Air Berlin's creditors are meeting today for the first time as bidders jostle for position for the insolvent carrier's assets, although major progress is not expected yet, Reuters reported. Air Berlin, which is being kept in the air thanks to a 150 million euro ($177 million) government loan, has been in talks with parties interested in its assets since last week, when it filed for insolvency after major shareholder, Gulf carrier Etihad, said it would no longer provide funding. Chief Executive Thomas Winkelmann has said that time is of the essence and wants a deal before the end of September. Lufthansa, which was first in line for talks, is interested in taking on dozens of planes and Austrian unit Niki. Thomas Cook, which owns German airline Condor, has expressed interest in the process, while easyJet is also said to be weighing up assets.
