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.
Did any other countries apart from BiH and Serbia sign any other aviation agreements?
ReplyDeleteThe agreement with Russia is good since holders of Serbian passports dont need visas to enter Russia. Intresting how JAT never return flights from Belgrade to St. Peterburg :( I wonder if JAT plans to shift its operations to Domodedovo like many other airlines have or they working with SU and keeping their operations in Sheremetyevo?
ReplyDeleteI find more interesting the agreement with the UAE. Would be really nice to have Etihad or Emirates flying out of Belgrade, even better if they buy JAT and make Belgrade their European hub. Not sure how likely is this to happen but there could be soem potential.
ReplyDeleteThis is great i would like to see one of these countries in the near purchase Jat Aeroflot I presume. It is also nice to see that Tarom are begining flights to Belgrade. Does anyone konw what aircraft type Tarom will be using.
ReplyDeletein the near future(sorry spelling mistake)
ReplyDelete^Nemanja, you can view TAROM's flight details to BEG in the "new route launches" section.
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ReplyDelete@ sam
ReplyDeletei dont see the reason for Etihad flying to Belgrade just yet. Yes, the do have a suitable aircraft for the AUH-BEG route, but where Emirates has the advantage is that Emirates has well established flights in Asia and Oceania, something Etihad Airways doesnt have. For example, Emirates offers 3 daily flight to Melbourne where as Etihad offer 1 daily with a departure from Abu Dhabi in the evening, with the flight to Abu Dhabi arriving in the morning - roughly a 12 hour difference. In regards to Etihad long haul, they lack aircraft and are a couple years behind Emirates in that sense.
Having Emirates in Belgrade would be intresting, but i dont really see it happening. Emirates have a big fleet of long range aircraft and their flights to most destinations can be done non stop. Emirates wouldnt be able to do much in Belgrade anyways, New York, Chicago, Toronto, eventually Los Angeles, Montreal and Vancouver. Emirates doesnt have smaller aircraft suitable for JAT, and JAT i dont see as being a big long haul carrier, especially next Emirates. The talks on Aeroflot however were intresting. Aeroflot could purchase for example several Sukhoi superjets, replacing the ATR's, add in a couple 150 seater Tupolev 204-300, and transfer them to JAT and attempt to remove or to decrease the amount of import duty for their large order of A350 and B787 aircraft because of their order of domesticly built aircraft. Will be intresting to see what comes up in the following months anyways :-)