GERMANWINGS

'Germanwings' is a low-cost airline based in Cologne and Bonn, Germany. It operates services to over 44 destinations in Europe. Its main base is Cologne Bonn Airport, with secondary bases at Stuttgart Airport, Berlin-Schönefeld International Airport and Hamburg Airport.^[1]

Contents

History

Destinations

Fleet

External links

References

History

The airline was established in 1997 (as "Eurowings Flug GmbH") and started operations on 27 October 2002. It is wholly owned by Eurowings, which belongs 49% to Lufthansa. Its main competitors are other no-frills carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet as well as TUIfly and Air Berlin.
A number of customers have reported on consumer blogs frequent billing and other customer-service problems with Germanwings, including a practice of frequent overcharging to credit cards as well as telephone numbers listed on its website that have been disconnected.

Destinations

Its fifth hub will be at Dortmund Airport starting in June 2007, initially serving five cities.^[2]
For all current destinations see Germanwings destinations.

Fleet

The Germanwings fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of March 2007) :

★ 21 Airbus A319-100 (plus 14 on order)

★ 3 Airbus A320-200
In July 2006, Germanwings fleet age is 6.8 years old. ^[3]
On 7 December 2005 the airline signed an agreement to purchase 18 Airbus A319 aircraft (with a further 12 options). These are their first direct orders with Airbus and deliveries will start in July 2006 until 2008. ^[4] During winter 2004-2005 Germanwings leased two Boeing 717 from Aerolineas Baleares to test this type, but no order was made after.

External links

★ Germanwings

★ Route map and statistical information

★ Germanwings Fleet

★ Photos of Germanwings aircraft

References

1. Directory: World Airlines
2. "Germanwings lands in Dortmund: A fifth German base for the low-cost airline" (Germanwings Press Release). Retrieved 2007-03-13.
3. Germanwings Fleet Age
4. Aero International, June 2006