German Court Allows Etihad-Air Berlin Codeshare to Continue

By Paul Riegler on 15 January 2016
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Air Berlin checkin in düsseldorf

Air Berlin checkin in düsseldorf

A German appeals court ruled that Etihad’s codeshare with Air Berlin could continue on 26 of 31 flights for its winter schedule, which ends March 26. The ruling reverses a lower court’s decision.

Etihad Airways owns a 29% stake in Air Berlin. The codeshares have been at the center of a legal dispute between the two airlines and the German transport ministry since last year. In December, the government won a case in a lower court that found that 31 of their 81 codeshare routes were not covered by the air traffic rights agreement between Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

The decision from the Oberverwaltungsgerichts or higher administrative court in Lüneburg also means that the codeshares can continue after the winter schedule has ended.

Etihad’s CEO, James Hogan, said he was pleased with what the court found.

“This ruling is a victory for consumers and competition in Germany,” he said, adding that the airline will “remain strongly committed to our strategic partner, airberlin, and will redouble our efforts to provide a strong competitive alternative to the dominant German carrier, Lufthansa.”

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

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