With 9,300 employees, a fleet of 152 aircraft and 35.3 million passengers, airberlin is the second largest airline in Germany. In terms of passenger numbers the airberlin group is in sixth place amongst European carriers. Alongside airberlin, the airberlin group is made up of the Austrian airline NIKI (with 49.9%), the Swiss airline Belair (49%) and air berlin technik GMBH (100%).
Air Berlin PLC is the legal parent company of the airberlin group and was founded in England and Wales as a public limited company in 2005. The management is based in the German capital, Berlin.
In December 2011 airberlin and Etihad Airways established a strategic partnership, and in the spring of 2012 airberlin became a full member of the global airline alliance oneworld®. airberlin is now able to offer its passengers a global route network, with mileage earning and redeeming opportunities available through the topbonus loyalty programme, and the programmes of its partner and alliance airlines.