Belair Airlines, as a subsidiary of Airberlin, was operating under the Airberlin brand until March 31, 2017.

Airberlin acquired 49% of the shares of Belair in 2007 and has fully owned Belair since October 2009.

During the 2017 summer season, Belair has been flying for Niki.

With the closure of Airberlin, Belair also has ceased operations as of October 28, 2017.

The airline issued this short statement on their website:

“Airberlin has permanently discontinued its operations. We would like to take the opportunity to thank you and bye-bye”.

Belair’s assets will now be liquidated.

Belair offered this guidance to its customers:

Questions and answers about the current situation at airberlin

• Will flight operations be continued by airberlin/NIKI?

As far as we are currently aware, flight operations under the IATA airline code AB will no longer be possible during the insolvency proceedings, at the latest from October 28^th 2017. NIKI flights are not affected and will be continued.

• My flight will no longer be operated. Will I get my money back?

For passengers who are affected by a flight cancellation, the following applies: If the booking was made before August 15^th 2017, reimbursement is not possible. Passengers affected may file their claim for the insolvency schedule after the opening of the insolvency proceedings. For tickets purchased after August 15^th 2017, we will reimburse the purchase price if the flight will no longer be operated. Rebooking to another airline is not permitted

•    Is NIKI also insolvent?

No, the status published on August 15^th 2017 applies. NIKI is not insolvent. It is not currently intended for NIKI to file for insolvency. Flight operations will continue as planned.

• Do airberlin and NIKI still accept new bookings?

Yes, airberlin and NIKI flights can still be booked through our established booking and distribution channels. All fares are still valid.
Payments for flights operating after November 1^st 2017 are secured by a trustee. In case these flights are not operating against expectations, affected passengers will receive a ticket refund. This only applies for bookings from August 15^th 2017 onwards.

• How long in advance can I book flights?

The entire schedule published by airberlin and NIKI can currently still be booked. As far as we are currently aware, flights with the IATA airline code AB will no longer be operated from October 28^th 2017.

• Will I continue to receive topbonus miles for my flights?

topbonus, airberlin’s frequent flyer programme, submitted an application for insolvency on August 25^th2017. Nevertheless, the topbonus programme continues to exist. The status benefits for topbonus members remain valid. topbonus mileage credit and the redemption of miles is once again active. The conditions for collecting and redeeming miles as of September 20^th 2017 as well as the list of active partners can be found on the topbonus website.

• Do the airberlin/NIKI products and services remain the same?

Yes, the existing airberlin and NIKI services and products remain the same.

• Is my voucher still valid and if yes until when?

Vouchers cannot be redeemed anymore. Due to insolvency regulations, the utilization of vouchers had to be terminated. Affected passengers have the opportunity to file the claim arising from the unusable voucher for the insolvency schedule after the opening of the insolvency proceedings. We will advise about the formal proceedings at a later stage separately. Tickets that have already been booked against vouchers remain valid.

• Can I get a cash payout for my voucher?

No, see above.

• If my tickets are cancelled, will I be reimbursed the applicable fees and taxes?

No. This is not possible due to insolvency regulations. Affected passengers have the opportunity to file the claim for the insolvency schedule after the opening of the insolvency proceedings. Questions regarding the reimbursement of taxes and fees collected after August 15^th 2017 must be submitted via the BSPlink.

• Can tickets that have already been issued be rebooked?

The tariff conditions, valid at the time of ticket issuance, still apply to rebooking. Any issued ticket may be rebooked on the basis of the applicable tariff conditions, provided these allow changes. Any applicable fees must be paid by the customer.

• Am I still entitled to claims for damages/to receive compensation, e.g. for delays or flight cancelations?

For departures before the filing for insolvency unfortunately no compensations will currently be paid. This is not possible due to insolvency regulations. Affected passengers have the opportunity to file the claim for the insolvency schedule after the opening of the insolvency proceedings. In this case affected passengers automatically receive an official form with further information.

For departures after the filing for insolvency please refer to our online claim form provided by our Guest Relations Team using the following link: http://www.airberlin.com/complaint. Our Guest Relations Team will handle your request and will contact you directly. We kindly ask for your understanding that due to the current situation the processing time might take longer.

• I booked a package holiday for 2018 and my flights are with airberlin – will there be any problems?

As far as we are currently aware, flight operations under the IATA airline code AB will no longer be possible during the insolvency proceedings, at the latest from October 28^th. Please contact your tour operator if you have any further questions.

• Will tickets from partner airlines be accepted? Will airberlin tickets for flights operated by partner airlines be valid?

If you would like to verify the status of your ticket, please contact the respective partner airline.

Copyright Photo: Airberlin (airberlin.com) – Operated by Belair Airlines Airbus A321-211 WL HB-JOV (msn 6629) BSL (Paul Bannwarth). Image: 938931.