oneworld member air berlin filed bankruptcy in mid-August when Etihad stopped subsidizing the German carrier.
It was immediately clear that while pieces of the airline would be sold (mostly leading to consolidation in the German market, strengthening Lufthansa) — and subsidies from the German government were provided to smooth that transition — the airline itself wouldn’t survive. Almost immediately a whole 60 person department advertised they were looking for work.
Air Berlin at New York JFK on September 29
The end of an era has been marked in many ways, such as this landing of the final air berlin transatlantic flight from Miami which got the pilots in hot water.
Now even European services have ceased, and airline operations have thus come to an end. Tonight three final air berlin flights landed in Dusseldorf — from Munich, Rome, and Milan Linate.
The final air berlin arrival in Dusseldorf received a water cannon salute.
LIVE Last Air Berlin flight water salute at Dusseldorf https://t.co/8Tdu9yvMOk pic.twitter.com/gv27x6AxS8
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) October 27, 2017
And then there was one final flight to touch down, flight AB6210 from Munich to Berlin. And it seemed like it didn’t want the flight — and thus the airline — to end.
Sooner or later, the last Air Berlin flight will have to land. pic.twitter.com/5V1BDneHSI
— David Koenig (@airlinewriter) October 27, 2017
This flight received a water cannon salute as well.
Final #AirBerlin flight arrives to a water cannon salute #BER4EVR #AB6210 pic.twitter.com/fShBbe6TOL
— Victoria Bryan (@vl_bryan) October 27, 2017
And so it ends.
Terrible for oneworld. And AADvantage
AA and BA must be loving the end of AB.
Now they will get to collect a lot more “fuel surcharges” (or whatever excuse AA and BA want to use) when their customers redeem AA or BA miles to fly TATL or intra-Europe.