Air Berlin, Germany's second largest airline, and its subsidiary - NIKI - continue expanding services for Russian travelers as a part of their eastern Europe strategy in 2013.
According to Paul Gregorowitsch, Chief Commercial Officer of Air Berlin, Russia is an important core market for Air Berlin and NIKI, the semi-low-cost airline. This year the airlines plan further expansion of their market position.
“The number of our passengers has steadily increased in the past years with the expansion of our flight offer. In the previous year, ca. 740,000 passengers flew with Air Berlin and NIKI on the routes between Germany, Austria and Russia," said Gregorowitsch, "Also, more and more travelers from Russia are using our international route network and transfer in Berlin, Düsseldorf and Vienna to other destinations."
Air Berlin and NIKI have been offering flights since 2009 in codeshare with the Oneworld partner S7. "The partnership has developed very well. Air Berlin offers 109 flights with flight number S7 a week. Passengers who are traveling to Russia have the option to book up to 400 connection flights per week with S7 via Air Berlin and NIKI, for example via Moscow to Novosibirsk or Irkutsk," said Gregorowitsch.
Since 2006, or rather since 2007, Air Berlin and NIKI, the Austrian partner company, have been flying from Germany and Austria to Russia and have since then, continuously enlarged their route network. In the summer of 2006, there were 19 flights a week while in the summer of 2013, Air Berlin and NIKI airplanes will fly to Russia 70 times a week.