DBA (airline)

Delta Air Regionalflugverkehr + Deutsche BA Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH + DBA Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH

IATA ICAO Call sign DI (1978–2008) DEL (1978–1992) BAG (1992–2008) BODENSEE (1978–1992) SPEEDWAY (1992–2008)
Founded	March 1978 (1978-03) as Delta Air 5 May 1992 (1992-05-05) as Deutsche BA
Commenced operations	1 April 1978 (1978-04-01) as Delta Air 29 June 1992 (1992-06-29) as Deutsche BA 2003 (2003) as DBA
Ceased operations	2 June 1992 (1992-06-02) as Delta Air 2003 (2003) as Deutsche BA 30 November 2008 (2008-11-30) as DBA - merged into Air Berlin
Operating bases	Berlin–Tegel Friedrichshafen Munich
Frequent-flyer program	Executive Club topbonus
Alliance	Oneworld (affiliate; 1999–2002)
Parent company	British Airways (1992–2003) Air Berlin (2006–2008)
Headquarters	Friedrichshafen, Baden-Württemberg Hallbergmoos, Bavaria

DBA (founded as Delta Air and later Deutsche BA) was a German low-cost airline headquartered close to Munich Airport in a building within the municipality of Hallbergmoos, Bavaria, Germany. It operated scheduled domestic and international services and also operated charter flights for tour operators in Europe and North Africa.

It was acquired by Air Berlin in september 2006 when operating as DBA, but continued to operate independently, marketed as Air Berlin (powered by dba) until being dissolved by its parent company Air Berlin on 30 November 2008.

History

Delta Air

Saab 2000

Delta Air Regionalflugverkehr GmbH & Co. was estabilished in March 1978, inheriting part of Pleuger Flugdienst scheduled operations. The initiative was influenced by the area's tourist attractions, a number of important industrial plants and a population that, at the time, numbered 80,000. After a quick restructuring, the company began regular services on April 1st, firstly with DHC 6 and Swearingen “Metroliner”, followed by Dornier 228 (from 1984) and the more capacious Saab 340 (from 1986). The choice of aircraft was influenced by the influence of the Swiss company Crossair, which controlled 25% of the shares and with which a collaboration agreement was signed in 1982. The operational hub was estabilished at Friedrichshafen-Lowental airport, on the north-eastern coast of Lake Constance (Bodensee). The first destinations served were Zurich (only 86 miles away, but with a large lake in between) and Stuttgart, not far as the crow flies but slow to reach by road. In spring 1984, after the delivery of the first Dornier, the tiny airline opened links from Stuttgart to Basel and to Geneva, and a "corporate schedule" from Friedrichshafen to Oberpfafenhofen (Munich area). In 1985 the airline became a limited liability company with Julius Dornier and Crossair as the major shareholders.

In the following years the network of connections expanded and, within a decade, some more domestic and foreign destinations became part of it. From its main hub at Friedrichshafen-Lowental airport, it flew to Frankfurt, Saarbrucken, Stuttgart. Foreign connections included routes from Basel to Frankfurt and Munich, Zurich to Friedrichshafen and Bremen, Geneva-Zurich to Stuttgart. Among the reasons for the expansion was the choice to replace larger aircraft from larger airlines (e.g. Lufthansa) with aircraft more suited to actual market demand, with particular attention to service for business customers. By the early 1990s, the network had expanded to include 18 destinations in six European countries. Meanwhile, the fruitful collaboration with Crossair (now 40% shareholder) and DLT (from 1988) and later CityLine (on behalf of Lufthansa) was maintained. Since 1991, the connection with Guernsey and Jersey, the first purely tourist destinations, was significant. This was the peak of the company's life because in the spring of 1992, after the lucrative contract with Lufthansa was lost, the situation changed completely as British Airways acquired a 49% stake.

Deutsche BA, Germany with BAW flavour

Deutsche BA Boeing 737-300

Fokker 100

Delta Air's expansion and success had not gone unnoticed. In fact, at the time, British Airways (BA) was seeking a foothold in central continental Europe with its own venture, in which it would control the majority of the capital and shares. Furthermore, the reunification of the two German nations meant that British Airways would lose the ability to fly domestic routes in Germany, which it had done for 40 years. Thus, on May 5, 1992, Deutsche BA was founded, which in the following weeks fully integrated Delta Air. Flight operations began on June 29, with a legacy fleet (nine Saab 340, one Dornier 228) reinforced by three hastily chartered Boeing 737-300s. The task was challenging because it involved competing on the same ground with German flag carrier Lufthansa and its subsidiary CityLine. Not to mention the distrust of the large German flag carrier towards new generation ones such as German Wings, to whose closure it contributed significantly. For this reason, the Deutsche BA aim was to offer a high-quality onboard service, dedicated to business customers. Furthermore, the company was already considering adding some seasonal connections to the major attractions of the Mediterranean basin.

In 1994, 1.7 million passengers were carried, making the company the second busiest scheduled airline in Germany with Berlin and Munich the two largest hubs. The fleet had grown to seven Boeing 737-300s and five leased Fokker 100s. In March 1996 the first of five Saab 2000 was delivered and they started replacing the Saab 340s of Delta Air origin. BA acquired the remaining shares in 1997.

When Carl Michel became CEO, the fleet was streamlined to consist entirely of 18 Boeing 737-300 aircraft, dropping secondary routes including those services operated with Saab 2000 as well as other turboprop aircraft types and focusing on internal German routes, feeder services to London–Gatwick and links to other oneworld partners, notably Iberia and Finnair. Rod Eddington replaced Bob Ayling as British Airways Chief Executive in May 2000, starting major reviews of the airline's operations. First indications of a BA review of its German subsidiary came in 2001 at which time Deutsche BA had amassed losses of over £15m.

First sale and planned mergers

DBA Boeing 737-300

In June 2003, British Airways announced plans to sell Deutsche BA to Intro Verwaltungsgesellschaft for a token sum of 1 Euro. In addition BA would invest £25m into the airline and guarantee its fleet of 16 Boeing 737s for a year. In return BA would receive 25% of any profits or proceeds from a sale until June 2006. After this the air carrier was to be rebranded dba.

In March 2005 the air carrier announced its intention to acquire rival airline Germania Express (gexx) which would create Germany's third largest airline after Lufthansa and Air Berlin. The gexx brand was phased out on the former airline's services, along with its Fokker 100 aircraft which dba has assumed the lease of. In the fiscal year ending 31 March 2005, dba announced its first profit since 1992, of 'between €1m and €2m on sales of around €265m. 3 million passengers had been carried in the year ending March 2005. At that moment the airline was owned by Intro Verwaltungsgesellschaft (80%) and Martin Gauss and Peter Wojahn (20%), and had 660 employees (at January 2005).

On 17 February 2006, dba announced the purchase of 60% of LTU. Hans-Rudolf Wöhrl, the majority owner of dba, planned to link the operations of LTU and dba, with dba flying inside Germany and LTU serving international destinations. It would allow LTU to increase its longhaul services by providing feeder services to Munich and Düsseldorf. LTU managing director Jürgen Marbach took a 24% stake in the carrier.

Air Berlin ownership

A DBA Boeing 737-300 operated for Air Berlin in 2007.

In February 2006 Lutz Helmig acquired a 25.1% stake in the airline through the Aton company. On August 17, 2006, it was announced that Air Berlin had acquired 100% of the shares in dba. The two airlines would operate under their current identities, with dba continuing to operate as an independent company under the Air Berlin umbrella, but in future would be marketed as Air Berlin (powered by dba).

On 6 September 2006, the German Federal Cartel Office cleared the acquisition of 100% of the shares of dba by Air Berlin without restrictions to allow finalisation of the takeover. The winter 2006 flight schedules were harmonised and a joint schedule was in place for the summer 2007 season. On 30 November 2008 Air Berlin dissolved dba and fully integrated its aircraft.

Fleet

As Deutsche BA, the airline operated the following aircraft types in a livery similar to British Airways:

• Boeing 737-300
• Boeing 737-400
• Dornier 228
• Fokker 100
• Saab 2000
• Saab 340A

Further reading

• "New passenger comfort". Dornier Post. Oberpfaffenhofen: 16-19. February 1984.
• "With the Dornier 228 in upwind". Dornier Post. Oberpfaffenhofen: 27-28. March 1984.
• Christ, Rolf F. (April 1984). "The Dornier 228". Dornier Post. Oberpfaffenhofen: 4-8.
• Pilling, Mark (April 1988). "The German network". Commuter World. St. Joseph County: 17.
• Brisco, Terry K. (March 1992). "Honing its future profile". BA&RT. Daytona Beach: 48-50.
• Davidson, Brian (November 1992). "Newcomer to German skies". Interavia. Geneva: 64-65.
• Endres, Gunter (February 1996). "Making a mark". Commuter World. San Diego Heights: 10-14.

External links

Media related to dba at Wikimedia Commons

• Flydba.com (Archive) (in German)
• Deutsche-ba.de (Archive) (in German) (1996–2001)