Wet-leased airberlin A320s begin service for Eurowings

Three airberlin Airbus A320s operating in Eurowings colors launched Feb. 10 from Hamburg to Manchester, Stuttgart and Nuremberg. The flights are part of a six-year wet-lease agreement between airberlin and the Lufthansa Group, which was approved unconditionally at the end of January by federal antitrust authorities. Under the wet-lease agreement, airberlin will lease 38 Airbus A319/A320 aircraft—which are stationed at German and Austrian airports—to Lufthansa and its subsidiaries Eurowings and Austrian Airlines. Eurowings will take 33 of the aircraft and Austrian will take the remaining five. The deal also includes a codeshare between Lufthansa and airberlin equity parent Etihad Airways. Airberlin CEO Thomas Winkelmann said, “The wet-lease agreement with the Lufthansa Group is a significant milestone for airberlin by providing job security with ultimately 38 aircraft flying for the Lufthansa Group.” The airberlin wet-leased A320s will be delivered to the Lufthansa Group in phases by the end of April and all aircraft will carry the wording “operated by airberlin” on their fuselages.<br/>