Jat back in Pula and Dubrovnik
Over the weekend Jat Airways launched seasonal flights to Dubrovnik and Pula, with solid passenger numbers recorded on all flights. The airline’s service to Dubrovnik on Friday saw 63 passengers, out of a total 66 seats onboard the ATR72. The return leg to Belgrade also fared well with 32 passengers onboard. Jat resumed flights to Dubrovnik last year after almost two decades. In 2011 it had to compete with Croatia Airlines but this summer it will be the sole carrier on the route.Meanwhile, on Saturday, Jat resumed flights to Pula which last operated in 2010. A total of 55 passengers boarded the ATR to the seaside town while 16 people flew on the return leg. The Serbian national carrier has signed a three year contract with Pula Airport to operate flights to the city until at least 2015. “I am certain that after a two year break this route will be successful. Last time around the average cabin load factor amounted to 90%. Our aim is for these flights to become an all year round service, even if it means having a one weekly flight because there is interest for them”, Bruno Rogović, the General Director of Pula Airport said.
On the other hand, Jat has been forced to cancel many of its planned peak summer season frequency increases due to a fleet shortage. Unlike last year, this summer season Jat is operating numerous lucrative charter flights, stretching the fleet to the limit. Some of Jat’s aircraft have been late in coming out of maintenance forcing the airline to rebook passengers on other flights. Over the weekend Jat’s most popular services were it’s sold out flights to Girona, Moscow, Antalya, Amsterdam, London Heathrow and Bodrum in Turkey.
Bravoooo! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is always nice to see that there are normal people who travel to most beautiful coast without prejudices. Good news for Jat also!
ReplyDeleteI think Jat has reached its potential in terms of passenger numbers. With the current fleet there simply isn't any room left for growth. Sad to see that after so many years, they still cannot buy or lease a single newer aircraft.
ReplyDeletewhat I don t understand is that JAT is flying Charters in the morning around 0800-0900h, but scheduled destinations like DUS are advanced to 0430h in the morning?? Usually you would fly Charters during night hours and scheduled flights are left as scheduled??
ReplyDeleteOT: Job Air CCA (which flew for OK certain shorthauls) such as LJU and ZAG with SF-340s has filed bankrupcy.
ReplyDeleteFor the moment flights to LJU and ZAG can not be booked on OK website
On the one hand, congratulations to jat!
ReplyDeleteOn the other, however, am I really the only one who finds it utterly unprofessional to launch a major summer expansion (i.e. also selling tickets) without being sure that it will be able to carry the offered flights through due to plane shortages! I think it's a shame and can/will harm the company in the long-term, because of the blow to its image ...
just my 2cents
Why JAT can't lease 2-3 aircrafts as it has market, crews to fly additional planes? Who is blocking that? Few years ago JAT operated 3 leased 737-400s, so JAT had total 13 737s. Why all other national airlines renew their fleets (Moldavian also, Tarom has nice new 738 and A318, Adria new A319, Croatia new Dash8s, etc..)?
ReplyDeleteTarom's B737-800 is everything but nice, but I get your point.
DeleteThe increase in flights to the Croatian coastal cities shows the irony of the problems for Croatia Airlines
ReplyDelete. For the last 20 years Croatia Airlines enjoyed almost exclusive routes from other European destinations to its coast. It became complacent since there were just enough tourists coming to the coast for it to take a big share of the business leaving not much need or desire for other airlines to enter the market.
Now that there are ever growing numbers of tourists wanting to come to the Croatian coast other airlines are seeing the potential for profit and entering the market.
So while the overall money flowing into the Croatian tourist industry is increasing the National carrier is seeing a decrease share of these funds.
Even if Croatia airlines is unable to profit from the situation other sectors of the economy are able to take advantage of the situation.
Depending on what happens to Croatia Airlines I am sure that Croatia will not be left without an airline since some private company with a better business model will step in the fill the void which might not be all that bad.
After all tourist money is still flowing into the country .
Bookings on route BEG-DBV looks much better than BEG-PUY. Let's see how will perform BEG-SPU. Croatia Airlines recorded 71% LF (54 PAX) on the first 6 flights SPU-BEG-SPU, quite good. Couple of next flights BEG-SPU are already sold out.
ReplyDeleteWhy JAT can't lease 2-3 aircrafts as it has market, crews to fly additional planes? Who is blocking that? Few years ago JAT operated 3 leased 737-400s, so JAT had total 13 737s. Why all other national airlines can renew their fleets (Moldavian A320s, Tarom has new 737NGs and A318, Adria new A319s, Croatia new Dash8s, etc..) and JAT flies with aged fleet?
ReplyDeleteReply
Easy: because Jat Airways is managed by people with other things on their minds.
ReplyDeleteJat Airways is managed by relatives of politicians
ReplyDeletewho are not interested in aviation or business.
Everybody in Europe complains about Greece...
but Serbia is much worse than Greece ever could be!
Serbia is actually a failed state...
the government exists only on paper.
The country is bankrupt since twenty years and gets bailed out by the IWF every year...
If you leave Belgrade you enter the third world...
Afrika ,Pakistan ,Bangladesh.
Belgrade-biig kasaba
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that they are entering the peak season with 9 aircraft. Leasing rates are like 200-300k USD per month.
ReplyDeleteAnd what is JAT doing? Taking parts of one aircraft and put them in the other to make it fly. With old aircraft that are paid a long time ago, high load factors and rip off fares they are making money. But not for the company, but for the political party that rules it! Shame, shame, shame!
@Anonymous June 20, 2012 2:45 PM:
ReplyDelete25-30% of the capacity sold for low yield fares on EU destinations can hardly be called a "rip off"... How much should the ticket cost? 1 EUR? Otherwise I agree with you.
Yes there is a rip off. Almost on any route. From Belgrade to Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Germany.... My mother recently paid 336€ for a RT ticket from FRA to BEG, while LH was 178€ !The plane was not full at all and the ticket was paid well in advance.....
ReplyDelete