Ink makes over Germanwings magazine

Germanwings magazine reaches 1.4 million readers an issue, six times per year, and is produced in German and English.

"We chose Ink as our new publisher because of their unparalleled ability to communicate with passengers-in the form of both advertising and editorial content," said Thomas Winkelmann, Germanwings CEO.

Winkelmann continued: "80% of our passengers are German, and our headquarters are in Cologne, but we fly to over 75 European cities from Madrid to Moscow. Ink clearly understood our corporate objective to communicate with our affluent passenger base more effectively. Germanwings is now the third largest airline in Germany, and nearly half of our passengers are business travellers, so the magazine needs to evolve into a world class communications vehicle. Ink is increasing the frequency and investing in top quality editorial and design."

Persistance pays off

Jeffrey O'Rourke, Ink chief executive, said: "We have been pursuing Germanwings for over six years, so we are thrilled to finally be working together. The airline is 100% owned by Lufthansa, so we always knew they would demand the best production values. So our objective, starting with the December issue, is to produce the most engaging and effective in-flight magazine in Germany-for our client Germanwings as well as the advertisers that want to reach this unique audience."

Germanwings magazine will contain a mix of travel, leisure and light business articles in German and English that appeal to the airline's culturally diverse passenger base. The outlook is contemporary, forward-thinking and informative. While the primary editorial focus is rooted in Germanwings destinations, the content will not be exclusively about travel but experiences that can be had in different cities and the people who inhabit them. Issue one will focus on Vienna, Berlin, London, Rome, Barcelona and Moscow.

The title will be edited by native German Kerstin Zumstein, who has worked for Petra and Für Sie (two of Germany's most popular women's magazines) plus Merian, the leading travel title. She has written books for Thames & Hudson and Dr Müller Verlag.