German low-fare airline Air Berlin is heading for record sales and passenger numbers this year, a report released Saturday said. Chief executive Achim Hunold is quoted in Welt am Sonntag newspaper to appear Sunday as saying sales will rise 20 per cent while passenger numbers will be up 30 per cent. Sales will cross the billion mark for the first time to about 1.07 billion euros (1.29 billion dollars) from 894 million euros last year. Passenger numbers will be up from 9.6 million to 12.5 million. Launched in 1997, Air Berlin is now Germany's second largest airline after Lufthansa, the report said. The airline serves mainly major holiday destinations in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Portugal and North Africa but also runs a "city shuttle" service between German airports and major European cities.
