New hope for B&H Airlines
Members of Turkish Airlines’ management flew into Sarajevo yesterday for talks with the Bosnian government over a deepening row regarding B&H Airlines, three weeks ahead of the 2012 summer season. The government, which is B&H’s majority stake holder, is unimpressed with the way the Turks have managed the carrier and are requesting for Turkish Airlines to adhere to its takeover contract. Local media report that Turkish Airlines has not fulfilled many of its obligations which it signed up to back in 2008 when it took a 49% stake in the carrier. The Bosnian government is further angered that it has had to pump in 3.4 million euros into the national airline on an annual basis, despite Turkish’s presence.Recently, in retaliation, Turkish Airlines took back its Airbus A319, which was operated by B&H and flights to Amsterdam were suspended with little warning. The return of the A319 to Sarajevo was discussed in yesterday’s meeting and progress is said to have been made. In February, B&H Airlines saw passenger numbers stumble 40%. It not only battled with constant flight cancellations as a result of its spat with Turkish Airlines but also saw extreme weather conditions.
Only last week, the Bosnian government approved a 1.3 million euro cash injection to cover B&H’s operational costs. Today, the carrier will only operate one return flight to Istanbul with other services cancelled. Furthermore, one its ATRs is undergoing maintenance leaving the carrier with a single ATR72. Yesterday’s meeting between Turkish Airlines and the Bosnian government is said to be going in the right direction, bringing hope to employees and passengers that the situation can be resolved.
Government insists at the delivery of two jets into BHA fleet (100+ seats), under E7 registration, as it was signed.
ReplyDeletebullshit. this is just nonsense.
ReplyDeletei really do not understand our people.
on one side, some are accusing turkish to not deliver the second jet, on the other side, others are saying that the debt the company has roots from the operation of airbus.
do you think that turkish is giving the airbus free of charge, they are just leasing it to bh airlines.why shouldnt they give the second jet and yet take back the first one to bh airlines?
not because they want to put bh airlines to a bad positioj but actualy put it into a safer position with less cost burden on the company.
there was sufficient information about turkish's contribution to the company. they are ahead of the governemnt when it comes to making payments.
it is the governmrnt who needs this airline not turkish.it is thr government who is not keeping the promises and not making payments.
everybody must realise this.
government give more emphasis to other issues than this airlinrle.
nothing more to say is necessary.
They have signed contract, and there is clearly written that THY must invest in 2 jets. Not to rent it to BHA.
ReplyDeleteyou make me laugh.
Deletedo you have any idea how much an airbus319 costs? around 40 million dollars. two airbus costs 80million dollars.
do you have any information about aviation?
what do you think the market value of a 2 atr airlines bearly operating would be?
and are you really thinking before you are writing this?
"in the contract, it says turkish will give 2 jets free of charge"
wooooow. we have such a valuable airline that turkish will give 2 jets worth of 80million dollar and another 5-10million euro for thr shares.
man, you are really over your head
It's a slow news day and I wanted to share this rather interesting news about Turkish Airlines starting scheduled flights to Mogadishu, the capital of Somania:
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/international-airline-lands-mogadishu-20-yr-break-080850192.html
to last two anonymous:
ReplyDeleteYou both do not know the contract. Of course the aircrafts are to be leased. But part of TK's investment was to be made through the first intallments of the jet.
Exactly!
DeleteI think it's time to put this airline out of it's misery. Just like Macedonia, and soon to be Slovenia, the BiH market is too small to support a national carrier. Live long and prosper BiH, but without BiH Airlines.
ReplyDeleteCharlie
Oh reallyyyy. Do you see the big picture at all?!!Do you know why countries are financing airline companies in debts?It is because of tourism and the diaspora, hotels working and so much more...
DeleteThe picture seem to show B&H aircraft gets maintenance
ReplyDeletein Belgrade hangar the same as Jat.
That a serbian company works together with Bosnian national carrier is a good thing i think.
I would love to see more cooperation between Serbian and Bosnian people.
Both profit from it.
Jat Airways and Nickes offer a €423 package arrangement for the Milan-Roma game. The price includes accomodation for three nights in a 4* hotel with breakfast, airplane ticket and ofcourse the tickets for the match.
ReplyDeleteOfftopic. QR will add Belgrade this year!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.centreforaviation.com/analysis/middle-east-sixth-freedom-hubs-add-8-million-passengers-in-2011-as-home-carriers-plan-further-growth-69249
Offtopic. Confirmed that QR will Belgrade this year!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.centreforaviation.com/analysis/middle-east-sixth-freedom-hubs-add-8-million-passengers-in-2011-as-home-carriers-plan-further-growth-69249
But it doesn't make sense for Qatar to launch flights to Belgrade. After all, didn't Purger give us a detailed explanation why Belgrade is ghetto and can't handle anything more than a simply low cost flight? ;)
ReplyDeleteHe needes to go see the doctor.
ReplyDeleteMeybe because wizz air and easyjet left the real ghetto
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Mar 6:
ReplyDelete"After all, didn't Purger give us a detailed explanation why Belgrade is ghetto and can't handle anything more than a simply low cost flight? ;)"
That is not true! That is nothing else but lies! I never said such a thing! My opinion is totally opposite. I highly respect Belgrade airport CEO and what he does for BEG (and he knows that).
"As mentioned in the report of 2011 prepared by the Bosnian State Auditor, company was losing less before TK and this was because of Jet."
ReplyDeleteBosnia has great aviators especially in the State offices.
We need a national airline not to feed our “national” identity nor for profit.
Transport is the generator or the fuel for an economy. Is this country is located over a cross-country/continent main stream land transport? Do we have a harbour? Or do we highways covering all around the country? Do you know after BHA stopped VIE, what is the average price of Austrian, Adria or Croatia? Always more than any European or over Atlantic destination!
Home carrier, especially for developing countries, serves as a access provider not as a profit centre, to bring tourists, small entrepreneurs and diaspora who brings and spends money in the country. This was what Emirates and TK did; Croatia, Jat and Adria are trying to do.
In addition to this, collapse of partnership with TK&BiH will be a super example for future privatization or joint ventures.
Coming to the BHA, there is a critical mess issue on aviation. 2 under performing ATRs are definitely far under this c. mass. BHA cannot get any code share or interline with any European Airline without Jet operation. Did BHA use that jet efficiently? I doubt it but letting it go is just announcing the end of airline.
When it comes to TK, it is obvious that they are not involved with BHA for profit. I mean they have enough capacity to put in to service to anywhere in Europe, they hold a German AOC in joint venture with LH. I see no reason for TK to have an interest other than political circumstance. If they want to buy BHA, the only reason can be that, to get rid of an unstable partner. You do not ruin an airline if you are a partner already. Well.. only if they don’t employ our "genius" people. They can also ruin BHA to get rid of itself but they should be "genius" for this too, as they do need to do so while FBiH is doing it. Why to get their hands dirty.
Finally according to my insider friend, last summer TK & FBiH agreed to inject capital to BHA and TK fully paid as agreed but FBiH after some write-offs stopped capital injection. It seems TK had enough with these irregularities and stopped funding the company. In accordance with genius discovery of state auditor BHA was seeking to get rid of Jet, seemingly they found solution for that.
All these could be result of another genius project; our Government needs a jet for their private travels as our “neighbour”. We can use Airport dividends for this jet instead of BHA, BHA dies and we get rid of it. Airport runs this Jet (Cessna Citation) when out of use of Government, if necessary together with ATRs. Thus we can have 1 profit centre instead of 2 loss making company. Thus airport can also grab the field of BHA allocated in the airport.
Whether this conspiracy true or not, the fact is BHA dying due to insufficient cash flow resulting from government's decision of not fulfilling their obligations. Thanks to our government, Austrian and Croatia will boost their profits on the route to SJJ by controlling the capacity. And we will pay them through ticket prices to promote their countries or cover their losses.
Seems that exyuaviation editors do only copy-paste gossips. No facts, only rumours... The rusult is obvious anti Turkish propaganda.
ReplyDeleteYeah...kill any support to Bosnia.
ReplyDelete@Charlie
ReplyDeleteTo compare BHA to Adria is not right. Adria over extended. BHA has not. It seems to me that the BHA problem is the random starting/stopping/cancellation or routes. BHA needs to have a few destinations, but fly them regularly and reliably. ATR for the short hauls and 1 or 2 jets for longer distance. There are enough passengers to make routes profitable for rival airlines at SJJ. BHA could do the same given the chance. Once the correct routes are chosen (and limited to those with good potential) then code share. Lets face it, none of our airlines are ever going to be LH. That doesn't mean they cannot be successful for our niche market as long as that is what the focus is.
Don't over extend or have dreams of grandeur, but do server your customers' needs.
I am assuming B&H Airlines is operating only flights to Istanbul.
ReplyDeleteServices to Copenhagen and Zurich are also suspended until further notice, since these destinations have not seen a single flight during the last week. Amsterdam is gone for good.
Summer flights to Sweden (Gothenburg and Stockholm) have been now removed from their schedule, together with Dusseldorf, Vienna and Skopje, all of them scrapped days ago.
The best option is to dismantle this joke that someone call airline and leave the entire route to Istanbul in Turkish Airlines's hands.