Airberlin Landed at FITUR with Etihad Airways as the Main Single Shareholder

Airberlin, the second most important airline in Germany, unveiled a new strategic collaboration at FITUR 2012: Etihad Airways has become the main single shareholder in the airline after increasing its stake in the company to 29.21 percent and obtaining two seats on the Board of Directors.

The traveler loyalty programs of both companies will now be combined in order to offer new advantages to passengers. Furthermore, the range of flights available will be extended to 239 destinations in 77 countries. Airberlin will transfer its activities in the Middle East from Dubai to Abu Dabi, an emirate to which four weekly flights are being operated from Berlin now. Furthermore, European passengers will be able to benefit from 29 weekly flights starting and ending in Abu Dhabi, a figure that will increase to 42 flights as of April.

Airberlin also announced its imminent incorporation into the air alliance, Oneworld, at the fair, an initiative that is due to take place over the first four months of the year 2012. With a view to promoting its future incorporation into the alliance, a campaign has been implemented under the slogan, 'Departure 2012: Airberlin and Oneworld Take Off for a Shared Future'.

Once the alliance is effective, travelers who are members of "Topbonus," the frequent-flyers program run by the German company, will be able to accumulate and exchange air miles with the member airlines of Oneworld.

The German airline will also work to minimize the damaging effects of air travel on the environment as far as possible. The fuel efficiency program that the airline has set up consists of more than 40 individual measures, which makes Airberlin the most efficient German airline of all.