Jat hit by competition

Jat records 10% passenger decrease in June

The Jat Media Centre reports that the Serbian national carrier carried 97.737 passengers in June 2010. This is a 10% passenger decrease when compared to the same period last year and the first time that the airline has reported a passenger decrease this year, if the ash cloud month of April is excluded. However, Jat justifies the decrease stressing that the number of operated flights decreased by 13% in June 2010 compared to June 2009. While Jat continues to report growth on services to Montenegro, its Euro Mediterranean services and particularly charter flights have suffered. In June, the airline carried 15.563 passengers on flights to and from Montenegro (+21% compared to June 2009), 71.878 on Euro Mediterranean services (-7%) and 10.296 passengers on charter flights (-45%). Jat is facing tough competition on charter flights as Egyptian carriers and Aviogenex make their presence felt. Jat’s charter flight offering has tumbled by 54% when compared to the same period last year.

On the other hand, Jat reported a sound increase in its average load factor which in June stood at 63%, up by 6%. Services to Ohrid reported the greatest growth when compared to June 2009, climbing by 174%. It is followed by Podgorica and Amsterdam. The biggest passenger decreases were recorded on flights to Trieste and Copenhagen. On flights departing Belgrade, the airline recorded the greatest average load factor to Tunis, Monastir and Sarajevo. Services with the greatest load factors heading to Belgrade were recorded from Paris, Stockholm and Dubai. Charter flights, most of which had a 100% load factor, have been excluded from the statistics.