BERLIN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A German investor announced late Sunday that he has submitted an offer of up to 500 million euros (about 600 million U.S. dollars) to acquire insolvent Air Berlin.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Hans Rudolf Woehrl, an airline tycoon based in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg, said the payment would be made in several installments, with the final figure "depending on performance."
Woehrl said he had informed other interested parties such as the airlines Lufthansa, Condor and Germania in the hope that they would "participate in our bid," while stressing that his INTRO group could restore Air Berlin to health on its own if necessary.
Woehrl is only one of several parties which have expressed interest in acquiring at least part of Air Berlin, Germany's second largest carrier.
Although Air Berlin has recorded losses for years and has ultimately filed for bankruptcy, its starting and landing rights at Duesseldorf and Berlin airports, as well as its profitable subsidiary Fly Niki, are seen as highly-prized assets in the industry.
The statement also sought to reassure employees of Air Berlin of their job prospects, saying that the carrier would "grow again soon" and hence require "at least the same number of employees as today."
Woehrl had previously accused the German government and domestic market leader Lufthansa of a conspiracy to break up Air Berlin. On Sunday night, he reiterated his promise to "save the wonderful Air Berlin and all of its jobs."
