B&H Airlines continues search for partner

B&H Airlines still on the market

The Federation government of Bosnia and Herzegovina has announced it is still searching for a strategic partner for B&H Airlines. It comes almost two months after the Minister for Transport, Enver Bijedić, held talks with potential investors from the United Arab Emirates. However, the investors have still not sent an official request to begin talks with the government. “There is still nothing concrete to go on, so the Bosnian government is still looking for a partner. I believe the only solution is for someone to buy this company. We are ready for all sorts of talks”, Minister Bijedić says.

B&H Airlines was the first EX-YU airline to be privatised. Back in 2008 Turkish Airlines bought a 49% stake in the airline, only to relinquish all of its shares last year due to disagreements with the government which later branded the Turkish takeover as “a bad adventure”. Since then, the Bosnian government has made several attempts to sell a minority stake in the company which has since been hit by several groundings due to financial problems. Turkey’s Tarhan Tower Airlines, Libya’s Buraq Air and Malaysia’s AirAsia all expressed interest in the Bosnian carrier last year.

In the coming period, B&H Airlines will continue normal operations as a state owned company and will strengthen its cooperation with Jat Airways’ successor, Air Serbia, with more details to be published in the coming period. After Turkish Airlines relinquished its shares in B&H in early 2012, the government was left to deal with debt amounting to 6.3 million euros. The losses were accumulated over the three year partnership period. The government has reiterated that it won’t change its position when it comes to selling only 49% of the national carrier, meaning it will remain the majority share holder.

Comments

  1. Anonymous10:52

    OT:

    Will any tv channel report the arrival of the A319 today? Do we know where it will be parked? Will it be on the B ramp?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous11:05

    Why doesn't B&H Airlines tie itself to Air Serbia? It's the most logical step based on historic and cultural ties. They could feed the Belgrade hub from Sarajevo and at a later stage launch Mostar and Banja Luka flights to Belgrade.

    They have the aircraft for something like that so why not.

    They could even see with Air Serbia, maybe they can give them a route out of Belgrade. Let's say they could operate Sarajevo-Belgrade-Sofia-Belgrade-Sarajevo. In such a way they could maximise their aircraft utilisation and make some extra cash. I would prefer them to do it than that pest Montenegro Airlines.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:38

      The same thing is Croatia Airlines. Exempt ZAG is much better deviation, there are much better business, education, sport and other ties between Croatia and BiH... For sure there can be SJJ-ZAG-PRG-ZAG-SJJ or OMO-ZAG-MXP...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:40

      ...the only problem is that B&H Airlines is so unstable company, cancel flights for more than a month, change strategy or cancel routes after just several days...

      That is why Croatia Airlines because of Star Alliance standard will never colaborate with B&H Airlines again.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:07

      Yes but what will it feed in Zagreb? Croatia Airlines' ever shrinking network? That airline is slowly dying out and JA knows better that it has no business there.

      It actually got me thinking. Croatia Airlines flies five times per week to Paris and nine times per week to London Heathrow. Are they flying that often to London because they don't want to give up on slots or because they really can fill their seats?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous17:08

      Well, there is actually getting some structure into BHA, I believe the even made a net profit in the first 6 months of 2013.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous12:29

    air serbia and croatia airlines should take a 25% share of b&h!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:44

      Why? How will that solve anything?

      Delete
  4. Anonymous13:06

    I find it annoying that we can't comment on Air Serbia Launch Updates, so whenever I had some question I have to post it here...
    We all saw that first A319 arrived few minutes ago to BEG... I would say it's a great step for new airline, but the question is who flew it to Serbia? Is it new AirSerbia pilots that went on type rating or some other pilots?
    And also, as I would like to attend that conference on 25 th in Belgrade, I was wondering if that will be kind of a public event or just for "VIP" guests...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why can’t you comment on the Air Serbia launch update page? Comments are open. As for the presentation it’s for members of the press via invitation only.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous13:15

    I just see article, but no comments below or any possibility to open it as a single story, like I can do with stories on the main page.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have to scroll down to the end of the page. It is an integrated post.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous14:15

    It is home!

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=220727158051645&set=a.209041889220172.1073741828.208973515893676&type=1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:22

      That livery... just stunning. I think it's a truly iconic one.

      Delete
  7. BA88814:36

    Yup.

    Iconic. Literally.

    (In other words not belonging to modern European comapny)

    I sitll with good luck to Air Serbia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:24

      Ah... you again.

      Here is the definition of iconic from the Cambridge dictionary:

      'very famous or popular, especially being considered to represent particular opinions or a particular time.'

      So iconic does not mean that it does not belong to modern European times/company, quite the contrary.

      Delete
    2. BA88815:31

      I sort of prefer Oxford one:

      Definition of iconic in English

      iconic
      Pronunciation: /ʌɪˈkɒnɪk/
      adjective

      1relating to or of the nature of an icon:he became an iconic figure for directors around the world

      2(of a classical Greek statue) depicting a victorious athlete in a conventional style.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:04

      Which leads us to look at their definition of an icon":

      '2a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration:'

      That's also from the Oxford dictionary. Once again, proving my point.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous16:04

    Dear Ex-Yu admin, please think of almost not-stop publishing headlines related to both Air Serbia and Croatia Airlines, and pretty frequently to BEG and ZAG within the rest of the six to seven headlines describing particular topics such as "First Air Serbia aircraft put down at BEG”, "OU negotiate with...", etc, so the guys have a chance to talk about what they want to. If you provide such possibility the other topics will mostly stay clear of out-of-topic posts – which, honestly, I’m pretty much interested in.
    Seems as if the idea of having a collective “Air Serbia lunch updates” link on a side bar isn’t satisfying enough. Personally, I also don’t like to scroll down a lot every time I visit the Air SERBIA lunch updates.
    In my humble opinion, most of new events deserve particular titles. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coma16:14

      Yes, I completely agree! Launch updates deserve particular titles. This way when all coments are down it's not so clear what people are discussing about and it's a complete mess...

      Delete
    2. It’s technically impossible. The page will be removed in a few days anyway.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:53

      But why remove it? Leave it, it will be interesting to have a look at it after a few months to see how the story unfolded.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous16:17

    Hopefully B&H Airlines can sell that 49% and head towards the right direction. I would love to see the airline with a new aircraft. Possibly a Airbus A318 which I believe would be perfect for them. Along with the new aircraft id open up some new routes like to Amsterdam or Frankfurt. Maybe even Stockholm. Hopefully they start on the right track.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous01:17

      A318 is not coste effective. You can not fly that plane with profit. That is why just some 80 exmples were made, why compaies want to remove them from fleets, and retire them even that A318 are young.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous17:04

    B&H had an ideal partner in Turkish Airlines...
    But they messed it up.
    We can only hope from Air Serbia that it learns from this
    and better cooperates with Etihad.
    Otherwise the whole thing will also end in a desaster.
    There are some that want to see this partnership fail.
    I only say Lufthansa/Delta...
    Will the Serbian government be able to withstand the pressure?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous20:26

    Two A318 would solve many of their problems, I dare say. One for Nordic countries and one for Frankfurt etc (for not so called long-haul but just longer flights).
    Just two ATR70s are not enough for a company to feed on.
    Also, they must get enough strength to clear up the mess regarding the personnel which work in the company.
    Bribery and corruption must stop.
    A company can not be a social institution. That's the prerequisite.

    In addition, in my opinion, if BH Airlines found a “strategic partner” it wouldn’t be a merger but a takeover. In the brutal turbulent liberal capitalism at global level , every partner which do a takeover thinks not to bail you out but eat for a breakfast. “Déjà vu” with Turkish Airlines.
    The company should trust in its own best only.
    There are more than 500,000 passengers per year that use SJJ. BH Airlines must get 25 percent of it, not 10 only.
    In my opinion they can do that with four aircraft, not two.
    BL1

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous20:40

      That's not going to happen with the current management in the company, which was put into its place by a deeply corrupted Federation government. BH will continue to exist as a barely functioning company, taking subsidies to provide a terrible level of service and connection possibilities, while the Bosnian market will be taken by more serious companies.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous22:47

      There is no point in getting the A318 which is not efficient, better to get the E195 which in a single class configuration can take in 120 passengers.

      Delete
    3. Sipahi23:15

      What was so bad about a takeover of B&H ?
      TK gave them new A319.Bosnians were biting the hand that feed them.
      Why giving someone second chance?
      Many other not get even one.
      B&H is a story with no happy end.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous14:42

    What about two Sukhoi Superjet 100

    ReplyDelete

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