Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

The German carrier will also become the first airline outside the UK and Ireland to fly domestic UK routes as it complements the hub with new connecting flights from Stansted to Manchester and Glasgow.

The hub is due to launch on December 16 and will be Air Berlin’s third European hub.

Last year, Air Berlin carried over 12 million passengers, which made it Germany’s second-largest airline, Europe’s third-largest low-cost carrier, and through its operations in its Majorca hub, Spain’s third-largest airline.

The German airline estimates that it will carry 13.8 million passengers in 2005.

Air Berlin managing partner, Joachim Hunold, said: "Our UK customers already know and value our service so it makes sense for Air Berlin to increase its presence in the British market.

"In doing so, we become the first German airline to fly inside Britain. After all, our rivals are competing with us in the German market – so we will enjoy challenging them here."

Until now, Stansted has been used only for point-to-point flights, passengers could change planes and fly onto other destinations but were required to collect their luggage and check it in again for the new flight.

Chris Butler, business development and planning director for BAA Stansted said: "Air Berlin has recognised Stansted as key to the future development of its ever growing route networks and we are delighted it has chosen us to be its latest European hub.

"The development will not only give passengers from Germany, Scotland and Manchester greater flexibility for travel, but the increased flight frequencies from Stansted across their German and UK networks offer even more opportunities for travel from London and the East of England as well as bringing more opportunity for inbound tourism."

With the Air Berlin hub, passengers from other UK airports who wish to travel to Germany via Stansted can do so easily while their luggage is automatically transported to the connecting plane.

Average transfer times will be 45 to 60 minutes.

Starting December 16, Air Berlin will fly twice daily from Stansted to airports in Berlin, Dusseldorf and Nuremberg, once a day or more to Munster/Osnabruck, Paderborn and Nuremburg. Hannover and Paderborn will be connected twice a day from May 2006.

Air Berlin will also increase the number of London-Leipzig/Halle flights from three to seven per week.