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* CEO says Berlin is price sensitive market
* Eurowings starts long-haul flights from Cologne at end ofOct (Adds more comments from Lufthansa CEO, Berlin airports' CEO)
BERLIN, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Lufthansa is interestedin operating low-cost long-haul flights from Berlin under itsEurowings brand, the group's chief executive said on Monday, asit seeks to win a bigger share of the budget travel market.
"Berlin could also be an interesting market ... At themoment we are negotiating opportunities," Carsten Spohr said atan event to mark 25 years since Lufthansa was allowed to restartflights to Berlin with Germany's reunification in 1990.
He said that as the market in Berlin was particularlyprice-sensitive the capital could be a good base for Eurowingsto operate out of in the future, although for the moment it wasconcentrating on flights from Cologne.
Eurowings aims primarily to win back market share lost byLufthansa to European low-cost rivals Ryanair andeasyJet but will also operate two long-haul planes thiswinter with leisure travellers in mind, flying direct flights toCuba, the Dominican Republic, Dubai, Bangkok and Phuket.
With Berlin's new international airport much delayed and itstwo existing smaller airports operating at full capacity,opening up new routes won't be easy but not impossible.
"If you have an interesting project, you'll always find aspace in Berlin," Spohr told reporters.
Karsten Muehlenfeld, chief executive of Berlin's airportsoperator, said at the same event that the city's airports didhave a couple of runway slots free and that long-haul flightswere the preferred option for the slots.
Asked about Ryanair's recent suggestion that Europe's mainscheduled airlines leave it to the budget carriers to providethe short-haul connections for their long-haul services, Spohrsaid this was not Lufthansa's strategy. Instead the Germancarrier wanted to ensure it provided a premium service for itshubs in Frankfurt and Munich, where it still operates short-haulflights under the Lufthansa brand.
"We don't want to change that, but as Europe's largestairline it never hurts to have talks with successful rivals," headded. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Writing by Harro ten Wolde;Editing by Maria Sheahan, Greg Mahlich)
