Tag Archives: D-ABKI

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.

Etihad Aviation Group and TUI AG confirm they are in discussions to create a strong European leisure airline group, focused on point-to-point flying to connect key tourist markets

On October 5, 2016 Etihad and TUI issued this joint statement:

It is proposed to contribute the touristic operations of the Airberlin Group and the German TUIfly company, including the aircraft currently operated by TUIfly for Airberlin under a wet-lease agreement (see above), into a new airline group established by TUI AG and Etihad Aviation Group.

This new airline group would 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, the fastest-growing aviation group in the world, and utilize TUI’s state-of-the-art distribution capacity.

TUI AG, Etihad Aviation Group and Air Berlin PLC intend to finalize an in-principle agreement in due course. Any agreement entered into will be subject to all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals. TUIfly is part of TUI Group, the world’s number one tourism business, with around 75,000 employees serving 30 million customers a year, across the globe. TUI Group has a portfolio of more than 300 hotels, 14 cruise liners, six European airlines with around 140 aircraft and a wide-reaching distribution network, covering more than 1,800 travel agencies and online portals.

Etihad Aviation Group is a fast-growing diversified aviation and travel group, with more than 26,000 employees. It comprises four business divisions – Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways Engineering, the Hala Group, its destination management company, 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.

Airberlin is the second largest airline in Germany and carried more than 30.2 million passengers in 2015. Airberlin offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21 per cent shareholding in Airberlin, and through membership of the oneworld® airline alliance.

Atlantic Star Airlines to partner with TUIfly, flights to St. Helena to start in March

Atlantic Star Airlines (London) has issued this statement:

Atlantic Star will partner with TUIfly to deliver its 2016 charter flight program between the UK and St. Helena. TUI Group is Europe’s largest travel company and holds a European Air Safety Agency Air Operators Certificate, including the necessary Extended Twin Operations validation necessary to operate to St. Helena.

TUIfly will operate a Boeing 737-800 on the route from London Gatwick to St. Helena, via a short fuel stop in Banjul, Gambia. The two-class configuration will offer Economy and Economy Plus seating options.

The first dates for travel coincide with the Easter school holidays. They will of course be dependent on the airport at St. Helena being opened on schedule in February 2016.

Further flights are planned, timed to coincide with school holidays later in 2016. Atlantic Star will not be able to confirm the dates or release tickets for sale on these services until much nearer the time.

The first service will leave London Gatwick in the late evening of Sunday, March 20, 2016, arriving mid-morning in St. Helena on Monday, March 21, 2016. The aircraft will then leave St. Helena around lunchtime, to arrive back in London Gatwick late the same night.

The second service will operate to a similar schedule, leaving London Gatwick on Sunday, April 3, 2016 to arrive in St. Helena on April 4, 2016, departing St. Helena the same day to arrive at London Gatwick late that night.

Copyright Photo: Paul Bannwarth/AirlinersGallery.com. TUIfly’s (TUIfly.com) (Germany) ex-Airberlin Boeing 737-86J WL D-ABKI (msn 37748) arrives at EuroAirport.

TUIfly aircraft slide show: