Air BerlinAB

Air Berlin ceased all operations on October 28, 2017, following insolvency proceedings. This guide provides historical information about the airline.

Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG was Germany's second-largest airline after Lufthansa, headquartered in Berlin. At its peak, the airline carried over 30 million passengers annually and operated a fleet of approximately 140 aircraft to over 170 destinations worldwide.

Founded in 1978 as a charter airline for American servicemen in West Berlin, Air Berlin grew significantly following German reunification and deregulation of the European aviation market. The airline transitioned from a leisure carrier to a hybrid model combining low-cost and full-service elements.

Air Berlin joined the Oneworld alliance in March 2012, becoming the first German carrier in the alliance and enhancing its global connectivity through codeshare partnerships with American Airlines, British Airways, and Iberia.

In 2011, Etihad Airways acquired a 29.21% stake in Air Berlin (later increasing to approximately 29%), making the Abu Dhabi-based carrier a strategic partner. This partnership included codeshare agreements and joint ventures on routes between Germany and the Middle East.

Financial difficulties mounted through the mid-2010s, exacerbated by intense competition from Lufthansa's low-cost subsidiary Eurowings and other budget carriers. After Etihad withdrew financial support in August 2017, Air Berlin filed for insolvency protection. The airline continued limited operations until October 28, 2017, when its final flight (AB6210) landed in Berlin Tegel from Munich.