Niki (Austria) (Vienna) will replace its outgoing fleet of seven E190s with five A319-100s and two A320-200s parent Air Berlin (1991) (Berlin Tegel) has announced. The new aircraft are scheduled to be phased in by June next year, joining the rest of Niki's fleet which includes eleven A320-200s and four A321-200s.
“Harmonising our fleet will enable us to achieve increased productivity, lower costs per seat kilometre and more efficient flight operations. The decision to switch to the larger Airbus planes will also create new growth opportunities for Niki. In 2015, Niki will therefore see capacity increase,” Air Berlin CEO, Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, said.
As reported, Niki's fleet of EMB-190s is destined for Helvetic Airways (2L, Zurich) which will lease them from Bernina Aircraft Leasing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airfleet Credit Corporation.
As part of its fleet streamlining initiative, Air Berlin plans to defleet all its forty-five B737-700s and B737-800s by 2016.
