Jat restructuring plan revealed

New plans envisages new aircraft and less employees
The Serbian government is preparing a restructuring plan for its national carrier to be implemented in 2012. Although the task-group working on the restructuring program has yet to decide whether the state should create a new national carrier to replace Jat or leave the airline with its current brand name, it is believed they are leaning towards the latter. “Since there was no interest earlier in the year for a strategic partner to purchase Jat, we have decided to prepare a development strategy because we believe it is important for the country to have a national airline”, the office of the Prime Minister said in a statement. The new program outlines that Jat will have 700 employees (down from the current 1.200), but adds that no one will lose their job. Instead, employees will leave by choice and will be offered bonuses and stimulus packages, which could prove worthwhile for employees who have a few years left until retirement. An attempt to forcefully sack employees several years ago ended in failure as all of those dismissed launched legal battles and were returned to work.

Fleet wise, the plan envisages the purchase of five to eight new aircraft, although Jat’s existing fleet wouldn’t be retired in the near future. Negotiations with Airbus regarding the 1998 order for 8 Airbus A319s will be resumed while cooperation with the ATR aircraft manufacturer will also begin.

Economists have heavily criticised the government over the past few months for not restructuring the airline before putting it on offer in an ambiguous international tender, which ended in failure a few months ago. Once again millions were wasted on financial and privatisation advisors, of which there was no use in the end. Meanwhile, Jat’s catering division, which was divided from the carrier several years ago, will be put up on auction tomorrow. It is the fourth time this year that a 70% stake in Jat Catering has been put up on sale as there has been no interest previously. The minimal asking price is just over 1 million Euros, significantly down on previous sale attempts. The company has 137 employees.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:08

    5 to 8 aircraft? Would love to see that one happening.

    On a side note, their summer timetable seems promising.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:22

    Who cares! Booooring!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Purger10:23

    fairy tale

    ReplyDelete
  4. JU520 BEGLAX10:25

    until they get the A319...they should already order the next gen the 319neo, so they re up to date again

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:45

    That Airbus deal is such a setback and liability, if they do get A319s in the end, it will get old with Neo's arrival in 2014/15. If by some miracle the manage to convert the order to Neos, earliest delivery date is too far away.

    Such a pity they could not stay with 737-700 (or even smaller capacity 737-600).

    Interesting for an airline like Jat would be considering Bombardier C-Series, as they offer ideal capacities for a mostly regional airline.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous10:51

    The brand new rumor about JAT fate (in serbian) Ten serbian tycoons will buy JAT

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous11:57

    It gets better: Blic http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Ekonomija/297371/Novi-nacionalni-avioprevoznik-imace-sest-aviona-i-500-zaposlenih forecasts "new JAT" with 6 new planes and 500 employees... total bs...

    keep the old 733s, lease 737 and 738 and a small regional plane for 2-a-day feeder services from Nis and Uzice and make BEG a hub it could be :)

    Best holiday wishes :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Its the economy,Stupid!18:27

    Next year Serbian government will get re-elected again.
    Again four years of everything going downhill as usual!

    ST for 2012 can only happen with new aircraft.But A319 is not new...theres already a neo version.

    But Tadic made a deal with Airbus and the French.Serbia buys this old shit for too much money and France gives green light for EU candidacy which is worthless for Serbia!

    As the current government did never anything for Jat or Serbian economy
    we can forget all plans for future.

    This so called restucturing plans are only PR...when the goverment gets reelected they will sell Jat to some crap dealers ...in four years there will be Jat only remembered.

    ReplyDelete
  9. JU520 BEGLAX21:06

    Happy Holidays to all of you!!

    check this out:

    http://happyholidays.airbaltic.com/?nt_cmpg=402&nt_cid=402.108

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous21:13

    divnoooooooooo :)

    ReplyDelete

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