The talks about a catch-all solution for the insolvent airline. It is not yet clear whether the Federal government’s preferred part of the sale to Lufthansa goes smoothly across the stage. Time is of the essence.
“There’s nothing to talk about at the moment,” said a spokesman for Lufthansa on Monday about the state of things in Poker, the insolvent airline Air Berlin after negotiations over the weekend had been continued. Meanwhile, it is clear that the efforts to the future of the Airline, are interested in their parts, Lufthansa and other airlines, to be a race against time. Because it is only as long as Air Berlin flies, their takeoff and landing rights (Slots) to new owners, if these parts of Air Berlin.
Air Berlin should run out of money because of rapidly declining booking numbers, could be adjusted the flight operation. Then the cards would be mixed brand new and the Slots free of charge re-distributed, instead of made money for the creditors.
Federal government in the criticism
The Federal government tried to avoid once again under the impression that you take Lufthansa as the new owners of Air Berlin. “We are neither for nor against a particular prospective buyers,” said a spokesman for the economy Ministry in Berlin. The goal is a solution, the wear of both the antitrust laws, as well as the employees of Air Berlin at a glance.
According to transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt had also said Federal economy Minister Brigitte Zypries for the market leader. “I would appreciate it if the Lufthansa is to take over larger shares of Air Berlin,” she said to the newspaper “Handelsblatt”. “Lufthansa is a Champion in the field of air transport – their Position can now be strengthened.”
Today is not The breakdown airport BER completed: – one of the many reasons for the problems of Air Berlin
For antitrust reasons, Air Berlin could not go to only one Airline. Apart from Lufthansa’s British low-cost airline, Easyjet, Tuifly, and Thomas Cook subsidiary Condor are considered to be the most promising candidates. A Complete Takeover by the Nuremberg entrepreneur Hans Rudolf Wöhrl, the Federal government rejects. Wöhrl is not criticized, the Grand coalition “with taxpayers’ money for more competition, but creates a monopoly”. The Federal government had granted Air Berlin a short time before the bankruptcy filing in the past week, a bridge loan in the amount of 150 million euros. The alleged particularly, the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair as a competitive distortion.
In another point of justice, Brigitte Zypries, got wind of the Ministry of Finance. In Handelsblatt, the 2011 the air traffic tax introduced in our country. Your statement: “it is unfair to unilaterally German air transport companies.” A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Finance said, it is the intention to remove the tax. The Federal Association of the German air traffic economy (BDL) welcomed the initiative of justice, Brigitte Zypries. BDL-President Stefan Schulte told the Handelsblatt: “The abolition of air traffic tax would reduce the distortion of competition to the detriment of German airlines and airports.”
Land only against cash in advance in Geneva
Air-Berlin-Chef Thomas Winkelmann had made a solution by the end of September. However, as long as the 150-million-Euro credit of the Federal government is sufficient is questionable. Crucial for this is, how fast is the booking figures of Air Berlin were falling and the losses thus caused, said one Insider. If the money going out faster and faster, threatening parts of Air Berlin not to lose the operating licence. In addition, you have to make on the noise fire made.
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The rise and fall of Air Berlin
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Timeline: the rise and fall of Air Berlin
At Geneva airport, the Handelsblatt, Air Berlin landing Jets recently, only against payment in advance. If the example of the Swiss airport Manager, the fear, apparently, a default in payment of power school, the air is even thinner for Air Berlin.
Competitor Ryanair has already lodged a complaint against the state aid and considers the actions of the Federal government for a “stitch-up” to the benefit of Lufthansa. Against the wind-is also threatened by the trade unions. Because Lufthansa would take on the staff from Air Berlin, just to the slightly lower pricing of its new low-cost airline subsidiary eurowings.
A sale of the insolvent airline is only with the consent of the creditors ‘ Committee. The body which represents the interests of the creditors, and convenes according to insiders on Wednesday for the first Time. Choices are not then to be expected but still, said two with the time plan, people familiar to the Reuters news Agency. The five-member Board must formally adopt, the operation of Air Berlin first.
The creditors ‘ Committee is also a managing Director of the Lufthansa subsidiary, eurowings belongs to in addition to a representative of Air Berlin, the German Federal employment Agency, the three months of the insolvency pays money for the 7,200 employees in Germany, and Commerzbank. Eurowings has rented 38 machines with the crews of Air Berlin and financed and would be affected by a setting of the operation.
tko/uh (rtr, dpa)