Air Berlin (AB) said it will adjust its winter schedule down by 2% by cutting 40 weekly flights from Hamburg (HAM).

The carrier has ceased HAM flights to Zurich, Barcelona and Karlsruhe, and has eliminated frequencies from various airports. As a result, HAM is expecting to lose 4,000 AB flights and 500,000 AB passengers annually.

AB has announced it will launch 3X-weekly Berlin-Chicago O’Hare flights from March 23, 2013. From May 2013, frequencies should increase to 5X-weekly.

Last month, AB said it has exceeded the first-quarter target set by its cost-cutting program ( ATW Daily News, June 13 ).