Turkey issues new Jat offer

Turkey wants Belgrade Airport to sweeten the deal

Belgrade Airport

Turkish Airlines has in the past year denied claims that it has any interest in purchasing the struggling Serbian carrier, Jat Airways. However, after the Serbian Prime Minister met with his counterpart in Turkey 2 weeks ago, an offer has been issued, sources close to the airline say. Turkish Airlines is interested in purchasing Jat only if Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is part of the package. The Turks want Serbia’s main airport to be sold to a Turkish airport operator, strengthening Turkey’s position in the region.
The Turkish company TAV Holdings already runs both Skopje and Ohrid airports and has shown interest in bidding for the construction of Zagreb Airport’s new terminal. Furthermore, another Turkish company, Limak Holding, partly runs Priština Airport and has expressed interest to purchase Airports of Montenegro, which manages both Podgorica and Tivat. Turkey has also shown interest in investing into Serbia’s newest airport, under construction in Kraljevo. On the other hand, Turkish Airlines owns 49% of B&H Airlines with hopes to buy out the rest of the company.
Whether the Serbian government is keen on selling one of the country’s most successful, publically owned companies (Belgrade Airport), together with Jat remains to be seen. Airports are considered a key part of a country’s infrastructure and recent moves to privatise airports in Montenegro have been met with strong opposition. The Serbian Government has announced it will create a new national airline together with a strategic partner which will take over Jat’s aircraft, operations, employees and agreements, minus the debt. However, parties which make up the governing coalition in the country are still divided on Jat’s privatisation model. The government is determined to sell part of the airline by the end of the year.

Turkish Airlines