Lufthansa moves on Air Berlin as Ryanair circles

Lufthansa has submitted a letter of interest in Air Berlin’s Austrian budget airline Niki and other parts of the insolvent carrier, according to sources.

Air Berlin, which is being kept in the air thanks to a €150m government loan, has been in talks with interested parties since last week, when it filed for insolvency after major shareholder, Gulf carrier Etihad, said it would no longer provide funding.

Part of Air Berlin’s appeal to bidders lies in its access to take-off and landing slots at airports such as Dusseldorf.