Rise in passengers of 22.4 percent for Air Berlin

THE low cost airline, Air Berlin, last year flew 4.53 million passengers in and out of Palma, which is a rise of 22.4 percent on 2004.
Airline sources said yesterday that it has 20 more flights per week to and from Son Sant Joan, from where it offers 300 flights per week to Germany, Austria, Spain, Holland, Great Britain, Portugal and Switzerland. Air Berlin flies directly to 39 airports from Palma, 17 in Germany, 13 in Spain, 3 in Portugal, 3 in Austria, 1 in Britain, 1 in Switzerland, and 1 in Holland. In May the company will start a new route between Palma and Mahon (Minorca) which will operate on Thursdays and Sundays, leaving Son Sant Joan at 3.05pm and Mahon at 6.15pm. With 13.5 million passengers in 2005, Air Berlin has maintained its position as Germany's second airline behind Lufthansa. It also occupies third position in the European ranking of low cost airlines.