EANS-Adhoc: Air Berlin PLC
Acquisition of the TUIfly City Carrier Business by
Air Berlin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ad-hoc disclosure pursuant to section 15 of the WpHG transmitted by euro adhoc with the aim of a Europe-wide distribution. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategic Collaboration
07.09.2009
London, 7 September 2009 - Air Berlin PLC and certain TUI Travel PLC group companies have agreed, in furtherance of their agreement entered into on 27 March 2009, that Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG will assume City Carrier business flight portfolio of TUIfly (i.e., Hapag-Lloyd Fluggesellschaft mbH/ Hapag-Lloyd Express GmbH) for the winter flight plan 2009/10. The long-term service agreements with TUIfly provide for the assumption of aircraft capacity, with initially 13 aircraft. As was originally planned, the charter flight portfolio remains with TUIfly. The parties will not carry out the originally planned cross-shareholding. Instead a TUI Travel PLC group company will either acquire a 9.9% holding (on the basis of a share price of EUR 3.97) in Air Berlin PLC, or alternatively, pay Air Berlin PLC a compensation of EUR 15 million. If a TUI Travel PLC group company were to acquire this minority shareholding in Air Berlin PLC, such group company would reduce this shareholding in a scheduled manner over the course of the next years. The German Federal Cartel Office ("Bundeskartellamt"-FCO) has permitted the acquisition of the City Carrier Business. The possible acquisition of a minority interest of a TUI Travel plc group company in Air Berlin PLC requires final clearance with the FCO.
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further inquiry note:
Ingolf Hegner
Head of Investor Relations
+49 (0)30 3434 1532
ihegner@airberlin.com
Branche: Air Transport
ISIN: GB00B128C026
WKN: AB1000
Index: SDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Stuttgart / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade
Original content of: Air Berlin PLC, transmitted by news aktuell