Turkish withdraws from B&H management

Turkish exit on the horizon?
High ranking members of B&H Airlines’ management from Turkey have been withdrawn on behalf of the carrier’s 49% stake share holder Turkish Airlines. One of the terms set out by the Turks, after it purchased shares in B&H, was for its own management to take over. As the spat between the government and its Turkish partner has worsened over the past few months, the “Dnevni Avaz” daily is tipping that Turkish will sell off its shares in the carrier soon and is looking for an exit strategy. Earlier in the year Turkish Airlines Executive Committee Chairman stated, “Bosnia does not care for B&H Airlines. This was a big disappointment for us. The main reason for the current state of the airline is a complete lack of interest and understanding”.

Some of the casualties of Turkish’s management withdrawal include CEO Altan Buyukyilmaz, as well as the Managing Director for Marketing and the Executive Finance Director. The government is expected to name a new CEO in the coming months, with rumours circulating that former Sarajevo Airport Managing Director, Bakir Karahasanović, who led the airport for seventeen years, is the front runner to take the job.

So far B&H Airlines has not commented on the changes taking place in management. Enver Bijedić, the Minister for Transport and Communication in the Federation government says that so far he has not received an official notice of Turkish Airlines’ intention to back out of the ownership deal. Since 2008, when Turkish took over the reins at B&H things steadily improved, with the airline operating up to three aircraft and opening new routes to Scandinavia and Amsterdam. However, things begun turning sour late last year with Turkish withdrawing its Airbus jet from the B&H fleet and another aircraft grounded. As a result, the airline was forced to cancel many of its flights. Today, B&H carries outs its operations with a single aircraft, maintaining services to Istanbul, Copenhagen, Zurich and Banja Luka.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:39

    Turkish are probably focusing on their "aggressive expansion" worldwide than dealing with smaller airlines with less potential. B&H might benefit if it ever merges to be part of a sole ex-Yu carrier. Alternatively, it can try and collaborate with another airline such as SAS or some Swiss carrier.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:56

    well, what is happening now is what has been expected for a long time. it is obvious now that rumours that turkish was seeking ways to overtake the company were hoax. good luck bh airlines, lets see what you will be able to do without turkish

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous12:25

    I hope ex-Yu republics will have more luck tonight at Eurovision than Air B&H had since they were founded!

    ReplyDelete
  4. frequentflyer14:02

    To misquote Shakespeare, All is not well in the state of BiH...

    I wonder what would happen if (for *just* compensation) TK or IST impounded an AT7 - WWIII would likely erupt in the country losing one of its most expensive assets, and it would expose the overbearing bureaucracy, incompetency, and waste happening in the country at present.

    For the airline to turn around, they need to have their props doing 3 return trips each day out of SJJ: two longer trips in the morning (say ZRH and VIE), two short trips early afternoon (ZAG and BEG) and two longer trips again in the evening (to IST, CPH or wherever is needed).

    Quick question - are the AT7s owned, or still being leased??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:51

      The ATRs are leased. That’s why one of them is grounded. Because the government failed to pay the lease.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous16:32

    Never mix doing business with friendship.

    In the end you will loose money AND friends!

    ReplyDelete
  6. KITSUNE22:17

    Hi!

    Excuse me for being offtopic,
    but i want to recommend some videos about Qatar Airways service to Zagreb
    which you can find on Youtube!

    Search on Youtube for:

    -Direktan let od Zagreba do Dohe-

    -Qatar Airways inaugural flight to Zagreb-

    -Qatar Airways Airbus a320 taking off at Zagreb-

    There are alot of other links too!

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous08:10

      Thanks Kutine,

      Excellent introduction to what I could expect in my flight to ZAG in two weeks from now.
      Absolutely amazing.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous08:12

      Apology, KITSUNE for misspelling your name

      Delete
  7. Anonymous23:54

    My good !
    Second part of "inagural flight to Zagreb "is so nice done !
    This is best advertisement for Croatia i have ever seen...and done by private person .

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous17:36

    Hmmm..even Serbian citizen use Zagreb airport.
    Interesting..i have no problem with that...but does that make sense?

    What has Zagreb airport to offer that BEG does not have?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous22:40

    Naziligu nas i sad odose ! Jako profesionalno ! Valjda se tako radi u ''high'' avijaciji. Mislim da su slicno napravili i sa Turk Kibris Havazollari. Ja sad pitam ko ce vratiti obraz BH Airlinesu. Svaka cast putnicima koji koriste usluge nase kompanije , uz ovoliko otkazanih letova ja prvi ne bih letio. Daj boze da nam gorenavedeni dodje da se posao napravi. On sigurno zna i moze, a kakav je kao covjek - u to ne ulazim.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous12:57

    Bye, bye our dear ''brothers'',
    thanks for over 40 millions net loss! Even if it is from you, it is too much.
    We were really impressed with your fantastic aviation experience that helped us to achieve so big loss. We deeply hope You will continue the same strategy within Turkish Airlines.
    We are very happy people as Turkish Airlines has brotherly behind our backs introduced 4 additional flights without any prenotification to its code share partner ?!? Shame on you for ever !!! We were here prior to your arrival and will survive even after your departure. Just dont forget, we are not Turkish Ciprys Airlines. Sincerely waiting to your next move...

    ReplyDelete

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