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Lufthansa to go ahead with new Berlin routes

16 May 2012 by BusinessTraveller

Lufthansa has confirmed that its new UK routes to Berlin from Birmingham and Manchester will go ahead as planned on June 3. 

But these once daily services will now operate to and from the city’s existing Tegel airport and not the brand new Brandenburg facility, whose opening has been postponed (click here for more details).

Lufthansa also confirms that its current three times a day service out of London Heathrow (which currently operates into Tegel) will remain unchanged on and after June 3.

As yet there is still no timescale as to when Brandenburg will open. However, a Reuters report now suggests that the opening might be delayed until 2013. An official announcement is expected later today.

Lufthansa had planned a significant increase in operations at Berlin to coincide with the opening of the new airport. The carrier now intends to operate these out of Tegel instead.

Its Berlin-based fleet is set to rise from nine to 15 planes which will enable Lufthansa to boost the number of cities served out of Germany’s capital city from eight to 38. Almost all of these are in Europe.

All told it means Lufthansa will be offering 40 per cent more seats in the Berlin market starting from June 3.

But Tegel is already a busy airport. Can it cope with so many extra flights?  Although the UK schedules are set in stone, a Lufthansa spokesperson said “there might be some fluctuations in timings” in order to accommodate all the new operations at Tegel.

The two biggest users of Berlin Tegel, home carrier Air Berlin and Lufthansa, will claim damages to compensate them for Brandenburg’s delayed opening according to reports in the German media.

For more information visit lufthansa.com.

Report by Alex McWhirter

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