Etihad cancels A320neo order for Air Serbia


Etihad Airways has cancelled its order for ten Airbus A320neo aircraft which were to be delivered to equity partner Air Serbia. Deliveries were initially due to begin last November. However, Airbus' latest backlog revision has revealed that the order has been scrapped. They were set to completely replace Air Serbia's existing fleet of A319s and A320s. The Serbian carrier secured the narrow-bodies as part of a major fleet order by Etihad at the 2013 Dubai Air Show, for up to 117 Airbus aircraft.  Etihad’s outstanding Airbus commitments, at the end of December, comprised of 22 A350-1000s and forty A350-900s, as well as 26 A321neos. Its first A350-1000 is currently in final assembly.

The delivery of the neos to Air Serbia was originally slated between late 2018 and 2020. A previous deposit payment made by JAT Yugoslav Airlines for eight A319s in 1998 was credited against the pre-delivery payment for the neos. Upon making the order in November 2013, Air Serbia said, "The new fleet of Airbus A320neo aircraft is a key part of our strategy to re-position the airline as best in class with the most modern and comfortable single aisle aircraft. These aircraft will offer our guests the best cabin in the sky. With these A320neo jets we will set the benchmark in both product and service excellence as we extend our network to more destinations across Europe".

In 2013, Siniša Mali, who was at the time the Adviser for Economy and Finance to the Cabinet of the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, and who today holds the post of Finance Minister, said the government had agreed with Etihad Airways to take the aircraft for Air Serbia. "This is good for Air Serbia and the people of Serbia, because both have benefited from economies of scale resulting from Etihad Airways' very significant order with Airbus. With the delivery of these ten new aircraft between 2018 and 2020, Air Serbia will be the first airline in the region to have a modern fleet of new Airbus aircraft. The last delivery of a new jet to Jat Airways, the former national carrier, was in 1988", Mr Mali said. He added, "Furthermore, through our partnership with Etihad Airways, a previous deposit payment made by Jat Airways, has been credited against the pre-delivery payment for these aircraft. This is a very good result for the people of Serbia". Air Serbia itself has ignored all inquiries regarding the A320neo order from various media outlets over the past several months.

The 2013 Transaction Framework Agreement between Etihad Airways, the Government of Serbia and Jat Airways, states:

"Without limitation, the GoS (Government of Serbia) undertakes to: fund, and assume all liability for, any costs and liabilities associated with the JAT 1998 purchase contract with Airbus, in relation to which Etihad shall seek to assist JAT and/or the GoS in any discussions/negotiations that JAT and/or the GoS may have with Airbus with a view to reducing JAT's exposure to such costs or liabilities. For the avoidance of doubt, if at any time while the Management Services Agreement is in force, JAT and Airbus reach an agreement to purchase aircraft under the terms and conditions of the 1998 purchase contract then theGoS shall not be liable for the purchase price for any such aircraft;"

A320neo order announcement, Dubai, November 2013

Etihad Airways, which has been undergoing restructuring after its strategy of investing billions of dollars in other airlines failed, plans to cut fifty pilot jobs by end of this month, two sources who have seen an internal memo by the airline said. Etihad also said in the memo it made a “significant loss” last year and that this would continue into 2019.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    Well expected....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous09:02

    So will Etihad return the money that was given as a deposit? It's funny how almost all things that were launched and celebrated by Dane have been eventually cut or suspended.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:05

      Well read the extract from the contract that's in the article. The money stays frozen with Airbus.

      Delete
    2. So Airbus can't return us the money since we won't be buying any new aircraft in the foreseeable future?
      What kind of deal is that?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:15

      You can thank the 1990s government for that. They made that deal.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:16

      Yes and Air Serbia can now place an order independently and use the money.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:31

      Can they?
      With what money?

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:32

      Do we know how much is this deposit? Could we get a single aircraft for free? Maybe more?

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:34

      23.5 million dollars

      Delete
    8. Anonymous09:38

      So maybe we could buy a helicopter and some spares for it from Airbus for that money.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous09:39

      As far as I'm aware, Serbia has already bought helicopters from Airbus.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous09:42

      We could always get a VIP helicopter for dear leader.
      Trump has a presidential helicopter, why not Aleksandar?

      Delete
    11. Anonymous09:46

      Because the government already got a new aircraft for themselves, it's some sort of Embraer.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous09:51

      Embraers are too small for our prestige.
      A VIP A330 is far more appropriate.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous09:55

      I think our politicians' ego can only fit into a VIP A380.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous09:59

      Not even A3 have the A330 nor do they fly to Kennedy Airport. The Belgrade-New York is one of the few year-round destinations in the region.
      Again, not even Budapest has year-round NYC flights.
      The prestige is understandable.

      Delete
    15. Anonymous10:20

      Aegean has ordered the A320neo but unlike any of the ex-YU carriers it is profitable and doesn't rely on government handouts.

      Delete
    16. Anonymous11:45

      Yes, I feel much more prestigious than the Greeks. I have to give my taxes every year for ASL and enkoy the "prestige" of YU-ARA flying to JFK.
      While the Greeks receive every year hundreds of millions in all kind of taxes and insurance contributions from A3. Where is the prestige in that though since A3 doesn't fly to JFK...
      SMFH

      Delete
    17. Anonymous11:47

      ^ You realize he is being a troll so he would get a response like this?

      Delete
    18. Anonymous12:11

      Anonymous at 11:47
      Unfortunately there are too many people who think exactly like that!
      They see some politician on TV talking about the national carrier expanding across continents and feel very happy about it.
      Without realizing who pays for all that...

      Delete
    19. Anonymous20:11

      And in Jet Airways (by Etihad), things are not doing great:

      https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-10/jet-air-said-to-weigh-a-restart-of-bailout-talks-with-tata-group

      https://in.reuters.com/article/india-jet-airways-idINKCN1P50UO

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:03

    Etihad is in big trouble. They themselves are in trouble with AB suing them for billions, Air Seychelles is doing extremely badly with their 2 A320s and Jet Airways is on the verge of bankruptsy. So expected..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:14

      Etihad management failed with every single airline they touches!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:20

      In fairness, every airline Etihad touched was a basket case to begin with. They were just foolish enough to think they could turn them around.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:33

      C'mon, let's be honest here.
      All these companies were junk when EY took them over and by the time they managed to make up these companies to look more atractive. It was not real change.
      At the same time EY brought themselves to the position to become problematic airline

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:04

    Nice, so they will stick around with the 737 and AT7 for some more time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Yes, we are aiming at having one of the oldest fleets by all national carriers in Europe!
      Aviation enthusiasts will book ASL just to experience vintage aircraft.

      Delete
    2. Hey. Pa nije loše. Nova vrsta turizma. Čitao sam jednom u nekoj švicarskoj reviji reportažu. Letili su u Sj. Koreju samo da bi mogli letiti na starih ruskih avionih.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:04

    well then, we should ask for a divorce

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:21

      They will ask us to pay tens of millions of Euros to buy the 50% they got...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:48

      Their claims would never stand in court given their mismanagement. Also the government would never want to do it as they have no clue what to do with JU.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:04

    This was expected, so nothing new

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:07

    Lol what even was the point of the "partnership" with Etihad? It's clear now that the whole point was corruption.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:13

      How so ?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:15

      +1000

      I am 100% sure that if the previous Jat was in the hands of the GoS, they would have considered this order.
      Also, we will see how much EY will need to pay to Airbus for this cancellation.
      JU will soon have the most ageing fleet in the world, especially with the classic Boeing aircraft.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:16

      The Boeings are being retired next year.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:22

      Anon 09:16 not unless there are replacements for them.

      Delete
  8. The government needs to end the relationship with Etihad immediately. How much longer can these B737's and Atr's go on for?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous09:09

    Thank you for including the statements made by liar Mali and Air Serbia. So we can see crystal clear how they lied to everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:10

    "Air Serbia itself has ignored all inquiries regarding the A320neo order from various media outlets over the past several months."

    Knowing who heads their corporate communications department I'm not surprised one bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Not fair to blame him ... his Boss is the reason why he is not making any comments, yet his Boss is from Etihad, is still in place and should be speaking to the Serbian media to explain himself and the strategy of the minority shareholder. After 12 mths in the job, he is yet to have done 1 single interview with any local media.

      Strange no ?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:17

      Exactly!

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:11

    Ouch! Not good!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous09:11

    Quite a shame really. If they don't order new aircraft soon they run the risk of being in exactly the same situation as they were as JAT, with an aging fleet and no prospects of replacements.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:24

      What rubbish are you writing ? Why do they need new aircraft ? Where is that written in the rules of business ? They can lease in 6-10 year old aircraft once they start to return the current fleet back to the lessors - which will be far more cost effective for them than in purchasing brand new EUR60-80M aircraft, which would only cripple them if they were to do that ....

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:34

      I don't think it's rubbish. Airlines that fail to invest in new technologies aren't future-proofing themselves, leaving the business exposed to higher fuel prices, Mx costs etc. Anyway, it's obvious that the EY NEO deal benefited from a 'group discount', which is why it's a shame. It's going to be much harder for them to negotiate a fleet renewal now.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:48

      I think we should ask Sikorsky for a good offer for SSJs to replace the 737 fleet and some of the ATRs. We really need a regional aircraft and the A220 is way to expensive for JU.
      The SSJs will be really cheap and at good capacity to increase frequencies and even start some new routes.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:58

      *correction, that would be Sukhoi! :D

      Delete
    5. Baš i ne. SSJ ima ca. 35 sjedala manje nego B737 300. Osim ako nemaju toliko lošu popunjenost da im ne treba tih 35 mjesta

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:13

    Will someone from Air Serbia comment it?
    Maybe Mr. I-know-all-in-the-universe?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:28

    While it's disappointing these aircraft were, in all honesty, too big for them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:17

      A320neo capacity is perfect for their charter ops actually.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:36

      You don't need brand new A320 unless you are a year-round tour operator. Which JU isn't.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous09:31

    Maybe the GoS can use the deposit to buy a presidential aircraft from Airbus.
    Maybe an ACJ A320 NEO or if the money are enough an ACJ A350!
    It would be a waste to just live them to Airbus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:35

      Or they might decide to buy A220.
      Win-win for all

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:36

      Anonymous at 09:31
      Please don't give them any ideas!

      Delete
  16. Anonymous09:33

    That is bad news for JU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:45

      Today you are correct.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous19:56

      Not even today. Air Serbia got their 23.5 million back.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous20:01

      Anon 19:56, you seriously believe in it?!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous20:03

      No they made it up and implicated Airbus in the lie, a multi billion eurp company anyone can ask the same question and that owes no favours to Air Serbia. Of course it is true, you can't just make something like that up.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous09:41

    Scandal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:46

      It was expected, but, still, hearing it officially...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:59

      What do you mean 'scandal' ? Shit happens in every business. Things don;t always pan out the way you want/plan/hope for ... When they don;t go the way you plan, then you need to change course and cut a different path.

      What is scandalous, is the fact that Etihad as the management contract holder and thereby decision maker and responsible entity for the state/position that JU is currently in - are still in charge of JU with their man as the CEO and primary officer/decision maker.

      That is THE biggest scandal in this entire failed experiment.

      EY served notice of their intention to exit from the management contract as of 1 Jan, yet their guy is still CEO and they have other people still in situ. They ALL should have exited as of 1 Jan and the GoS should have retaken the reigns of the company. They could surely do no worse than these amateurs, who have clearly demonstrated their track record and abilities elsewhere across the aviation world with a trail of bankrupted and broken airlines - incl their own

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:43

      The whole JU-EY agreement/partnership is a scandal!

      Delete
  18. Anonymous09:46

    I can't believe OU will be the first airline in the region to fly NEO aircraft...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:49

      No worries, by the time they're supposed to get them OU will fly no more.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:49

      Whilst not an ex yu airline, I imagine that Wizz will have regular, if not based, neos in the region before then.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:53

      Anon 09:49 - That is irrelevant, Wizz can't pump up nationalistic tensions like OU and JU can.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:57

      OU will still be flying for the same reasons all other airlines in the region will be flying as well.
      National delusions of prestige and government waste of tax payers money.

      Delete
    5. Hurts, doesn't it? Geez, grow up.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:51

    I would love for the government to make a statement now like they did when the order was made public the first time.
    Etihad is a joke of an airline, their business model failed everywhere yet they are as arrogant as always.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dejan09:54

      +1
      Billions of oil revenues completely wasted by incompetent managers!

      Delete
  20. Anonymous09:57

    The biggest problem with EY is that the managament is non European or have no extended experience with the European market. The Aussie CEO was simply a joke.
    So, what they did is they convinced the Arabs in injecting cash, buying troubled European airlines and thinking that connecting all their capitals via AUH would work.
    The biggest mistake in the entire history of JU was to transform it to something which it NEVER was - a boutique airline. It was a super nice product at the time, but it was clear you cannot pamper your passengers with a 200€ ticket. Of course, as time went by the transition was so drastic that the clients were all upset. It´s like driving a Mercedez Benz S-Class and suddenly ending up with a Lada or Opel Kadett from the 90s.

    Europe is an extremely price sensitive market and the competition is one of the most fierce ones in the world.
    JU should have continued to be the old Jat but slowly upgrading its fleet. Pure examples are RO, who still fly their ageing fleet and gradually get the new Boeings.
    FB used to fly older Boeings but gradually replaced them with E190 jets.
    I am sure that OU is to follow soon with the A320 neo order.

    Anyway, the possible scenario in the next 5 years of the contract is, JU leasing older Airbuses from elsewhere like they did with Rossiya for instance.
    And well, the ATRs - I don´t see them changing anytime soon as this French jet is really powerful and reliable and capable of flying 40+ years.
    Additionally, I think that the growth will be relatively humble, too giving airlines more margin to expand in BEG too. This also explains why so many carriers are increasing capacity in Belgrade.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous09:59

    Cveta cvece u nase preduzece. Ovo ide za ceo region, od AirSerbie preko Montenegra, Croatie do Adrie...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nisi mogao bolje napisat

      Delete
    2. Sa sadrzajem se potpuno slazem. Samo ja bi rekao "Cvetaju cveca u sva nasa preduzeca" :)

      Delete
    3. Bravo majstore. Ali ovdje ima par fanatika koji misle da je baš njihova nacionalna aviokompanija iznimka

      Delete
  22. Anonymous10:00

    Nothing shocking, but Air Serbia needs to work on B plan ASAP. They can not and will not get 10 new planes, but starting with 2 new planes for charter flights would be a good option.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous10:15

    Just to remind people what was planned with the A320neos some years ago from various interviews:

    "As one aircraft enters the fleet another will exit it. However, these aeroplanes give us the possibility to access new markets, for example Iran or Central Asia or North Africa. These are destinations that are within a two and a half-hour radius. The Far East is also a potential market for us if you consider relations between Serbia and the People's Republic of China", Mr Kondić said. He added, "We believe that Serbia has enormous potential. When we grow we aim to do it responsibly".

    "The new fleet of A320neo aircraft are a key part of our strategy with which we intend to redefine our position on the market, with the most modern and comfortable single-aisle aircraft. As we expand our destination network throughout Europe, we will set new standards with the A320neo both in comfort and quality of service". He added, "It is the best option from the A320 family of aircraft and features new engines as well as sharklet technology, allowing added efficiency”.

    The new jets, which the airline believes will give it "more flexibility", are all expected to arrive by 2020. "Within a period of five to ten years I can see us with a fleet of perhaps 25 or 26 aircraft. It's a process we will be continually evaluating", Mr Kondić said.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:28

      Yep, the "new wings of Europe" and boutique airline concept for serving the poorest region of Europe...
      And these people are still able to find jobs in the airline industry!

      Delete
    2. Nije najsiromašnije. Ukrajina, Moldova možda čak Bjelorusija su ipak siromašnije

      Delete
  24. Anonymous10:17

    Somehow I get the feeling Air Serbia will be getting older second hand aircraft from Etihad and possibly Jet Airways which is cutting down on its fleet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:38

      And would pay for them lease rates way above the current market rate.
      Same as with the YU-ARA.

      Delete
  25. Anonymous10:22

    Honestly I don't think JU needs neos at this point. It needs planes of around 100 seats and much more regional aircraft.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:24

      Agree. Focus should be on replacing and expanding regional fleet.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:26

      The current Airbus fleet aren't spring chickens either. They will have to replace them sooner or later.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:29

      Airbus fleet is around 10 years old which is ok, the only older aircraft are the two A319s that came from EY.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:45

      Embraer would be perfect for air serbia!

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:56

      Why? Introducing a new model, training pilots, paying extra to fly it for maintenance somewhere else. The perfect aircraft would be the ATR, just a newer generation of the plane.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:31

      70 seat Embraer would be nice. Much more comfortable than ATR and interchangeable with JU airbus fleet depending on demand.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous11:45

      Airbus now has C series. CS100 would be a perfect fit for ASL.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous12:17

      And who would pay for it?

      Delete
  26. Anonymous10:24

    All I can conclude from all the recent news is that all the national ex-Yu airlines are an absolute mess without any clear vision.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:39

      Not YM though. It has undergone serious structuring and now is back on track with profit.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:43

      LOL yeah right. It is not in profit at all and I don't know where you got that from. They will post another loss for 2018.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:58

      Read the article and take some coffee to wake up:

      https://www.exyuaviation.com/2018/11/montenegro-airlines-becomes-ex-yus.html

      ""At the start of 2017, Montenegro Airlines was in an extremely difficult position in a financial, commercial and operational sense. With support from our owners and the company's management, as well as managerial and staff efforts, the company has been mostly consolidated and optimised, as indicated by our results."

      Cappicci?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:00

      And I'm telling you again they will report another loss for 2018 and their debt has ballooned to 80 million EUR. The government just approved them more money to get them out of the hole they are in.

      What you quoted are just words for PR purposes. Same words Air Serbia used when they posted their '16 million EUR profit' for 2017.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous12:47

      YM is far from being profitable, unfortunately.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous10:29

    Instead of replacing current decent A319/320 JU fleet, I think they should give priority to the ATR replacement. The Airbuses are not so costly compared to the ATRs.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous10:34

    Can't they take some loans from the banks and pay for this order themselves if Etihad doesn't want to?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:36

      The question is do they need these planes?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:38

      The only possible source of money is the government.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:48

      No one would give them money for a reasonable interest rate. Except the GoS.

      Delete
  29. I think Aegean will get their first a320neo the 4th quarter of 2019 , except those 42 they have ordered , they will get another 20 from lessors . From the lessors are the first to come in the 4th quarter of 2019.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:57

      Yes but in western Balkan region it would be OU who gets them first.
      That is the prestige that counts!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:26

      LOL, true dat!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:59

      Yes, it would make sense that the biggest and most prestigious tourist destination in the milky way gets these sort of crafts first. They need them to bring in more intergalactic visitors, whose numbers rose 15% last year.

      Delete
    4. Anon@11:57

      And you believed that with all your being?
      Do you belive in tooth fairy and Santa Claus as well?

      Delete
    5. Izem ti prestiž

      Delete
  30. Anonymous11:13

    Etihad at the moment kept all other orders from Airbus except this one. That probably means, that request for cancelation came from Air Serbia itself.
    Realistically speaking, they don't need 10 new 320NEOs at the moment, they don't have appropriate network for utilization of these aircrafts, then don't have way to finance such order. It's better to cancel it in current situation.
    On the other hand, they need to somehow address fleet organization in upcoming years.


    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous11:25

    Anybody surprised?

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous11:30

    Neka se ugledaju na Adriju i uzmu SSJ-100...

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous11:59

    Those things happen in aviation.
    Regardless of what people say of think, JU remains one of the oldest airlines in the world. It had faced many obstacles in the past but always, I repeat: always found a solution.
    This is a legacy airline with history, not your leisure charter airline.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:17

      "Always found a solution" A.K.A. "Has always been subsidized and bailed out by the taxpayers"

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:49

      A.K.A that's how Wizzair has been and still is subsidized by taxpayers in Tuzla as they pay for airport to operate and expand. Any further questions about subsidies and taxpayers in the region? Bring it on.

      Delete
  34. Anonymous12:15

    And then people wonder why everything was sold/privatized in ex-YU. We have great talent but there is none of it in the government and decision making layer. All airlines suffer from same symptoms.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous12:19

    Ovo je bilo jasno već 2015. Jednostavno videlo se da cela priča ne pije vodu sa stanovišta zdravog razuma i da do perioda 2018-2020 nema teorije da obezbede dovoljni rast broja putnika da sa flote 8xA319 + 2xA320 pređu na 10xA320neo. Taj višak sedišta u neo je trebalo nekako popuniti a i sa postojećom flotom im ne ide nešto bajno popuna sedišta. Dalje je usledilo kasapljenje zimskih redova letenja i zamlaćivanje sa letom za JFK i eto tu smo gde smo. Realnost je da novca za nove Airbuse i Boeinge nema i neći ih nikada verovatno ni biti. Realnost za uzimanje kakvih-takvih novih aviona je danas samo Superjet. Sklopiće država dil sa Rusijom, uzeće 10ak komada povoljno, leteće ih malo i fajront.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:44

      Fajront?! Malev story? Oh, ne! Uzece jos jedan sirokotrupac za Kanadu, Kinu... Air Srbija World Airways.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:26

      Niko im ne brani da uzmu i još 10 širokotrupaca i pokrenu deset dnevnih linija od Belgrade World Central do Antarktika. Samo prilika da se nakon 30+ godina uzmu odlični novi avioni koji bi osigurali mirniju budućnost za World Airways je upravo otišla u nepovrat. Zapravo otišla je još 2015-16 ali džaba trošiti reči za ovakv nivo diskusije.

      Delete
  36. Aleksandar13:41

    Oh let’s just shut down Air Serbia. This such a pain in the a... . Serbia is too poor and too small to have a national carrier. The subsidies could be spend on things which are more important.
    Or at least narrow it down and create a cheap national airline which flies to main SRB destinations: Frankfurt, Zurich, Moscow. London etc. Just fulfill the need. Period.
    I wish people/politicians in Serbia would be a bit more rational and radical when it comes to desicions like this. It just doesn’t make fun to read this every couple of months. It’s just said...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:54

      Someone mentioned above that this is done because of the country's image i.e. if your country doesn't have a flag carrier, then it's negatively accepted. Add to this the New York route too.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:13

      @13.54 lol

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:21

      Each and every one of the public and state owned companies should be 100% privatized or shut down.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:29

      I think the Serbian government still has the regional ambition to still maintain BEG as a hub and gateway to the Balkans. This was already discussed and debated.
      It is also true that JU is successfully competing with OS or LO in other countries like Romania.
      The current BEG infrastructure also allows easy and short transfer times.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous15:24

      Seriously now?

      Delete
    6. Anonymous15:41

      Vinci: Nicolas Notebaert, Chief Executive Officer of VINCI Concessions and Chairman of
      “This success marks a new stage in VINCI Airports’ expansion outside France. Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport will serve as the company's “hub”in Southeast Europe, a geographical area in which VINCI Airports has not operated until now.”

      https://www.vinci-airports.com/sites/default/files/vinciairports_belgrade_ven.pdf

      So, things are going to be very serious.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous15:42

      Look at the economies of Slovakia, Lithuania, etc. Years behind Serbia, obviously due to the fact they don't have a flag carrier.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous15:54

      Slovakia doesn't need a national airline when they have VIE 60 km to the West. As for Lietuva, well they tried and tried and they failed.

      That said, Latvia is smaller than both Slovakia and Lithuania yet airBaltic is thriving. It goes without saying that if you have a vision you will have results. JU doesn't have a vision, it doesn't have adequate management, people working there are clueless. Serbia doesn't need to shut down Air Serbia, it needs to get its act together.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous16:19

      There is more to Slovakia than Bratislava. It's quite a bit more than 60km from the east of the country.

      Just that there is more to Serbia than Belgrade World Central :)

      Delete
    10. Anonymous16:53

      @15:54 ...if you have a vision you will have results

      Serbia has a vision to be a member of EU and have the same level of investment from EU that Latvia has enjoyed since independence. You deliver that to Serbia in 2019 and I will deliver Air Serbia that is better than airBaltic in 2019. Challenge accepted?

      Delete
    11. Anonymous18:27

      AirBaltic is a private business, not a state owned enterprise run by politicians with the goal of getting "prestige". Same for Wizz Air.
      If Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Cyprus can get connected to the rest of the world without having a state owned national carrier then so can Serbia.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous19:27

      @18:27 Nije pitanje privatnog vlasnistva nego koliko dugo su te zemlje u EU i koliko su pomoci i investicija dobili da bi njihove ekonomije i gradjani imali kupovnu moc da putuju i trose. Cim si pomenuo prestiz znam odakle pises pa zato odgovor na nasem jeziku. Kad SR bude u EU onoliko dugo koliko je Latvija i ostale onda mozemo da pricamo o ravnopravnim uslovima, do tada ce avijacija biti pomognuta na neki nacin. Vidim da challenge nije accepted.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous20:05

      Anon 19:27

      "Latvija i ostale..." Koje ostale države? Pa nisu sve članice EU jednako profitirale ulaskom, o čemu govoriš?

      Delete
    14. AirBaltic je 80% drzavna firms

      Delete
    15. Anonymous20:30

      BT has a workforce of 1500 employees and a fleet of 34 (+6 A220 orders) = 40
      That´s the fleet size of A3 excluding OA.
      Wow! The Baltics are so advanced.

      https://www.airbaltic.com/en/airbaltic-reaches-1500-employee-mark

      Also BT has been again prized with one of the most punctual airlines in the world after Copa Airlines!

      But either way, Latvia & Serbia are similar in many ways. Except that BT is investing heavily in its product and honestly the A220 suits their logo and everything.

      JU must cooperate closer with BT and learn some skills.

      Delete
    16. Anonymous00:26

      "Latvia & Serbia are similar in many ways"

      LOL! What part of "Latvia has been a member of EU for 15 years and Serbia won't be a member in years" do you not understand? Latvia has a GDP of $16k pp, Estonia $20k, Serbia under $6k. Geopolitical status of Baltic states vs Serbia? There's no level playing field in aviation until Serbia is in the similar position. For the third time, unless you accept those facts and the challenge, no point arguing.

      Delete
    17. Anonymous10:20

      Nobody is talking about GDP.
      Aviation wise, both countries are very similar in airport size, traffic, transfer hubs, major role-player in the region, etc, etc

      Delete
    18. Anonymous16:27

      Nobody is talking about GDP? There is GDP mentioned in previous post. You seem to have reading comprehension issues with GDP, EU and economy. That's okay, no one will judge, professionals can help you get better.

      Delete
  37. Anonymous16:21

    I wonder that people don't understand that ASL was, is and will be a political project as is OU, JP, YM. Nation building and pride is more important than tax payers money. The great tragic is that this project sinked almost halb a billion euros in five years, much much more then the "old, rotten" JAT ever did and far too much for an economy like the Serbian! People also don't get that Kondic was a puppet that just burbled what the government told him. Same for Sinisa Mali. I for myself as a serbian don't need a "national" carrier that subisdizes routes to BUH, BEY, SKG, TIA etc. and rips off people going just to Belgrade, just because someone dreams of creating a "hub" in Belgrade. The Nikola Tesla story will unfold as a similar conjuror trick. We already learn the VINCI paid almost every penny to the government with money that they borrowed from banks with the established local entity. That is the tactics from hedge funds, to take over a company with credits that the poor bought company has to pay off by themselves. Will then be paid by customers of BEG airport, clients, travellers, duty free shop rents, parking etc. WE will pay these credits back! Mr. Scuric already wrote that the AB could have easily handled the credits on their own to decently grow their operations and infrastructure. In a couple of years we will learn what exactly happened and how much money was wasted with AB......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16:22

      Boy oh boy you have no idea how airport comcessions work around the world.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:35

      Well, but I am educated enough to find out that most airports in Europe, Canada and the US belong either to local entities and / or the states. Interesting, why didn't the Germans, the French, the Swedes, Finns etc. sell their airports and infrastrucure if this is so clever and better for money making?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:38

      Because they are Germany, France, Sweden and Finland, some of the richest countries in the world and don't need half a billion euros for their state budget or to pay off state debt.

      Delete
  38. Nije moguce razvijati avio kompaniju sa dvadeset aviona a 2500 zaposlenih. Ili utrostruciti flotu, udvostruciti destinacije i broj letova, ili smanjiti broj zaposljenih na manje od 1500. Drugacije je samo dan i komat sto se u narodu kaze a trenutni polozaj kompanije koju volim je tu gde jeste. Privatizacija je lek za efikasnost, odgovornost i opstanak Ne dohvatati vise poreske obaveznike. Drugacije se ne izlazi iz proslosti... Demagogija je grob proslosti. Er Srbiji je potrebna skromna flota, minimum zaposljenih i uspesan i uporan marketing. Kakva ce izgledati Er Srbija za tri godine?
    Sa zeljom da nosi casno ime Srbije buducnosti, za sada od drzave zavisi. jos od 1945 godine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:03

      Radovane, pa znate Vi onu narodnu: "Kako seješ tako ćeš i da žanješ." Pitate se kakva ce izgledati Er Srbija za tri godine... Pa sigurno nece da leti do Vašeg SYD sa 787-10, nego sa 737-300 do Podgorice...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:55

      Radovan Marinkovic
      +1,000,000

      Delete
  39. Anonymous17:10

    update: deposit was returned from Etihad to Air Serbia:

    https://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/srbija.php?yyyy=2019&mm=01&dd=11&nav_id=1491981

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous08:03

      Deposit returned to Air Serbia but it will be returned back to Etihad in the form of subsidies.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous08:39

      Deposit payed by 100% state owned JU to be returned to 51% state owned JU. Wow

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:33

      @8:30 Where on Earth did you get that? Can you provide a link to the source of that info, or is it just your imagination?

      Delete
  40. Anonymous17:26

    Airbus 320 najnoviji model u ponudi ima veoma niz tehnickih problema i kvarova na motorima i ima veoma slab kvalitet djelova za landing gear koji se brzo potrose a servis tog aviona je veoma skup i dugotrajan,aviokompanija Pegasus Airlines je prosle godine prizemjila cjelu flotu novih aviona Airbus 320 i ostali su u Airbus servis cjelih 45 dana,posto su imali veoma dug niz kvarova.Avioni su proizvod Evropske unije.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:49

      Dobro bre, Serjoža, odmori malo...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:54

      Sukhoi Superjet FTW!

      Delete
  41. Anonymous17:34

    Photo on the headline is a real legacy from Air Serbia. Difficult path from what was JAT at the end.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous20:21

    Look what I found...from 2013. It made me think for a while....JU would've been really grand in 2018 and the first carriers in the Balkans flying proudly with the newest Airbus in the skies.

    Ironically enough this was the year with the harshest reforms from boutique to low-cost.

    https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/23517-air-serbia-to-take-delivery-of-ten-a320neo-from-2018-on


    Oh well, c'est la vie, mon ami.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous00:45

    There seems to be some confusion about the deposit. One likely explanation is that original deposit payment made by Jat has been credited against the pre-delivery payment for NEOs as part of the overall order made by Etihad. Now that JU part of the order is cancelled while EY order including that deposit continues with Airbus. Therefore deposit is now part of EY order, so EY pays it back to Air Serbia. JU how has it's deposit back but is no longer required to buy from Airbus, as EY takes over that responsibility.

    JU is now free to buy new Boeing 797 for USA/Canada, or 737MAX, or Embraers. Or what I would do: not get locked into buying anything at all and just lease until they get bigger and stronger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous07:59

      Lol are we really expected to believe that Etihad will actually give cold hard cash to JU after everything? No chance of that happening I'm affraid.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:45

      Some people here were afraid Air Serbia would not get Airbus planes in 2013, then they (and some newspapers, too) were afraid Air Serbia would not get approvals to fly to the USA in 2016, then they were afraid Etihad would pull out of Air Serbia contract and so on. Air Serbia phobias are alive and well on this forum and I am afraid (pun intended) there is no help for those affected.

      Delete
  44. Anonymous10:05

    And now can we see who were the ones that were supporting blocking some carriers for the benefit of EY? Who were those people who supported the interest of EY rather than the benefit of Serbian people who could fly cheaper or tourists that could not come to visit Serbia because of expensive tickets?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:27

      EY did nothing but aviation disasters in Europe.
      They are firing pilots because of the lack of money.
      The MEB3 bubble has burst with QR being sole survivor for the time being.
      Euro carriers definitely won the battle by adjusting to the client needs.
      Also TK will now be a very serious competitor and brings nothing but headache to MEB3 carriers.
      Hold on strong ASL or else, you'll face the same faith as AB or Etihad Régional.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:53

      @10:05 Who was blocking some carriers?!?! Are you talking about Croatia trying to prevent Air Serbia from further growth to coastal destinations? Or about LH influence on EC regarding EY/JU deal? Or political pressure to prevent JU from regional acqusitions?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:51

      2 mistakes doesn't bring 1 good or in other words bad example is not a good example.

      Delete
  45. Now really, we should not act surprised now and repeat negative comments ad nauseum. We all know that JU has been a political project from the start, hoping to get to "positive zero" one day, and as such will not become "profitable private company" any time soon, it is neither profitable nor privately owned. GoS tried and is possibly still trying to make a decent airline before Serbia enters EU and subsidies are forbidden.

    (I am not into politics and have very little positive things to say - if any - about any politician and so-called managers around)

    Etihad is also a baby of the political (royal) establishment of Abu Dhabi, meant to pretend to compete with Emirates - also a baby of the political (royal) establishment in Dubai.

    Noone really talks business here. The airline in the poor market is like EPS or railways, must be heavily subsidized, in an effort to attract other businesses in the market. We need AirSerbia, just like we need decent roads, rail and public transport and we are paying for all that. Same goes for all those people in the public sector we don't actually need.

    Just to make clear, I am not politically involved, I am just an employee of a privately owned company who has to travel a lot on business, and I am personally relieved that JU has created that kind of hub and system. It helps me sleep at home at night. It also helped us develop business activities here in Serbia, employ large number of people, pay taxes, bring real equity to the tax system of Serbia. With JAT, it would be impossible.

    The only current complaint I have is the state of JUs oldest ATRs, they really are noisy and uncomfortable. 500s are much, much better. 600s would be even better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:15

      Exactly! Sensible, reasonable observation, thank you. As for ATR's, regional fleet options were looked at since 2015 so now that JU is richer for that deposit and free from 10 A320NEOs order, they can renew and expand the fleet as needed through lease options.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:15

      Sigh... Will communism ever die in our country?

      Delete
  46. Anonymous13:07

    New planes are coming one way or the other, just not through Etihad order.

    Nothing to see here folks, keep walking.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Possibly the biggest news of 2019.

    ReplyDelete
  48. One can put as much lipstick on a pig as one wants, but you don't get a princess, you still have a pig. Pig in this story is of course JAT/Air Serbia. I have very bad feeling about all the ex yu airlines....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous01:25

      Comments like "this is bad for JU" etc have been a real pig here for years. They don't bring any new knowledge or facts to the discourse.

      Delete
  49. Anonymous11:26

    Da li neko zna zašto se Air Serbia letovi (JU500 i JU501, BEG-NYC-BEG) od 11. Januara 2019. obavljaju samo sa Etihadovim avionom A330-243, registracije A6-EYQ? Naime, Air Serbia avion A330-202, registracije YU-ARA, koji inače već preko 2 godine leti za NYC je imao poslednji let JU2050 za Abu Dhabi i od tada nigde više ne leti, a tog dana je doleteo navedeni Etihadov avion iz Abu Dhabija za Beograd i od 11. Januara je počeo da leti na JU (AIr Serbia) letovima za NYC.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:42

      Odgovor
      https://www.exyuaviation.com/2018/12/air-serbia-to-deploy-etihad-equipment.html

      Delete

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