DBA (airline)
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Predecessor | Delta Air |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 30 November 2008 |
| Fate | Acquired and merged into Air Berlin |
| Headquarters | Hallbergmoos, Bavaria , Germany |
Area served | Germany, Europe, North Africa |
Key people | Carl Michel (CEO), Martin Gauss (founder), Peter Wojahn (founder) |
| Products | Scheduled and charter flights |
Number of employees | 700 (2007) |
| Parent | Air Berlin (from August 2006) |
DBA Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH, initially established as Delta Air and subsequently known as Deutsche BA, was a German low-cost airline based at Munich Airport in Hallbergmoos, Bavaria, Germany. The airline provided scheduled flights within Germany and internationally, along with charter services throughout Europe and North Africa.
After being acquired by Air Berlin in August 2006 while operating under the name dba, it continued to function autonomously under the brand Air Berlin (powered by dba) until it ceased operations on 30 November 2008.
Establishment by British Airways
Deutsche BA came into existence in 1992 when British Airways (BA) purchased a 49% share in the regional airline Delta Air, eventually acquiring full ownership by 1997.
Under the leadership of CEO Carl Michel, the company standardized its fleet to 18 Boeing 737-300 aircraft, concentrating on domestic German routes, feeder flights to London–Gatwick, and connections with other oneworld alliance members such as Iberia and Finnair. Operations involving secondary routes and turboprop aircraft were discontinued.
Following Rod Eddington’s appointment as BA CEO in 2000, Deutsche BA underwent a strategic evaluation due to losses surpassing £15 million by 2001. In May 2002, EasyJet secured an exclusive option to purchase Deutsche BA from BA, contingent upon management participation and financial guarantees. Nevertheless, EasyJet withdrew from the deal in March 2003 because of economic difficulties and German labor law constraints.
Initial divestment and merger attempts
In June 2003, BA sold Deutsche BA to Intro Verwaltungsgesellschaft for a nominal price of 1 Euro, while committing £25 million and guaranteeing the airline’s fleet of 16 Boeing 737 aircraft for one year. BA retained rights to 25% of any profits or sale proceeds until June 2006. Following this transaction, the airline was rebranded as dba.
In March 2005, dba revealed intentions to acquire competitor Germania Express (gexx), aiming to become Germany’s third-largest carrier behind Lufthansa and Air Berlin. The gexx brand was phased out along with its Fokker 100 planes, whose leases were transferred to dba. In April 2005, dba submitted a bid for Greek flag carrier Olympic Airlines but subsequently withdrew.
For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005, dba recorded its first profit since inception, ranging between €1 million and €2 million on revenues near €265 million. That year, it transported approximately three million passengers. Ownership was divided between Intro Verwaltungsgesellschaft (80%) and founders Martin Gauss and Peter Wojahn (20%), with a workforce of 660 employees as of January 2005.
On February 17, 2006, dba acquired a controlling interest of 60% in LTU. The principal shareholder Hans-Rudolf Wöhrl intended to merge operations with dba focusing on domestic routes while LTU concentrated on international services. This strategy included supporting LTU’s long-haul flights through feeder connections to Munich and Düsseldorf. LTU’s managing director Jürgen Marbach took a 24% share in the venture.
Acquisition by Air Berlin
In February 2006, Lutz Helmig purchased a 25.1% stake via the Aton company. Subsequently, on August 17, 2006, Air Berlin acquired full ownership of dba. Initially, both airlines preserved separate brands; dba operated independently but was marketed under Air Berlin as "powered by dba". As of March 2007, the combined workforce numbered around 700 employees.
The acquisition received unconditional approval from the German Federal Cartel Office on September 6, 2006. Winter schedules for that year were aligned between the two airlines, with joint scheduling introduced for the summer season of 2007.
On November 30, 2008, Air Berlin fully absorbed dba’s operations and integrated its fleet into Air Berlin’s system.
Fleet
Operating under the Deutsche BA name, the airline utilized a fleet featuring aircraft painted in a design closely resembling that of British Airways:
External links
- Archived Flydba.com
- Archived Deutsche-ba.de (1996–2001)