EANS-News: Air Berlin concludes codeshare agreements with American Airlines and Finnair after joining oneworld

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
responsible for the content of this announcement.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subtitle: The first step towards joining oneworld, the worldwide airline
alliance – a broad network of flight connections to America and Asia for Air
Berlin passengers

Berlin (euro adhoc) - Air Berlin, the second largest airline in Germany and the
fifth largest in Europe, announced that it is to join oneworld®, the world's
premier airline alliance for international quality carriers. Full membership is
envisaged for the beginning of 2012.

In preparation for joining the alliance, Air Berlin has set up codeshare
agreements with American Airlines and Finnair. This will provide Air Berlin
passengers with access to the important American market and, via the Helsinki
hub, to the rapidly growing Asian markets. The codeshare flights will be
available in time for the winter schedule 2010/11.

Joachim Hunold, CEO Air Berlin, commented on the agreement that is linked to Air
Berlin´s plans to join oneworld, the global airline alliance: "We are very
pleased that the bilateral agreement will be in place for the start of the
winter schedule 2010/11. With our friends at American Airlines we will link our
hubs on both sides of the Atlantic to achieve a major increase in our services
by operating codeshare flights. Initially we will offer 38 routes, including
nine transatlantic routes, as part of this codeshare."

Tom Horton, President of American Airlines, added: "We are pleased to announce
our partnership with Air Berlin, the second largest German airline, which has
also become one of the most respected airlines in Europe over the past two
decades. This relationship will add significant value for our customers by
substantially growing our global network. The agreement provides our customers
with extensive access to Germany, Europe´s biggest economy, as well as many
other business and leisure destinations. Furthermore, Air Berlin´s U.S. services
truly complement our three strategic core markets - New York, Miami, and Los
Angeles."

As regards the codeshare agreement with Finnair, Joachim Hunold remarked:
"Finnair and Air Berlin were able to survive the selection process experienced
by European airlines because they took action rather than watching from the
sidelines. We are delighted that Finnair and Air Berlin have reached an
agreement on offering codeshare flights from the start of this year´s winter
schedule. Finnair is a superb bilateral partner for Air Berlin and provides our
passengers with excellent access to the Asian markets via the Finnair hub in
Helsinki".

Mika Vehviläinen, President of Finnair, commented: "As one of the first airlines
to have joined oneworld, Finnair is delighted to welcome Air Berlin as a new
member of the alliance. The bilateral agreement will provide Air Berlin
passengers with first-class access to destinations in Asia via our Helsinki hub.
In return, our clients from Finland will have extensive access to destinations
in southern and western Europe."

From its New York hub at John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK), American Airlines offers
flights to 56 destinations. The Miami hub of American Airlines is at the heart
of an exceptional density of flight connections to 30 destinations in Mexico,
Central and South America. In addition, American Airlines offers a network to 23
islands in the Caribbean and six destinations in the Bahamas, which exceeds the
services provided by any other airline. From its Los Angeles hub there are 31
connections including four destinations in Hawaii.

In the last few years Finnair has become a major airline operating passenger
flights between Europe and Asia. From its modern Helsinki hub it offers
long-haul flights that connect Europe with key destinations in Asia. Finnair
operates flights to ten cities in Asia (Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Shanghai,
Beijing and Bangkok as well as New Delhi, Nagoya, Seoul and Singapore). In 2008
the airline carried 1.3 million passengers between Europe and Asia. From
Helsinki there are connections to the German cities of Berlin, Hamburg,
Frankfurt, Stuttgart (from August 2010) and Munich.

Air Berlin is the leading airline in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and
Palma de Mallorca. With its international destinations Air Berlin serves the
oneworld hubs in Helsinki, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, Moscow Domodedovo, New
York (JFK) and Bangkok. Air Berlin (including NIKI) currently operates a fleet
of 165 aircraft with an average age of five years. In 2009, as one of Europe´s
most important European airlines, Air Berlin carried around 28 million
passengers to 160 destinations in 40 countries.

Further inquiry note:
Hans-Christoph Noack
Director Corporate Communications Air Berlin
Tel.: + 49 30 3434 1500
Fax: + 49 30 3434 1509
Mail: [email protected]
end of announcement euro adhoc
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

OTS-ORIGINALTEXT PRESSEAUSSENDUNG UNTER AUSSCHLIESSLICHER INHALTLICHER VERANTWORTUNG DES AUSSENDERS - WWW.OTS.AT | CNE

print