Tarhan Tower Airlines close to B&H takeover
Turkish based Tarhan & Tower Airlines and the low cost AirAsia are interested in taking over a 49% stake in B&H Airlines, Enver Bijedić, the Federal Minister for Transport and Communication confirms. The surprise announcement is in stark contrast from previous government claims that Libya’s Buraq Air, a Middle Eastern carrier and a regional European airline are looking into the offered share package.
Tarhan & Tower Airlines (T&T) is a charter airline based in Istanbul but has been out of operation for the past five years due to concerns over its maintenance procedures. The airline has offered to provide its fleet of two MD82s to B&H Airlines as soon as it takes over the carrier and further invest in another ten aircraft, either Boeing or Airbus, in the coming years. T&T has offered to develop B&H’s scheduled network as well as its charter services and introduce cargo operations, a government prerequisite for the future minority share holder. T&T has sent a letter of intent to takeover B&H.
On the other hand, AirAsia, which was recently connected to a possible takeover of Jat Airways, has said that it has requested additional information on B&H’s operations. The Malaysian low cost airline is looking to set up a regional hub in Europe to aid its network back in Kuala Lumpur. However, according to Minister Bijedić, Sarajevo Airport is unsuitable for the no frills carrier due to the weather conditions and is looking at Mostar Airport instead due to its tourism potential. Earlier this year the government designated the airports in Mostar and Tuzla as low cost airports.
Talks with interested parties are set to begin “soon”. The Federation government is hoping to sell 49% of B&H Airlines, previously held by Turkish Airlines. Meanwhile, B&H is still finalising its schedule for the upcoming winter season. Unlike this summer, the airline has an additional aircraft to utilise.
AirAsia making Mostar it's european hub. What's next, B&H starting service to Sao Paolo using ATR42 with 7 fuel stops?
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note, I hope B&H gets some serious investors and decent routes soon. Wish them luck, they need it badly.
Funny :)
ReplyDeletehaha these rumours are good i got one too qantas is also rumoured in giving jat a a380 as a part of its new give a plane away yearly charity
ReplyDeleteI've already known that ex-YU politicians are incompetent, but now I'm starting to wonder if they've ever flown a plane in their lives. After Mrkonjic's statements a while ago, Bijedic comes out with a proposal twice as ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteBalkan politicians are provincial idiots ...
ReplyDeleteThat is very offensive to provincial idiots!
DeleteJokes aside, the airline name is "Tarhan Tower Airlines (TT Airlines)," not "Tarhan & Tower Airlines (T&T)."
Second, both of these aircraft are 30 years old! Does B&H Airlines (or the government for that matter) have any standards when it comes to business partners? I mean, seriously?
So, I beg of you, please do not offend provincial idiots. These people are far worse.
LOT prestaje da leti za Beograd tokom zime i ta linija postaje sezonska.
DeleteWell there is a small number of direct pax between BEG and WAW, i remember when i went to Warsaw, the plane was full, and only 3 of us actually went to Warsaw :))
DeleteWhen I flew it we were 20 people to disembark in Warsaw, I guess it is still not enough...
DeleteOn a more positive note, flydubai will be operating almost double daily flights to Belgrade throughout the holidays.
http://www.aviokarta.net/vesti/1460-flydubai-dva-puta-dnevno-do-beograda-zbog-praznika/
And there is proof there there is a market for Emirates to launch flights. It doesn't have to be direct, they can link it with Budapest or Bratislava.
DeleteBratislava?! Maybe BUD or OTP but Bratislava... Anyway, linking cities 'a la QR' is not really in the style of EK.
DeleteYou don't send an A330/777 for ~1h regional hop-overs, only QR with their A320 to ZAG can allow themselves to do that.
DeleteAerologic, you might want to check the route network of EK. They currently operate numerous linked flights in Africa in addition to DXB-LCA-MLA and another one that comes to my mind is Dubai-Sydney-Auckland. So they do do it.
DeleteThere was once a charter airline in the US.
ReplyDeleteTheir name was Tower Air.
Their fleet consisted of used 747-200s.
Flew with them twice from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
That was in the late nineties.
I think the company ceased operations 2004 or 2005.
Not true. EK used to do Dxb VCE via LCA.
ReplyDeleteIt is Valetta in Malta not Venice that is linked with Larnaca.
DeleteOT: Sasa Mirkovic (hint: Marija Serifovic) is to replace Nebojsa Starcevic as head of Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate. At least Mrkonjic is to remain minister of transport, so nothing can possibly go wrong there.
ReplyDeleteFlydubai će iz operativnih razloga otkazati redovne polaske iz Dubaija i Beograda 31. decembra 2012. Svi putnici koji imaju karte za taj dan moći će besplatno da budu prebačeni na bilo koji drugi let u ovom periodu koji im bude odgovarao.
ReplyDeleteWhat is that supposed to mean!? Cancelled flights Belgrade - Dubai or..?
Rotation DXB-BEG-DXB that was to operate on that particular date will be cancelled instead.
DeleteThis story about B&H really is funny... in a sad way :|
ReplyDelete