EANS-News: Air Berlin PLC / Air Berlin reduces loss in the first quarter

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Subtitle: Severe winter adversely affects revenue – Increased number of
passengers – Demand for intra-European flights recovers

Berlin (euro adhoc) - In the first quarter of 2010, Air Berlin was able to
increase the number of passengers welcomed on board to 6.2 million, i.e. an
increase of 2.4 percent. Following the successful integration of the acquired
TUIfly city routes and with demand for flights within Europe recovering, Air
Berlin is once again on the path to growth. For the first quarter of 2010,
despite the harsh winter, seasonal operating loss (EBIT) improved to EUR -98.6
million (Q1 2009: EUR -107.6 million, pro-forma). Based on the pro-forma income
statement, Air Berlin's operational result and net result have improved over the
corresponding quarter of the previous year. Revenue was adversely affected by
airport closures related to the harsh winter conditions and decreased by 3.3
percent to EUR 690.9 million (Q1 2009: EUR 714.2 million).

At 8.5 Eurocents, total revenue per passenger kilometer (RRPK) improved
slightly. For the quarter under review, EBITDAR (Earnings before interest,
leasing expenses, depreciation, amortization, interest and taxes) increased from
EUR 30.2 million to EUR 44.1 million, i.e. an increase of 46 percent, despite
the additional expenses related to the severe winter, including airport
closures, airport taxes, navigation, de-icing and personnel. The diminished
visibility resulting from exceptional snowfall prolonged the average flight
duration by eight minutes which, in turn, increased kerosene consumption and led
to a higher per flight cost. In total, the unusually harsh winter conditions
resulted in additional costs for Air Berlin, in the two-digit million range.

The result from operating activities (EBIT) reached EUR -98.6 million, as
compared to EUR -87.3 million in 2009 (pro-forma: EUR -107.6 million). Pre-tax
earnings amounted to EUR -125.5 million (Q1 2009: EUR -118.6 million, pro-forma:
EUR -139.0 million). Net result for the first quarter of 2010 amounts to EUR
-93.6 million, as compared to EUR -88.4 million in the first quarter of 2009
(pro-forma: EUR -108.9 million).

As Joachim Hunold, CEO Air Berlin, stated on Thursday: "Like other airline
companies, Air Berlin has felt the economic consequences of the exceptionally
harsh winter. Nevertheless, our company managed to improve earnings. We are
currently experiencing an increase in demand for intra-European flights on the
network which Air Berlin has expanded via the integration of the TUIfly
connections."

As a result of the 5 percent increase in capacity, the load factor declined to
70.8 percent (-0.8 percent). For the reporting period, revenue per available
seat kilometer (RASK) decreased slightly to 6.0 Eurocents, i.e. by 0.7 percent
(Q1 2009: 6.1 Eurocents). At the end of the first quarter of 2010, the number of
corporate agreements amounted to 1,276. In the meantime, the "business points"
program for small and medium-sized enterprises, which was initiated in March, is
already being used by 1,800 companies.

For the quarter under review, Air Berlin was able to decrease corporate
expenditures to EUR 793.6 million, i.e. by 4 percent (Q1 2009: EUR 826.7
million). In addition to the relief provided by lower fuel cost, Air Berlin's
efforts to reduce cost and increase efficiency continue to bear fruit. Due to
the growth of Air Berlin's fleet, fleet expenditures for the first quarter of
2010 increased to EUR 142.7 million, i.e. an increase of 3.5 percent over the
corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q1 2009: EUR 137.8 million).

Further inquiry note:
Hans-Christoph Noack
Director Corporate Communications Air Berlin
phone: +49 30 3434 1500
fax: +49 30 3434 1509
e-mail: [email protected]
end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: Air Berlin PLC
The Hour House, High Street 32
UK-WD3 1ER Rickmansworth, Herts
phone: +49 (0)30 3434 1500
FAX: +49 (0)30/3434-1049
mail: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.airberlin.com
sector: Air Transport
ISIN: GB00B128C026
indexes: SDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, München
language: English

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