EANS-News: Air Berlin PLC / Air Berlin reduces loss in the first quarter

Severe winter adversely affects revenue – Increased number of
passengers – Demand for intra-European flights recovers

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Financial Figures/Balance Sheet/three-month-results 2010

Subtitle: Severe winter adversely affects revenue – Increased number
of passengers – Demand for intra-European flights recovers

Berlin (euro adhoc) - In the first quarter of 2010, Air Berlin was
able to increase the number of passengers welcomed on board to 6.2
million, i.e. an increase of 2.4 percent. Following the successful
integration of the acquired TUIfly city routes and with demand for
flights within Europe recovering, Air Berlin is once again on the
path to growth. For the first quarter of 2010, despite the harsh
winter, seasonal operating loss (EBIT) improved to EUR -98.6 million
(Q1 2009: EUR -107.6 million, pro-forma). Based on the pro-forma
income statement, Air Berlin's operational result and net result have
improved over the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Revenue
was adversely affected by airport closures related to the harsh
winter conditions and decreased by 3.3 percent to EUR 690.9 million
(Q1 2009: EUR 714.2 million).

At 8.5 Eurocents, total revenue per passenger kilometer (RRPK)
improved slightly. For the quarter under review, EBITDAR (Earnings
before interest, leasing expenses, depreciation, amortization,
interest and taxes) increased from EUR 30.2 million to EUR 44.1
million, i.e. an increase of 46 percent, despite the additional
expenses related to the severe winter, including airport closures,
airport taxes, navigation, de-icing and personnel. The diminished
visibility resulting from exceptional snowfall prolonged the average
flight duration by eight minutes which, in turn, increased kerosene
consumption and led to a higher per flight cost. In total, the
unusually harsh winter conditions resulted in additional costs for
Air Berlin, in the two-digit million range.

The result from operating activities (EBIT) reached EUR -98.6
million, as compared to EUR -87.3 million in 2009 (pro-forma: EUR
-107.6 million). Pre-tax earnings amounted to EUR -125.5 million (Q1
2009: EUR -118.6 million, pro-forma: EUR -139.0 million). Net result
for the first quarter of 2010 amounts to EUR -93.6 million, as
compared to EUR -88.4 million in the first quarter of 2009
(pro-forma: EUR -108.9 million).

As Joachim Hunold, CEO Air Berlin, stated on Thursday: "Like other
airline companies, Air Berlin has felt the economic consequences of
the exceptionally harsh winter. Nevertheless, our company managed to
improve earnings. We are currently experiencing an increase in demand
for intra-European flights on the network which Air Berlin has
expanded via the integration of the TUIfly connections."

As a result of the 5 percent increase in capacity, the load factor
declined to 70.8 percent (-0.8 percent). For the reporting period,
revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) decreased slightly to 6.0
Eurocents, i.e. by 0.7 percent (Q1 2009: 6.1 Eurocents). At the end
of the first quarter of 2010, the number of corporate agreements
amounted to 1,276. In the meantime, the "business points" program for
small and medium-sized enterprises, which was initiated in March, is
already being used by 1,800 companies.

For the quarter under review, Air Berlin was able to decrease
corporate expenditures to EUR 793.6 million, i.e. by 4 percent (Q1
2009: EUR 826.7 million). In addition to the relief provided by lower
fuel cost, Air Berlin's efforts to reduce cost and increase
efficiency continue to bear fruit. Due to the growth of Air Berlin's
fleet, fleet expenditures for the first quarter of 2010 increased to
EUR 142.7 million, i.e. an increase of 3.5 percent over the
corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q1 2009: EUR 137.8
million).

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
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade