25. 08. 10. - 15:00

Air Berlin's Q2 figures grounded by ash cloud

The temporary shutdown of European air traffic has been made responsible by FlyNiki partner Air Berlin for losses suffered in the second quarter of this year.

Company boss Joachim Hunold said today (Weds) many customers had hesitated to book flights after air traffic had been cancelled by European safety authorities following the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull in March and the ensuing ash cloud that had covered the continent for weeks.

Air Berlin had to cancel around 3,500 flights following Eurocontrol’s controversial decision to prevent service on some of the continent’s major routes for several days.

Air Berlin suffered a loss of 56.9 million Euros between April and June after profit of 7.1 million Euros in the same quarter of 2009. Turnover improved by 4.9 per cent year on year to 877 million Euros.

The company – Germany’s second-biggest airline after Austrian Airlines (AUA) owner Lufthansa – increased its interest in Austria’s FlyNiki by 25.9 per cent to 49.9 per cent in February. The discount carriers have cooperated for years.

Hunold explained that potential Air Berlin passengers had opted to take the train or travel by car following Europe-wide closures in March, April and May.

Meanwhile, political decision-makers across Europe are at odds over the possible introduction of a tax on tickets or aviation fuel as part of attempts to get federal budgets back on track after the credit crisis.

While the German government is adamant about imposing a federal levy next year, Austrian Social Democratic (SPÖ) Traffic Minister Doris Bures has said Austria will not follow its example.

Harald Waiglein, a spokesman for Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Finance Minister Josef Pröll, stressed that the competition that European airlines were in with airlines in the United States must be considered when it came to agreeing on possible new taxes.

FlyNiki boss Niki Lauda said the German coalition’s plan to slap airlines with a ticket levy was the "biggest possible competitive distortion" since it would come after various supportive initiatives focusing on the automobile industry and the financial sector.

Lauda founded FlyNiki in 2003. It had around 2.6 million passengers last year.