Austrian low-cost airline Niki (or flyNiki) headquartered at Vienna Airport has ceased all operations from 14 December 2017. The airline was operating scheduled and charter services to European and North African leisure destinations from Vienna, Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck and also started services from several German airports in March 2017.
The airline developed as an Air Berlin subsidiary from 2011 and was sold to Etihad Airways in 2016. However, on 13 December 2017, Lufthansa pulled out of the agreement due to signs from the European Commission that the merger would not be approved. Shortly after, Niki annnounced that all flights would be cancelled from 14 December 2017. The Federal government stated that it expects a grounding of all operations and bankruptcy after the failed takeover.
A statement of the NIKI crew on Facebook:
Dear customers,
Operations of Niki (under the IATA airline code HG) will be discontinued as of 14 December 2017.
Passengers who have booked their flight through a tour operator must contact them, as the tour operator is responsible for the transport of passengers.
If you have booked directly via NIKI, several airlines are currently offering a return flight on a stand-by basis for a small fee from abroad to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. To our regret TuiFly will not participate in this offer.
We would like to thank you for your loyalty for many years.
Your NIKI team
BREAKING: #HG2601, the last ever Niki flight, has just arrived at Vienna Airport pic.twitter.com/L4uKSVY7Ls
— Breaking Flight News (@FlightBreaking) December 13, 2017
