EasyJet is gearing up to challenge Lufthansa’s brief dominance over domestic flights within Germany.
EasyJet will invest about €40 million ($47 million) to buy the 25 Air Berlin planes that weren’t acquired by Lufthansa when the German airline took over most of its bankrupt competitor in October. EasyJet also announced that it will be relocating from Berlin’s Schönefeld Airport to the city’s other major hub, Tegel Airport.
Starting January 5th, there will be 250 weekly flights from Berlin to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, and Stuttgart. Additionally, EasyJet will offer 15 international routes to destinations like Paris, Vienna, Zurich, and popular holiday spots such as Mallorca.
EasyJet is excited to bring more competition and lower fares to passengers in Germany, especially on domestic routes where options are currently limited, said Thomas Haagensen, EasyJet’s managing director in Europe.
Tickets for these new routes are available for flights between January 5th and March 24th. EasyJet also plans to reveal more new routes from Tegel for the summer season, starting at the end of March, at a later date.
While this announcement means more competition for Lufthansa, it could also help alleviate some of the capacity issues the airline has been facing. Lufthansa is struggling to manage domestic demand because the 80 Air Berlin planes it purchased are grounded until the takeover receives competition approval. As a result, Lufthansa has had to use a 747 on the Berlin-Frankfurt route to meet capacity needs.
This development is great news for passengers. The limited choices—just Lufthansa or its subsidiary Eurowings—have caused ticket prices to rise. Former Air Berlin employees will also benefit, as EasyJet plans to hire around 1,000 of them.