The future of Air Montenegro’s fleet expansion has been thrown into uncertainty following controversy surrounding the potential addition of a third aircraft, a 118-seat Embraer E195. While the airline maintains that the aircraft has passed all technical and operational checks and that the lease was carried out in line with professional standards, the Montenegrin Civil Aviation Agency is yet to give the final approval. The aircraft in question was formerly registered in Denmark as OY-GDB and operated for Great Dane Airlines.
Air Serbia planned to lease the jet this year and had painted the aircraft in its livery after which it decided to return it to the lessor, SEBC Aviation Leasing, following months spent on the ground at Belgrade Airport. The airline reportedly could not verify the origin of certain aircraft components, a task further complicated by the bankruptcy of Great Dane Airlines. Every aircraft part must have complete documentation and traceability to ensure it meets strict safety, regulatory and maintenance standards. Without proper records, a component is considered unairworthy, posing serious risks to flight safety and legal compliance. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is highly focused on checking aircraft documentation and puts greater scrutiny on airlines from non-EU member states.
Montenegro’s Ministry of Transport has distanced itself from Air Montenegro’s decision to lease the jet, stating it was not consulted in the process. The Ministry emphasised that any decision not grounded in a full technical evaluation cannot be supported, reiterating that passenger safety remains the top priority. The Ministry has since met with the Civil Aviation Agency representatives to request full transparency on the matter. Political tensions have also flared after the leader of one of Montenegro’s ruling parties, responsible for the transport portfolio, was accused of pressuring authorities to register the aircraft despite lacking valid documentation.
Air Montenegro has rejected what it calls politically motivated attacks aimed at discrediting the company. The airline stressed that it is operating in full compliance with regulations set by EASA, IATA and ICAO. It also emphasised that the fleet expansion is being financed from its own resources and that Montenegro needs improved air connectivity. The airline warned that any unfounded attacks targeting the safety and integrity of its operations only serve to damage public trust and undermine the aviation sector. It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and international aviation standards, while refusing to be drawn into political disputes. The final decision on whether the E195 can join Air Montenegro’s fleet now rests with the Civil Aviation Agency, which continues its evaluation of the aircraft.
What a mess
ReplyDeleteA mess and a circus
DeleteWhat is going on? First the airport tender now with this aircraft.
ReplyDeleteCorruption.
DeleteNot serious airline only can make this circus , if its not funny will be tragedy
ReplyDeleteI am not surpsied this aircraft belonged to the scam Great Dane Airlines. Suggest people to read about their leadership a bit. Things will become clearer.
ReplyDeleteBut the idea to lease an aircraft which airline rejected just a month and a half ago.
ReplyDeleteThis whole situation is a mess. If Air Serbia backed out over documentation concerns, why is Air Montenegro even considering taking the same aircraft?
ReplyDeleteBecause the lease rate is cheap.
DeleteIts cheap yea , but what about safety of the aircraft ? For them obviosly safety is not first option.
DeleteThey probably assumed they could just sell the untracked parts and buy new documented ones, maybe
DeleteIt's not that simple. You can't just cherry-pick parts from the scrapyard and then replace them with new ones when you need certification. Otherwise JU would have done it in the first place.
DeleteIf the documentation isn’t complete, the aircraft shouldn’t fly. End of story. Passenger safety isn’t negotiable.
ReplyDeleteNot surprised this turned into a scandal.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, Montenegro desperately needs more capacity during the summer. They created a schedule for 4 aircraft and they have only 3.
ReplyDeleteBetter to delay than rush into a risky lease.
DeleteNo plane is worth the risk if the paperwork doesn’t check out.
DeleteI’m sure there are other, better-documented aircraft on the leasing market. Why gamble on this one?
Delete^ exactly
DeleteSo Air Serbia dodged a bullet and now Air Montenegro is walking straight into it? You can’t make this stuff up.
ReplyDeleteIf Air Serbia literally painted the jet and still returned it, that should’ve raised red flags from day one.
DeleteMarathon painted this jet back then as it was planned to enter service for ASL, however it never flew for ASL. ASL tried to take the lease for the jet, and when due diligence process was in full swing, documentation did not add up so the jet was returned. Montenegro took it. Apparently for them it is all good.
DeleteThis is why small national carriers struggle. Every operational decision turns into a political battleground.
ReplyDeleteDoesn’t happen to Lux Air…
DeleteQuality over quantity.
ReplyDeleteThis would be funny if it weren’t so serious.
ReplyDeleteThe Embraer E195 is a great aircraf, just not this one.
ReplyDeleteThis aircraft specifically has serious deficiencies in terms of history of maintenance generally. Some of the specific components regarding hydraulic systems, as well as almost entire documentation about powerplant cycles is missing or can't be verified.
ReplyDeleteASL discarded this aircraft after literally MONTHS of fact checking procedures and returned it back to the lessor.
Montenegro is really getting themselves into quite an issue with this one.
Absolutely crazy
DeleteObviously, after returning the jet, we sent over 150 pages of documentation to the lessor, detailing what was wrong and why we couldn’t accept the aircraft. GDB never proceeded with the registration process in Serbia—it was rejected upon inspection.
DeleteWhat happened next? Montenegro saw it and decided to take it. Apparently, it was good enough for them.
While ASL may have its shortcomings in some areas, technical assessments and safety have never been among them.
Wasn't it registered as YU-ATA?
DeleteNope. OY-GDA became YU-ATB and that is the only registration that have happened. CAD reserved YU-ATA for OY-GDB but when ASL said they are returning the aircraft they disregarded the request.
DeleteOk, thanks.
DeleteAs YU-ATA was only reserved, maybe they could use it for some of the next aircraft.
Air Montenegro is acting like this is a PR problem, not a technical one.
ReplyDeleteYou can't make this stuff up
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why aviation in the Balkans can’t catch a break. Everything becomes personal and political.
ReplyDeleteBalkans? Please the Balkans have Sky Express, Air Serbia, Aegean and even Turkish Airlines.
DeleteIt's just that many are corrupt and need to be shut down if they risk safety.
I’m not sure which is more disturbing. That the documentation is incomplete, or that someone tried to push it through anyway
ReplyDeleteTo me, the most disturbing part is that Air Montenegro decided to lease the plane regardless. Knowing full well its status.
DeleteLet’s give them a chance. If the Civil Aviation Agency approves it, I’ll assume it’s safe. Until then, hard no.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm sure there are no corrupt individuls at the aviaiton agency...
DeleteWhat do people expect from an airline that is still unable to sell connecting flights or conclude a single codeshare agreement?
ReplyDelete+1
Deleteis this what happened with Sky Alps? Untracable aircraft parts?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteThis aircraft sounds like it’s been passed around more than a cheap rental car. Not exactly confidence inspiring.
ReplyDeleteHow did a Danish airline manage to operate an aircraft like this with such a shoddy track record in the first place? Where were those stringent EU checks then?
ReplyDeleteWell it is actually the Danish airline that messed this aircraft up. The text corrently states that scrutiny of non EU airlines by EASA is much greater than EU carriers.
DeleteI would just add that any non-EU operator, operating within EU (and Common Area) airspace can be subject of SAFA inspections. Those are generally rather brief inspections, but you have no idea what inspectors do to successfuly verify whether you are compliant with the safety laws and whether your aircraft is airworthy or not. It is absolutely possible that the aircraft gets grounded instantly on the first SAFA check just because there is lack of technical logs.
DeleteIf they decide to fake those logs, that is criminal, and they should be closed instantly.
I am not saying OY-GDB is not able to fly - I am just saying that we were never able to verify whether this aircraft was maintained according to defined standards. Nothing added up - cycles, documents, maintenance logs, parts being changed, work orders - nothing. Obviously, we can't accept this aircraft into the fleet.
wow
ReplyDelete