AirBerlin will end flights by 28 October 2017 at the latest and is encouraging employees to seek jobs elsewhere as the company’s liquidation efforts proceed, according to a letter to workers from the carrier’s top two executives.

While AirBerlin is trying to find positions for its roughly 8,600 employees, they should still try to find new jobs on their own because prospective buyers of parts of Air Berlin intend to appoint new staff in the majority of cases.

AirBerlin was set up in 1978 in West Berlin and, after adopting a low-cost business model following Germany’s unification in 1990, the carrier sold shares public in 2006. Air Berlin went into insolvency administration in August when Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, its biggest shareholder, withdrew financial support after years of losses. Winkelmann and Kebekus said in their letter that Air Berlin will have to stop flying by the end of October amid proceedings to settle with creditors and distribute assets to buyers.

NIKI is not affected by the insolvency. NIKI flight operations will continue as planned.

Source: Bloomberg