Revived interest in Jat?

Deja vu

Serbian media are reporting that Turkish Airlines, Aeroflot and the Greek based Marfin Investment Group, are all interested in becoming partners with Jat Airways. According to media reports, Turkish Airlines is looking for yet another strategic partner in the region and would take over a part of the Serbian Government’s share in Jat, like it has done with Bosnia’s B&H Airlines. Turkish Airlines wouldn’t, apparently, provide Jat with finances but would provide the airline with much needed aircraft.

Russia’s Aeroflot which seemed keen on purchasing Jat in 2008, only to change its mind mid-year, is also interested in a strategic partnership with the Serbian carrier. The Marfin Investment Group, which recently purchased Olympic Airlines (now known as Olympic Air), is also reportedly interested in purchasing Jat and reorganising the airline.

However, in September, the Serbian Government announced that it does not intend to privatise Jat until 2012, by which it expects the airline will be back on its feet. The Serbian minister for infrastructure says that “there are a lot of interested parties willing to purchase Jat. The Government has formed a work group which will evaluate offers and the terms of any possible sale”.

The news should be taken with great caution as often media tend to sensationalise aviation news as was visible during Jat’s privatisation process last year when there were reports of wide scale interest. In spite of this it turned out that no company even purchased the tender documentation for the privatisation of the airline.