Etihad Aviation Group and TUI AG are in discussions to create an European leisure airline group, focused on point-to-point flying to connect key tourist markets. It is proposed to contribute the tourist operations of the Air Berlin group and the German TUIfly company, including the aircraft currently operated by TUIfly for airberlin under a wet-lease agreement, into a new airline group established by TUI AG and Etihad Aviation Group. This new airline group will serve a broad network of destinations from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The leisure airline group will be supported by the expertise of Etihad Aviation Group and utilise TUI’s distribution capacity. TUI AG, Etihad Aviation Group and Air Berlin PLC intend to finalise an in-principle agreement in due course.
TUI Group has a portfolio of more than 300 hotels, 14 cruise liners, six European airlines with around 140 aircraft and a distribution network covering more than 1,800 travel agencies and online portals. Whereas, Etihad Aviation Group comprises four business divisions – Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Engineering, the Hala Group, and the Airline Equity Partners. Etihad Aviation Group holds minority stakes in Air Berlin PLC, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia, Etihad Regional, Jet Airways and Virgin Australia.
Air Berlin is the second largest airline in Germany and carried more than 30.2 million passengers in 2015. The airline offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21 per cent shareholding in Air Berlin, and through membership of the oneworld airline alliance.
