Niki suspends operations, restarts as LaudaMotion, rebranded as Lauda

[TLspotting]

LaudaMotion added its first A320, serial 4329, to its AOC, as the carrier now grows to 14 aircraft.

Indeed, OE-LOF, ex-Niki and Airberlin

[sn26567]

NIKI officially closed its sale to former owner Niki Lauda, according to insolvency manager Lucas Floether.

[sn26567]

Laudamotion plans to launch operations on 25 March 2018, with an unspecified number of aircraft because some of them are in maintenance and it is unknown exactly when the carrier will get aircraft from Lufthansa.

Laudamotion to start new service from Zurich and Basel to Mallorca, Heraklion, Ibiza, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Corfu, Rhodes, Olbia and Lamezia Terme in summer 2018, on behalf of Condor (Germany). Two Laudamotion aircraft will be deployed in the Swiss market for these operations.

[sn26567]

A few more details are disclosed: Laudamotion to start operations on 25 March with flights from Germany, with flights from Switzerland in April and from Austria in June 2018. The group will operate 14 Airbus planes and fly to destinations such as Spain, Greece and Italy.

Laudamotion founder Niki Lauda expects to make a small loss in 2018 summer with the airline he repurchased earlier this year, and to start being profitable in the financial year beginning March 2019.

[CTBke]

one of their first planes

http://www.planepictures.net/v3/show_en.php?id=1494051

[sn26567]

one of their first planes

http://www.planepictures.net/v3/show_en.php?id=1494051

They didn't even change the Air Berlin tail

[flightlover]

one of their first planes

http://www.planepictures.net/v3/show_en.php?id=1494051

They didn't even change the Air Berlin tail

Nice cost savings, no? At least he is hoping to be profitable in 2 years. Sounds like a good idea to me.

[sn26567]

Laudamotion aims to operate 21 aircraft by June 2018. Niki Lauda is currently in talks with Lufthansa and lessors regarding the aircraft, although he declined to say if they will be A320 family aircraft.

Laudamotion is considering an aircraft order of up to 21 A320neos.

Laudamotion plans to relaunch in October 2018 under its own brand and service standards, with interim branding on ex-Airberlin aircraft for time being.

[sdbelgium]

Ryanair to acquire up to 75% of LaudaMotion and will wet-lease 6 aircraft for S18.

https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/part ... ?market=ie (Official)
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/ryana ... e-airline/ (ENG)
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/tra ... eed-object (ENG)
https://flightlevel.be/56496/ryanair-ko ... udamotion/ (NL)

[sn26567]

Ryanair to acquire up to 75% of LaudaMotion and will wet-lease 6 aircraft for S18.

That's BIG news!

Carsten Spohr will have some short nights if he wants to save his Vienna hub for Austrian and Eurowings. And IAG must regret that they were not able to buy Niki in the first place.

Vienna is going to be the scene of epic fights, IMHO.

[Bralo20]

Quite surprising also that they are going to build an Airbus fleet instead of switching to Boeing like it's future parent Ryanair has.

The cost of this 75% investment in LaudaMotion (if approved by the EU) will be less than €50m although Ryanair will provide an additional €50m for year 1 start up and operating costs. Both Mr Lauda and Ryanair will work with the existing management team of LaudaMotion and expect the airline to reach profitability by year 3 of operations if their plan to grow the business to a fleet of at least 30 Airbus aircraft is successful.

[convair]

With all due respect for Niki Lauda, I don't think he has proved to be much of a manager in the past.

Is he acting as a straw man for a big airline or does he intend to resell soon and make a quick buck?
Pure speculation of course...

Nice coup, Niki!
But I think MOL will be in the driver's seat from now on.

[Yuqu12]

Well, if mr. Lauda bought Niki for less than what he sells it to Ryanair, he made some nice money in a very short time

[sn26567]

Laudamotion founder Niki Lauda says talks over wet-leases with Eurowings continue, as well as a marketing agreement with Condor, despite its new deal with Ryanair.

[Poiu]

Laudamotion founder Niki Lauda says talks over wet-leases with Eurowings continue, as well as a marketing agreement with Condor, despite its new deal with Ryanair.

Mr Lauda is probably very short of cash, Ryanair has to fund the start up costs of Laudamotion. The talks with others continue in case the EU would not approve the FR deal. Without FR and in the absence of any other deal Laudamotion will be history before the end of the year.

[Bralo20]

Mr Lauda is probably very short of cash, Ryanair has to fund the start up costs of Laudamotion. The talks with others continue in case the EU would not approve the FR deal. Without FR and in the absence of any other deal Laudamotion will be history before the end of the year.

Don't think his wealth is the problem, he's valued at about 100 million USD but considering that he is also the owner of Laudamotion Executive I can imagine that his wealth is tied up in assets rather than cash. However, his assets should be enough to get him a serious credit line to fund everything.

I think the whole deal might have been a co-operation with FR from the start. This way FR not only gets to screw over IAG & LH but they also gain an easy way to operated a mixed fleet in the future.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... an-446942/


Reading between the lines it seems that FR is interested in Airbus aircrafts and Laudamotion might be the guinea pig to test if it's a wise choice. With Lauda they have Airbus planes, pilots and even a certified Airbus maintenance shop.

[sn26567]

Despite its new links with Ryanair, Laudamotion will provide up to eight wet-leased aircraft to Eurowings until end May 2018. The two companies to evaluate possible cooperation beyond that date in the coming weeks.

[convair]

My guess is that EW will end up taking over all A320 leases and LM will go for B737s. MOL is in charge now.

[RoMax]

My guess is that EW will end up taking over all A320 leases and LM will go for B737s. MOL is in charge now.

Several of these A320's are actually already in the hands of EW as a result of the AB take-over, but leased to Laudamotion 'on request' of the EU (and now wet-leased back to EW). Niki was using these aircraft from AB and EW got its hands on them despite not being able to take over Niki itself, but as a result the EU forced them to lease those aicraft to Laudamotion based on market conform prices.

[sn26567]

Laudamotion and Eurowings decided to end their cooperation after 31 May 2018, after their current deal comprising eight wet-leased aircraft to Eurowings ends.