Economics

Lufthansa, EasyJet launch bids for Etihad castoff Air Berlin

Air Berlin lost €300 million in the three months though March and while airlines typically make more money in summer, it was losing about €3 million per day, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told employees in a briefing last month.

18.09.2017

(Bloomberg) Deutsche Lufthansa and EasyJet Plc kicked off the carve-up of Air Berlin as bidders submitted proposals for the carrier abandoned by investor Etihad Airways after a turnaround failed.

Air Berlin’s administrators received binding offers from "several" suitors as of Friday’s 2 pm deadline, according to the company. Lufthansa and EasyJet confirmed that they lodged bids, while Thomas Cook's German Condor unit submitted a pitch with Niki Lauda, the founder of Air Berlin’s leisure arm.