EANS-News: Air Berlin PLC / airberlin books solid results

Third quarter results make up for the first half-year – Indebtedness
significantly lowered – Equity ratio improved – Capacity reduction
due to air travel tax – Additional cost-saving measures

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Corporate news transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer/originator is solely
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Financial Figures/Balance Sheet/9-month report/ Q3 Figures

Subtitle: Third quarter results make up for the first half-year –
Indebtedness significantly lowered – Equity ratio improved – Capacity
reduction due to air travel tax – Additional cost-saving measures

London/ Berlin (euro adhoc) - airberlin reached an operating profit
(EBIT) of EUR 171.7 million for the third quarter of 2010; however,
the accumulated figures for the first nine months of the year could
have been better: The harsh winter and the flight cancellations
caused by the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland reduced EBIT to EUR
44.8 million. As at 30 September 2010, the net result for the first
nine months amounted to EUR -14.6 million.

Total revenue for the quarter reached EUR 1.241 billion, i.e. is a 5
percent increase over the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
Due to the capacity increase, yield decreased by 2.2 percent to EUR
103.93. Analogously, revenue per available seat kilometer decreased
by 2.9 percent to 6.79 Eurocents.

Conversely, cost per available seat kilometer (ASK) for the first
nine months of 2010 was lowered by 3.6 percent, in the third quarter
even by 4.3 percent. Air Berlin PLC's net indebtedness was
significantly reduced, namely from EUR 574 million to EUR 438
million. This figure, however, also includes EUR 132 million for the
first-time consolidation of the Austrian subsidiary, NIKI. The equity
ratio improved to 22 percent as compared to 20 percent in the
corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Promising economic data and increasing consumer confidence encouraged
airberlin's Management to expand the fleet during the first nine
months of the year. Seat capacity was increased by 4.9 percent, in
the third quarter even by 9 percent. However, the air travel tax
which will become effective as of January 2011 is prompting the
company to change its course. Since the charge is expected to amount
to between EUR 160 and 170 million, capacity will be reduced by 5
percent as of the beginning of the summer flight schedule 2011.

As airberlin's CEO Joachim Hunold stated in Berlin on Thursday:
"Although the economic conditions remain favorable, we are cautious
with respect to the coming year. In my opinion, the fierce
competition on some flight routes will make it impossible to pass on
the air travel tax to the passengers in its entirety. Therefore, we
will reduce our capacity by five percent, and reduce our fleet by
seven aircraft, instead of carrying out the originally planned
increase."

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: Air Berlin PLC & Co Luftverkehrs KG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Peter Hauptvogel

Director Corporate Communications

Tel.: +49 (0)30 3434 1500

Fax: +49 (0)30 3434 1509

E-Mail: abpresse@airberlin.com

Branche: Air Transport
ISIN: GB00B128C026
WKN: AB1000
Index: SDAX, Classic All Share, Prime All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Stuttgart / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade