B&H’s big plans

B&H staff at the launch of the Sarajevo – Dusseldorf service

The CEO of the national airline of Bosnia and Herzegovina, B&H Airlines, has announced that the carrier has big plans which include doubling the current number of passengers and opening new services. Nudžeim Rečica says that the carrier overcame many difficulties, from being a failed airline called Air Bosnia to becoming a strategic partner of Turkish Airlines. B&H Airlines has recently received a Boeing B737-400, the third aircraft in its fleet, and as a result has begun services to many new cities. The airline’s management has ambitious plans for the carrier. During 2008, a total of 70.000 people travelled with B&H Airlines but the airline only held a 17% share of passengers from its hub Sarajevo. With the new aircraft the carrier expects to take over passengers from other airlines, particularly to Scandinavia and Germany. The airline’s management expects it can have a 30% share of all passengers departing from Sarajevo by the end of the year. Rečica says that the carrier could transport 250.000 passengers per year. B&H should receive another B737-400 by the end of the year while a third jet engine aircraft will be considered.

Yesterday, B&H Airlines’ management held talks with the Montenegrin minister for transportation as the Bosnian airline plans to commence services from Sarajevo to Skopje via Podgorica. The service would operate in form of a charter flight with 3 weekly flights. The service would operate with an ATR72. The Montenegrin minister said flights could begin within 2 weeks. B&H Airlines operates flights to Skopje but does not fly to Podgorica.