apron just last weekend.
Nivsy
The LTU AB330's are also regular on Malaga runs from Germany - 2 noted on the apron just last weekend.
Nivsy
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It is becoming more and more probable that Air Berlin will acquire also CONDOR (DE), formerly Lufthansa's leisure airline.
Fleet and routes of DE would fit into AB's search pattern - 32S for the short and medium haul market would fit ideal. 753's and 763's would not fit so well but at least LTU has the necessary maintenance facilities for these and a lot of LT pilots have experience on these types. In addition, AB/LT have just agreed on code shares with DE.
Background: LH sold their 50% stake in DE to Thomas Cook Travel a few months ago, retaining a 24.9% minority to prevent sale of DE to a competitor for 2 years. Although AB IS a competitor, this was more intended to prevent a sale to a "tiger" airline like QR or EK. LH's CEO Mayrhuber has been quoted that he could live with such a deal...
So after DI (DBA) and LT (LTU) this could become more and more probable - and that even faster than most people thought.
Fleet and routes of DE would fit into AB's search pattern - 32S for the short and medium haul market would fit ideal. 753's and 763's would not fit so well but at least LTU has the necessary maintenance facilities for these and a lot of LT pilots have experience on these types. In addition, AB/LT have just agreed on code shares with DE.
Background: LH sold their 50% stake in DE to Thomas Cook Travel a few months ago, retaining a 24.9% minority to prevent sale of DE to a competitor for 2 years. Although AB IS a competitor, this was more intended to prevent a sale to a "tiger" airline like QR or EK. LH's CEO Mayrhuber has been quoted that he could live with such a deal...
So after DI (DBA) and LT (LTU) this could become more and more probable - and that even faster than most people thought.
Join Date: Nov 2004
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I doubt very much that Thomas Cook would want to sell Condor to Air Berlin, they see it as a very important part of the company. Also i think the EU Competition Committe would prob not allow it, as it would considerably reduce competion in Germany further, after the takeover of DBA and LTU.
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Niki Hire-in
Noticed Niki A320 operated both sectors into Belfast City from Stansted yesterday. Anyone know the reason? Have Berlin bought Niki out as well???
or have Air Berlin a fleet shortage at the minute?
or have Air Berlin a fleet shortage at the minute?
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Niki? It's an old story.
On 9 January 2004, Air Berlin announced cooperation with Niki. The two airlines considered their cooperation a "low fares alliance". Air Berlin now holds 24% of Niki and Niki Lauda holds the rest of the shares.
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No need for a special event like a tech or so - AB and Niki swap their aircrafts around all the time. Had Niki planes on AB legs already several times, as well as 2 Niki flights on AB planes.
Although AB only holds a minor stake in Niki, Niki is in practice handled as a subsidiary. If you want to book a Niki flight, you book ONLY on AB website, they don't have an own sales dept etc etc.
So no big deal there.
Although AB only holds a minor stake in Niki, Niki is in practice handled as a subsidiary. If you want to book a Niki flight, you book ONLY on AB website, they don't have an own sales dept etc etc.
So no big deal there.
Join Date: Jun 2003
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STN/BHD/STN sector operated again today by A320, only one of AB's own this time. AB website also shows A320 for tomorrow (Sun) then back to B737-700 from Monday onwards - perhaps loads demand A320 capacity.
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A320 to BHD
I cant say todays load was anything to shout about. There where only 80 pax on it today going to Belfast and today it had come from HAJ and sometimes a F100 comes from HAJ. They could be a F100 down but not sure.
Travel on any Air Berlin flights anywhere & it could be a B733, B734, B737, B738, A319, A320 or a FK100. It just happens on the day, there is rarely any significance as to what operates where..it just does. It is also just as likely to be an AB, DBA or Nikki machine.
Contrary to some beliefs, airlines do not just allocate aircraft willy-nilly to routes, all is planned beforehand for the obvious reasons that :
1. You need to know how many seats you can sell.
2. There are only a finite number of each aircraft type in the fleet and you will be trying for best utilisation of all of them.
3. You need to have the right crews on hand for the types operating.
Yes, you can make a plan where different types appear on different days/weeks, BA do the same out of Heathrow on European routes. Likewise you can have a bit of scope for ad-hoc changes where you need to. But the latter cannot be common and every day.
1. You need to know how many seats you can sell.
2. There are only a finite number of each aircraft type in the fleet and you will be trying for best utilisation of all of them.
3. You need to have the right crews on hand for the types operating.
Yes, you can make a plan where different types appear on different days/weeks, BA do the same out of Heathrow on European routes. Likewise you can have a bit of scope for ad-hoc changes where you need to. But the latter cannot be common and every day.
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Air Berlin do seem to have a very flexible plan as as the aircraft on a certain route do vary day to day and the next week is totally different and the following week is totally different again
Can anyone explain how so many changes can be made without it being so complicated i:e crew roster, aircraft roster and even how many seats are sold per flight
Ian
Can anyone explain how so many changes can be made without it being so complicated i:e crew roster, aircraft roster and even how many seats are sold per flight
Ian