LONDON – Nordic Aviation Group has this week announced plans to help support new entrant Marabu by providing aircraft to the carrier.
Marabu is a new German entrant who plans to launch direct routes from Hamburg and Munich in time for the Summer 2023 season.
Nordic Aviation Group will provide ACMI services to Marabu through the utilization of three Airbus A320neo aircraft.
Marabu aims to serve up to 20 destinations from the two German airports, which is a significant network for a start-up airline.
Executive Comments…
Commenting on this arrangement was Paul Schwaiger, the CEO of Marabu:
“The competence and the successful performance of the past years characterizing the Nordic Aviation Group has given us trust towards this company.”
“We are very happy to work with such a strong partner. Together, we can build up a new strong airline for the strongly increasing demand next summer”.
Schwaiger also added that Marabu’s business model is one based on solid growth and a safe foundation.
Also commenting on this news was Jan Palmer, the CEO of Nordic Aviation Group:
”[The] aviation sector in Europe is growing fast now, witnessing a resurgence of demand. It’s actively recruiting and looking to expand.”
“The greatest growth can be witnessed in the segment of leisure and holiday travelers – the market Marabu will be focusing on.”
“We are glad to undertake this path together, completing to perfection one another’s competencies and thus building a sustainable business model and strategic partnership.”
“This additional business secures strong growth of the Nordic Aviation Group in the long-term”.
The Condor-Marabu Relationship: An Unhealthy Start With The Unions?
Marabu is a carrier owned by the company Attestor, which also owns German leisure carrier, Condor.
According to AeroTELEGRAPH, Condor will be exclusively responsible for the distribution of Marabu flights, despite this carrier being a wholly independent airline.
It is understood that the Nordic Aviation Group has also hired more than 100 flight attendants and pilots in preparation for the launch of this new carrier, the German outlet reports.
The outlet continued on by saying there has been criticism from the unions already about the fact that the AOC would be under Estonian codes, with Vereinigung Cockpit saying the following:
“When the same owner operates the same routes with the same aircraft and uses Condor sales, many questions are raised”.
“Especially the choice of Estonia as the place of registration gives cause for concern.”
So, even before the airline even commences operations, there are going to be some problems that will have to be dealt with, especially if it means keeping the unions on side moving forward.
Overall…
It remains clear that Marabu Airlines does want to hit the ground running with operations, but with plans needing to be finalized and problems solved with the unions, there is still a lot left to do.
If Marabu can smooth things over with the unions as soon as possible, then this will be a beneficial item to have in their backlog.
But for now, all eyes will be on the carrier to see how the launch plans will go and whether this could be the start of another successful German entrant into the market.
