airberlin presented a new route plan at ITB Berlin this week. airberlin is repositioning itself as a network carrier with a focus on its hubs at Berlin and Dusseldorf. The carrier is expanding its existing flight schedules; domestic flights, flights to European city destinations, and more long-haul connections form the core of airberlin’s new route network.
airberlin CEO Thomas Winkelmann says: “The changes to the route network are an elementary component in restructuring airberlin. We already serve as a shuttle to the USA from Berlin and Dusseldorf, and we intend to expand even further this position in the market. The European route network is well integrated into airberlin’s hub infrastructure and allows for convenient connecting flights within Europe and on long-haul routes. Transferring the touristic business to NIKI is paving the way for airberlin’s new business model. In doing so, we are positioning ourselves on the market more clearly and efficiently.”
More USA than ever: 60 per cent more flights in winter 2017/18 than last year
After the substantial expansion of the year-round flight connections to the United States, airberlin is again adding even more flights from Berlin to the winter 2017/18 schedule. There will be four additional flights per week from Berlin to New York. That will mean airberlin will fly a total of 11 times a week from Berlin-Tegel to the Big Apple.
The airline also offers an additional non-stop flight from Berlin to San Francisco on Saturdays. airberlin will fly to San Francisco every day from Berlin or Dusseldorf, and twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays. Compared to the current winter season, airberlin will increase the flights offered to the USA next winter by around 60 per cent, with 63 flights per week. With the expansion of the winter schedule, airberlin will be flying all year round to all destinations in the USA for the first time.
airberlin will also be adding three new routes to the USA as early as May 2017. airberlin will operate five times per week from Dusseldorf to Orlando. From Berlin-Tegel, there will be four new flights per week to San Francisco, and three per week to Los Angeles. The frequency of flights to Boston and San Francisco will also increased, so that these destinations will be served daily. The flights to Miami will also be more frequent.
With the 2017 summer flight schedule, airberlin will be offering a total of 84 non-stop flights per week to eight destinations in the United States: New York (JFK), Boston, Orlando, Miami, Fort Myers, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
All long-haul flights are optimally integrated into the overall route network, meaning that numerous feeder flights and connecting flights are available. All of airberlin’s long-haul flights to the USA will be operated by Airbus A330-200 jets.
