It has been announced that as from June this year, the Laudamotion-Ryanair collaboration will see 21 aircraft flying out of nine airports in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This has come hot on the heels of the news that Ryanair had taken an initial 24.9% stake in the newly formed Austrian carrier that had risen from the ashes of Niki, the troubled offshoot of the now defunct airBerlin, the airline originally founded by Niki Lauda, the former F1 world champion racing driver. Subject to EU Competition Authority approval, it is the intention of Ryanair to eventually hold a 75% stake in Laudamotion.
Laudamotion is based in Vienna, Austria, with Lauda as the chairman of the board and responsible for establishing the business as an Austrian low-fare airline catering for the scheduled and charter market. Just 25 days after taking over Niki, Laudamotion’s inaugural flight took place on March 1, from Dusseldorf airport.
Laudamotion currently has a fleet of ten aircraft, plus a further six planes taken on a wet-lease and supplied by Ryanair. The Irish carrier will also be providing financial and management support as the new airline aims, from June, to complete a summer flying program of 65 routes based on 21 aircraft.
Four aircraft will be based in Vienna with flights to Palma de Majorca increasing up to three a day. Four Laudamotion aircraft will be based in Berlin Tegel, six in Dusseldorf, one each in Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart, with two in Zurich.
Laudamotion’s new Berlin Tegel base will open on June 1, offering low fare routes to 17 destinations including Barcelona, Heraklion, Palma, Rhodes and Tenerife. There are also plans for a winter city shuttle service with up to three more aircraft based in Vienna.
