Serbian private business jet charter company Air Pink is considering launching commercial flights under a low cost carrier model. The airline intends on acquiring two or four jets for its commercial flight venture. The company’s CEO, controversial media mogul Željko Mitrović, who has close ties to the government, said, “We currently have 22 aircraft in our fleet, and we are on the verge of launching commercial flights. We are the second-largest European private business jet airline behind Air Hamburg, but we want to commence scheduled commercial flights as a low cost carrier with 49-seat Embraer aircraft. We will acquire two or four of these within the coming six months and attempt scheduled services within the region”.
Air Pink’s entry into the commercial flight arena has been rumoured for some time. The airline, founded in 2004, already has a permit as a ground handling provider at Belgrade Airport and last year registered a net profit of 4.5 million euros. It has 109 employees. Furthermore, Air Pink has a subsidiary named Air Emeralds, which has one aircraft in its fleet. Mr Mitrović did not delve further into the compnay’s plans to launch commercial flights.
Over the past two decades there have been several attempts at launching new commercial carriers in Serbia. In 2003, Jat Airways announced plans to create a low cost subsidiary named Inter Air Link with five ATR72 aircraft operating regional services. However, the plan never materialised following strong opposition from the airline’s pilots union which said they would be outsourced to the new company under unfavourable contracts. In 2005, Serbia’s richest man, Miroslav Mišković, announced plans for a new low cost carrier through a joint venture with charter airline Aviogenex. The LCC, named Air Maxi, was to initially commence operations to Tivat and Ljubljana, followed by services to markets such as Germany, Switzerland and France. However, Mr Mišković later said plans were shelved after feasibility studies showed the business would be loss making. Finally, in 2006, a newly established low cost carrier Centavia (Central European Aviation) commenced flights from Belgrade with a pair of BAe 146-200 aircraft. The airline was granted permits to launch operations from Belgrade to Slovenia, Germany, Italy and Switzerland but was rejected by Croatian and Montenegrin authorities. Ultimately, the company declared bankruptcy in November and ceased all operations.
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This has no chance
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for guy to financially ruin himself and those around him! Just tel him that it is a great idea and that he is genius! Let him bankrupt, please!
DeleteIt would be better to start with E195
DeleteLLC with 49 seat plane?
ReplyDeleteMoney laundry
DeleteMoney Laundry? Makes sense. Airlines are known to be a cash heavy business. Everyone is buying their tickets with cash only. Also very little regulation so it's easy to cook the books.
DeleteHonestly one of your dumbest comments and that is remarkable considering it's you.
probably not the best business for laundering cash...but who knows its the balkans 😀
Delete49 seats is appropriate for the market. especially just to see if it will work. a small plane thats cheap to operate and doesnt need many people to fill it. perect size for cheap regional operation and also serve INI, KVO. Maybe if successful can grow and serve the entire YUG. Bosnia, Montengro, Slovenia and Macedonia need it. our own version of Wizz or ryan air.
DeleteI really hope it works for them
Hahaha! Don't criticize the all-knowing galaxy brain of Pozdrav from Fiume. He's expert in all things, but especially law and justice!
DeleteHe probably wears the mask from V for Vendetta too while tilting at windmills here, in the comments section of a specialized aviation portal.
That is the theater of his eternal, holy and most importantly - anonymous fight in Croatian politics. An ex yu aviation portal's comment section, lol!
Oh yeah, Cervantes here is going to switch things around in Croatia. Any moment now...just you wait!
All of you who are here to comment on people, not on theme, and even better, to insult people who have opinion because they have opinion, I hope you are proud of your comments and that you feel better when spilling your bitterness on me. I can handle it, I handled much worse things. And concerning money laundry, today's theme, just wait and see. Concerning Croatian part, the same, just wait and see, that one will come even sooner 😃
DeletePozdrav, we all know what you meant to say, but ultimately it was incorrect — there is no money laundering here, this is a pure tax profit sheltering scheme that is perfectly legal and used throughout the world. He can be told many things about other stuff, but to say the guy is money laundering with a non-cash business just sounds ignorant of how big business works, which I am sure you didnt meant to do. Again, we know what you meant, and we agree with you (to a point). Aint laundering though.
DeleteCorrect. Improper and not precise wording from my side. But some here can't wait to spit on people, despite it's not that difficult to understand what was meant.
DeleteThis is interesting. Wouldn't they compete against Air Serbia?
ReplyDeleteIf this ever gets off the ground I am more than 100% it would be coordinated with JU.
Delete*100% certain
DeleteThis is definitely pre-coordinated. Air Serbia needs all aircraft it can get for its BEG operations so this will probably be a "competitor" airline that operates PSO flights and flights JU does not want to fly but can be used to feed its BEG operations.
DeleteAnd Amelia is good example in vicinity.
DeleteWhat an absurd announcement – low cost with ERJ 145... Uhm, good luck, I guess?
ReplyDeleteLCC means "low cost", it doesn't necessarily imply the low fares.
DeleteIt's said they would operate in low cost model, and whether this would be profitable or not and attractive for the passengers, I have no idea. There are many experts here and around Mitrović for that.
ovome je droga skroz mozak popila. gde može LCC sa avionom od 45 mesta? zna se vrlo dobro koji se avioni koriste za LCC
ReplyDeleteDroga, Mitrović, ma jok.
DeleteNema to veze ni sa cim, hoce covek poreske olaksice bre, jer ima advokate i bankare koji znaju zakone.
DeleteLet's hope this will happen . More airlines is always better for the passengers .
ReplyDeleteWhatever Mr Mitrovic touches is a no-go for me. If this project ever materializes, I won't be flying Air Pink.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons Air Pink has been so successful as a business is because he let professionals run it and had little input.
DeleteI would really like to see these professionals who run LCC with E145.
DeleteI didn't say this was their idea. It is probably his.
DeleteI also doubt there is a possibility anything could be done with E145.
ReplyDeleteYou do not anything about aviation, right?
DeleteThey are quite large - 22 planes. Which aircraft does Prince Aviation have and how many have?
ReplyDeleteI mean compared to Air Pink.
DeleteŽeljko Mitrović's wet dream: when I grow up I'll become Richard Branson. ... without Sir :)
ReplyDeleteProbably not. He's more likely to have coke OD than a long, prosperous life like Mr Branson.
DeleteI'm surprised he is not producing the plane. I guess that's the next phase.
ReplyDeleteAfter that, autonomous Belgrade - Mars charters
DeleteHahahaha Serbian Elon Musk.
DeleteThis will be a fun day in the comment section today. :-)
ReplyDeleteBring on:
ReplyDeleteMostar
Maribor
Brac
Losinj
and others in region like Romania, Bulgaria.
Connect all little airports that Air Serbia still has not started.
Hope it happns.
Particularly Losinj with an E45
Delete😆
I saw that quite a few new B737-700BBJ, Let410 machines are registered in Serbia. Whose planes are these?
ReplyDeleteRegistrations?
DeleteYU-EAG L410
DeleteYU-APR 737
YU-SAI C525
YU-DRY
Once I read some comment that no female crew wants to fly on YU-DRY 🤣
DeleteCheck on the Internet. Because there is also YU-WET
DeleteThere is also an Air Pink plane registered YU-SEX
Deletehttps://www.jetphotos.com/photo/9888869
Apparently they made a scandal. It is now YU-SXX.
DeleteBy the way this plane is on Air Pink. But it is used by Air Posh (owned by a friend of Vucic, known for smuggling cigarettes). There is information on the Internet, dig around.
DeleteHaha I didn't know that they had to change it. Sounds like Pink lol
DeleteBarbie's favorite airline! 😆
ReplyDeleteAll planes to paont in pink color 👌
DeleteMaybe they could coordinate with JU to get them transfer pax from TSR, CLJ etc..
ReplyDeleteThis has been on the cards for a while
ReplyDeleteRyanair started operations in 1985 with a 15 seat Embraer and look at them now. I’m really surprised with the comments, as it is much sensible yo start with a small scale/aircraft operations, as you can much better control expenses, which can drain a new airline within weeks. Air Pink has impressive experience with business aviation and probably they can understand how 49 seater will operate. Probably the lease prices are also very favorable. Of course, I can’t even look at this guy, but this has a lot of sense for me.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. We have a lot of aviation 'experts' in the comments here...
DeleteWell well looks like zex's bots found their way to this wonderful blog.
DeleteThere's no comparison to be made with Ryanair as for starters it's not 1985 anymore, the 49 seater jet is probably the most uneconomical plane out there whose costs are astronomical compared to the 15 seater turbo prop, even if the lease was free it would not allow for competitive LCC prices. And lastly it wasn't the airplane that made Ryanair what it is today, but rather a vision, well calculated risks and being at the right time at the right place, so any comparison of this sketchy millionaire's self aggrandizing wet dream with Ryanair is beyond laughable.
I love the notion that whenever someone does not share the same opinion as you he is a "bot". Right out of Mr Scurics playbook.
Delete@10:20 anti(d)bot pills not working today?
DeleteMaybe he will get PSO and fly from KVO and INI?
ReplyDeleteMost probably, he must have a good deal already in place.
Delete09:24
DeleteThis will be very very nice.
Well existing Air Serbia PSO contracts end at the end of the year.
DeleteZelko Mitrovich. Who is this guy? Why do you write such comments, I am not from Serbia. I know the airline is contacting Pink TV.
ReplyDeleteHe is an arrogant prick, involved in many scandals, the owner of the trashy and kitschy tv station pink. His son was involved in a hit and run, killing a 14 year old girl and was sentenced to a short period of house arrest.
DeleteIf they want to have any chance of actually succeeding they need to open it either in Croatia or Slovenia. Working on a LCC without EU permits is a nightmare
ReplyDeleteI think the airline plans to operate out of Serbia. Why would they need an EU permit?
DeleteWithout doubt he already has some sort of deal with the state and coordination with Air Serbia. He didn't just randomly announce this.
ReplyDelete+1
ReplyDeletethat's right ! There are over 20 airlines in Serbia. Most of which are VIP.
ReplyDeleteAir Maxi, which is mentioned in the article had a great livery concept (perfect for LCC). Shame we never saw it on a plane.
ReplyDeleteDo you have an image of it?
ReplyDeleteThis is the only one I could find
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ekapija.com/dokumenti/6934_top.jpg
Wow nice
ReplyDeleteAir Pink and Prince are not comparable for a long time… later has 3 business jets (they had 4, but it suffered major damage).
ReplyDeletePeople pay attention mainly to JU. But there are quite a few interesting companies like this in Serbia.
ReplyDeleteI think there have been such plans before? Or am I confusing Prince Aviation?
ReplyDeleteWe have?
Delete"We are the second-largest European private business jet airline behind Air Hamburg"
ReplyDeleteVista Jet
NetJets
Jet Aviation
Comlux
Gama Aviation
Dexter Russia
MJet Austria
And other mainly registered in Switzerland.
I hope Mitrović spends a lot of money on this project and then fails.
ReplyDeleteI hope we ultimately have less people like you and your well-wishes in the country.
DeleteYou think we need even more people like Mitrovic? Wow
Delete@10:20 Yes, we should support the trash and kitsch that Mitrovic’s tv is propagating, as well as his wonderful ethics. His son was involved in a hit and run, killing a 14 year old girl and he was sentenced with a very short house arrest. Pretty scandalous. Sorry for not wanting these kind of pricks to make profit!
DeleteWelcome to the Balkans
DeleteCan guarantee you this will be operating PSO flights out of Nis and Kraljevo next year with some Air Serbia partnership. It makes sense with the 49 seater and "low cost model".
ReplyDeleteI think it's a great idea.
ReplyDeleteObviously it won't actually be a low cost airline, but rather a regional airline for feeding Air Serbia. Probably very similar to Marathon Airlines.
There are hundreds of parked ERJs right now. Lease rates are very low. Fuel costs are high unfortunately, but this is offset by much lower labor rates in Serbia and also lower airport fees.
I predict that Air Pink will fly these as an ACMI lease for JU. This removes all the risk from Air Pink, plus they do not have to invest in the costs to typically run an airline such as the cost of selling tickets, customer service, etc.
Air Pink already has some Embraer business jets. I'm certain they have a very precise idea of the costs involved.
Veoma se nadam da ce se otvoriti domace avio linije izmedju Beograda, Nisa, Krajeva, kao i Banja Luke, buducih aerodroma koj ce se dograditi i izgraditi. Ponikve, Trebinje,
ReplyDeleteBerane, Krf, Bugars i ostalih sekundarnih aerodroma koji ce se podignuti. Krusevac, Bor, buduci Nove Pazar... i drugih buduce mreze aerodroma izmedju Egejdkog, Jonskog, Jadranskog i Crnog Mora. Uz podrsku komunikacije okolnih drzava postoje ljudi i kompanije koje i pesimiste mogu zacutati. Mozda je Pink jedna od tih.
Licno nebih imao saveta njin. Zakon je nad svima. A Bog iznad! Vera i rad sa upornoscu je uvek radjala dobro.
Zivot i dela svedoce. I onima koji ne zele... ✈🌐🛬😀🇷🇸✈
Klasik Rodni, bravo majstore.
DeleteHvala Vam postovani Anon 12:09. Vase znanje i funkcija verovatno je presudno u razvoju putnickog i kargo transporta u Srbiji. Godine ispred ce potvrditi
Deleteo cemu sam pisao. Ako Vam je smetalo, zao mi je.
Vasa rec je zadnja zar ne.
R.M. 🛬
What Serbia needs is a cargo airline.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia Cargo.
DeleteWe actually joke about him (I dont like him), but he has actually a very good private charter company with a lot of planes, so someone who is running that business must be doing things right. If he lets professionals handle this, it could actually work.
ReplyDeleteTurbo Folk Airways
ReplyDeleteI think Serbia is in desperate need for charter airlines more than for regional carriers. Atr72’s can just do it fine.
ReplyDeleteWell, lets hope Mitrovic will then start paying taxes and also reporting regular salaries of his employees. Hope they will also start following other EASA and CAD regulatives and safety protocols.
ReplyDeleteAha, like he pays for electricity at his TV studio
DeleteI was legit expecting it to be that pig that MAXI used as a logo when it started flying. This actually looks normal for a LCC.
ReplyDeleteNot flying, working. Meant the chain of stores.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite interested to see what will be the outcome
ReplyDeleteCan E145 land in Kraljevo?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteYes, I liked it too. They also had a website (it was under construction at the time) with the purple and yellow colors. Miskovic is a smart guy and when he saw it made no financial sense he gave up on the project.
ReplyDeleteE145s are the perfect planes for PSO flights and something tells me Air Pink will operate them.
ReplyDelete^ What happened to the plane?
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful combination we have here! Low cost, high losses, impeccable balance sheets, and let's not forget the immense amount of attention this situation deserves. Absolutely brilliant!
ReplyDeleteExcellent choice on the 49 seaters. Its all that is necessary for ex-yu destinations. And if traffic grows get some Dash 8-400. Air Pink due to existing competition will never require larger planes.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid some sports national teams would be flying with this to some competitions. If it happens, then I'm not boarding that airplane for sure!
ReplyDelete