German Zeitfracht / Berlin group joins Romanian Blue Air

By Andra Beltz
According to a release, Berlin-based logistics company Zeitfracht can join Romanian airline Blue Air. The Federal Cartel Office approved the purchase of shares in Blue Air, which has been linked to the Zeitfracht Group in a strategic partnership since 2018. The Berlin-based family business has been active in aviation since the acquisition of Cologne-based airline WDL Aviation in 2017. “With our entry into Blue Air, we have taken a major step forward in expanding our activities in the aviation sector”, Wolfram Simon-Schröter, managing director of the Zeitfracht Group said on Monday. “Our strategy is working – we are on course for growth,” says Simon-Schröter.
The private scheduled and charter airline Blue Air was founded in 2004 and has grown strongly in recent years. It currently operates a fleet of 26 Boeing 737s. The fleet is expected to grow by a further 12 aircraft this year. Blue Air, headquartered in Bucharest, carried approximately six million passengers in 2017. The airline is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the umbrella organisation of airlines, and of the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG), which represents the interests of airlines operating in Germany.
Blue Air flies to more than 100 destinations in Europe. In Germany, it serves Cologne/Bonn, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart airports. It does not offer domestic flights.
The Zeitfracht Group has been active in the aviation sector since 2017. WDL operates three BAe 146 passenger and three cargo aircraft in the wet lease business for well-known airlines. Four more Embraer E190 aircraft will be added to the fleet from spring onwards.
At the beginning of January, the purchase of Blue Air shares by Zeitfracht was notified to the Federal Cartel Office. The parties have agreed not to disclose the exact number of shares Zeitfracht will acquire.