AIRBERLIN BEGINS NONSTOP SERVICE BETWEEN LOS ANGELES AND BERLIN
German Airline’s Transoceanic Nonstop Service Marks LAX’s 58th International Destination
(Los Angeles, California – May 11, 2012) a irberlin today launched nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the German capitol, Berlin. Flight AB 7023, the first arrival from Berlin-Tegel International Airport (TXL), was welcomed by airberlin’s Vice President of International Sales Mats Jacobsson, Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge, German Consul General Wolfgang Drautz, and Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey. A group of local students from Woodworth Elementary School wasinvited for a special “VIP behind-the-scenes tour,” including an exclusive presentation by one of airberlin’s pilots onboard the aircraft.
“airberlin is a German aviation success story but has, at the same time, strong historic ties with the U.S. Thus, the company’s origin can be traced back to the U.S. where it was incorporated by a former Pan Am pilot in the State of Oregon 34 years ago, in 1978. Only after the Wall came down was airberlin set on its course as a German airline,” said airberlin Vice President Jacobsson. “Given that traditional close relationship between airberlin and the U.S., we are particularly proud to launch today the new nonstop connection between the two metropolises, Berlin and LosAngeles“, he added. “The new Los Angeles-Berlin service allows us to further strengthen
airberlin’s presence in one of its strategic cornerstone markets and also has as a strong symbolic character because Berlin and Los Angeles are this year celebrating the 45th Anniversary of their partnership.“
City Councilmember LaBonge, who chairs the Los Angeles City Council Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee, said, "This is a great day in Los Angeles. We welcome airberlin’s new nonstop air service from our great Sister City, Berlin, to Los Angeles International Airport. This can only enhance the great relationship we already enjoy with Berlin and presents Angelenos and Berliners alike with the opportunity to get lost and found in each other's city."
German Consul General Drautz said, “A nonstop flight finally connecting the two Sister Cities, Berlin and Los Angeles, is a great incentive for more visitors in both directions."
Los Angeles World Airports Executive Director Lindsey said, “We congratulate airberlin on its inaugural flight. The airline’s transoceanic nonstop service to Berlin -- LAX’s 58th international destination -- is a prime example of the type of quality air service we want to attract to LAX as we continue our $4.1-billion LAneXt™ modernization program.” She added, “We appreciate the airline’s confidence in our undertaking construction of the Tom Bradley International Terminal to more than double its size to 2.2 million square feet (204,387 square meters). Next Spring 2013, airberlin passengers will experience a whole new level of convenience and service when we open several of the 18 new gates and 150,000 square feet (13,935 square meters) of premium retail, dining and other amenities for travelers.”
airberlin will offer three nonstop flights per week from Los Angeles to Berlin and three additional flights from Los Angeles to Dusseldorf, airberlin’s second hub in Germany. The flights to Berlin will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and the Dusseldorf flights will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. With the addition of Los Angeles, airberlin now offers nonstop
flights from seven North American gateways, including New York-JFK, San Francisco, Miami, Fort Myers and Vancouver, as well as recently launched service from Las Vegas to Berlin and Dusseldorf.
With its new service from the U.S. West Coast, airberlin seeks to strengthen its presence in the western part of the country. Additionally to its growth in the U.S. market, airberlin’s joining of the global oneworld airline alliance as a full member in March 2012 provides passengers with an expanded airline network. Codesharing with oneworld member, American Airlines, the hubs of both air carriers are linked with each other and provide passengers with access to an extensive network in Europe and North, Central and South America.
airberlin passengers from Los Angeles can connect via Berlin or Dusseldorf to European cities such as Zurich, Vienna, Barcelona and Rome; to Middle East cities such as Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi; and to several inter-German cities such as Cologne, Hamburg, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Münster-Osnabrück, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Saarbrücken, Stuttgart and Munich. Passengers can also connect in Berlin to Nordic cities such as Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki, and to Russian destinations Moscow and St. Petersburg. Passengers wishing to discover Northern and Western Poland can travel from Berlin by train or car to cities such as Poznan.
All airberlin flights offer the airline’s award-winning cuisine and on-board entertainment options. The Airbus A330-200 aircraft operating on the Los Angeles routes offers a two-class configuration with a total of 299 or 303 seats.
Last January, airberlin launched the first of its long-haul fleet of A330-200s equipped with new seats in Business and Economy classes and a new in-flight entertainment system. In Business Class, the new fully-automatic seats recline 170 degrees and expand 71 inches long and 20 inches wide. Every seat has a connection for a laptop or other electronic device. In Economy Class, new light-weight seats have been fitted. The use of slimmer back rests guarantees maximum leg room and increases “living space.” After the upgrades, the cabin has 279 seats in Economy Class and 20 in Business Class.
About airberlin:
airberlin is Germany’s second largest airline. The company has a workforce of 9,200 employees. Each year, airberlin receives over 10 awards for service and quality. The fleet is comprised of 170 aircraft with an average age of five years, making it one of the most modern fleets in Europe. The airline's state-of-the-art jets are highly fuel efficient, which contributes toward a long-term reduction in pollution emissions from aircraft. As one of the major European airlines, airberlin flies to 162 destinations in 40 countries. In 2011, over 35 million passengers were transported. Since 20 March 2012, airberlin has been a full member of the global airline alliance, oneworld®. airberlin operates codeshare flights with oneworld members American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Royal Jordanian, S7 and Japan Airlines. In December 2011, airberlin entered into a strategic partnership with Etihad Airways.
About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
LAX is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, offering more than 600 daily flights to 91 domestic cities and more than 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 56 cities in 32 countries on nearly 75 air carriers. It ranks 13th in the world in air cargo tonnage processed. In 2011, LAX served more than 61 million passengers, processed over 1.8 million tons of air cargo valued at nearly $84.6 billion, and handled 603,912 aircraft operations (landings and takeoffs). LAX is part of a system of three Southern California airports – along with LA/Ontario International and Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.
