German tour operator Frosch Touristik is negotiating to extend its contract with Britannia Airways Germany for long-haul charter flights. But the firm expects its in-house airline, flyFTi, to take over the services eventually with Airbus A330-200s.
The current agreement with UK-based Britannia's German arm is due to expire in April 2001. Frosch chief executive Dietmar Gunz says talks are under way to extend this by up to two years.
The airline operates three Boeing 767-300ERs from its Berlin and Munich bases to the Mediterranean, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico.
According to flyFTi managing director Godwin Demicoli, the German carrier has not set a firm timetable for acquiring widebodies of its own. "That's a decision which depends on what's going to happen with Britannia," he says.
Britannia's tour operator parent, Thomson Travel Group, is a takeover target of German tour operator C&N.
Two of flyFTi's sister airlines within the Airtours Group - UK-based Airtours International and Premiair of Denmark - operate Rolls-Royce Trent 700-powered A330-200s. Demicoli says extending the contract with Britannia is at this stage the preferred option, because of the training costs associated with introducing a new type and because flyFTi would have to earn 180min extended-range twin-engined operations approval from the German authorities.
This summer, flyFTiwilloperate six A320s, with one each based at Munich, Nuremburg, Cologne, Berlin Schönefeld, Hanover and Leipzig.
Source: Flight International
