Jat leasing more aircraft

B737-300 and ATR72-500 arriving next month

Jat Airways is set to take delivery of a Boeing 737-300 and an ATR72 in the first week of July as it looks to ease its ongoing fleet shortage this summer. Recently, the airline welcomed a former Carpatair ATR72-500, now registered YU-ALT, which is already in service. It will soon be joined by another aircraft of the same type, formally used by Executive Airlines from the United States. Both aircraft are on lease from the Nordic Aviation Capital leasing company. As a result, Jat will have five ATRs in operation by mid July, which are utilised on regional routes.

Meanwhile, the airline will also welcome a Boeing 737-300 during the first week of next month. The aircraft is currently based in Bulgaria and is in good condition. The jet will help Jat maintain scheduled flights which have suffered as a result of the airline’s charter commitments. With a leased Boeing 737-200 from Aviogenex, Jat will have a total of nine Boeing 737s in operation next month. As a result, the airline will be able to carry out the rest of the summer season with fourteen aircraft, as was announced last week by the airline’s CEO Velibor Vukašinović. All of the jets have been contracted on short term leases, though they bear Jat’s livery and Serbian registrations.

Etihad Airways plans to retire Jat’s entire Boeing fleet when it takes over a 49% stake in the airline. The Emirati carrier plans for Jat to enter the 2013/14 winter season with ten leased Airbus A319s and a handful of ATRs for regional routes. Some of the Airbuses are likely to be leased from Air Berlin, another one of Etihad’s equity partners, while others will be leased from other companies, with Adria Airways still seen as a potential leasing partner.

Jat has faced a fleet shortage since January with many aircraft undergoing scheduled maintenance. At the same time the airline has created an ambitious summer season network and tied itself up with a significant number of charter flights which cannot be cancelled. Similar problems were experienced during last year’s summer season.

Comments

  1. Anonymous11:50

    Najam 25 godina starih aviona?

    Ma nema sta, istinsko osvjezenje flote...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nikola11:59

      Ovo ti je daj šta daš, samo da prežive leto.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:36

      I to za enorman novac jer je u zadnji čas, pregovori last minute, kratkoročni najam na samo 2-3 meseca, u top sezoni. Da se uzelo od Marta do Oktobra, ispregovaralo prije Nove Godine, kako se planiralo bila bi cena daleko niža. No, tada se 42 dana odmaralo bez sastanaka.

      Delete
    3. JATBEGMEL13:45

      Sta da se radi? Kad su kreteni na celu kompanije, nazalost.

      Delete
    4. Taj avion je daleko od "good condition". To je ako se ne varam stari avion Bugarima Air-a koji se nalazi u hangara i ne leti duže od godinu dana.

      Delete
  2. JATBEGMEL13:52

    Its sad how from year to year there is less and less aircraft available for JAT's schedules. Several years ago there was 30 a/c with B727's and DC9's, B733's, ATR7's and a DC10. Now they can bearly maintain 10 a/c to fly.

    The government is to blame for bringing in unqualified people and for allowing this to happen. The management we well aware of their fleet situation, they know that those B733's are requiring alot of attention and maintenance to keep flying, yet theyre relying on the AGX B732, who is not always available to be used. At least this summer they're bringing in aircraft to fulfill the flight schedule. Those 2 B733's in Bulgaria are stored and are ready to be taken. The lease for them shouldnt be too expensive compared to other aircraft, but I think that those a/c will to require alot of attention.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous14:43

    It will NOT help Jat to maintain the full summer shedule. My flight to Milano on Friday, the 5th July is canceled. It would not be that scary, if it had not been the connecting flight, so that I have a whole mass with my jorney right now. Exactly the same happened at the same route in the end of February. Not to mention all the other delays and cancelation I experienced from February till now. As I can see, the canelation and flight changing practice is going on in July, even with the leased Boeing.
    It is over with my patience. I hope Jat will either die or start working normaly VERY soon. Why am I constantly gating punished for booking the flights which are carried by Jat, or Jat's flights in LACK OF CHOICE? Why is Alitalia punished to pay hotel to me because of Jat's mess? How much do we all pay to Jat's code share partners for its continuous cancelations and delays?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous21:03

      Calm down they have to fly charters first. You are the last on their list, as the other citizens who pay taxes for maintaining the OOUR JAT !!!

      Delete
  4. Anonymous15:23

    ^ Why dont you fly Easyjet?
    Easyjet fles Belgrade-Milano...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous01:05

      Because I don't travel to Milan, just transfering in Milan to another flight. Both flights are issued at Alitalia (they have code-share with Jat on Milan route), so basicaly I fly Alitalia only, but suffering because of Jat. JAT- never leaving you alone :D

      Delete
    2. Anonymous02:16

      Oh,okay i understand...good luck!

      Delete
  5. Anonymous15:37

    Not to defend the Jat management too much, but one needs to recognize that they cannot make significant decisions without government review and approval. On the other hand we have government officials and bureaucrats who prefer to avoid any decision-making regarding plane acquisitions since taking ownership of the issue can lead to future scrutiny.

    It is very logical for Jat to dry-lease ATR-72s, Boeing 737-300s and 737-400s for the time being. With this, the management will wait for Etihad to define the strategic direction of the airline. We need to be reasonable: why fund Airbus training for Jat pilots when Etihad can train them in their Abu Dhabi? Why would Jat wet-lease Airbus aircraft if pilots and flight attendants will be paid to stay home? Why would Serbia resolve the contract with Airbus if Etihad can influence the final outcome of negotiations?

    Last point to make - the advisory board are probably made up of lazy bureaucrats who have no personal/financial incentive to recommend initiatives and direction to decrease cost in the short-term as well as to have the airline operate a flight schedule with minimal anticipated disruption.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous16:04

    Anyone know why Adria is flying to Sarajevo with Airbus A319 instead of CRJ200 or 900...Great news for Sarajevo Airport regardless

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous17:15

    From tomorrow Etihad's code will appear on Jat's flight to Podgorica.
    The first one will be JU 664 with a scheduled departure at 17:25, operated by an Atr-72.

    I am sure that soon they will add it on the JU 662 which departs at 08:00 so that they can actually feed their flight.

    www.beg.aero

    The only thing I do not understand is why once can't find these destinations on Etihad's website or why we can't book SJJ-BEG-AUH via Jat's website.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous18:32

    Where can we track the current status of the Jat fleet? Which planes are actively flying / in maintenance / written-off / storage?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nikola10:55

      Well, Planespotters is usually accurate. According to them, ANF and ANH are stored. All other 733s are active.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous20:44

    Politicians in the Balkan region want to have their fingers in every pie. Hunting for enormous quantities of money for themselves they destroyed predispositions for life. What a scum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous08:42

      Agreed! Balkan politicians are the essence of scum! Wast majority of them has never been on a plane! God awful bigots!

      Delete

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