Lufthansa to take over 81 aircraft and 3,000 employees of Air Berlin

The company had announced earlier this week that its aircraft would be grounded on 28 October

Lufthansa will sign this Thursday the takeover of 81 planes and 3,000 employees of Air Berlin, bankrupt since August 15. Easyjet, with whom Air Berlin was also in exclusive negotiation for the sale of its assets, must present its offer later today. Air Berlin has currently 144 aircraft and 8,500 employees.

The dismantling of Air Berlin takes shape formally. And Lufthansa is well and truly as expected to carve out the lion’s share. On Thursday, October 12, the deadline for the management of the German company in bankruptcy since August 15 to distribute its assets between Lufthansa and Easyjet with whom it was conducting exclusive negotiations, Lufthansa announced that it would take over 81 planes and 3,000 employees of Air Berlin. The latter now has 144 aircraft and 8,500 employees. The agreement would be signed at 12:00 local time (10:00 GMT) before a notary, said Carsten Spohr, chairman of the board of Lufthansa.

“We will see a decisive turning point in the history of Lufthansa and Air Berlin today,” he said, saying the deal would likely receive EU approval by end of the year.

The amount of the check proposed by Lufthansa has not been announced, but the German press has evoked in recent weeks a proposal of 200 million euros to take over the assets and 100 million additional to cover the operating costs of Air Berlin.

The company had announced earlier this week that its aircraft would be grounded by the end of October. However, after the signing of the takeover agreement, Air Berlin has to end its activities step by step, said Air Berlin in a statement earlier this week. Flights would continue to be operated on behalf of its buyers, via leases with services, which allow the buyer to lease aircraft with their crew for use on their own routes.

Not all employees will be taken over by the buyers. According to a trade union document, approximately 1,400 ground staff and administrative services could receive a letter of dismissal in the near future.