Oneworld member Air Berlin will launch flights between the German capital and Chicago in March 2013, the first direct non-stop flights between the two cities.
From March 23 until April 30 the route will operate three times-weekly (Monday, Thursday and Sunday), before increasing to five times-weekly from May 1 (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday).
Flights will depart Berlin at 1000, arriving into Chicago at 1210, with the return leg leaving the US at 1525 and landing back into the German capital at 0700 the following day. The route will be operated using Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
The carrier says that feeder flights will be available from eight German cities, as well as from Vienna, Zurich, Budapest, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm and Russia. Oneworld members will also be able to take advantage of onward US connections with American Airlines, with Chicago being AA's second largest hub.
The airline recently launched flights between Berlin and Los Angeles (see online news October 18, 2011), and Chicago is the seventh US destination for the carrier.
Air Berlin joined Oneworld earlier this year (see online news March 21), and has also recently seen Middle Eastern airline Etihad increase its stake in the carrier to nearly 30 per cent (see online news December 19, 2011).
For more information visit airberlin.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
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