Air Berlin (AB, Berlin Tegel (TXL)) has fully taken over LTU Intl Airways (LT/Dusseldorf) and its subsidiary LTU Austria (L3/Austria). It has also taken a 49% stake in Belair Airlines (4T/Zurich) from Swiss tour operator Hotelplan. LTU and Belair will continue to operate as separate carriers in close cooperation with Air Berlin. In other news, Air Berlin has completed the integration of dba (DI/Munich), all dba operated flights will operate with Air Berlin flight numbers as of May 1. Air Berlin has also announced that it will not renew its codeshare agreement with TUIfly (Germany) (X3/Hanover) and is considering a closer cooperation with Condor (DE/Frankfurt Intl) instead. It has wet-leased a second A320-200 from Iberworld Airlines (TY/Palma de Mallorca). Air Berlin will launch four times weekly B737-800/Fokker 100 service from Stuttgart to Alicante on May 6. Air Berlin has however given up its Nuremberg-Moscow Domodedovo route.

LTU Austria (L3, Vienna International (VIE)) has taken over a second A320-200 from parent LTU (LT/Dusseldorf).

LTU Austria (L3, Vienna International (VIE)) will lease a second A320-200 from LTU (LT/Dusseldorf) as of April.