Category Archives: Niki

TUI and Niki move one step closer to a joint venture based in Vienna

TUI AG‘s Supervisory Board has given the green light on November 23, 2016 for further steps with the goal to create a new European airline joint venture with Etihad Aviation Group. TUI Group’s supervisory body approved the plan to contribute its German leisure airline subsidiary TUI fly GmbH (TUIfly-TUI Airlines Germany) to a joint venture with Etihad. Etihad is in negotiations with Airberlin to acquire its touristic operations primarily in Southern Europe and North Africa, and including Airberlin’s participation in Niki, with the objective to contribute it to the joint venture.

The new airline joint venture, headquartered in Vienna, is planned to serve a broad route network with its two airlines, TUI fly and Niki, a total fleet of around 60 aircraft and a seat capacity of 15 million seats per year, operating from key departure airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

TUI AG is to hold a stake of 24.8% in the joint venture, with Etihad holding 25% of the interests. The remaining 50.2% would be held by the existing private foundation Niki Privatstiftung.

The commitments made to the TUI fly employees remain in place and are currently being further negotiated and specified. This includes the commitments to the Hanover location.

The contractual negotiations between all involved stakeholders are expected to be finalized in the next few weeks. Details regarding the future joint venture will be jointly presented by Etihad and TUI after successful completion of the negotiations.

The planned joint venture is subject to approval by the relevant antitrust and aviation authorities.

In the summer of 2007, Hapag-Lloyd Express (HLX) and Hapagfly merged to form TUIfly. The airline is a wholly-owned enterprise of the TUI Group, the world’s leading tourism troup with headquarters in Hanover, Germany. TUIfly flies to the classic holiday regions all around the Mediterranean, the Canary and Cape Verde Islands, Madeira and Egypt for TUI and other tour operators. By the summer of 2014, TUIfly used 40 Boeing 737 aircraft to fly to these destinations. TUIfly headquarters are at the Hanover Airport.

Top Copyright Photo: TUI Airlines (Germany) Boeing 737-86J SSWL D-ABKI (msn 37748) PMI (Ton Jochems). Image: 933944.

TUI:

Niki:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Niki Luftfahrt (flyNiki.com) Airbus A320-214 OE-LEF (msn 4368) ZRH (Rolf Wallner). Image: 927323.

Niki to launch flights to Athens on April 1

Niki (flyniki.com) (Vienna) will add the Vienna-Athens route on April 1. The new route will operate daily (except on Saturdays) with Airbus A320s.

Niki flight (HG 8640) will take off from Vienna at 11:30 and land in the Greek capital at 13:35. The return flight (HG 8641) will leave Athens at 14:25 and land in Vienna at 16:45.

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 OE-LEH (msn 4594) completes its final approach to the runway at Tenerife Sur.

Niki aircraft slide show:

Niki to operate one of the shortest jet routes

Niki (FlyNiki) (Vienna) will introduce on April 1 one of world’s shortest jet routes, the 30-mile trip between its Vienna hub and Bratislava, Slovakia. The short route will be operated with Embraer 190s.

Niki is also adding service (six days a week) from Vienna to Athens in April. Niki already serves Crete, Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos. The new route will operate daily (except on Saturday) with an Airbus A320.

Niki flight HG 8640 will take off from Vienna at 11:30 and land in the Greek capital at 13:35. The return flight HG 8641 will leave Athens at 14:25 and land in Vienna at 16:45.

Niki aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-2/Airlines-Europe-2/Niki

Helvetic Airways to lease the seven Niki Embraer 190s

Helvetic Airways (Zurich) is planning to lease the seven 112-seat Niki (flyniki.com) (Vienna) Embrear ERJ 190-100LRs from lessor Bernina Aircraft Leasing which acquired the aircraft according to ch-aviation. This will be a new type for the carrier. The first four will be operated by Helvetic for Swiss replacing four Swiss European Air Lines RJ100s. The other three will be operated by Helvetic on expansion routes.

Helvetic will operate the following routes for Swiss using the new Embraer 190s starting late this month:

Zurich to Dusseldorf, Prague and Warsaw starting on December 22.

Zurich to Belgrade starting on January 3, 2015 per Airline Route.

Niki is retiring the Embraer 190 from its fleet.

In other related news, the company has announced new services next summer season to Olbia (from Bern), Brindisi (from Bern), Bordeaux (from Zurich), Calvi (from Zurich), Lamezia Terme (from Zurich), Shannon (from Zurich), Palma de Mallorca (from Bern/Zurich), Greek Islands (from Bern/Zurich) and the Canary Islands (from Zurich).

Copyright Photo: Rolf Wallner/AirlinersGallery.com. Embraer ERJ 190-100LR OE-IXG (msn 19000435) at Zurich will soon transition to Zurich-based Helvetic Airways.

Helvetic Airways aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-2/Airlines-Europe-2/Helvetic-Airways

Airberlin equips its first two Airbus A320s with Wi-Fi

Airberlin Group (Airberlin and Niki) (Berlin) has issued this statement:

The Airberlin Group has equipped the first two aircraft in its fleet with the new ‘airberlin connect’ Wi-Fi service. The two Airbus A320s, registered D-ABNJ and OE-LEL, now boast a Wi-Fi system from Panasonic Avionics Corporation, so passengers can access the internet with their own smartphone, tablet or laptop during the flight.
In addition, passengers on short and medium-haul flights will enjoy an entertainment offering with TV series, movies and music available for streaming to their own device with the new Wi-Fi service. Passengers will be able to choose their own personal entertainment from more than 180 hours of media. On long-haul routes, passengers will continue to enjoy the RAVE in-seat entertainment system.

The first two aircraft equipped with Airberlin connect will service the new Stuttgart-Abu Dhabi and Vienna-Abu Dhabi routes. The first flight from Stuttgart to Abu Dhabi takes off on December 1, 2014, bringing in-flight internet to passengers on this route for the first time. On the new Vienna-Abu Dhabi connection from Austrian subsidiary Niki, passengers will be able to use the new on-board Wi-Fi service as early as November 24, 2014.

Airberlin offers various time and data packages for airberlin connect: for just 4.90 euros, passengers get online above the clouds for 30 minutes, including 20 MB of data.

An hour of internet access, including 50 MB of data, costs 8.90 euros. The price includes use of the entertainment selection, which is available for the entire duration of the flight at no additional cost, even after the package time or data limits are used up. Passengers who wish to be online during an entire medium-haul flight can select the 13.90 euro package, which includes 90 MB of data, while the Full Flight Package for long-haul flights costs 18.90 euros, and includes 120 MB of data. Packages can be conveniently paid by credit card via the web browser on passengers’ own mobile device or laptop.

On the new Stuttgart-Abu Dhabi and Vienna-Abu Dhabi connections, passengers can enjoy the entertainment offered by Airberlin connect free of charge. Internet access during the entire flight to or from Abu Dhabi on these routes costs just 13.90 euros, including 90 MB of data.

Airberlin plans to complete equipping its fleet within three years.

Copyright Photo: Andi Hiltl/AirlinersGallery.com. Niki’s Airbus A320-214 OE-LEL (msn 2668) wears the former colors of OLT Express at Zurich.

Airberlin aircraft slide show:

Niki aircraft slide show:

Airberlin and Alitalia sign an extensive codeshare agreement, Airberlin and Niki switch to Linate Airport in Milan

Airberlin (Berlin-Tegel) and Alitalia (2nd) (Rome) have signed an extensive codeshare agreement. The agreement covers all 412 weekly nonstop flights between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy for this winter season. Etihad Airways has a 29.21 percent stake in Airberlin and a 49 percent stake in the revamped Alitalia.

Airberlin has issued this statement:

Airberlin, Germany’s second largest airline and Alitalia, Italy’s leading carrier, have signed a codeshare agreement to offer more choice and greater convenience to their guests. All of Airberlin’s and Alitalia’s 412 weekly nonstop flights between Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy will be codeshare flights effective this winter season.

As of October 26, Airberlin’s three daily flights from Dusseldorf and double daily flights from Berlin-Tegel will operate into Milan-Linate instead of Malpensa. Furthermore, the three daily flights from Vienna operated by Niki (Vienna), the Austrian airline which is part of the Airberlin group, will be directed to Linate as well.

The partners also agreed on selective codeshares beyond their home hubs. For instance Alitalia will place its “AZ” code on some of Airberlin’s domestic flights such as from Munich to Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin. At the same time Airberlin will place its “AB” code on selected domestic and international Alitalia flights via Rome and Milan-Linate to, for example, Naples, Brindisi, Reggio Calabria, Alghero, Cairo or Malta as well as on some of Alitalia’s long haul flights to South America such as Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. All codeshare flights will be published in the reservation systems by October 20, 2014 for flights commencing October 26, 2014. Codesharing on Alitalia’s long-haul connections will commence after regulatory approval.

Besides the new codeshare services and more convenient flight connections, Airberlin and Alitalia have signed a frequent flyer agreement which allows their guests to earn and redeem bonus miles on the entire route network of both airlines on a reciprocal basis for flights starting on or after November 1, 2014.

The cooperation of Airberlin and Alitalia is a result of long-term planning over the last couple of years and also of more liberal alliance governance which permits partnerships across alliances borders. Both, Airberlin and Alitalia will remain members of oneworld® and Skyteam respectively. Further synergies will arise from optimized aircraft rotation and avoidance of expensive overnight aircraft stops.

Top Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. Airberlin’s Airbus A320-214 D-ABFK (msn 4433) in the special Fan Force One Bitburger touches down in Basel/Mulhouse/Freiburg (EuroAirport).

Airberlin:

Alitalia (2nd):

Niki:

Airberlin Aircraft Slide Show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-1/Airlines-Europe-1/Airberlin-Air-Berlin

Niki to introduce new routes from Vienna

Niki (flyniki.com) (Vienna) will add two new routes from Vienna next year. A weekly Vienna-Paphos will be added from February 24, 2015.

Additionally twice weekly Vienna-Catania, Sicily service will be operated from March 30, 2015 per Airline Route with Airbus A320s.

Finally in the winter 2014-2015 Niki will expand its reach in Egypt with flights to Sharm el Sheikh, Luxor and Hurghada, effective November 3, 2014.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Niki’s Airbus A320-214 OR-LEU (msn 2902) taxies at Palma de Mallorica in the basic Airberlin livery reflecting its part in the Airberlin Group.

Niki Aircraft Slide Show: CLICK HERE

Niki to fly daily Vienna-Abu Dhabi flights starting on November 24

Niki (flyniki.com) (Vienna) on November 24 will launch a new long-range daily route from Vienna to Abu Dhabi, the hub of partner Etihad Airways, following in the path of owner Airberlin (Berlin). The six-hour flight will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft.

Niki:

Niki will continue to operate three Embraer 190s this winter

Niki (flyniki.com) (Vienna) will continue to operate three Embraer 190s (D-ARJC, D-ARJF and D-ARJG) this winter season according to ch-aviation. The aircraft were suppose to be all transferred to LGW in the Airberlin Group.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/Airlinersgallery.com. Niki is currently operating four Embraer 190s. Embraer ERJ 190-100LR OE-IHB (msn 19000294) taxies at Frankfurt.

Niki:

Airberlin Group takes delivery of the first Airbus A320 with Sharklets

Airberlin Group (Berlin) on March 26 took delivery of its first Airbus A320 with the new Sharklets wing tip device. The pictured A320-214 OE-LER (msn 5522) will be operated by Niki (Vienna).

The group issued this statement:

OE-LER, welcome to our fleet! The Airberlin Group became one of the first airlines in the world to receive its very first Airbus A320 equipped with fuel-saving Sharklets at the Airbus factory in Hamburg on March 26, 2013. The development sees the company further strengthen its position as Europe’s most eco-efficient network carrier.

The aircraft with the Airbus manufacturer’s serial number msn 5522 will fly under the registration OE-LER for the airline Niki, which belongs to the Airberlin Group. Following test flights and extensive technical checks, the transfer of title of the aircraft to the Airberlin Group took place on March 25 before the March 26 ferry flight from Hamburg to Vienna, the home of Niki.

Commenting on the delivery, Ulf Hüttmeyer, Chief Financial Officer airberlin, said: “The new Airbus is the first of a total of 14 Airbus A320/A321 aircraft with the fuel-saving wingtips to be delivered to the Airberlin Group. The Sharklets represent an important aspect of our ‘Eco-Efficient Flying’ program and will contribute towards making the Airberlin and Niki fleet even more efficient and environmentally compatible in future. The delivery of the first Airbus with Sharklets to Niki is part of a sales and lease back transaction between our company and the Chinese leasing company ICBC Financial Leasing with which we have already been working together successfully and reliably for several years in the area of aircraft financing.”

As part of the sales and lease back cooperation arrangement with ICBC Financial Leasing, the Airberlin Group is to add another Airbus A320 with Sharklets to its fleet in June of this year.

The two-and-a-half meter large upward wingtip extensions reduce air vortices at the wings and hence the lift-induced drag. The eye-catching Sharklets developed by Airbus thereby significantly improve the wing aerodynamics and are capable of saving around 1,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions with fuel savings of up to 3.5% per aircraft each year. This represents 55 flights from Berlin to Palma de Mallorca per aircraft every year. Sharklets work according to a functional principle by which the improved lift effect also enables the Airbus equipped with Sharklets to ascend more quickly. This in turn reduces noise on the ground.

Airberlin: