Copenhagen Airport: New low-cost service to Vienna
04-Dec-2009 Low-cost airlines continue to expand at Copenhagen Airport. Austrian-based airline NIKI will start operations at Copenhagen Airport next year by launching a new service to Vienna. Behind the airline is former Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda.
Yet another low-cost airline will be operating at Copenhagen Airport when Austrian-based NIKI launches six weekly frequencies on its new Copenhagen-Vienna service in March. The airline will use Airbus A320s seating 180 passengers and, with return flights on every day except Saturdays, the new service will be catering to both leisure and business travellers.
Founded in 2003, NIKI carried 2.1 million passengers in 2008. The airline has a fleet of 12 aircraft, which will be increased to 17 from May next year. Low-cost airline Air Berlin, which also operates out of Copenhagen, holds a 24% stake in NIKI, and the two airlines work closely together.
Behind NIKI is former racing driver and triple Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda, who founded his first airline, Lauda Air, back in 1979, which he sold to Austrian Airlines in 2000.
Low-cost airlines are a big success in Copenhagen
The launch of NIKI's service to Vienna is a continuation of the expansion by low-cost airlines at Copenhagen Airport, and low-cost airlines now account for approximately 16% of all traffic at the airport; the highest percentage ever.
Two new low-cost airlines - Norwegian and transavia.com - have set up at Copenhagen in 2009 with a large number of flights and a number of new destinations, and they have announced the launch of even more services in 2010. Low-cost carrier easyJet has also launched services to new destinations out of Copenhagen in 2009, and Air Berlin has launched additional frequencies. Next year, German-based airline Germanwings will also launch flights to Copenhagen.
"NIKI's daily flights to Vienna will give passengers even more cheap-flight options out of Copenhagen. The success of low-cost airlines at Copenhagen Airport benefits both passengers and the region as a whole as it becomes more accessible to foreign tourists and business travellers," said Carsten Nørland, VP, Sales, of Copenhagen Airports.
NIKI will begin flying out of Copenhagen on 26 March with flights departing at 8.10 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays and at 3.20 p.m. on Sundays. Flights from Vienna to Copenhagen will leave at 5.50 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays and at 1 p.m. on Sundays. The flying time will be 1 hour and 35 minutes.