Preparation for oneworld membership
Berlin – In view of the airline’s full membership of oneworld that is planned for the start of 2012, airberlin’s Board decided to increase the number of its Executive Board members from the current level of three so that they can all pool their forces in preparation for joining the leading global airline alliance. In future the Executive Board will therefore consist of CEO Joachim Hunold, CFO Ulf Hüttmeyer and COO Christoph Debus as well as the CCO (Chief Commercial Officer), who is still to be appointed. Until the new appointment has been made, Joachim Hunold will be taking over as acting CCO with responsibility for Network and Sales. Christoph Debus, as Chief Operating Officer (COO), in addition to being responsible for Operations and Human Resources, will be concentrating primarily on integrating LTU and affiliated companies, as well as preparing the information technology (IT) system for the challenges associated with future cooperation arrangements within oneworld.
Membership of oneworld will provide airberlin passengers with access to a unique, global network. With airberlin joining the alliance, the number of oneworld gateways will rise to 75, while the number of destinations will increase to almost 900 in 150 countries. The combined fleet includes 2,500 aircraft and offers around 9,500 flights per day, carrying 340 million passengers per annum.
In preparation for its membership of oneworld, airberlin has concluded an agreement with American Airlines and Finnair, two core members of the alliance, to operate codeshare flights. A bilateral agreement with British Airways and Iberia is to follow.
British Airways will be acting as airberlin’s alliance sponsor as regards introducing the oneworld programme.
Foto: Carstino Delmonte
