Air Berlin - which holds a 49.9 per cent stake in Austrian low-cost carrier FlyNiki - has set up more than 30 task forces to become more competitive, according to Austrian Times.
CEO Hartmut Mehdorn explained the carrier wanted to "regain its strength" shortly. Air Berlin's fleet is set to shrink from 170 to 152 planes in the coming months. The company plans to reduce its flight movements by four per cent by next summer. Mehdorn promised possible cuts would not affect the quality of customer service or safety issues.
Mehdorn took over at Air Berlin only on 1 September. His appointment came shortly after Joachim Hunold quit. The businessman started working for the airline in 1991. Hunold explained he decided to resign to herald a "clear cut" which should help the Berlin-based firm getting back in the black.
Air Berlin - Germany's second-biggest airline after the Lufthansa Group - sustained a loss of 188 million Euros in the first three months of 2011. The carrier, which has been cooperating with FlyNiki since 2004, most recently made a profit in 2007.
FlyNiki boss Niki Lauda told the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper he was "convinced" Air Berlin would achieve a profit in 2012. The Austrian businessman stressed he had no regrets about teaming up with Air Berlin. "I was right (to agree on partnering up). I would not have 21 aircrafts and 4.2 million passengers (in 2010) otherwise," he said.