airberlin welcomes the decision by the Higher Administrative Court in Lüneburg, ordering the German Aviation Authority (LBA) to approve 26 of its 31 disputed codeshare routes with Etihad Airways until the end of the winter schedule on 26 March 2016.
Stefan Pichler, airberlin Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a good result for airberlin. We’re delighted with the decision and regard it as confirmation of our current approach. The verdict sends a positive signal to our consumers and is a victory for increased competition in the German aviation market, meaning that German passengers can continue to enjoy freedom of choice.”

“Based on this decisive ruling, airberlin and Etihad Airways can face the future optimistically and will continue to grow their partnership in a sustainable manner.”

airberlin is one of the leading airlines in Europe and flies to 147 destinations worldwide each year. The second largest airline in Germany carried more than 30.2 million passengers in 2015. airberlin offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21% share in airberlin, and through membership of the oneworld® airline alliance. topbonus, the frequent flyer program of airberlin is one of the leading programs in Europe with more than 4 million members. The airline with the award-winning service operates codeshare flights worldwide with 21 airlines. The fleet is among the most modern and eco-efficient in Europe. Together with other airlines, airberlin belongs to Etihad Airways Partners, a new brand with which Etihad has been uniting shared activities since the end of 2014.