Cartel office authorises Zeitfracht to acquire stake in Romanian Blue Air

Published in the Press box.

(PresseBox) (Berlin, 04.02.19) The Berlin-based logistics company Zeitfracht can acquire a stake in the Romanian airline Blue Air. The German Federal Cartel Office has approved the purchase of shares in Blue Air, which has been linked to the Zeitfracht Group in a strategic partnership since 2018. The Berlin-based family-owned company has been active in aviation since the acquisition of Cologne-based airline WDL Aviation in 2017. "By joining Blue Air, we have taken a major step forward in expanding our activities in the aviation sector," said Wolfram Simon-Schröter, Managing Director of the Zeitfracht Group, on Monday. "Our strategy is working - we are on course for growth," said Simon-Schröter.

The private scheduled and charter airline Blue Air was founded in 2004 and has grown strongly in recent years. It currently operates a fleet of 26 Boeing 737s and plans to add a further 12 aircraft to its fleet this year. Blue Air, which is based in Bucharest, carried around six million passengers in 2017. The airline is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the umbrella organisation for airlines, as well as the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG), which represents the interests of airlines operating in Germany.

Blue Air flies to more than 100 destinations in Europe. In Germany, it serves the airports of Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart. It does not offer flights within Germany.

The Zeitfracht Group has been active in the aviation sector since 2017. WDL operates three BAe 146 passenger and three cargo aircraft in the wet lease business for well-known airlines. From the spring, four more Embraer E190 aircraft will be added to the fleet.

The purchase of the Blue Air shares by Zeitfracht was notified to the Federal Cartel Office at the beginning of January. It has been agreed not to disclose the exact number of shares that Zeitfracht will acquire.