Skift Take
Yes, Air Berlin was ostensibly competition for Lufthansa. But for a long time, Air Berlin was a weakened competitor. Now that Easyjet has taken over some of Air Berlin's assets, the German market could be transformed.
Even as the European short-haul air market has consolidated and low-cost carriers have thrived, Germany's domestic market has been dominated by two local airlines —Lufthansa, with hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, and the much smaller Air Berlin, with its bases in Berlin and Dusseldorf.
But that's beginning to change.
On Friday, almost five months after Air Berlin said it would shut down amid mounting losses, Easyjet launched its first domestic German route, flying from Berlin to Munich. It's one of 19 new short-haul routes Easyjet soon plans to start from Tegel, Berlin's largest airport. And while most will be to other European countries, four will be within Germany — from Tegel to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart, along with Munich.
EasyJet finalized plans to buy pieces of Air Berlin last month, p
