Air Berlin says on way to securing jobs with Lufthansa, easyJet bids

BERLIN, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Insolvent German airline Air Berlin said there were good prospects for repayyment of a government loan and for 80 percent of its staff if bids for parts of its business from Lufthansa and easyJet can be completed.

Air Berlin, which has around 8,000 employees, filed for insolvency in August after major shareholder Etihad said it would stop providing funding.

Germany’s second largest airline said last week its creditors had picked Lufthansa and easyJet as possible buyers for parts of its business and would negotiate with them until Oct. 12.

It said on Monday that Lufthansa’s bid was for units including leisure airline Niki and regional carrier LGW plus other parts, while easyJet had bid for parts of the fleet.

“We are on the way to giving around 80 percent of our colleagues a good chance of getting new jobs with the bidders,” Air Berlin CEO Thomas Winkelmann said in a statement.

Air Berlin said the parties had agreed not to disclose the purchase price they had offered. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan and Klaus Lauer; Editing by Maria Sheahan)

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