easyJet (London Luton) has announced it has secured European Commission (EC) approval for its recent agreement to acquire part of Air Berlin (1991)'s operations at Berlin Tegel Airport.

The UK-based budget carrier said in a statement the acquisition would result in it taking over twenty-five A320 Family aircraft from Air Berlin for use in operating out of the Berlin airfield. It will also assume other Air Berlin assets including slots.

"The Commission has confirmed that there are no competition concerns relating to this agreement and easyJet now expects to complete the transaction in the near future," it said.

easyJet plans to begin Tegel operations in January of next year with flights to Düsseldorf, Frankfurt International, Munich, and Stuttgart Manfred Rommel domestically as well as Budapest, Catania, Copenhagen Kastrup, Fuerteventura, Helsinki Vantaa, Madrid Barajas, Milan Malpensa, Palma de Mallorca, Paphos, Paris CDG, Rome Fiumicino, Stockholm Arlanda, Tel Aviv Ben Gurion, Vienna, and Zurich. Operations are on-board six A320-200s leased from SmartLynx Airlines (6Y, Riga) and other aircraft expected to be wet-leased from Condor (DE, Frankfurt International).