ToMontenegro readies for launch


Montenegro’s new national carrier, ToMontenegro, is preparing to commence operations with the airline recently launching an employment drive and beginning its cooperation with consultant Lufthansa Systems. Over the weekend, the carrier posted fifty new job openings including those for pilots, cabin crew, emergency response plan managers, heads of bases in Podgorica, Tivat and Belgrade, as well as safety officers, to name a few. Applications for the new jobs can be submitted only within three days. Many former Montenegro Airlines employees are expected to apply, however, all of the posts are on a temporary three-month basis. The new carrier said it would select candidates only based on merit, in contrast with its predecessor.

Information technology service provider and advisory firm Lufthansa Systems has begun working with ToMontenegro this week after winning a consultancy contract to manage the airline’s complete start-up process preparation and develop a long-term plan for the carrier, including future network and fleet structure. “The management is undertaking a detailed analysis of the performance and profitability of routes previously operated by Montenegro Airlines in order to finalise our destination network. Based on those analysis, as well as the company’s operational capacity, we will decide which routes and at what time will be launched. Of course, destinations where there is the highest demand, such as Belgrade, will be in focus and included within the route network from the very beginning”, Nebojša Vuksanović, a member of ToMontenegro’s Board of Directors, said.

The Montenegrin government recently approved a one million euros cash injection into the new national carrier, bringing its total financial investment into the company to twenty million euros. This does not include the two Embraer E195 jets which were purchased for the airline for 21.8 million euros, after the majority of a financial lease for the two aircraft was paid off by their previous operator Montenegro Airlines. “The company’s management and those at relevant ministries are working day and night to set up the new airline. At this point, it is too early to give a precise date for the airline’s launch, but we are giving it our all for it to happen before the start of the peak summer season. We are currently working on a number of issues simultaneously in order to reach that goal”, Mr Vuksanović noted.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:02

    In my opinion they've missed the opportunity to launch this summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:09

      I'm from Slovenia and I'm impressed with the pace things have been developing. They already secured 2 good aircraft for the airline, they are hiring staff, they have a new management team and they have Lufthansa Systems as an advisor. All this in 4 months. In my opinion pretty good. We had Adria and now we have nothing a year and a half later.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:25

      If would be a disaster if they missed the summer season. They need to start sales this month if they want any chance of success.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:26

      @10.09

      Simply, there is a political will.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:26

      And also I'm not sure the Slovenian government would be allowed to buy planes for a new Adria.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:33

      why not? not from EU founds but from SLO budget they could. the thing is majority in Slovenia is against Adria2. that's why there is no political will to do so.

      Delete
    6. Heads of bases, emergency response plan managers and safety officers, are either required and obligatory positions, or ones which can make things function better. But if positions mentioned are announced as separate positions, not additional tasks of the employees already performing other duties, flying, or managing /commercial, it is not good sign for the company operating two planes. Just for comparison :in addition to approximately 50 pilots, cabin crew and engineers, entire Trade Air managing, administrative and ground (operations, navigation, planning, control, auxiliary) team, consisted of 16 people, when they started passengers operations and when fleet comprised 2 Fokker 100 and 3 Let 410. So, 2Montenegro 's 50 different job positions (managing administrative, ground, operations, navigation, planning, control, auxiliary) plus approximately the same number of flight and cabin crew and engineering, is absolutely too much for such a small company to even think about profitability, especially with fleet or part of the fleet leased and with seasonality issues. I wish I was wrong but I am afraid this is a sign of the new Montenegro Airlines, just with different people on the highest and best paid positions, and resembles to Croatia Airlines, which, judged by "consultant" is no surprise.

      Delete
    7. Well said bro.

      How long do you see this airline lasting?

      Delete
    8. Hard to say bro :) Depends how much is gvt willing to pump in and if they have any serious growth plans. If all these positions are considered investment with foreseen (fast) growth, then they might last long. If they remain on 2-3 planes, with all these employees and no financial aid, two-three years maximum

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:02

    Good luck. The more airlines we have in ex-Yu the better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:08

      I agree. More employment opportunities too.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:20

      The more domestic airlines we have in ex-yu the more tax revenue is taken from the national budgets.
      Just because there is demand for air travel in a country doesn't mean the government has to get involved in the running of an airline.
      Air travel is not an essential service.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous17:55

      Agreed. Slovenija has learnt this leson.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous04:56

      Connectivity is very essential. 'Brexit companies' moving to Amsterdam are always mentioning the vast network at Schiphol Airport as one of their reasons to choose Amsterdam. Of course Podgorica cannot achieve a network of the same level, but air travel is an important factor to attract international companies and boost employment.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous06:14

      Hungary does not have a national airline. Budapest has quite a few regional and international companies.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:03

    At least they are doing an analysis of route profitability. I'm interested to see what will remain from YM's original network.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:19

      BEG, FRA, ZRH, CDG, FCO, LJU

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:32

      I'm wondering how profitable all of those were. Having good loads is one thing, but having good yields is another.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:08

    "The new carrier said it would select candidates only based on merit, in contrast with its predecessor."

    Let's hope so!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:12

      Well this isn't encouraging

      "Applications for the new jobs can be submitted only within three days."

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:33

      It shows that they need working at short notice. I really don't think they have fixed jobs for 50 people or more.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:36

      It's more than 50 jobs. Some of the job posts are for more than one person, like pilots and cabin crew.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:12

    This is taking a while

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Setting up an airline usually does...

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:13

    Yay! Another perpetually loss making airline. That's what we need.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Well they have Lufthansa Systems guiding them. Maybe it isn't a big disaster as people expect.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:31

      They are not magicians...

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:31

    Very difficult to set up a new airline in this environment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:37

      It's cheaper now than pre-covid.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:46

      Travel restrictions make things difficult to work.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:07

      It is easier to navigate such things than expensive airport fees, slot restrictions and expensive aircraft leasing rates etc.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:06

      They don't have to lease aircraft ;)

      Delete
  8. Anonymous10:03

    Great news!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous10:03

    People here again being negative. For aviation enthusiast, one would think you would support the notion of new start ups and national airlines.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:07

      You must be new. People here are negative about most developments :D

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:25

      What you call being negative i call being realistic.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous10:24

    Seems like they at least have a professional management. Good luck to them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:25

      Who is in their management?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:06

      Professionals. Not high ranking party members like before

      Delete
  11. Anonymous10:25

    Good to see things are moving in the right direction.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous10:27

    So they are sticking with this 2Montenegro / ToMontenegro name?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:05

      Seems like it

      Delete
    2. Anonymous00:16

      Can't wait to see the livery :D

      Delete
  13. Anonymous10:39

    And when they will need them for business trip or vacation they will be there.
    Some country’s look into the future not in the past. That’s why some prosper and develop and other

    STAY IN THE PAST

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous11:07

    This airine will work fine. Flights to BEG, Russia, summer charters from Tivat. I don't think they need more than two planes.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous11:09

    They are looking for a head of BASE in BEG?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:52

      No base, only office.

      Delete
  16. Anonymous11:37

    Will they have their own maintenance?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:35

      It's crazy enough to set up an airline for such a small operation, so I would hope they are sensible enough to at least outsource as much maintenance as possible.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous13:14

    Merit Airways or Meritocracy Airlines sounds waaaay better than ToMontenegro.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:31

      How 'bout cynical airways.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous15:12

    Base at BEG?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:26

      No.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:52

      No base, only office.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous19:49

    What "head of base in Belgrade"? Nowadays just long haul carriers have the luxury to employ station managers. Everybody else appoints a supervision agent from the handling company. I would really like to see the thender that LH consulting won?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous19:50

      *tender

      Delete
    2. Anonymous19:56

      *LH systems.

      Well in normal times they had 5 flights per day to BEG so I think it would warrant a station manager.

      I mean Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways have their own station managers in Belgrade. Turkish actually has a person sent from Turkey as station manager while Qatar just employs a local person.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous00:16

      You are putting ToMontenegro in the same category as Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines?

      Delete
  20. Anonymous23:30

    I hope they fly ten times daily to Belgrade and that prices go down .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:15

      Hope so too. Prices are currently quite expensive.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous00:53

      If the new airline increses frequency prices at first will go down but demand would be created .
      After increase of demand prices would go up again .
      If you consider that only the Serbian market has seven million customers you see that doubling or even tripling annual pax on this route should be achievable .
      Sometimes i think Tomontenegro could be profitable even with Belgrade flights only .

      Delete
  21. Anonymous08:52

    With RYR building up Croatia, Wizz wanting to build up BEG, and others in slovenia etc. seems like some key markets are going to have some tough competition. If ToMontenegro shows any success what is keeping Wizz, Ryan Air and Easyjet from expanding and putting pressure on them again?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous09:45

    Where are the jobs posted?
    I do not see them anywhere

    zaposli.me?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:46

      https://www.zzzcg.me/jobs/?title=tomontenegro

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:49

      Thank you!

      Delete

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