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Air Berlin improves performance in 2009 and strengthens market position
Air Berlin, Germany's second-largest airline company, successfully ended the 2009 financial year. It has proven to be a great advantage that Air Berlin had already implemented an efficiency and cost-reduction programme prior to the onset of the economic and financial crisis. This programme has continued to show its effect in the 2009 financial year. The effort of concentrating on strengthening profitability has paid off. The optimization of the flight network at an early stage and the consistent phase-out of destinations that were no longer justifiable in terms of profitability improved the quality of Air Berlin's earnings. At the same time, Air Berlin's position in the German and the European market has been strengthened, for example, by the acquisition of TUIfly's city connec-tions in the fall of 2009. Joachim Hunold, CEO Air Berlin PLC, commented on the Annual Financial Accounts, as follows: "We have reached all the goals we had set ourselves for 2009. This applies in particular to the significant improvement of Air Berlin's revenue quality, which was achieved by optimizing our capacities and adjusting our route portfolio. Air Berlin's business model proved its strength throughout the worst crisis in the history of the airline industry. Furthermore, we were able to strengthen our market position in a challenging European market environment. Air Berlin is well-positioned for moderate growth and increased profitability." Total revenue for the 2009 financial year amounted to EUR 3.24 billion, as compared to EUR 3.38 billion in the previous year. Flight revenue decreased to EUR 2.97 billion (2008: EUR 3.09 billion). For the year under review, flight revenue per passenger amounted to EUR 106.28 (2008: EUR 108.28). Flight revenue per available seat kilometer (ASK) increased by 6.9 percent to 5.86 Eurocents (2008: 5.48 Eurocents). Flight revenue per passenger-kilometer (RPK) rose by 8.5 percent to 7.57 Eurocents (2008: 6.98 Eurocents). In the year under review, overall operating expenses at the EBITDAR level reached EUR 2.779 billion, i.e. 6.2 percent less than in the previous year (2008: EUR 2.962 billion). This illustrates that cost was significantly reduced with respect to overall performance. Cost reductions were achieved throughout all cost items. For the 2009 financial year, EBITDAR (Earnings before interest, leasing expenses, depreciation, amortization, interest and taxes) improved by 8.4 percent to EUR 503.6 million (2008: EUR 464.7 million). EBIT (Earnings before interest and taxes) for the 2009 financial year amounted to EUR 28.5 million (2008: EUR 2 million). The financial results improved from EUR -72 million in the previous year to EUR -51 million for the 2009 financial year. The repurchase of convertible bonds with a nominal value of EUR 84 million, in the second half of 2009, significantly contributed to this improvement. The transaction yielded EUR 21.3 million. After taking into account tax proceeds amounting to EUR 12.2 million, net profit for the year under review increased by 89 percent and reached EUR -9.5 million (2008: EUR -83.5 million). Earnings per share, based on the average number of 73.523 million shares outstanding in 2009, therefore amount to EUR -0.13, compared with EUR -1.27 in the previous year. Improved balance sheet structureFor the year under review, net indebtedness was reduced by EUR 187.9 million, i.e. by 24.7 percent. As at 31 December 2009, net indebtedness stood at EUR 574.1 million, as compared to EUR 762.0 million in the previous year. At the end of 2009, gearing (net indebtedness as a percentage of equity) amounted to 94.1 percent, as compared to 204.8 percent in the previous year. In 2009, Air Berlin's equity increased by EUR 238 million to EUR 610 million, i.e. an increase of 64 percent. The capital measures taken during the 2009 financial year resulted in a net inflow of EUR 133 million for the company. Ulf Hќttmeyer, CFO Air Berlin PLC, pointed out the financial strengthening of the company in a year characterized by highly challenging economic conditions, as follows: "We were able to significantly improve EBIT, EBITDAR as well as the consolidated financial results. In the 2009 financial year, equity increased by 10 percentage points to 25 percent, and net indebtedness - as predicted - was lowered by almost 25 percent. We have significantly improved the company's financial structure, which will, in turn, contribute to moderate growth." At the end of 2009, Air Berlin had about 8,278 employees (2008: 8,311). The Air Berlin Group operates a fleet of 152 aircraft, of which 42 are company-owned (as at 31 December 2009). With 27.9 million passengers transported in 2009, Air Berlin is Germany's second-largest airline company. Including the acquired TUIfly routes, Air Berlin ranks sixth in the number of passengers transported within Europe. OutlookFor 2010, Air Berlin expects to grow faster than the overall market, for which IATA has predicted a 4.5 percent increase in passengers transported. This would bring the number of passengers travelling on Air Berlin in 2010 significantly over the 30-million mark, for the very first time. Factors supporting this prognosis are that the TUIfly connections are contributing over an entire financial year and that Air Berlin has a competitive edge which includes the company's well-balanced product portfolio for business travel and leisure travel, and its attractive price-performance ratio, especially on short and medium-haul routes. For growth during the current year, Air Berlin is focusing on its intra-European flights, for which the impulses are expected to be the strongest. Air Berlin is expecting a noticeable increase in profit for the 2010 business year, in particular since the routes acquired from TUIfly will contribute to revenue for the first time over the entire year. Air Berlin will continue its efforts to improve performance and reduce costs. Against this background, profitable growth is likely to continue in 2010.
Date modified:
25.03.2010
Pay with the airberlin Credit Card and collect status miles
airberlin is the first airline to allow the collection of status miles for every payment made with the airberlin Visa Card as part of the frequent flyer program topbonus. The cardholder will now be collecting topbonus status miles in addition to award miles for free flights and Business Class Upgrades. Passengers who pay for their flights with the airberlin Credit Card can therefore collect both status and award miles when they pay and when they fly. 'With this new offer for topbonus members, we are offering our customers unique added value. Members of Germany's second largest frequent flyer program, topbonus, can therefore reach frequent flyer status even quicker or protect their existing status,' says Marcus Puffer, Vice President Loyalty & Partnerships airberlin.Currently, more than 2.7 million passengers are now members of the frequent flyer program topbonus and collect miles for award flights and other exclusive status benefits. topbonus miles can be collected, for example, on flights as well as with num
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airberlin is offering a special price on bookings to celebrate its new route to Abu Dhabi
On the occasion of its first flight from Berlin to Abu Dhabi on 15th January 2012, Germany?s second largest airline is offering a special price on bookings; from today you can book a return ticket on departures from 15th January 2012 with the return flight departing up until 29th February 2012 for ?199, inclusive of all taxes and charges and including topbonus miles. ?This new connection to Abu Dhabi supports our strategic partnership with Etihad Airways and opens up new travel opportunities to Asia and Australia for our passengers. The product we offer is made more attractive for holidaymakers and for business travellers with the addition of this new connection,? said Hartmut Mehdorn, Chief Executive Officer, airberlin. ?Etihad Airways' historic partnership with airberlin offers massive benefits for our guests. Now, airberlin passengers flying from Europe can experience the best of modern Arabian hospitality in Abu Dhabi, or connect onwards to destinations in the East. We look forward to working with airber
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More USA: airberlin flies non-stop from Dќsseldorf to Las Vegas
airberlin is further expanding the flights it offers to North America and will fly non-stop from Dќsseldorf to Las Vegas twice a week as of summer 2012. With the new destination, airberlin passengers can now fly to a total of seven destinations in North America (New York, Miami, Fort Myers, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Vancouver). This makes airberlin the main provider of non-stop flights to North America from Dќsseldorf airport. The first airberlin flight to the desert metropolis in the US State of Nevada will take off from Dќsseldorf on 10th May 2012. The flight will be serviced on Thursdays and Sundays using an Airbus A330. The departure time in Dќsseldorf is 13:55, landing in Las Vegas at 16:15. The return flight to Dќsseldorf will arrive at 13:30. Connecting flights to Dќsseldorf are available from six German airports and from Austria, Switzerland, Copenhagen and Milan. As the departure and arrival times are in the middle of the day, the new flight is particularly attractive for airberlin pa
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Christian Lesjak joins NIKI management
As of 1st February 2012, Christian Lesjak (40) will be Managing Director of Austrian airline NIKI Luftfahrt GmbH, succeeding Gottfried Neumeister in this role. He will be responsible for Sales, Marketing and Finance in this new position. He will manage NIKI together with Otmar Lenz, who will be in charge of the airline?s operational activities.Gottfried Neumeister has been working for NIKI since the airline was founded. When Niki Lauda sold his shares, he decided to leave the airline with effect from 31st January 2012, to pursue new career opportunities.Christian Lesjak had already been working for NIKI, which forms part of the airberlin group, from 2006 to 2010, in the role of Director Sales, Marketing and Network Planning, before being made Senior Vice President Scheduled Services for airberlin in 2010. Lesjak boasts more than 15 years of experience in the airline sector, for instance with airlines such as Lauda Air and Swissair. Lesjak studied commerce and economics at the Vienna University of Economics an
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ETIHAD AIRWAYS BECOMES BIGGEST SINGLE SHAREHOLDER IN AIRBERLIN
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has agreed to increase its stake in airberlin, Europe?s sixth largest airline, to 29.21 per cent, becoming airberlin?s largest single shareholder.The strategic move, announced today 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.Hartmut Mehdorn said: ?The strategic partnership with Etihad Airways opens up enormous opportunities for the future of our company.??This applies especially to future market development and the realization of synergies.??One of the key components of the new partnership is the launch of airberlin services to Abu Dhabi, which will become our new gateway to Asia and Australia.??The agreement with Etihad Airways will also dramatically improve the global connectivity of our customers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and throughout the GCC and Middl
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airberlin Christmas Special on long-haul flights
On 20th and 21st December, with its Christmas Special, airberlin is offering its passengers additional tickets on long-haul flights at prices to celebrate the festive season. These bargain flights can be booked for departures to long-haul destinations between 1st January and 30th June 2012.You can book long-haul flights to destinations such as Miami departing from Berlin or Dќsseldorf from 269 euros one way or from Dќsseldorf to San Francisco from 349 euros per trip. The Christmas Special also includes flights to Caribbean beach holiday destinations. airberlin flies passengers to Punta Cana from Dќsseldorf; Germany?s second largest airline offers additional tickets to Varadero in Cuba from Berlin and Dќsseldorf; feeder flights are also available from other airports including Dresden, Hamburg and Stuttgart.The Christmas Special covers flights departing between 1st January and 30th June 2012 to a large number of destinations on airberlin?s flight network in Germany and Europe. Tickets can be booked on the Inter
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airberlin?s apprentice aviation administrator Katharina Pittack receives award
When Katharina Pittack, Passenger Services Supervisor, finished her training as an aviation administrator with Germany?s second largest airline in the summer of 2011, she achieved the best exam results in the whole country. Under the auspices of the ?National Awards for Leading Achievements in CCI Professions? she was presented with a trophy and a certificate in recognition of her outstanding grades. In his congratulatory speech the Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Dr. Philipp Rіsler, praised the outstanding achievements of the young trainee and underlined the importance of work-linked training programmes in Germany.?We would like to congratulate Frau Pittack on her excellent results, and consider these to be indicative of the high quality of the training provided by airberlin. We are very pleased to be able to offer her the opportunity of a career with our company?, Bettina Mainz, Head of Training at airberlin said, congratulating the Passenger Services Supervisor.airberlin is currently training
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airberlin once again receives sustainability rating from oekom research AG
For the second time in a row, Germany?s second-largest airline has been awarded the investment status of "prime" in the sustainability ratings of oekom research AG. Companies which fulfil the branch-specific minimum standards set by oekom research in the areas of ecology and social affairs receive "prime status? and are therefore ranked among the leading companies in the field of transport and logistics in terms of oekom?s corporate ratings."In recent years airberlin has succeeded in setting up a sustainable fuel efficiency programme", said Hartmut Mehdorn, airberlin?s CEO. Since the middle of the nineties it has been possible to reduce average fuel consumption by 42%. The average age of the company?s planes is five years. "airberlin currently consumes an average of 3.6 litres of fuel per 100 passenger-kilometres and is still trying to reduce this to the 3.5 litre mark this year", stated Mehdorn, who was presented with the prestigious award of ?Eco-Manager of the year? in 1999. airberlin received the award of
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HolidayCheck is airberlin?s latest partner
airberlin?s frequent flyer programme topbonus and the on-line travel service HolidayCheck will be working together in partnership from now on. Members of Germany?s second-largest airline?s frequent flyer programme will earn 150 topbonus award miles for every hotel review published on the HotelCheck website. By writing hotel reviews holidaymakers will earn miles which can be redeemed on free flights with airberlin or on other exclusive offers. At the same time, by sharing their valuable travel experience, they will help other travellers to choose the right hotel. About two weeks after the hotel review is published the award miles will be credited to the member?s topbonus mileage account and can be used to book an award flight on airberlin.com.Marcus Puffer, Vice President Loyalty & Partnerships said: "We are very happy to welcome HolidayCheck as the latest partner on our topbonus frequent flier programme. topbonus members can now collect miles towards award flights, throughout their entire journey: they receiv
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airberlin is closing stations in Dortmund and Erfurt from winter 2012/13
On 1st November 2012 airberlin will be closing its stations in Dortmund and Erfurt. This is the airline's response to the disproportionate burden imposed by the aviation tax and its significant influence on demand. Closing the stations as part of the "Shape & Size" programme to increase efficiency is also designed to improve utilisation of crew and maintenance resources as well as to achieve a more efficient fleet structure. airberlin intends to offer its current 76 employees at those stations, 43 in Dortmund and 33 in Erfurt, jobs at other locations.airberlin has been serving the Dortmund station since 1st November 2000, and the Erfurt station since 1st November 1999. These airports offer non-stop flights to destinations throughout the Mediterranean region as well as numerous connections via the Nuremberg hub in winter. At present one aircraft is stationed in Dortmund.
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