airberlin
is continuing its expansion to the USA: from 23rd March 2013 the
airline will start operating direct flights from Berlin to Chicago,
making it the first company ever to provide a connection between the
German capital and this metropolis in the US state of Illinois.
Following
the introduction of the direct
connectionfrom Berlin to Los Angeles in May, this is
already airberlin‘s second USA premiere in a very short period of
time.
airberlin
will start operations on the new route for the beginning of the
Easter holidays at the end of March 2013. When the summer schedule
starts in May 2013, airberlin will increase the number of direct
flights from three to five per week.
Prof.
Dr. Rainer Schwarz, CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH said:
“The new connection to Chicago sends a strong signal for the future
viability of Berlin-Brandenburg as a centre for aviation. I would
like to express my gratitude to our home carrier, airberlin, for the
trust they have placed in us. With flights to Chicago, Los Angeles,
Miami and New York, Berlin is now very well connected to the USA.”
His
Excellency Philip D. Murphy, United States Ambassador to Germany
said: “I welcome this new direct flight from Berlin to Chicago,
which opens up travel from the great German capital city to the heart
of America.”
Paul
Gregorowitsch, CCO airberlin said: “Chicago is already
the seventh US
destination to be included in airberlin’s flight schedule and the
airline is thus setting the course for further growth in the United
States of America. The direct flight to Chicago is a strategically
important step for us to further promote connectivity between
our Berlin hub and our partners‘ hubs. Chicago is also the second
largest hub for our oneworld® partner, American Airlines. This
network expansion will provide a wide range of
connections in Europe and in the USA for airberlin customers and for
those of American Airlines.”
From
1st Mai 2013, an airberlin Airbus A330-200 will make the nine-hour
flight to the city on Lake Michigan on Mondays, Wednesdays,
Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Between 23rd March and 31st April
2013, airberlin will operate the direct flight every Monday, Thursday
and Saturday. Take-off from Berlin is at 10:00 and the flight lands
at Chicago’s O‘Hare International Airport at 12:10. The return
flight from Chicago leaves at 15:25 und arrives in the German capital
at 07:00 on the following morning. Feeder flights to Berlin are
available from eight other cities in Germany as well as from Vienna,
Zurich, Budapest, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm
and Russia. Further connections to airberlin’s extensive European
route network are expected to follow. Flying into Chicago also gives
passengers access to the American Airlines network which offers
connections to destinations across the whole of North America.