The airline operator IAG will buy the low-cost Austrian air carrier Niki, which was wholy-owned by the bankrupted Air Berlin.
Niki, renowned for its network of European and North African tourist destinations, has declared insolvency this month after the German airline Lufthansa withdrew its offer to acquire it. The German company has announced its refusal to buy Niki as part of an agreement to acquire large shares of the bankrupt Air Berlin following the rejection of the deal by the European Commission for reasons of competition.
According to the bankruptcy trustee Lucas Floether, it is very likely that Niki will be sold in the coming days and many of the around 1,000 jobs in Austria and Germany will be retained.
The airline was established by the Formula One champion Nikki Lauda in 2003, but was sold to the Air Berlin Group in 2011.
Among interested in the airline was the 68-year-old Lauda, as well as Tuifly and Thomas Cook (Condor).
