easyJet has officially opened its first European maintenance facility at its base at Berlin-Brandenburg (BER). The four-bay hangar will provide the carrier's Austrian-registered jets with convenient access to ensure easyJet's fleet remains reliable and active.

Opening up shop

The facility's opening follows a €20 million ($22 million) investment from easyJet, strengthening its presence at its German base further. easyJet's location selection perfectly slots in alongside its growth plan in Berlin, with the move backed by partners Wirtschaftsförderung Brandenburg and MRO Facilities, who oversaw the design and construction.

Located close to the airport's Terminal One, the base will cover light maintenance and repair work for the low-cost carrier's 135-strong European fleet of Airbus A320 family jets. The 11,500m2 hangar provides enough space to hold up to four Airbus A321s simultaneously, almost twice the size of the airline's pre-existing London Gatwick (LGW) maintenance facility.

Additionally, over 100 easyJet staff members will be employed at the facility, providing new work opportunities for engineers and qualified workers based in the Berlin area.

easyJet celebrated the launch on Wednesday with a joint-opening ceremony hosted by State Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy Dr. Jörg Steinbach, Chairwoman of Berlin-Brandenburg's Management Board, and easyJet Europe's Managing Director Thomas Haagensen.

In a statement, easyJet COO Capital David Morgan noted the importance of Berlin-Brandenburg's brand-new hangar for the airline as it begins the transition towards net-zero emissions,

“The opening of the maintenance hangar is a great milestone to start the year with. We would like to thank our partners for their support in carrying out this ambitious project and we look forward to returning one of the first aircraft maintained here today back into our operation. The NEO aircraft is equipped with the latest Descent Profile Optimisation (DPO) technology which is one of the ways we can achieve substantial and permanent carbon emission reductions by enabling the most efficient descents.”

easyJet Aircraft Tails
Photo: Simone Previdi | Shutterstock.

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Moving forwards

Despite 2022's slow start for the airline, easyJet is steaming ahead for 2023 following a busy winter season. Speaking to Bloomberg, Morgan expressed cautious optimism for the year amid skyrocketing inflation rates in Europe. However, the airline expects passenger figures in 2023 to finally return to pre-pandemic levels as holidaymakers seek affordable travel options.

easyJet's renewed focus on Berlin reflects that confidence. During Q2 last year, the airline looked to slash operations at the airport during winter as it anticipated lowered demands. Like Ryanair, the airline has vastly scaled back in Germany, reducing its fleet at Berlin-Brandenburg airport to 11.

Demand for low-cost travel options at the airport is on the up. Rival budget carrier Eurowings notably shifted its focus towards Berlin after both carriers scaled back, adding eight new routes for sunny destinations and city breaks.

Traffic at Berlin's newly-opened lagged slightly during late 2022, with passenger figures reaching just 65% of its predecessors' pre-pandemic levels. But as numbers creep up slowly, perhaps easyJet will look to recapture that market later in the year.

What are your thoughts on easyJet's new hangar in Berlin? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Bloomberg, Airline Weekly

  • Easyjet
    easyJet
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    U2/EZY (UK) | EC/EJU (Europe) | DS/EZS (Switzerland)
    Airline Type:
    Low-Cost Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Geneva Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Luton Airport, Milan Malpensa Airport
    Year Founded:
    1995
    CEO:
    Johan Lundgren
  • Berlin Brandenburg Airport - First Week Of Operation
    Berlin Brandenburg Airport
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    EDDB/BER
    Country:
    Germany
    CEO:
    Aletta von Massenbach
    Passenger Count :
    9,947,006 (2021)
    Runways :
    07L/25R - 3,600m (11,811ft) | 07R/25L - 4,000m (13,123ft)
    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 | Terminal 2 | Terminal 5