The prospect of increasing competition from low-fare start-ups at Cologne-Bonn airport has forced Virgin Express to abandon plans for a hub at the German airport.
The Brussels-based low-cost carrier unveiled plans earlier this year to begin operations from the airport in December. But German tour operator TUI and Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings have reacted by starting up no-frills operations there. Virgin's chairman David Hoare says: "A fares war is inevitable. This will be good for the German public, but our participation would be unprofitable."
Eurowings' operation, called Germanwings, has taken its first Airbus A319, and will launch at the end of next month. The TUI offering - a joint venture with Germania called Hapag-Lloyd Express - will also start next month, using 737-700s.
Germanwings will operate five Airbus A319s and an A320 from Eurowings' charter fleet. The initial network encompasses services to Barcelona, Berlin Tegel, London Stansted, Madrid, Milan Malpensa, Nice, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome, Vienna and Zurich.
Source: Flight International
