Airport News
Air Berlin, Germany's second largest airline behind Lufthansa is looking for a partner, with its new chief executive holding talks with several potential interested parties, a German daily said on Thursday, citing sources.
United Arab Emirates' Etihad Airways and China's HNA Group were among those chief executive Hartmut Mehdorn has approached for discussions, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said in its Friday edition.
A sale of a substantial stake in Air Berlin cannot be ruled out, it added.
Air Berlin declined to comment.
Air Berlin had already pre-released third quarter results at the end of October, showing a 44 percent drop in operating profit to EUR€96.8 million ($130.97 million), hurt by an air travel tax in Germany and high fuel prices. The airline made a EUR€9.3 million operating loss in 2010.
