EasyJet’s £35m Air Berlin deal takes off

EASYJET has signed an agreement to buy a chunk of Air Berlin’s business for £35m.

The budget airline is paying £35m for slots at the German capital’s leading airport Tegel, and will lease up to 25 A320 aircraft, offering employment to Air Belin flying crews.

EasyJet has launched a recruitment campaign to attract around 1,000 of Air Berlin’s pilots and cabin crew, who will be employed on local German contracts.

The move makes EasyJet the biggest airline in Berlin and is a blow to German carrier Lufthansa, as well as Europe’s largest budget airline, Ryanair, which had both tabled bids.

EasyJet will operate a reduced timetable at Tegel Airport during the winter, but plans to operate a full schedule from next summer.

The deal is expected to be completed in December, and routes and services will be announced in the following weeks.

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