The last of Air Berlin’s operations, its LGW domestic German subsidiary, has been taken over by Lufthansa, with approval by the European Commission, which earlier turned down a deal that would have involved more of the remains.
Lufthansa is taking over LGW’s 800 employees, who are still employed, at least for now, and taking over the leases on LGW’s 30 planes. In return, Lufthansa had to give up a number of Air Berlin’s treasured slots at Dusseldorf’s crowded airport.
Earlier, the Commission had turned down a much larger deal that would seen Lufthansa also take over AB’s Austria-based Niki airline on grounds that it would have been anti-competitive. The rest of the Air Berlin fleet and routes are being absorbed by EasyJet.
