Mixed bag

Pula is Croatia’s worst performer this year

As October draws to a close, the Croatian ministry for sea, transport and infrastructure has published the country’s airport figures for the month of September. Although some airports are reporting good growth, Zagreb is yet to stage a recovery. Other airports which are worse off than last year are Split, Dubrovnik and Pula. Meanwhile, Zadar, Osijek and Rijeka are reporting growth.

Zagreb’s passenger figures in September fell by 6.8% when compared to the same month last year. The airport welcomed 198.364 passengers this September, compared to 212.735 last year. The airport is also reporting a substantial reduction in transit passengers, which fell by 81%. Split saw an 11.6% passenger decrease while 159.724 passengers passed through Dubrovnik, 14.296 passengers less than in September 2008. Pula Airport is reporting the greatest passenger decrease, continuing the negative trends which began a few months ago. The airport reported a 24.4% passenger decrease.

Osijek continues to report growth. In September the airport saw a 113% passenger increase, although this brings the number of passengers up to only 3.302 this September. Zadar saw 28.734 passengers, 51.6% passengers more than in September 2008. Rijeka saw a moderate increase of 5.6%.

So far, in the elapsed 9 months of the year, Pula has seen the greatest passenger decline of up to 20.9%. Osijek is reporting the greatest increase, of up to 34.7% while Zagreb has seen a 4.2% passenger decline this year. The bankruptcy of SkyEurope has had a significant effect on some airports in Croatia.

Passenger figures at Croatian airports:
· January
· February
· March
· April
· May
· June
· July
· August

Montenegro eyes Macedonia

Flying towards Macedonia

Recently Adria, Jat and Turkish Airlines have all been speculated to have an intention of setting up future flag carriers in Macedonia. The latest addition to this list is Montenegro Airlines.

Montenegro Airlines has sent in an offer to the Macedonian government for the creation of a joint new national carrier. The Macedonian government has not responded to Montenegro Airlines’ request but the Macedonian Civil Aviation Directorate (ACV) has said that Montenegro Airlines could set up services from Skopje as the two countries have a bilateral aviation agreement. The director of the ACV says that Montenegro Airlines could cover the market with 2 aircraft, but adds that the Macedonian government is not in favour of setting up a national flag carrier after the demise of MAT Macedonian Airlines which on September 1 lost its Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

It has been confirmed that Turkish Airlines is no longer interested in setting up an airline in Macedonia, although a Turkish company is hoping to set up Laluna Airlines. Monte Air which would be partly operated by Dubrovnik Airline is also planned, while Jat Airways plans to activate Aeromak, 11 years after it was registered.

Montenegro Airlines recently launched flights from Podgorica to Skopje.

Niš gets flights

Busy times ahead for Niš

Serbia’s third largest city, and second international airport, has received some good news as foreign airlines plan to begin scheduled flights from Constantine the Great Airport. After Jat Airways announced its withdrawal from the Niš – Zurich service (and Niš itself), Montenegro Airlines announced the inauguration of flights between Niš and the Swiss city on November 14. Flights from Podgorica to Niš will be launched a day earlier, on November 13. Flights will operate twice per week with the Fokker F100. Montenegro Airlines promises that it will introduce more flights from Niš in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Swedish airline MCA will begin its 3 weekly service from Stockholm to Niš starting Monday December 14. A round trip will set passengers back approximately 300 Euros. Media reports state that the city authorities are negotiating with the Italian Windjet to commence flights from Bologna by the end of the year. A private, yet to be named, Russian airline has also apparently requested a license to begin flights to Niš. The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate has said that it now gives out licenses to any airline wishing to begin flights to Serbia.

As the “good times role”, Niš Constantine the Great Airport launched a new look website.

Do you think all of these flights are disasters waiting to happen or a potential financial goldmine? Send in your comment.

All flight details can be found on the right hand side in the “new route launches” section.

Skywings spreads its wings

Skopje – Brussels and a hotel

The Macedonian based Skywings International Airlines, which has taken over the bulk of MAT Macedonian Airlines’ passengers, has begun operating 2 weekly flights from Skopje to Brussels. The service, which was inaugurated on Monday, will also operate every Friday using the airline’s sole Boeing B737-300. A return ticket will set passengers back 300 Euros. The airline operates scheduled flights to Istanbul, Zurich and Dusseldorf and plans to add another Boeing B737-300 to its fleet this December.

The airline has also unveiled a 500.000 Euro investment in the construction of a hotel near Skopje's Alexander the Great Airport. The chairman of the Skywings board of directors, Ajan Dzaferoski, announced the ambitious plan on Monday, during the inaugural flight to Brussels. Dzaferoski stressed that the construction of the hotel is set to begin March next year. Construction work is scheduled to be completed by June 2010. The project envisages a 20 room hotel, which will also accommodate the crew of Skywings International. The airline's headquarters will also be based at the hotel.

The airline will inaugurate flights to Rome this Sunday and flights to Bergamo will begin on November 10. Bookings are only available via the tour operator Airlift Service.

Under watchful eyes

Jat’s B737-700 is expected in Belgrade in March 2010

In face of large scale competition, Jat is rapidly moving to change its old ways. The Serbian carrier has announced a network wide ticket sale, starting today, which will see ticket prices slashed to many European services. Also today, the airline has called on Belgrade taxi corporations to send in their best offers for the free transportation of Jat Airways passengers to and from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. From January 1, 2010 all passengers travelling Jat will be able to hitch a ride to and from the airport for free with a certain taxi company in Belgrade (which will be chosen through this tender). Passengers will present their Jat ticket to the taxi driver and receive a free ride, within Belgrade.

It has also been revealed that Jat is directly negotiating with Boeing’s director of sales for Europe and Russia for the lease of a Boeing B737-700, scheduled to join the airline in March 2010. Jat has requested for Boeing to send in its offer for the lease. This could mean that the aircraft could be either brand new or up to 2 years old.

All of these measures are part of the airline’s 2010 plan, also dubbed the “recovery plan”. The Serbian government will, by Friday, set up a task group that will oversee how the recovery plan is progessing and whether Jat is meeting its deadlines and obligations. Jat’s management has repeatedly blamed Jat’s previous CEO, Saša Vlaisavljević, and his team for destroying many aspects of the airline. He, as well as many of his colleagues have either lost their jobs or been demoted.

Montenegro turns 15

Early years, Montenegro Airlines' Fokker 28Mk 4000

Montenegro’s national carrier has celebrated 15 years of existence over the weekend.

Montenegro Airlines was registered on October 24, 1994. The airline’s founder and CEO Zoran Djurišić presented the airline’s plans to the government of Montenegro and Yugoslavia in 1993. However, it wouldn’t be until 1996 that the airline’s first aircraft would be purchased. Due to political and economic circumstances at the time, Montenegro Airlines took off to the sky on May 7, 1997 on route from Podgoica to Bari in Italy. The aircraft in question was a Fokker 28Mk 4000 and the second aircraft of this type was received the following year in 1998. In late 1999, Montenegro Airlines launched new flights, most notably to Frankfurt. The first Fokker F100, the airline’s signature aircraft, was purchased in 2000. In 2007, the airline purchased new Embraer jets in another wave of fleet modernisation.

Today, the airline is a member of IATA and soon to become the newest member of the Association of European Airlines. Despite a difficult year for the aviation industry, Montenegro Airlines is not reporting strong growth but has evaded any losses, passenger wise. The airline’s CEO, although a very controversial figure, announced on Saturday that Montenegro Airlines is the pride of Montenegro.

On Friday, the airline received permits to begin services from Niš, in Serbia, to Podgorica and Zurich. Serbia is Montenegro Airlines’ largest and most important market.

19 years later...

They took their time

On May 1, 2010 scheduled air service between the capital of Croatia, Zagreb and the capital of Serbia, Belgrade will be resumed, almost a full 19 years since they were abruptly terminated. Croatia Airlines will be offering scheduled flights between the two capitals 4 times per using its regional Dash 8-Q400 aircraft. Flights will operate every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Flights between the two cities ended on August 6, 1991 when JAT Yugoslav Airlines operated its last Zagreb – Belgrade flight. Air travel between Croatia and Serbia was resumed in 2007 when Jat began flights to Pula. It is expected that after Pula and Zagreb, Dubrovnik will also be connected to Serbia’s capital.

Meanwhile, Croatia Airlines has also announced that it will be launching flights to Athens on April 29. Flights will operate 3 times per week, every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday using the Airbus A319.

All flight details can be found on the right hand side in the “new route launches” section.

2009/10 winter season timetableAdria Airways

Adria Airways will launch its 2009/10 winter schedule tomorrow with 12 aircraft – 1 Bombardier CRJ100, 6 Bombardier CRJ200s, 4 Bombardier CRJ900s and 2 Airbus A320. One of Adria's A320s will be used for charter flights only, while the airline will receive 2 Airbus A319s during the winter season, in April, which are yet to be added to their schedule. Adria’s Boeing B737-500 will be returned to Ukraine International Airlines within a week. The schedule below is subject to change. Any changes will be brought to your attention by visiting the blog.

Frequency changes

Adria will be reducing many of its frequencies particularly to cities within the Balkans. Adria will reduce services to Tirana by 5 weekly flights brining the total to one daily flight between Ljubljana and Albania’s capital. Flights to Priština will be reduced by 3 weekly services and to Skopje by 2. Sarajevo will see the greatest reduction of flights, from 13 to 7 per week. A total of 4 extra flights will be added on the Ljubljana to Copenhagen service and there will be 2 extra flights to Istanbul when compared to the summer season. The airline’s most frequent service (to Frankfurt) will continue to served 31 times per week.

New and suspended routes

Adria Airways will terminate its seasonal services to Manchester, Dublin and Ohrid, as expected. Unexpectedly, the airline will terminate flights to Madrid and Athens. Currently, there are no announcements regarding the launch of any new routes during the 2009/10 winter season.

The The following displays all of the modifications taking place in the Adria Airways 2009/10 winter schedule from Ljubljana

Destination	Frequency Summer 09	Frequency Winter 09/10	Aircraft Summer 09	Aircraft Winter 09/10
Amsterdam	9	9	CRJ200	CRJ200
Athens	3	SUSPENDED	CRJ900	-
Barcelona	2	SUSPENDED	CRJ900	-
Brussels	19	19	CRJ200	CRJ100/200
Copenhagen	5	9	CRJ200	CRJ200
Dublin	1	SUSPENDED	A320/CRJ900	-
Frankfurt	31	31	CRJ200/CRJ900	CRJ200/CRJ900
Istanbul	9	11	A320/CRJ900	A320
Kiev	4	3	CRJ200	CRJ200
London	7	6	CRJ900	CRJ900
Madrid	2	SUSPENDED	CRJ900	-
Manchester	2	SUSPENDED	B737-500/CRJ900	-
Moscow	7	7	CRJ900	CRJ900
Munich	25	26	CRJ200	CRJ200
Ohrid	3	SUSPENDED	CRJ200	-
Paris	14	14	CRJ900	CRJ200/900
Podgorica	4	4	CRJ900	CRJ900
Priština	14	11	A320/CRJ200	A320/CRJ200
Sarajevo	13	7	CRJ200	CRJ200
Skopje	13	11	CRJ100/200/900	CRJ100/200/900
Stockholm	5	3	CRJ200	CRJ100/200
Tirana	12	7	CRJ200	CRJ200/900
Vienna	28	21	CRJ200/900	CRJ200/900
Warsaw	5	4	CRJ200	CRJ200
Zurich	20	20	CRJ200	A320/CRJ200/900

All frequencies are on a weekly basis

Jat in 2010B737-700, Aeromak and new destinations

Jat’s year to recover in 2010?

Yesterday at the Belgrade Media Centre, Jat’s CEO Srdjan Radovanović announced big changes for the airline in 2010 and a new business plan.

2010 will, by all accounts, be a revolutionary year in Serbian aviation. Not only will the country liberate its sky but Serbian citizens ill be able to travel without visas to the European Union from January 1 and low cost airlines are announcing their arrival. All of this could hurt Jat, but the airline’s CEO is more than optimistic about the upcoming year.

Jat’s fleet plans are of most interest to readers. The airline will have all 16 of its aircraft in operation by the end of 2010. Jat will fix the current handful of grounded aircraft while those leased to Air Ivoire of the Ivory Coast will all be returned by the summer season. In March, Jat will finally lease a Boeing B737-700 which will be used on services to the Middle East and will cut the stop over on route to Abu Dhabi (which is operated via Larnaca). The aircraft will make its debut in Jat’s 2010 summer season timetable. The airline will also lease another Boeing B737-400 which will be used on services to London, Paris, Moscow and summer charter destinations. Jat currently has 4 Boeing B737-300s with the new look economy class seats and the economy class upgrades will continue throughout 2010. No new aircraft will be purchased in 2010 because Jat does not have the finances. The long term lease of the B737-700 will be financed thanks to the government’s 40 million Euro cash injection.

Jat has confirmed that it will launch its Macedonian subsidiary, Aeromak, by March 2010. All plans are in place for promotional flights to be conducted early next year. Jat is waiting for MAT to officially declare bankruptcy. Radovanović also said that in the latter half of 2010 the airline will focus on Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it is a potential focus city for Jat as plans to launch a Banja Luka based airline, Sky Srpska, has been put on definite hold.

Passengers have also been given some good news. Starting January 1, 2010 all passengers flying with Jat from Belgrade in any cabin class will have the opportunity to use the airline’s complimentary taxi service, which will drive passengers to the airport. For all Serbian citizens travelling to any destination within the European Union, Jat will provide free travel insurance, granted they have a return ticket with Jat. The airline will also reduce its prices so that the average ticket price amounts to 100 Euros, starting from the 2010 summer season.

During 2010 Jat is expected to introduce new destinations. In return for Croatia Airlines’ new service from Zagreb to Belgrade (which you can read more about on Sunday), Jat will receive an all year round permit for flights to Pula and Dubrovnik. The airline plans to introduce a new destination in the Middle East and is holding talks with Portorož Airport management about a possible seasonal summer relaunch.

The airline will join one of the world’s 3 major alliances by the end of 2011. Skyteam is the front runner with recent negotiations held with its main member Air France. Lufthansa has been less than happy with Jat CEO’s recent announcements about joining Skyteam, so Star Alliance and One World are still on the table.

A new advertising campaign will be launched in late December this year within Serbia. Jat has no plans on changing its name or logo. On Wednesday, Radovanović named a new management team, replacing the old squad led by former CEO Saša Vlaisavljević who has lost his job at Jat after he was dumped from the airline’s board of directors. Most of the new positions have been filled by long time Jat employees.

Srdjan Radovanović suggests that all of these plans are already in preparation. He expects a major shift in the attitude towards Jat from April 2010. He also said that on board customer service will be greatly improved while Serbian citizens will be greatly disappointed when they realise that low cost airlines are not all that dreamy as the Serbian media has painted them.

In a bid for cash the airline will sell its agricultural aviation secotr and medicinal aviation secotor. Jat also hopes to create a new technical division although talks will be held with the government regarding this proposal.

Do you think 2010 will be Jat’s year of recovery? Send a comment with your thoughts.

Winter in EX-YU

New arrivals this winter

This winter foreign carriers will be making many modifications when it comes to the former Yugoslav region. The arrival of low cost airlines in Zagreb, Belgrade and Sarajevo are expected to mark the 2009/10 winter season.

At Ljubljana’s Jože Pučnik Airport, there will be minimal changes when it comes to foreign airline operations. Malev, which has suspended services to the United States, has lost a large number of transit passengers from neighbouring countries heading towards North America . As a result flights to Ljubljana will be terminated.

At Zagreb’s Pleso Airport the Portuguese national carrier TAP will introduce a stopover on its Lisbon to Zagreb service and will thus connect Zagreb with Bologna in Italy. It remains to be seen wether low cost airlines will answer the call of the airport’s CEO to begin flights to Croatia’s capital. Norwegian Air Shuttle is scheduled to make its debut in Zagreb during the next summer season.

Belgrade will see one of the biggest winter increases when foreign airlines are in question. From December 7, TAROM Romanian Airlines will connect Bucharest and Belgrade. The low cost Nikki will introduce 6 weekly flights from Vienna to Belgrade starting February 1. Olympic will increase services from Athens. As a result the two cities will be connected with 2 daily flights starting January 1. Meanwhile, Lufthansa will introduce a third daily flight from Munich.

Sarajevo will see the resumption of flights to Stockholm from April 3. Flights will be operated by the low cost Norwegian Air Shuttle. Skopje, which is no longer a main base for any airline, will be hoping that new local carriers will start up flights. The low cost Germanwings will suspend flights from Skopje to Cologne. Air Berlin will make Priština its mini base with flights to Zurich, Munich, Geneva, Hannover and Dusseldorf starting October 25.

Visit the blog this Saturday for Adria Airways’ 2009/10 winter modifications.

LATEST NEWS

Croatia Airlines will be launching flights between Zagreb and Belgrade on May Day (May 1) next year. You can read more about the new service on Sunday. Until then, check out the new route launches section for flight details.

Agreements

Done deal, Serbia and Russia sign new aviation agreement

In the past week, Serbia has signed 2 aviation agreements, one with Russia and the other with the United Arab Emirates.

Yesterday, a bilateral air agreement was signed between the Serbian and Russian presidents in Belgrade. The new agreement will grant Russian airlines the right to fly to Serbia without too many bureaucracy procedures while Jat will be allowed to operate to Russian cites. The two countries already had a liberal aviation policy towards each other. Currently Aeroflot serves Belgrade, while Jat flies to Moscow, although it still has slots in St. Petersburg and Sochi which are not being used. Furthermore, Gazpromavia operates scheduled services from Sochi to Belgrade. Transaero, Russia’s second largest airline, has also expressed interest in the purchase of Jat Tehnika, which maintains Jat’s aircraft.

Last week representatives from the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government and Republic of Serbia. The two delegations agreed that any number of designated airlines of both parties will have the right to perform scheduled air services. The UAE delegation informed that its aeronautical authority designated Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, RAK Airways, Air Arabia and FlyDubai as UAE national airlines under the agreement. The Serbian delegation informed that its aeronautical authority designated Jat Airways as the Serbian national airline under the agreement. The agreement allows unrestricted frequencies, capacity and types of aircraft, whether owned or leased, to be operated by the designated airlines of each country in any type of service (passenger or cargo) on routes between Serbia and the UAE. The agreement also includes, in addition to third and fourth freedom rights, the practice of full fifth freedom traffic rights to all points of their choice without any restriction while operating any type of services (passenger and/or cargo, separately or in combination). In addition, both parties agreed to allow unrestricted non-scheduled operations between the two countries and to recommend to their authorities to conclude an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation on revenues arising from their airlines' activities and income earned by their employees when stationed in the territory of the other party.

Currently Jat Airways operates flights to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. The United Arab Emirates has an extremely liberated sky, allowing many airlines to operate as many services as they wish, allowing fifth freedom rights as well. The UAE liberated its sky a few years ago after the Government of the UAE came under fire by large European flag carriers of protectionism of Emirates Airline.

Norwegian to Zagreb

Soon in Zagreb

Days after Zagreb Airport’s new CEO announced his intention to lure low cost airlines to Croatia’s largest airport by slashing handling prices, one of Scandinavia’s largest low cost airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, has announced new flights. Norwegian Air Shuttle will begin scheduled services from Copenhagen in Denmark to Zagreb on May 3, 2010. The airline will also relaunch its seasonal summer charters from Copenhagen to Dubrovnik, also in May. The new Croatian destinations are part of the airline’s network expansion which will also include Malta, Athens and Palermo from Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen.

Norwegian will become the third low cost airline to serve Zagreb Airport. During the upcoming 2009/10 winter season Germanwings and Wizz Air will offer low cost flights from the Croatian capital.

All information regarding Norwegian’s new service to Zagreb can be found on the right hand side in the new route launches section.

Battle for Macedonia’s sky

The fight is on

Another two airlines have applied for a license to operate flights from Macedonia. Laluna and Montair are the latest applicants. The Laluna Airlines project is being headed by former employees of the Turkish cargo airline Star, which until recently operated from Macedonia. The airline declared bankruptcy a few months ago. Laluna plans to begin services in December with smaller and old aircraft although plans are in place to buy 1 Boeing B737-400 and 1 Boeing B737-600 in 2010 as it intends to become a scheduled airline.

Montair will be partly owned by a Bulgarian company. The airline plans to become Macedonia’s answer to Croatia’s Dubrovnik Airline. It plans to operate charter flights with small aircraft and even plans to hire employees from Dubrovnik Airline.

The Macedonian Civil Aviation Directorate (ACV) has confirmed that two airlines are seeking flight permits although they did not wish to name the airlines. They say that it takes 90 days for an airline to receive a license, during which the ACV checks the airline’s financial and technical statements. Unofficial sources claim that another airline, Aeromak, will be launched soon. Sources suggest that the airline will perform promotional flights within the next 2 months. Aeromak was registered as an airline operator in 1999 and 49% of shares are owned by Serbia’s Jat Airways.

Graphs provided by Anna Aero

Montenegro wants Niš

New market needed

After Jat Airways ceased operations from Serbia’s third largest city, Niš, Montenegro Airlines has declared its wish to begin services from Niš to Zurich and other European capitals. A delegation from Montenegro Airlines made their desire known to the Serbian ministry of infrastructure after a meeting between the two sides was held on Friday. However, in order for Montenegro Airlines to fly from Niš it would have to gain fifth freedom rights as it is operating from a country other than its own to another foreign country. This would also open the door for Montenegro Airlines to operate from Belgrade, something the Montenegrin carrier has been yearning for since 2006. Montenegro Airlines which operated flights from Belgrade to other European cities, lost its rights in 2006 after the dissolution of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro. Similarly, Jat was forced to cease operations from Podgorica and Tivat to London, Copenhagen and St. Petersburg.

Meanwhile, the Swedish low cost airline MCA and the Italian Windjet have announced plans to fly to Niš. MCA is willing to operate flights from Stockholm via another European city and Windjet from Bologna.

2009/10 winter season timetableJat Airways

Jat Airways will launch its 2009/10 winter schedule on October 25 with 11 aircraft – 7 Boeing B737-300s, 3 ATR72s and 1 Boeing B737-200. The rest of the airline’s aircraft have either been leased or stored at Belgrade Airport. The Boeing B737-200 will not be scheduled on any service and will be used only in case there are technical problems with other aircraft. Keep in mind that this is a preliminary schedule and as such is subject to change. Any changes will be brought to your attention by visiting the blog.

Frequency changes

Jat will be reducing most of its European services by a few frequencies. Flights to Thessaloniki, Stockholm, Rome, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Banja Luka, Athens, Amsterdam and Ljubljana will see a 1 weekly frequency deduction, with the exception of Zurich which will see a 2 weekly service deduction. On the contrary, the services to Brussels, Tivat and Larnaca will increase by one weekly flight. Frequencies to Zurich and London will be increased between December 19 and January 9. There are practically no aircraft changes during the winter.

New and suspended routes

Jat will only be suspending its seasonal services to Pula, Ohrid and Gothenburg. However, flights to Gothenburg will operate between December 19 and January 9, once per week. The airline is not introducing any new destinations this winter and will suspend its 2 weekly Niš - Zurich service.

The following displays all of the modifications taking place in the Jat Airways 2009/10 winter schedule from Belgrade

Destination	Frequency Summer 09	Frequency Winter 09/10	Aircraft Summer 09	Aircraft Winter 09/10
Abu Dhabi	2	2	B737-300	B737-300
Amsterdam	6	5	B737-300	B737-300
Athens	4	3	B737-300	B737-300
Banja Luka	3	2	ATR72	ATR72
Berlin	4	4	B737-300	B737-300
Brussels	2 (via Amsterdam)	3 (via Amsterdam)	B737-3000	B737-300
Copenhagen	4	3	B737-300	B737-300
Dusseldorf	5	5	B737-300	B737-300
Frankfurt	7	7	B737-300	B737-300
Gothenburg	2	1 (from December 19 – January 9)	B737-300	B737-300
Istanbul	6	5	B737-300	ATR72/B737-300
Larnaca	3	4	B737-300	B737-300
Ljubljana	5	4	ATR72	ATR72
London	7	7	B737-300/-400	B737-300
Malta	2	2	B737-300	B737-300
Milan	4	4	B737-200/-300	B737-300
Monastir	2	2	B737-300	B737-300
Moscow	7	7	B737-200/-300	B737-300
Ohrid	2	SUSPENDED	ATR72	-
Paris	7	7	B737-300	B737-300
Podgorica	14	14	ATR72/B737-300	ATR72/B737-300
Pula	3	SUSPENEDD	ATR72	-
Rome	6	5	B737-300	B737-300
Sarajevo	7	7	ATR72	ATR72
Skopje	12	10	ATR72	ATR72
Stockholm	4	3	B737-300	B737-300
Tel Aviv	2 (1 via Larnaca)	2 (1 via Larnaca)	B737-300	B737-300
Tivat	14	15	ATR72	ATR72
Thessaloniki	6	5	ATR72	ATR72
Tripoli	2 (via Malta	2 (via Malta)	B737-300	B737-300
Vienna	14	14	ATR72	ATR72
Zurich	9	7	B737-300	B737-300

All frequencies are on a weekly basis

The secret

New aircraft expected by March 2010

Serbian media have reported that Jat Airways has accelerated its fleet renewal plans, whose details are being secretly discussed. As it turns out, Boeing also attended a recent meeting between Jat and Citibank. A delegation from the American aircraft manufacturer will visit Belgrade in just over a week. It is said that Jat is planning to purchase 2 to 4 Boeing aircraft through financial leasing. Citibank would provide the loan and become the owner of the 4 aircraft until Jat pays off the loan, when the aircraft will formally become Jat’s property. The airline plans to add the new aircraft into the fleet by March 2010. It is still not clear whether the Boeing aircraft would be completely new or between 2 and 5 years old.

Meanwhile, Jat is negotiating to change its infamous Airbus order. It wants to receive new ATR aircraft for the 22 million dollars it has already given to Airbus. For the first time, it seems, Airbus is willing to negotiate. The agreement Airbus made with Jat in 1998 is unique since it does not give Jat the right to cancel the deal.

This winter season Jat will operate with a total of 11 aircraft, despite the airline having 16 aircraft in its fleet. For all Jat’s winter 2009/10 modifications visit the blog tomorrow.

Zagreb to attract low cost airlines

Soon a familiar sight at Zagreb Airport?

Zagreb Airport’s new CEO Tonči Peović has announced that he will cut the cost of airport handling services in a bid to attract more low cost airlines to Croatia’s largest airport. New handling prices, which are a great deterrent for low cost airlines, will be revised within the next 10 days. Peović said that he is negotiating directly with easyJet and Ryanair for them to commence flights to Zagreb and offer a total of 10 new services from Zagreb to their European bases. Yesterday, Peović said that "Clearly, we should be careful not to lower our income through new, lower prices, but we should also encourage discount airlines by sharing with them the risk of new flights. However, at the same time, we should be careful not to harm airlines with which we have been cooperating for years". Peović added that the national carrier Croatia Airlines will not be receiving any pricing privileges from the airport authority.

Zagreb Airport is served by 2 low cost airlines, Wizz Air from London and Lufthansa’s offspring Germanwings from Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart. This is despite the fact that Croatia is part of the European Union’s open sky program which allows easy access to Zagreb for all European airlines. According to Croatian media, Zagreb Airport has some of the highest airport fees in the region.

Reportedly Ryanair and easyJet are interested in commencing services to Zagreb from British airports.

Zagreb - Belgrade soon?

Belgrade calling

A long running air dispute between Croatia and Serbia will most likely come to an end in a month when a new bilateral air agreement is expected to be signed between the two countries, Božidar Kalmeta, the Croatian minister for sea, transport and infrastructure announced yesterday. After the new agreement is signed Jat Airways will be able to fly from Belgrade to Pula on a year round basis, rather than the current summer service only. The Serbian national carrier will also be granted rights to begin services from Belgrade to Dubrovnik while in return Croatia Airlines will be able to begin flights from Zagreb to Belgrade. According to Kalmeta, Croatia Airlines could begin flights to Belgrade during the 2010 summer season.

The two countries can not agree about who should be controlling the skies above Osijek, near the Croatian and Serbian boarder. Also, Jat has expressed the wish to link two Croatian cities from Belgrade on the same flight. Until now, the Croatian Civil Aviation Directorate was not keen on granting Jat such rights but after both countries ratified the ECA agreement, this can now become a reality.

Talks will begin soon and a new bilateral air agreement will be signed at the earliest next month or at the latest at the beginning of 2010. Jat has done exceptionally well on its services to Pula, which it resumed after many years in 2007 but has not shown any interest in commencing services to Zagreb saying that the route is unprofitable.

Do you think flights between Zagreb and Belgrade can be profitable? Send a comment.

Citibank and Jat negotiate

A new deal on the horizon?

Serbia’s troubled national carrier Jat Airways is negotiating with one of the world’s largest banks, the American Citibank. After a meeting with the Serbian national carrier yesterday, Citibank officials say that they see Jat as a potential new partner. It is believed Jat would request a multi million dollar loan from Citibank to cover outstanding costs and would invest left over funds into its delayed fleet renewal programme. In the past, Jat had extreme difficulty in obtaining loans from banks because the Serbian government would never guarantee that Jat would return the money and thus banks were not intent on helping Jat. However, the government recently announced that it guarantees the return of all of Jat’s loans, reiterating again that it will firmly stand besides Jat. Jat is also negotiating with Banca Intesa, Komercijalna banka and another Serbian bank for a possible loan.

Last week, on Thursday, the Serbian president and prime minister met with the CEO’s of Serbia’s government owned companies and agreed that all loans Jat has to the Serbian National Petroleum Industry and Belgrade Airport will be written off. Jat pays some of the highest prices for the use of kerosene in Europe.

Meanwhile, in 10 days, a Boeing delegation will arrive in Belgrade for a fresh round of talks with Jat. The news comes only a week after Jat officials met with a delegation from Airbus.

AerCap to provide Adria’s A319s

Airbus A319 - soon in the Adria Airways livery

The aircraft and engine leasing company AerCap Aviation Solutions will provide 2 new Airbus A319s to Adria. As a part of its fleet renewal programme Adria will lease 2 A319s from AerCap which are scheduled to arrive in Ljubljana in April next year. The third aircraft, which will not be leased from AerCap, should be delivered by 2013 although no firm date has been set. It is still not clear whether the third Airbus will be leased or purchased.

The lease contract will last for 12 years although Adria has the option to fully purchase the aircraft within those 144 months. The 2 A319s will be brand new. The airline says that the A319 is economical for the route profile of Adria Airways. One of the three A320s that are being phased out has been leased to the Libyan Afriqiyah Airways. Adria says that the new aircraft are more economical and environmentally friendly compared to the existing fleet and conforms to the carbon dioxide emission standard which steps into force in 2011.

Dubrovnik Airline fleet expansion

Dubrovnik Airline poised for fleet expansion

The charter Croatian airline, Dubrovnik Airline, will finish the year with a profit despite the global financial crisis and the problems Dubrovnik Airline faced during the year. The start of the summer season was dramatic for the airline. It had to cancel many of its charter operations and was facing the prospects of a potentially disastrous summer holiday season. However, by rationalising costs and introducing cost cutting measures the charter airline will end the year in the green and will begin a fleet renewal programme. Dubrovnik Airline currently operates 3 MD82s and 2 MD83s. A deal for the lease of a further 2 aircraft has been signed and the aircraft will join the airline’s fleet during the winter season. The two aircraft, whose type is yet to be named, will be with Dubrovnik Airline for 18 months.

Despite its profits Dubrovnik Airline will send 4 cabin crew teams on 6 month paid leave due to the heavily reduced operations the airline will have this winter when compared to last. However, the cabin crew have not lost their jobs as they will return to work on April 1, 2010.

2009/10 winter season timetableMontenegro Airlines

Montenegro Airlines will launch its 2009/10 winter schedule on October 25 with 7 aircraft – 5 Fokker F100s and 2 Embraer E195 jets. The arrival of a third Embraer is scheduled sometime during the winter season. Whether it will impact the airline’s winter timetable remains to be seen. Keep in mind that this is a preliminary schedule and as such is subject to change. Any changes will be brought to your attention by visiting the blog.

Frequency changes

Montenegro Airlines won’t be making any major differences to its winter timetable. The airline will cut 3 flights on its Belgrade service from Podgorica brining the service to a total of 21 weekly flights. Montenegro Airlines will also reduce frequencies, from Podgorica, to Frankfurt, Zurich and Moscow. The airline will continue flying to Priština on a daily basis but will cut capacity by operating the Fokker F100 every day. Besides decreasing frequencies to Frankfurt the airline will also reduce capacity on this service. Flights to Rome will receive a boost with the addition of another weekly flight. From Tivat, the Montenegro Airlines will cutback 8 flights to Belgrade bringing the service to a total to 14 weekly flights.

New and suspended routes

Montenegro Airlines will introduce flights to London-Gatwick Airport from Podgorica. During the summer, these flights originated from Tivat. Flights will operate 3 times per week. The airline will terminate flights to Copenhagen which it launched during the summer from Tivat. It was believed that during the winter the flights would operate from Podgorica but it has been decided that the service will be completely terminated.

The following displays all of the modifications taking place in the Montenegro Airlines 2009/10 winter schedule from Podgorica

Destination	Frequency Summer 09	Frequency Winter 09/10	Aircraft Summer 09	Aircraft Winter 09/10
Belgrade	24	21	E195/F100	E195/F100
Vienna	3	3	E195/F100	F100
Ljubljana	3	3	F100	F100
Frankfurt	6	4	E195/F100	F100
Zurich	7	5	F100	F100
Rome	3	4	F100	F100
Moscow	5	4	E195/F100	F100
Paris	3	3	F100	F100
London-Gatwick	-	3	-	E195
Priština	7	7	E195/F100	F100
Skopje	7	7	F100	F100

The following displays all of the modifications taking place in the Montenegro Airlines 2009/10 winter schedule from Tivat

Destination	Frequency Summer 09	Frequency Winter 09/10	Aircraft Summer 09	Aircraft Winter 09/10
Belgrade	22 (depending on month)	14	E195/F100	E195/F100
London-Gatwick	3	-	E195	SUSPENDED
Moscow	3	3	E195	E195

All frequencies are on a weekly basis

Jat suspends Niš flights

Niš Airport passenger terminal

Jat will be suspending its 2 weekly flights from Serbia’s third largest city, Niš, to Zurich which was the only destination Jat served from the city. The flights will be discontinued from the winter season, starting October 25. Jat has endured much criticism for not investing more in its flights from Niš. In 2007, under political and public pressure, the airline launched several services from Niš, including Vienna and Dusseldorf, all of which barely secured a handful of passengers. Flights were, as predicted, cancelled soon after. A Jat spokesperson said that the airline will introduce new flights to Niš from the 2010 summer season if there is financial justification for it.

Niš, located in Serbia’s east reopened its airport, Constantine the Great in 2004, after a passenger terminal was built and the area was cleared of mine bombs. The airport has since struggled to attract airlines, blaming Jat for its misfortunes. An economic development forum which begins today in Niš is expected to address the issue of air transportation in the city. Niš, which has over 250.000 citizens lacks foreign investment

Visit the blog tomorrow for all of Montenegro Airlines' winter 2009/2010 timetable changes.

Niki to Serbia

Niki ... soon in Belgrade

The Austrian based low cost airline Niki is close to finally receiving necessary licenses to commence services to Serbia’s capital Belgrade. The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate has said that it is still to officially approve an operating license for Niki but will do so after the airline sends technical specifications for the aircraft it will be using on this service. “Niki has practically received a license although it will gain official confirmation once aircraft specifications are sent to us”, a spokesperson from the Directorate said. Once the temporary license is approved, Niki will be able to commence services from Vienna on February 1.

Niki, owned by the famous formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, has been applying for a license since 2007. Even Lauda himself travelled to Serbia in 2008 and 2009 in order to secure a license. However, Niki was unable to receive a license due to a bilateral air agreement between Austria and Serbia which allows only 2 airlines to operate between the 2 countries (in this case Jat Airways and Austrian). Lauda has revealed plans that he wants to make Belgrade one of the airline’s hubs, but for now he will have to be content with flights to Vienna. Niki will become the third low cost airline to operate from Belgrade after Germanwings and Norwegian Air Shuttle. Niki will stir up competition on the Belgrade – Vienna sector currently served by Jat and Austrian.

EBRD approves Sarajevo loan

Sarajevo Airport to expand

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved of a 25 million Euro loan for construction and upgrade at Sarajevo International Airport. The loan will finance an extension of the passenger terminal, together with the upgrade and expansion of the taxiways and apron. The project, when complete, will meet the growing passenger traffic at the airport. The EBRD has a long-standing relationship with Sarajevo Airport and has contributed to the creation of Sarajevo Airport as a limited liability company owned by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the current project, the bank will support measures that increase the participation of the private sector in the airport’s operations through the outsourcing of selected activities to private companies. In addition, the bank will assist the airport in increasing the share of non-aviation revenue such as duty free areas, catering, business lounges and car parks. Finally, the project will include support for the European Union’s Open Skies policy. The current terminal at Sarajevo has an annual capacity of 800.000. The project should commence once all documentation is finalised and all bureaucratic difficulties are overcome.

Meanwhile, passengers heading to Sarajevo Airport will finally be able to do so from the city by bus. Sarajevo is one of the rare European capital cities not to have a bus service to the airport. Until now passengers either had to use excessively over priced taxis or find alternative transportation to the city centre. A train terminal is located some 6 kilometres from the airport. Bus services from the city to the airport should commence soon.

Turkish denies Macedonian plans

Adria wants a piece of the Macedonian cake

Turkish Airlines has denied speculation by the Macedonian media that it will become the designated flag carrier of Macedonia. In a statement to the media, the Turkish carrier said that the Macedonian market is important to them but that it is not interested in commencing such a wide scale project. It is believed that it would be unprofitable for Turkish to operate 2 airlines in the region, one being in Macedonia and the other being B&H Airlines in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, Slovenia’s Adria Airways is believed to be very interested in becoming the designated flag carrier of Macedonia. Adria has been willing to explore new markets and has also expressed interest in Montenegro Airlines’ privatisation process. However, with a greater market, Macedonia would be more lucrative.

Macedonia has been without a national carrier since MAT was grounded in January. Since then, many plans have been proposed for the launch of a new airline, none of which have become a reality yet.

Slip up

Welcome to Istanbul

Yesterday, a Jat Airways Boeing B737-300 (registered YU-ANV) skidded off runway 6 at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport at approximately 12.40 upon landing. Flight JU420 from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport to Istanbul’s Ataturk skidded off the runway by some 50 metres, coming to a halt in a ditch. The aircraft’s nose gear and the right main gear were jammed in the mud as a result. There were a total of 125 passengers and 6 crew, none of which were injured. Passengers disembarked the aircraft via the stairs which were brought to the aircraft by the airport ground staff.

Heavy rain showers were reported before landing, leaving the runway wet and slippery, which is presumed to be the reason for the incident as all of the aircraft’s components were functioning normally. Jat Airways has said that this is a minor incident and that a replacement aircraft was flown to Istanbul for passengers on the return flight. Runway 06/24 was closed for some time until the aircraft was excavated from the mud. The aircraft has had minor damage but is expected to return to the fleet soon.

Istanbul’s runway 06/24 is known for its many overruns because of design hitches. The runway is known to be extremely slippery due to its rubber marks and the runway has a slope in its middle section. Among recent airlines which have skidded from the runway are TAROM Romanian Airlines, Onurair and Ariana Afghan Airlines.

Jat Airways has had a bad week with a lot of negative publicity regarding the Jat Tehnika strike which took place last week. This latest news won’t win any fans.

Turkish strikes again

Truly Macedonian

Turkish Airlines is close to becoming the designated national carrier of Macedonia, just a year after it bought 49% of shares from Bosnia’s B&H Airlines. The news comes as Macedonia’s ministry for transportation endorsed the idea. The ministry has now left the issue up to the Macedonian government. Talks between the ministry of transportation and Turkish Airlines have been ongoing for a few months. Turkish Airlines did not wish to comment on the news.

Turkish Airlines is one of the rare European carriers which has managed to report substantial growth this year, despite the global recession and the difficult situation airlines are finding themselves in. The airline is in constant expansion and took over Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national carrier B&H Airlines last year. Turkish Airlines currently operates daily flights from Istanbul to Skopje. Last year, the Turkish airport operator TAV won the right to manage Macedonia’s airports. However, it hasn’t been a smooth ride with TAV constantly delaying investment and expansion projects for Skopje and Ohrid airports. The airport operator now promises that these projects will begin in March, 2010. Macedonia’s national carrier MAT has been grounded since early this year, although it is still to officially declare bankruptcy. There has been news of a planned relaunched under the name Mat Airways.

2009/10 winter season timetableCroatia Airlines

Croatia Airlines will launch its 2009/10 winter schedule on October 25 with 12 aircraft – 4 Airbus A319s, 4 Airbus A320s and 4 Dash 8s. Another Dash 8 Q400 is expected to join the fleet near the end of the winter season. Keep in mind that this is a preliminary schedule and as such is subject to change. Any changes will be brought to your attention by visiting the blog.

Frequency changes

As usual during the winter Croatia Airlines will completely pull out of some seaside towns in the country. At its main base, Zagreb, the airline will not be reducing too many services, unlike in previous years. Many services will be operated with the same number of frequencies as they were during the summer. More flights will be introduced to Frankfurt and London-Heathrow Airport. Frequencies from Zagreb will be decreased on domestic services. Zurich, Vienna and Sarajevo will be served twice daily.

New and suspended routes

Croatia Airlines won’t be introducing any new services this winter. It will suspend its seasonal services from Zagreb to Gothenburg and Tel Aviv. The airline will also suspend its 3 weekly flights to Barcelona, which was not a seasonal destination. Despite plans to launch services to Ukraine’s capital Kiev, these plans have, for now, been put on hold. The airline will cut all services from Osijek and Rijeka. Services from Pula to Dubrovnik and London will be terminated as well as services from Split to London and Osijek.

The following displays all of the modifications taking place in the Croatia Airlines 2009/10 winter schedule from Zagreb

Destination	Frequency Summer 09	Frequency Winter 09/10	Aircraft Summer 09	Aircraft Winter 09/10
Amsterdam	7	7	A320	A319/A320
Barcelona	3	SUSPENDED	A319/A320	-
Brussels	7	6	A319/A320	Dash 8/A319
Copenhagen	4	3	A319/A320	Dash 8/A319
Dubrovnik	25	22	A319/A320	Dash 8/A319/A320
Frankfurt	19	21	A320	A319/A320
Gothenburg	2	SUSPENDED	A320	-
London-Heathrow	7 (1 via Rijeka)	9	A319/A320	A319
London-Gatwick	5	3	A320	A319/A320
Munich	7	7	Dash 8	Dash 8
Paris	7	7	A319/A320	A319/A320
Podgorica	5	3	Dash 8/A319	Dash 8
Priština	5	5	A319/A320	Dash 8
Pula	18 (13 via Zadar)	16 (7 via Zadar)	Dash 8/A319/A320	Dash 8/A319/A320
Rome	7 (2 via Dubrovnik and 5 via Split)	7	A320	A319/A320
Sarajevo	14	14	Dash 8	Dash 8
Skopje	7	7	A319	A319
Split	27	21	Dash 8/A319/A320	Dash 8/A319/A320
Tel Aviv	1	SUSPENDED	A320	-
Vienna	14	14	Dash 8	Dash 8
Zadar	15	10	Dash 8	Dash 8
Zurich	15	14	Dash 8/A320	Dash 8

All frequencies are on a weekly basis

Strike ends!

Jat Tehnika hanger on October 1, 2009

Jat Tehnika has ended its 3 day strike which grounded the entire fleet of Jat Airways and caused a lot of anger amongst passengers. The strike ended after the air technicians’ union representative said that the strike must end today otherwise Jat Tehnika will incur significant financial losses. The union of air mechanics also said that the government of Serbia has promised that part of the 110 million Dinars (or 1.1 million Euros) owed by Jat will be payed off by Monday, October 5. Jat Airways is estimated to have lost 1.5 million Euros during the 3 day strike and will sue Jat Tehnika for the financial losses the airline has suffered.

All of Jat Airways’ flights will resume today. Jat Tehnika was separated from Jat Airways in 2005 after technicians led a month long strike. Jat Tehnika is the only aircraft engineering company in Serbia. Jat Airways said it was a mistake to separate the two companies and will appeal to the government for the formation of a new technical division for Jat, much to the anger of Jat Tehnika which would loose its biggest customers which represnets 95% of its business.

Meanwhile, Jat Airways has launched a scathing attack against the low cost Wizz Air which offered ‘assistance’ to Jat Airways’ passengers over the last 3 days. Jat says that Wizz Air is in a run for cash and is not helping Jat’s passengers in any way since travelers would have to pay extra to fly Wizz Ar from airports outside of Serbia.

This is the fourth day in a row that a news item on this blog has been related to Jat, understandably because of the situation which has taken place in the past 72 hours. Tomorrow, visit the blog for Croatia Airlines’ 2009/10 timetable changes and modifications.

UPDATED: Strike!Day 2 ... and Airbus

End of strike near?

UPDATED at 21.00

Despite the cancelation of all of Jat Airways’ flights tonight, there is still hope that the strike will end in the late evening hours. The government is still, at this moment, talking to both Jat Tehnika and Jat Airways about a possible end to the dispute. Jat Airways says that Jat Tehnika will inccure the biggest loss from this industrial action. The airline says that Jat Tehnika will be obliged to pay up all losses that Jat has incurred due to the strike and said that if Jat Tehnika has no aircraft to service from Jat Airways, the company will go bankrupt.

Jat Tehnika has continued its strike grounding Jat’s entire fleet and leaving thousands of passengers angry and without flights. Jat Airways has done all it can to secure seats on other airlines for the grounded passengers and has also offered hotel accommodation to those passengers that have been delayed by more than 24 hours. Jat’s CEO Srđan Radovanović claims that in the past 48 hours the airline has lost 500.000 Euros and has labelled the behaviour of the technician’s trade union as selfish. Still, a breakthrough is expected to occur on Thursday evening when the government will discuss the current dispute between the two companies. It is speculated that flights could begin on Friday morning and that the airline would normalise its schedule during the weekend. The Serbian government has said that the dispute will be solved by the end of the week. Yesterday the only Jat flights that took off from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport were those to Moscow, Hurghada and Sharm-el-Sheikh.

Meanwhile, a delegation from Airbus, with impeccable timing, decided to drop in for a chat with Jat’s CEO. It is believed that alarm bells have gone off at Airbus after Boeing’s recent visit to Serbia. Heading the Airbus delegation is Gregory Desois, Airbus’s sale manager for Eastern Europe and Monique Brepson, EADS vice president. These high ranking officials have come to discuss the airline’s 1998 order for 8 aircraft. The order, which cannot be cancelled, is extremely damaging for Jat. At the time the order was made Jat could not order aircraft from the United Sates (namely from Boeing) due to sanctions. Thus, Airbus decided to significantly inflate its price knowing that Jat had no choice. Jat is hoping it can exchange the order for 8 ATR72-600 aircraft. The two Airbus representatives told Jat’s CEO that they know all about striking technicians, pointing towards their own recent troubles with aircraft engineers in Toulouse.

Updates regarding the strike throughout the day.