Berlin / Frankfurt 07-08-2010
Air Berlin invited to switch focus to Frankfurt
The first budget airline to have been accepted into any international Airline Alliance, a club of older legacy carriers -Air Berlin, is being actively courted by ‘Frankfurt Airport’ to abandon Berlin.
Using the logic that it could better serve other ‘OneWorld’ alliance members by centralizing its operations Frankfurt instead of its main present hub in the German capital where most of its services are based from.
Air Berlin seems somewhat surprised by this interest from Frankfurt – the country’s most important financial centre – because it is the main operations centre for its main domestic competitor and Germany’s largest airline Lufthansa, a member of the competing ‘Star Alliance’.
Surprised or not, Air Berlin seems positive to these overtures and admits to the operational logic of serving other ‘ Oneworld Alliance’ partners from Frankfurt- it could also provide further opportunities for Air Berlin, especially as a 4th runway is being added next year.
‘Oneworld Alliance’ members include Japan Airlines, Qantas, American Airlines, Lan Airlines and Cathay Pacific, all of which fly services into Frankfurt – Air Berlin could act as a feeder service to domestic German destinations as well as other Central European cities.
This activity does not occur in a vacuum -both Frankfurt and Munich have done all they can in the past to sabotage international traffic being funnelled to Berlin and local politicians from these cities have actively opposed state funds for the new BBI , Berlin Brandenburg Airport and actively tried to delay its opening.
While there is interest in this Frankfurt venture for ‘Air Berlin’, it does not seem likely that it will reduce in anyway its commitment to service Berlin and to grow in Berlin as well as keep its headquarters here.
Tags: air berlin, air berlin hub frankfurt, frankfurt airport for air berlin, one world alliance
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