B&H plans summer expansion

B&H to resume flights to Amsterdam and Skopje

B&H Airlines is planning to launch flights to Amsterdam and Skopje this summer season, despite the fact that its future ownership structure remains uncertain. The carrier, which handled 59.697 passengers in 2012 (down 54% on 2011 and its worst result since 2005), says the three airlines interested in a 49% ownership stake have made no specific offers. These include AirAsia from Malaysia as well as Tarhan & Tower Airlines and Atlasjet from Turkey. Tarhan offered to provide B&H with a couple of MD 82s while Atlasjet was interested in creating a regional airline serving Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania with its base in Tirana. “We haven’t received a firm answer from any of the potential partners. No deadlines have been set. The only thing that is certain is that B&H Airlines will live. It will be a tough ask and it would be much easier with the help of a foreign partner”, Enver Bijedić, the Federation Minister for Transport and Communication says.

Despite its ownership woes, B&H plans to expand in the coming summer season. The airline has already applied for slots at Amsterdam Airport and intends on launching four weekly flights to the Macedonian capital. Several months ago, EX-YU Aviation News reported on the carrier’s intentions to resume services to Skopje. The airline says that it currently doesn’t have the means to expand its fleet. B&H Airlines operates flights to Banja Luka, Copenhagen, Zurich and Istanbul with two ATR72-200s.

Meanwhile, closer partnership with Croatia Airlines is also in the works. The Croatian carrier has expressed interest to set up a base in Sarajevo this summer and offer direct flights to several European destinations. However, for now, the two airlines are negotiating possible code sharing on certain flights.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:21

    What is the logic behind the flights to Skopje? Is there really a demand or are they trying to establish a hub in Sarajevo (with two Atr-72s).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Purger10:53

      Well to fly SJJ-SKP via VIE or MUC is not very good option. Via ZAG, LJU or BEG with some 7-9 hours of transfer time even worse.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:50

      I understand that, however my question was if there is demand between the two cities.

      Delete
    3. Purger18:20

      Of course that is main question. Unfortunately companies like Air Bosnia open lines by dreams of their CEO, not by market research.

      Delete
    4. JATBEGMEL19:14

      If there was a demand for SKP to SJJ it would be done by bus. I don't think that our people would spend the money for such a trip, especially considering that SJJ taxes is high. I doubt the air fare would be attractive to create a demand and there isn't connections at either end to justify the route.

      Purger, I agree.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous10:41

    Ah flying from Sarajevo to Amsterdam on an Atr-72 will be wonderful... not.
    How long would the flight be? Surely three hours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:35

      Well, three hours are sure much better than what we have now with transfers and everything, and I tried them all. My experience with BH Airlines was very positive. Nice and professional crew despite their management problems. Looking forward to this one.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:49

      Yes but before this route was operated by their A319, now it will be an Atr-72. These two aircraft are totally different, not to mention the difference in comfort.

      Delete
    3. It will be a HELL :) Noise and terrible confort with a 3+h flight. If they would give it free to me i would say no.

      Good old lufthansa, austrian, OU. Even when it's with a transfer, much better option in every way.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous15:02

      I meant with ATRs. My experience was more than OK. I prefer to be there in one go. Not to mention prices. Hell has a different meaning to different people apparently.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous11:28

    Thank you to the administrator of this page for deleting the awful comments insulting Macedonia.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous11:40

    @ExYu, TarhanTower Airlines is offering MD-82 aircraft, not Fokker100. One of the reasons Bijedic isnt happy with that offer is fuel consumption..

    @anonymous, SJJ-AMS is slightly under 3hrs, and therefore shorter than their current SJJ-COHEN flight on ATR

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:41

      I mean CPH of course, damn autocorrect on.my phone

      Delete
  5. frequentflyer12:30

    Good luck to JA this year. They need it.

    The airline is a mess - its website is showing certain flights eg to IST using a F100 (from where?? Is 8P wet-leasing them a plane?) - which would be the ideal plane for the long flights to CPH/AMS, but they need to utilise their current fleet much better.

    I am most interested in this 'co-operation' with OU - is this simply codesharing on OUs existing double-daily flights to ZAG? Will we see a return of JA metal to ZAG? Is the OMO-ZAG line about to reopen? ZAG-SJJ route could sustain 3 (if not 4) daily props, the major questioning is the timing of flights. If this is a process of putting their codes on OUs hinted flights ex SJJ then it is a pretty pathetic effort from the airline.

    JAs ageing AT7s need to be used on 'regional' flights: up to 90mins in the air, with quick turnarounds to ensure the fleet is used to capacity - far from where it is now. And it should mean three daily returns with the AT7s ex SJJ: morning, midday, and evening.

    We watch this one with interest, but any potential buyer/partner will have seen the struggle TK had with govt interference, inept structure and severe lack of forward planning

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous14:33

    OFFTOPIC: AIR SWEDEN will start to weekly flights from Copenhagen to Skopje with A320. Flights are going to start 1 april.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. 2 weekly flights starts 1 March and not in April.

      The timetable will looks like this:
      1--4--- 10:10 CPH-SKP 12:30 A320 (180 seats)
      1--4--- 14:25 SKP-CPH 16:45 A320 (180 seats)

      Im wonder why the aircraft will be almost 2 hours in Skopje?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:18

      Where did you obtain this information?

      Delete
  7. Anonymous16:27

    It will be very interesting if this is true! It will be comprtition to W6 to Malmo! Really where did you get the information?
    As for SJJ-SKP i doubt it will materialise considering the past of JA! I'm Macedonian and don't know many travelling to BiH! All at all BiH is the least important ex-yu republic for Macedonia- economical, political and cultural ties are much weaker compared to the other ones. Maybe only for Bosniaks living in Macedonia?! However wish them good luck! Btw. TAV has once again done some really good work if we see these routes operating!
    routes

    ReplyDelete
  8. JATBEGMEL19:08

    As mentioned above, I also think JA should keep to closer cities considering their fleet of 2 ATR's. IST and ZRH is good, maybe open ZAG, BEG, VIE and MUC rather than having AMS and CPH. The fleet is definately under utilised.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous19:11

    I don't understand why B&H Airlines don't offer any routes to Germany. Surely this would be the most popular routes or have the government done a deal with Lufthansa to keep B&H out of Germany in return for Lufthansa operating there?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey Folks here is the information about the new Skopje Copenhagen route with Air Sweden.
    http://www.cph.dk/CPH/UK/Newsroom/News/2013/Four+new+routes.htm

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous20:10

    Why don't JA simply try and merge with JU as a single airline? Yes, their aircraft are very old (from 1980's) but they can create hubs in both BEG & SJJ. Instead of both airlines flying to SKP, they can do double daily LHR, BRU, AMS and launch some Spanish destinations such as MAD, BCN. Not sure about SKP potential...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:24

      Why should JA only merge with JU? Why not OU and JU own 25 percent each and the BIH government the other 50 percent.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18:40

      JU doesn't have money for itself and you think they can invest? Hahahaha. Sure employees and Serbian public will have good opinion about investment in 49% of JA and not in Jat fleet or salaries.

      OU does not need to invest in JA. It will open flights this year without investment.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:54

      You must be kidding, it is a joke am I right ??? In my born village there is a maxima '' do not srac too mac''

      Delete
  12. Anonymous21:04

    B&H should stop flying to Istanbul.
    They need that ac for opening some European routes.
    Also TK with nearly three times daily and Pegasus
    with nearly daily in the lowest season...
    that is so much capacity and competition that JA will not be missed that much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:53

      You are almost completely right about IST. I can bet that BHA will stop its IST with the arrival of Pegasus. No chance for ATR on route to IST against jet planes competition. I still doubt what new EU routes can be offered to BHA. Maybe some destinations free of service till now ?!? Rome, Frankfurt,Milan or any within the range of ATR up to 1.30.

      Delete
  13. Exyu aviation please make new post about the new Skopje Copenhagen route, I can see the flights are already on sale and can be bought so it's official.
    http://www.flyswedish.se/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Purger23:26

    Dakle Air Bosna i CTN krecu u suradnju. JA krece sa letovima prema SKP koji baš i nemaju neku šansu. Ali zašto ne spojiti te dvije stvari

    OU 1234567 ZAG 2115 - 2230 SKP
    OU 1234567 SKP 0615 - 0730 ZAG
    OU -2-4-67 ZAG 1400 - 1515 SKP 1555 - 1710 ZAG

    OU -2-4--7 SJJ 0630 - 0720 ZAG
    OU 1-3--6- ZAG 2110 - 2200 SJJ
    OU 1234567 ZAG 1435 - 1525 SJJ 1605 -1655 ZAG

    JA 1-3-5- SJJ 0630 - 0730 ZAG 0815 - 0915 SJJ - 1015 SKP 1300 - 1400 SJJ
    JA -----6- SJJ 0630 - 0730 ZAG 0815 - 0915 SJJ
    JA -2-45-7 SJJ 1930 - 2030 ZAG 2105 - 2200 SJJ

    i tako bi dobili red letenja

    ZAG-SJJ
    1-3-56- 0815 0915 JA
    1234567 1435 1525 OU
    -2-45-7 2105 2200 JA
    1-3--6- 2110 2200 OU

    SJJ-ZAG
    -2-4--7 0630 0720 OU
    1-3-56- 0630 0730 JA
    1234567 1605 1655 OU
    -2-45-7 1930 2030 JA

    ZAG-SKP
    1-3-5-- 0815 1015 JA 1stop
    -2-4-67 1435 1525 OU nonstop
    1234567 2015 2230 OU nonstop

    SKP-ZAG
    1234567 0615 0730 OU nonstop
    1-3-5-- 1300 1655 JA/OU via SJJ
    -2-4-67 1555 1710 OU nonstop

    i naravno ako se pokaze potreba u buducnosti ovo se moze prosiriti i na:
    SJJ-ZAG-SJJ sa JA ujutro 123456- i navecer sa JA 12345-7

    kao i na ZAG-SJJ-TGD-SJJ-ZAG u dane kada OU ne leti nonstop ZAG-TGD-ZAG

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous06:41

    I see a similar scenerio as in BEG when they pulled out. SJJ needs more flights with non star hubs. This kind of flights will just help star alliance keep their monopoly in sjj.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous09:41

    BH Airlines should consider operations toward non served europian destinations, not served yet!!! I support the plans for SKP operations due to very bad air and surface connections between two capitals. SJJ as a hub, sounds as a joke. I have no evidence about past year results on the route. According to the schedule BH Airlines, also Banja Luka will be connected with SKP via SJJ. Who knows ???

    ReplyDelete

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