Oneworld in March

Air Berlin holds one world in its hands.
Foto: Air Berlin

Germany’s second-largest airline said it will become a full member of Oneworld with effect from March 20, 2012, while its subsidiary Austrian airline NIKI will join Oneworld at the same time as an affiliate member. The airline received its green light to board Oneworld after successfully completing a thorough review of its readiness conducted by British Airways, which is sponsoring its entry into the alliance.

Air Berlin said from that date it will offer Oneworld’s full range of services while substantially expanding the alliance’s network in Germany and throughout South and Central Europe. It will add almost 70 destinations to the alliance’s map, extending Oneworld’s global coverage to some 840 destinations in 150 countries.

Moreover, Air Berlin and Oneworld airlines will be jointly located at the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, which opens on June 3, sharing lounges and other facilities in order to offer smooth international connections. Currently all Oneworld’s active member airlines serve Germany, flying to a total of seven gateways in there. Air Berlin will add another 18 destinations in its home country.

Oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby said: “Air Berlin makes an ideal Oneworld partner. Adding the continent’s sixth-biggest carrier and the second-largest airline based in the continent’s biggest economy will greatly enhance our coverage throughout this region and, with the other airlines joining us this year, position Oneworld more strongly still as the alliance of choice, particularly for global business travellers.”

Air Berlin CEO Hartmut Mehdorn added: “Becoming a member of Oneworld is one of the most significant departures so far for Air Berlin. It will strengthen our competitive position considerably, enabling us to offer our customers a truly global network together with our partners who include some of the best and biggest airlines in the world, while enabling us also to tap into all the financial benefits that come from being part of a global alliance, through additional passenger feed and participation in various efficiency programmes. We are very pleased and proud to be lining up to join what is clearly the world’s top quality airline grouping on 20 March.”

Air Berlin said its alliance implementation programme had represented one of the most extensive projects in its history, with working groups covering some 20 different areas of business, and projects were now nearing completion. Since accepting an invitation to join the alliance in July 2010, Air Berlin has implemented code-sharing with seven Oneworld partners - American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Malév Hungarian Airlines, S7 and Royal Jordanian.