Etihad Airways becomes biggest shareholder of Air Berlin PLC with 29.21%

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, increased its stake in airberlin, Europe’s sixth largest airline, to 29.21 per cent, becoming airberlin’s largest single shareholder.

The strategic move, announced in Berlin by Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer James Hogan and airberlin CEO Hartmut Mehdorn, connects the airlines’ extensive networks and frequent flyer programs to offer travellers 239 destinations across 77 countries.

Full membership on 20 March 2012.

airberlin became on 20 March 2012 part of oneworld alliance, adding the second largest airline in Germany and the sixth largest in Europe to the world’s premier global airline alliance. NIKI, the Austrian member of the airberlin group, joined oneworld as an affiliate member at the same time.

• Implementation of "Turbine" turnaround programme has begun
• Focus on core markets and stringent business model
• Initiatives defined of around 400 million euros by the end of 2014
• Greater cost efficiency and even more customer orientation
• Stabilisation and expansion of competitive position

Today airberlin began to implement its "Turbine" turnaround programme. This is a comprehensive scheme to ensure that Germany's second largest airline focuses on its key markets on the basis of a stringent business model.

airberlin hopes for a soon opening

Following the announcement that the opening of BER Airport has been postponed, airberlin continues flight operations in Tegel. Nevertheless airberlin is still looking forward to its new home base at BER and is fully committed to the airport. Here you can find further information about the progresses on the BER.