The Federal Cartel Office in Bonn has informed air carrier Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG that it has no objections to the acquisition of shares by Turkish company ESAS Holding A.S., which had acquired about 15 percent of voting stock of Air Berlin PLC in late March of this year. ESAS Holding, which also operates the airline Pegasus, will now be represented on the board of Air Berlin PLC by a non-executive director.

Air Berlin is the second-largest airline in Germany. The company transported a total of 28.6 million passengers worldwide over the last year, employing more than 8,000 people. In 2008, alone, Air Berlin received 10 awards for service and quality. With an average age of only 4.6 years, the fleet of Air Berlin is one of the youngest in Europe. Their jets are state-of-the-art, consuming less kerosene and contributing to a lasting reduction in pollutant emissions.