EANS-News: Air Berlin PLC / Air Berlin improves performance in 2009 and strengthens market position

Slight decrease in revenue together with a significant increase in
operational result – Net indebtedness reduced by EUR 187.9 million –
Equity ratio rises to 25 percent

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Financial Figures/Balance Sheet/Financial Figures 2009

Subtitle: Slight decrease in revenue together with a significant
increase in operational result – Net indebtedness reduced by EUR
187.9 million – Equity ratio rises to 25 percent

London/Berlin (euro adhoc) - Air Berlin, Germany's second-largest
airline company, successfully ended the 2009 financial year. It has
proven to be a great advantage that Air Berlin had already
implemented an efficiency and cost-reduction programme prior to the
onset of the economic and financial crisis. This programme has
continued to show its effect in the 2009 financial year. The effort
of concentrating on strengthening profitability has paid off. The
optimization of the flight network at an early stage and the
consistent phase-out of destinations that were no longer justifiable
in terms of profitability improved the quality of Air Berlin's
earnings. At the same time, Air Berlin's position in the German and
the European market has been strengthened, for example, by the
acquisition of TUIfly's city connections in the fall of 2009.

Joachim Hunold, CEO Air Berlin PLC, commented on the Annual Financial
Accounts, as follows: "We have reached all the goals we had set
ourselves for 2009. This applies in particular to the significant
improvement of Air Berlin's revenue quality, which was achieved by
optimizing our capacities and adjusting our route portfolio. Air
Berlin's business model proved its strength throughout the worst
crisis in the history of the airline industry. Furthermore, we were
able to strengthen our market position in a challenging European
market environment. Air Berlin is well-positioned for moderate growth
and increased profitability."

Total revenue for the 2009 financial year amounted to EUR 3.24
billion, as compared to EUR 3.38 billion in the previous year. Flight
revenue decreased to EUR 2.97 billion (2008: EUR 3.09 billion). For
the year under review, flight revenue per passenger amounted to EUR
106.28 (2008: EUR 108.28). Flight revenue per available seat
kilometer (ASK) increased by 6.9 percent to 5.86 Eurocents (2008:
5.48 Eurocents). Flight revenue per passenger-kilometer (RPK) rose by
8.5 percent to 7.57 Eurocents (2008: 6.98 Eurocents).In the year
under review, overall operating expenses at the EBITDAR level reached
EUR 2.779 billion, i.e. 6.2 percent less than in the previous year
(2008: EUR 2.962 billion). This illustrates that cost was
significantly reduced with respect to overall performance. Cost
reductions were achieved throughout all cost items.

For the 2009 financial year, EBITDAR (Earnings before interest,
leasing expenses, depreciation, amortization, interest and taxes)
improved by 8.4 percent to EUR 503.6 million (2008: EUR 464.7
million).

EBIT (Earnings before interest and taxes) for the 2009 financial year
amounted to EUR 28.5 million (2008: EUR 2 million). The financial
results improved from EUR -72 million in the previous year to EUR -51
million for the 2009 financial year. The repurchase of convertible
bonds with a nominal value of EUR 84 million, in the second half of
2009, significantly contributed to this improvement. The transaction
yielded EUR 21.3 million. After taking into account tax proceeds
amounting to EUR 12.2 million, net profit for the year under review
increased by 89 percent and reached EUR -9.5 million (2008: EUR -83.5
million). Earnings per share, based on the average number of 73.523
million shares outstanding in 2009, therefore amount to EUR -0.13,
compared with EUR -1.27 in the previous year.

Improved balance sheet structure For the year under review, net
indebtedness was reduced by EUR 187.9 million, i.e. by 24.7 percent.
As at 31 December 2009, net indebtedness stood at EUR 574.1 million,
as compared to EUR 762.0 million in the previous year. At the end of
2009, gearing (net indebtedness as a percentage of equity) amounted
to 94.1 percent, as compared to 204.8 percent in the previous year.
In 2009, Air Berlin's equity increased by EUR 238 million to EUR 610
million, i.e. an increase of 64 percent. The capital measures taken
during the 2009 financial year resulted in a net inflow of EUR 133
million for the company.

Ulf Hüttmeyer, CFO Air Berlin PLC, pointed out the financial
strengthening of the company in a year characterized by highly
challenging economic conditions, as follows: "We were able to
significantly improve EBIT, EBITDAR as well as the consolidated
financial results. In the 2009 financial year, equity increased by 10
percentage points to 25 percent, and net indebtedness - as predicted
- was lowered by almost 25 percent. We have significantly improved
the company's financial structure, which will, in turn, contribute to
moderate growth."

At the end of 2009, Air Berlin had about 8,278 employees (2008:
8,311). The Air Berlin Group operates a fleet of 152 aircraft, of
which 42 are company-owned (as at 31 December 2009). With 27.9
million passengers transported in 2009, Air Berlin is Germany's
second-largest airline company. Including the acquired TUIfly routes,
Air Berlin ranks sixth in the number of passengers transported within
Europe.

Outlook For 2010, Air Berlin expects to grow faster than the overall
market, for which IATA has predicted a 4.5 percent increase in
passengers transported. This would bring the number of passengers
travelling on Air Berlin in 2010 significantly over the 30-million
mark, for the very first time. Factors supporting this prognosis are
that the TUIfly connections are contributing over an entire financial
year and that Air Berlin has a competitive edge which includes the
company's well-balanced product portfolio for business travel and
leisure travel, and its attractive price-performance ratio,
especially on short and medium-haul routes. For growth during the
current year, Air Berlin is focusing on its intra-European flights,
for which the impulses are expected to be the strongest.

Air Berlin is expecting a noticeable increase in profit for the 2010
business year, in particular since the routes acquired from TUIfly
will contribute to revenue for the first time over the entire year.
Air Berlin will continue its efforts to improve performance and
reduce costs. Against this background, profitable growth is likely to
continue in 2010.

Air Berlin is Germany´s second largest airline. The Group has been
listed on the stock exchange since May 2006. Last year Air Berlin
carried a total of 27.9 million passengers worldwide. The company
currently has about 8,200 employees. Every year Air Berlin receives
more than 10 awards for service and quality. With an average age of
only 5.5 years, Air Berlin has one of the newest fleets in Europe.
The airline´s modern aircraft are extremely fuel-efficient and so
provide a lasting contribution to the reduction of aviation
emissions.

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: Air Berlin PLC & Co Luftverkehrs KG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Hans-Christoph Noack

Director Corporate Communications Air Berlin

phone: +49 30 3434 1500

fax: +49 30 3434 1509

e-mail: abpresse@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
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München / free trade