Every year, people around the country pay their taxes and begin to complain about which government programs are necessary and which are not. And every year the same question comes up: why does the government shell out millions of dollars in federal aid to airlines in order to fly — in some cases empty aircraft — to cities nobody has ever heard of? Because it’s essential. History of EAS Essential Air Service has played an interesting role in this country…
Germany's Federal Office for the Defense of Competition (Bundeskartellamt) recently issued its opinion regarding complaints received against Lufthansa, following an investigation into airfare increases that began in November. The German flag carrier was under fire for alleged monopolistic practices in the domestic routes that operated without any rival after the…
Formula One legend Niki Lauda, who survived a horrific crash at the German Grand Prix in 1976 and has since shifted his endeavors to the aviation industry, has defied the odds again and successfully bid for the return of the airline he founded in 2003. Reuters reported on Tuesday that…
The remains of recently failed airline Air Berlin are now being auctioned off. The fleet has long been sold off to Lufthansa and Easyjet, but everything that was inside the planes is now up for grabs. This includes seats, galley carts, blankets, amenity kits, and of course, the famous Air…
Austrian low-cost airline Niki is one of the most recent casualties of the aviation industry, shutting down operations less than a month ago. Unfortunately, the airline was caught up in the collapse of German carrier Air Berlin. Although marketed as a low-cost carrier, the airline offered many amenities of full-service…
As a way to commemorate Air Berlin’s final transatlantic flight, the pilots of flight 7001 from Miami to Dusseldorf on Oct. 16 made a sharp left turn over the airport following a low flyover of runway 23L. The stunt seemed remarkable for many onlookers, but some questioned whether or not…
Austrian low-cost carrier, Niki, announced that it was filing for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday. A subsidiary of Air Berlin, who also went bankrupt this past August after Etihad Airways pulled the plug on its cash flow, Niki applied for protection in a Berlin court but stated that they would be…
The Federal Cartel Office, Germany’s national competition regulator, has its eyes on Lufthansa after prices on domestic flights skyrocketed following Air Berlin ending all flights in October. Germany’s second-largest carrier ceased operations last month after filing for insolvency in August and now the country is facing a shortage of domestic…
An Air Berlin Airbus A320 sits on the tarmac at Keflavik Airport in Iceland unable to depart. After filing for bankruptcy protection and ceasing operations in late October, Keflavik’s airport management had grounded the airplane following a battle over unpaid airport dues by the faltering airline. After months of negotiations, the…
On Friday, the final Air Berlin flight departed Munich bound for Berlin. The airline had recently declared bankruptcy, causing them to cease operations. The final flight, Air Berlin 6210, was operated by an Airbus A320, departing Munich at 9:35 p.m. and arriving at Berlin's Tegel airport just over an hour…
