Germanwings
Encyclopedia
Germanwings GmbH
is a low-cost airline
based in Cologne
, Germany
, and is wholly owned by Lufthansa
. Cologne Bonn Airport
, Stuttgart Airport
and (to a lesser extent) Berlin-Schönefeld Airport are the important hubs
in the airline's network of approximately 70 destinations. Further Germanwings bases are at Hannover-Langenhagen Airport and Dortmund Airport
.
set up a low-cost department, which became a separate company under the name Germanwings on 27 October 2002. On 7 December 2005, the airline signed an agreement to purchase 18 Airbus A319
aircraft (with a further 12 options
), with deliveries scheduled from July 2006 until 2008. During winter 2004–2005 Germanwings leased two Boeing 717
from Aerolíneas de Baleares
to test this type, but no order was made after.
Initial plans to merge Germanwings, Eurowings
and TUIfly
into one airline apt to compete with Air Berlin
/LTU
on the German market (and also with EasyJet
and Ryanair
on international routes) were brought forth in 2008, but were never realized. Instead, Germanwings became a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary on 1 January 2009.
As of December 2010, the Germanwings fleet consists of 30 Airbus A319-100
aircraft with an average age of 5.4 years.
Another 8 aircraft of the same type are still on order waiting for delivery. The airliners are equipped with either 144 or 150 passenger seat in an all-economy class
layout.
, in order to promote German cites (like the "Bearbus" paint scheme inspired by the coat of arms of Berlin
), or for advertising reasons (a pink one for T-Mobile
).
Germanwings operates the Sky Bistro (Bord Shop in German), a buy on board
programme offering food and drinks for purchase.
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung is a type of legal entityvery common in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other Central European countries...
is a low-cost airline
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
based in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and is wholly owned by Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
. Cologne Bonn Airport
Cologne Bonn Airport
Cologne/Bonn Airport is an international airport located in the district of Porz in the city of Cologne, Germany, and is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve. The airport is centrally located in the Cologne/Bonn Region southeast of Cologne city centre and northeast of Bonn...
, Stuttgart Airport
Stuttgart Airport
Stuttgart Airport is an international airport located approximately south of Stuttgart, Germany....
and (to a lesser extent) Berlin-Schönefeld Airport are the important hubs
Airline hub
An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...
in the airline's network of approximately 70 destinations. Further Germanwings bases are at Hannover-Langenhagen Airport and Dortmund Airport
Dortmund Airport
Dortmund Airport , is the international airport located east of Dortmund, Germany. Its slogan is Näher als man denkt . Since 2006 it has been carrying the name "Dortmund Airport 21", in reference to the fact that Dortmund's utility company, DSW21, is its major shareholder...
.
History
In 1997, EurowingsEurowings
Eurowings Luftverkehrs AG, part of Lufthansa Regional, is an airline with its head office in the Düsseldorf Administrative Center in Düsseldorf, Germany...
set up a low-cost department, which became a separate company under the name Germanwings on 27 October 2002. On 7 December 2005, the airline signed an agreement to purchase 18 Airbus A319
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft (with a further 12 options
Option (finance)
In finance, an option is a derivative financial instrument that specifies a contract between two parties for a future transaction on an asset at a reference price. The buyer of the option gains the right, but not the obligation, to engage in that transaction, while the seller incurs the...
), with deliveries scheduled from July 2006 until 2008. During winter 2004–2005 Germanwings leased two Boeing 717
Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
from Aerolíneas de Baleares
Aerolineas de Baleares
Quantum Air was an airline based in Madrid, Spain. It operated domestic scheduled services within Spain, as well as charter and ACMI operations all over Europe. Its fleet was originally wet-leased to Spanair for use on domestic and international routes, but since 2009, they operated on their own...
to test this type, but no order was made after.
Initial plans to merge Germanwings, Eurowings
Eurowings
Eurowings Luftverkehrs AG, part of Lufthansa Regional, is an airline with its head office in the Düsseldorf Administrative Center in Düsseldorf, Germany...
and TUIfly
TUIfly
TUIfly Vermarktungs GmbH is an airline based at Hannover Airport in Langenhagen, Lower Saxony, Germany. The airline offers both charter and scheduled low-cost flights. About 60% of all seats are sold directly, 30% as a part of a TUI holiday package and 10% by other agencies...
into one airline apt to compete with Air Berlin
Air Berlin
Air Berlin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG is Germany's second largest airline, after Lufthansa, and Europe's sixth largest airline in terms of passengers....
/LTU
LTU International
LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...
on the German market (and also with EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
and Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
on international routes) were brought forth in 2008, but were never realized. Instead, Germanwings became a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary on 1 January 2009.
Fleet
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
aircraft with an average age of 5.4 years.
| Type | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 30 | 8 | 144 | ex-US Airways US Airways US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country.... |
| 150 |
Another 8 aircraft of the same type are still on order waiting for delivery. The airliners are equipped with either 144 or 150 passenger seat in an all-economy class
Economy class
__FORCETOC__Economy class, also called coach class , steerage, or standard class, is the lowest class of seating in air travel, rail travel, and sometimes ferry or maritime travel....
layout.
Special paint schemes
Some Germanwings aircraft were applied special liveriesAircraft livery
Aircraft livery is a paint scheme applied to an aircraft, generally to fuselage, wings, empennage , or jet engines. Most airlines have a standard paint scheme for their aircraft fleet, usually prominently displaying the airline logo or name. From time to time special liveries are introduced, for...
, in order to promote German cites (like the "Bearbus" paint scheme inspired by the coat of arms of Berlin
Coat of arms of Berlin
The coat of arms of Berlin is used by the German city state as well as the city itself, while Berlin's various boroughs use their own emblems. The bear was not the original symbol of the city, but instead had to 'struggle' to establish its place as such...
), or for advertising reasons (a pink one for T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
).
Booking and inflight services
Even though operating as a no-frills airline, Germanwings allows for guaranteed connecting flights.Germanwings operates the Sky Bistro (Bord Shop in German), a buy on board
Buy on board
In commercial flight, buy on board is a system where food or beverages are paid for on board; often food or beverages are not included in the ticket price for certain fare classes....
programme offering food and drinks for purchase.