NIKI's E190s to be replaced with Airbus aircraft by Jun-2015

airberlin group confirmed (02-Dec-2014) plans to replace the existing Embraer E190 aircraft in NIKI's fleet with Airbus aircraft by the middle of 2015. NIKI's seven E190s will be replaced with five 150-seat A319s and two 180-seat A320s by Jun-2015. As previously reported by CAPA, airberlin group plans to retire its remaining Boeing aircraft by 2016 and become an all-Airbus operator. airberlin CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said: "Harmonising our fleet will enable us to achieve increased productivity, lower costs per seat kilometre and more efficient flight operations. The decision to switch to the larger Airbus planes will also create new growth opportunities for NIKI. In 2015, NIKI will therefore see capacity increase." NIKI MD Christian Lesjak added: "The standardisation of our fleet is a bonus for NIKI. It will allow us to operate more economically on the whole. And the increased overall capacity will also enable us to support an important trend: Vienna airport has established itself as a hub for airberlin passengers for flights to Greece and Cyprus, for example." According to the CAPA Fleet Database, NIKI's seven E190s have an average age of 4.6 years. The carrier also has 12 A320s and four A321s in its fleet. [more - original PR - English/German]