Austrian Holiday Carrier Was Part Of The Now-Defunct Air Berlin

British Airways owner AIG may be the last hope for Austrian holiday carrier Niki, which was the Austrian arm of the now-defunct Air Berlin.

The German news agency DPA reports that while IAG has not been named as the preferred bidder for Niki, it was one of four that was being considered by the carrier's insolvency manager Lucas Flöther.

Niki ceased operations on December 14 after an offer from Lufthansa was dropped because of concerns about competition by the EU. The founder of the airline, Formula One champion Niki Lauda, had also tried to re-acquire the company but was unsuccessful in that attempt. The other two suitors were Germany's Tuifly and Condor, the German subsidiary of Thomas Cook.

Flöther told the French news service AFP that he was hopeful that a deal could be reached by the end of the month, giving the airline a much-needed infusion of cash.

IAG declined to comment on the matter.

Thousands of passengers were left stranded when the airline abruptly ceased operations on December 14. Along with British Airways, IAG owns the Spanish airline Iberia, Aer Lingus, and the low-cost carrier Vueling.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report