Germany gives Etihad January extension for Air Berlin code-share

Germany gave Etihad Airways a final deadline to end code-sharing on 31 routes with Air Berlin Plc, saying that the Emirati carrier must find an alternative solution for the connections by Jan. 15. The decision comes after a court in Braunschweig gave Etihad up until Nov. 8 to end the code-share agreement. Germany’s transport ministry said Friday it extended the decision further to avoid “inconveniencing any passengers who have already bought tickets on the affected routes.” Etihad is in the middle of a dispute on aviation rights between Germany and the United Arab Emirates. Passengers of both airlines have already booked 82,000 trips on the routes affected, Etihad said. Air Berlin spokesman Uwe Kattwinkel declined to comment. (By Richard Weiss, Karin Matussek and Alex Webb/Bloomberg)