Jat wants ATR instead of Airbus
The French Minister of State for foreign trade Anne-Marie Idrac has arrived in Belgrade for talks with Serbia’s Ministry for Infrastructure with the aim of resolving Jat’s 12 year old order for 8 Airbus A319s. Idrac, in contrast to statements made by East European Airbus vice president Andreas Kramer, said that Jat Airways can purchase regional aircraft from France in exchange for the 8 Airbuses. “The agreement in 1998 is still in force but is not active due to many reasons. One of the reasons I’m in Belgrade is in order for discussion to begin with the aim of resolving this issue”, Idrac was quoted by the Beta news agency. Idrac added that if Jat were to purchase smaller regional jets it would have to sign a new agreement, although she did not specify with whom.Serbia’s Minister for Infrastructure, Milutin Mrkonjić, said that Serbia was interested in finalising the dispute between Jat and Airbus. He said that he hopes Airbus will be a new partner in Jat’s fleet renewal process.
Jat is keen on modifying the Airbus order to ATR aircraft. Its previous attempts to do so have been rejected by Airbus. Jat has a mixture of Boeing and ATR aircraft in its fleet. It has never had any Airbus aircraft in its ownership.
But if they would get the deal to change in favor of the ATR's, doesn't that mean that they would be getting only one?
ReplyDeleteI am sure that it would mean a lot to JU but I suppose at lease 2 would make sense.
But even if they were to get one, I am sure it would be flying to Vienna, since apparently JU is losing on that route
SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE SOURCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeletego and read any serbian newspaper and you will get your info.
@ ANONYMOUS
ReplyDeleteAs stated in the article - Beta News Agency.
^
ReplyDeleteI must have missed it in the first reading - my mistake.
The hold up is simple. JAT paid their money to Airbus, not to EADS, the parent company of Airbus and Aerospatiale. So Airbus (as a separate company) is the one JAT has to deal with.
ReplyDeleteThis is an important point constantly neglected by JAT.
And that $23.5m would be worth just over $30m today in real terms, but that may only buy them 2 aircraft when they really need 6.
Doesn't matter if JU is getting 2 aircraft if they really need 6, I think what is important here is for them to just start buying those damn planes!
ReplyDeleteCan't they just offload the deal to another airline dealing with Airbus?
ReplyDeleteJat - 'Hey airline XYZ, want to take this $23 million dollar deal off our hands for a cool 20% discount?'
Airline XYZ - 'In these economic times, sure thing!'
^
ReplyDeleteDeposits are non-transferable and Airbus are being complete bastards over this whole issue.
^ Could Jat not strike a deal in private? By the planes and than on sell them to whichever company they made a deal with?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/03/04/339052/china-southerns-five-atr-72-500s-on-sale.html
ReplyDeleteThere's JUs solution to their ageing AT7s... manufactured in 2003, operating mostly longer trips (ie less cycles).
Doesn't solve the Airbus problem though!