The good times roll

According to analysis conducted by the web portal “Anna Aero”, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has attracted the most new carriers during the past 12 months (from August 2009 to August 2010) in Europe, leaving Marseille Airport in France in second place. Belgrade took charge by attracting 10 new airlines, among which are 5 flag carrier and 3 low cost airlines. The following have commenced flights to the Serbian capital since August 2009: Cimber Sterling (2X per week from Copenhagen), airBaltic (4X from Riga), Spanair (3X from Barcelona and 2X from Madrid), TAROM Romanian (5X from Bucharest), Niki (6X from Vienna), B&H Airlines (6X from Sarajevo), Adria Airways (6X from Ljubljana), Malev Hungarian (daily from Budapest), Aegean Airlines (daily from Athens) and Wizz Air (3X per week from Dortmund and 4X per week from London Luton). Both B&H Airlines and Wizz Air are yet to begin flights to Belgrade, although Wizz Air has bought its London Luton service forward by a month and increased the initial frequency of 3 weekly flights to 4. The good times keep rolling for the airport after it recorded a 16 million Euro profit in 2009.

“Who would have predicted this? Belgrade Airport in Serbia attracts more new carriers than any other airport”, the UK based portal reports. It sites the end of EU visa restrictions for Serbian citizens as a plausible explanation for such high interest, although, the country’s recent implementation of the open skies policy should also be noted. There have also been milestones with the new arrivals. Adria returned to Belgrade for the first time in 20 years, scheduled flights to Spain were resumed after 20 years and scheduled flights to Riga commenced, connecting the two cities via the air for the first time.

New renovations for Belgrade

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has reported that its profit in 2009 amounted to 17 million Euros, increasing by 27% compared to 2008. The profit will now be used for the upgrade of facilities at the airport. Velimir Radosavljević, the director of Belgrade Airport, said on Sunday that this year the airport will expand its gate lounge areas and construct the airport’s business headquarters. The biggest investment will be in the expansion of the transit area and gate lounges. In cooperation with Durfy, the airport will open new shop and duty free areas. The airport also plans to replace the older “A” platform air bridges with glass air bridges which correspond to the “C” platform gates.

Radosavljević says that all of these investments will be financed from the airport’s net profit from 2009. In the first 3 moths of 2010 the airport is recording the same profit as in the first 3 months of 2009. Belgrade Nikola Tesla is served by 24 scheduled airlines with the number set to increase in the coming months.

Overview of Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport

On Wednesday evening, Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport opened for business after the completion of runway upgrades, which lasted for 2 weeks. The upgrade has been somewhat controversial with Slovenia’s national airline, Adria, blaming the airport for inevitable losses the carrier incurred as a result of the airport’s closure. Adria had to significantly scale down its operations and move to Maribor. Adria is seeking compensation from the airport authorities although Ljubljana Airport says that there is no basis for such claims.

The closure of the airport was part of the third and final phase of the runway reconstruction project. The overhaul of the runway included resurfacing the asphalt as well as expanding parts of the taxiways, replacing the lighting system and installing additional cable conduits. The first phase, covering around 800 metres, was concluded on June 25, 2009 while the reconditioning of the other section, involving over 1.000 metres of runway, was completed in the early hours of July 15, 200. The final and most time consuming phase was completed on Wednesday, April 21, 2010. The entire runway upgrade project has amounted to a cost of 9 million Euros. It is the first time since 1978 that the runway has been upgraded.

Meanwhile, Ljubljana Airport announced that it recorded a 14% passenger decline in 2009 when compared to 2008. It handled 1.42 million passengers. According to airport statistics, in 2009, most passengers originating from Ljubljana Airport travelled to Germany (18%), followed by the United Kingdom (12%), Turkey and France (8%) and Serbia (7%). The greatest increase in passenger numbers was recorded on flights to Serbia while the greatest decline on flights to Belgium.

Riches have wings

Speaking recently to the “Večernji list” newspaper, Ivan Mišetić, the CEO of Croatia Airlines, said that the carrier’s loss for 2009 totalled 27.3 million Euros. Mišetić blames the bad result on the global financial crisis and specifically the decrease in the number of passengers using business class. The head of the Croatian carrier believes that privatisation is the airline’s best and only option. He claims that this is not the question at hand, rather it’s how quickly the carrier will be sold. Mišetić also said that in particular flights from secondary airports in Croatia, such as Dubrovnik, are producing big losses but the Government will, like each and every time, cover the airline’s losses.

Further questioned about Croatia Airlines’ imminent privatisation, Mišetić claims that recent rumours about a possible Lufthansa takeover are premature and speculative but shouldn’t be ruled out. Mišetić criticised Zagreb Airport and its high handling prices which are only enforced onto its biggest customer – Croatia Airlines. He laughed off suggestions that low cost airlines will bring Zagreb substantial passenger growth and doesn’t believe that low costers will particularly hurt Croatia Airlines. Mišetić also claimed that Croatia Airlines is working out its problems with its hub airport in regards to the debt it owes to its home base. “In my 18 years of working at Croatia Airlines I have never seen a tougher and more demanding year”, Mišetić said expressing his hope that the airline will be able to end 2010 with a loss of 13 million Euros.

Farewell to Ohrid

This summer, Slovenia’s Adria Airways will no longer be featuring Ohrid in its timetable. The seasonal summer service has been cut in face of low interest and sliding passenger numbers. Ohrid is the latest in a string of destinations which have been terminated or downgraded as seasonal summer services. Other destinations include Bucharest and Oslo (cancelled) while Madrid and Barcelona are operated only on a seasonal basis. On the other hand, the airline will launch 6 weekly flights to Belgrade on March 1. Adria did mange to finish 2009 as the second largest EX-YU airline in terms of passenger numbers, behind Croatia Airlines but in front of Jat Airways. The airline carried 953.400 passengers, a decline of 13.6% compared to 2008. Meanwhile, Croatia carried 1.700.300 passengers while Jat managed 935.900.

As previously reported, Adria Airways will relocate to Maribor during runway upgrades at Ljubljana Airport which will be carried out from April 7 to 20. Other airlines have also announced their alternatives with easyJet temporarily suspending its London Stansted route during this period. Jat Airways will move its services to Portorož and Turkish Airlines is reportedly also considering serving Maribor. It is unclear at this point what alternatives will be chosen by Air France, CSA Czech Airlines and Montenegro Airlines.

This summer, Jat will join Edelweiss Air as the only confirmed carrier that will be operating to Ohrid. Jat will, for a second year in a row, operate direct services to the lake side town, rather than via Skopje as it has done previously. The 2 weekly flights commence June 1 and can be found in the new route launches section.

Waiting for a new terminal

The Government of Kosovo is close to awarding a company to manage and run Priština International Airport for the next 20 years in return for a 100 million Euro investment into the airport which would see it modernised and expanded. This is the first PPP (Public Private Project) to be carried out in Kosovo. According to local authorities, the selection process should be transparent. The 100 million Euro investment should include the construction of a new terminal.

Three of the selected bidders are strong international consortiums. The first competitor is the Turkish-German consortium Fraport / ICTAS that manage the Antalya Airport in Turkey. The Fraport Company manages Frankfurt International Airport and together with other companies manages 10 other airports. The second bidders are the Turkish-French consortium Limak / Airport de Lyon. The Limak Company manages Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul. The third bidder for the concession of Priština Airport is the international consortium Bouyges Batiment- Egis- PAIC.

Priština Airport handled 1.191.978 passengers in 2009 and had a 11 million Euro profit

Croatia Airlines Airbus A319

It has been revealed that Croatia Airlines’ true 2009 closing balance is a loss of 22.6 million Euros. The result will officially be made public in April. The airline also owes millions of Euros to airports across Croatia. The national carrier failed to pay handling fees to airports across the country in 2008 and 2009 and its total debt to the airports is estimated at 11 million Euros. The management of Zagreb Airport claims that the airline owes its hub 2.7 million Euros.

Croatia Airlines nearly had one of its Airbus A319s revoked in December when it failed to make a payment for the aircraft. The Government of Croatia signed documentation and guarantees stating that the aircraft’s leasing fees would be payed in full. The Government payed the bill for the aircraft in December. The next payment is to be made on June 1.

On a more optimistic note, the airline’s management has struck a deal with 3 out of 5 unions for pay cuts to be implemented. A strike by the airline’s unions, announced to ground the airline on February 26, could be avoided if the union of pilots and the union of cabin crew agree to the new terms.

Not a good start to the year

Finishing 2009 with 15 million Euros in losses, Croatia Airlines is now facing one of the biggest crisis since its launch. The airline is cancelling the lease of one of its Airbus A320s, which will leave the fleet in April. Meanwhile, the recent news of route suspensions, in particular flights from London to Split and Dubrovnik, are also a result of the crisis measures put in place by the airline’s management. Croatia Airlines’ CEO, Ivan Mišetić, says that the carrier’s only cure is privatisation. Mišetić states that privatisation should be carried out before Croatia joins the European Union as to avoid numerous bureaucracy procedures. Mišetić blames the airline’s current situation on the decline in passenger numbers during 2009 and the rise in fuel costs.

Nevertheless, the airline will, as planned, receive 2 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft this year and increase frequencies to Barcelona during the summer.

Another potential nightmare the national carrier of Croatia is facing is a strike by its workers which is set to ground the airline’s entire fleet. The Croatia Airlines union of cabin crew has voted for strike action which will commence at 6.00 on February 26. The cabin crew have received unconditional support from the pilot’s union which is set to announce that it too is going on strike in the following days. Syndicate representatives do not want to accept the January 1 decision of the Croatia Airlines Board. According to this decision, pay will be decreased by 10% or rather 30% per day. Compensation for meals and transportation will be cancelled, while both sick leave and vacation times will be shortened.

Soon in Skopje and Ohrid

KLM’s low cost subsidiary Transavia.com will begin one weekly seasonal summer charter flights from Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport to both Skopje and Ohrid in Macedonia. The flights will commence on April 29, 2010 and come as result of an agreement between Transavia, the Dutch-Macedonian tour operator Karatnova Tours and Schipol Airport. The new service will operate once per week until the end of October.

A spokesperson from the Dutch embassy in Macedonia said that the new flights will strengthen the potential and competitiveness of Macedonia on the international tourist market. The embassy announced that a group of 30 Dutch tour operators and journalists will visit Macedonia next month in order to get acquainted with the country’s beauties and to present Macedonia to Dutch tourists. There is hope that Transavia will mostly carry tourists to Ohrid while passengers from Skopje will mostly use the line in order to transfer at Schipol Airport onto other flights.

Skopje is currently being used by 8 scheduled airlines. Transavia will be the only low cost airline to serve the airport. Skopje reported that it had 600.000 passengers in 2009, a decrease of 8% compared to 2008.

Competition mounts

With the low cost Niki launching flights from Vienna to Belgrade yesterday, February 1, a total of 21 scheduled airlines now use Belgrade Airport. Three new airlines have confirmed their arrival in the coming months and several are awaiting approval. The result of this competition has seen Jat’s share of flights from its hub airport decline from 46.2% to 40.2%. A total of 78% of the airline’s flights are in direct competition with other carriers. Despite being faced with greater competition Jat is still managing to beat some big rivals, including a low cost airlines, while on some markets it has become a distant memory.

In 2009, Jat had success on the Belgrade - Stuttgart line. Despite being exposed to direct competition from the low cost Germanwings, according to data processed on behalf of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Jat regularly has more passengers than its rival. Although the route is far from popular, it has given the carrier some confidence in managing to overcome the onslaught of low cost airlines expected to arrive soon. Jat has also claimed victory over British Airways on flights to London Heathrow Airport. In 2009, Jat transported 72.310 passengers on this route, which is 1.9% less then last year. On the other hand, British Airways carried 52.244 passengers in 2009 and recorded a decline of 7.3%. Thus, Jat’s share on the route increased from 57 to 58%. Whether this share will be destabilised by the announced Wizz Air flights from London Luton Airport remains to be seen.

However, Jat is trailing on routes to Istanbul, Vienna, Frankfurt, Athens and more notably Montenegro. Jat only holds a share of 29% of all transported passengers to Istanbul, the other 71% going to Turkish Airlines. According to Belgrade Airport data, Jat transported 57.121 passengers to Podgorica in 2009 compared to 143.076 by Montenegro Airlines. To Tivat Jat carried 57.121 passengers (47.5% less than in 2008). This is in comparison to 133.063 passengers carried by Montenegro Airlines. Jat has begun reviewing its flights to Montenegro for the 2010 summer season in hope of attracting more passengers.

Tivat Airport passenger terminal

Montenegro’s second international airport, Tivat, saw passenger numbers decline by 7% in 2009. As a result, a total of 532.156 passengers were handled, down from 570.636 in 2008. A total of 4.226 aircraft operations took place at the airport, decreasing by 9% compared to the year before. The declining passenger numbers are blamed on the global financial crisis. In total, Montenegro’s 2 airports, Podgorica and Tivat, handled 982.456 passengers in 2009, compared to 1.109.113 in 2008. Notably, passenger figures significantly increased in December of 2009, compared to 2008, thanks to the abolishment of EU visa restrictions for Montenegrin citizens.

In 2009, Tivat Airport undertook an important project – the expansion of the aircraft parking platforms which now allows for aircraft such as the Boeing B737 and Airbus A320 to safely park. The investment was worth 2.5 million Euros.

Macedonia calling

The Croatian charter carrier Dubrovnik Airline has leased its 2 MD82s to its Macedonian subsidiary Mont Air. In 2010 Dubrovnik Airline hopes to launch flights from Skopje to Western European destinations through Mont Air, despite the fact that recently the airline announced it was axing plans on launching the Macedonian airline and even discontinued its license approval application.

The CEO of Dubrovnik Airline, Zeno Singer, says that the establishment of the new airline in Macedonia will only strengthen Dubrovnik Airline’s position in the region. The MD82s will be leased to Mont Air for the next 18 months and will leave Croatia by the end of January. Singer says that, as a result, Dubrovnik Airline will begin with its fleet renewal process. An Airbus A320 will enter the airline’s fleet in May, joining the existing fleet of 1 MD82 and 2 MD83s (excluding the 2 leased aircraft to Mont Air).

Little is known of Mont Air. Dubrovnik Airline will provide both the crew and technical support for the airline. It is believed that Mont Air is a mixed business venture between Dubrovnik Airline and Albanian businesses operating in Macedonia. Mont Air will first have to gain a license in order to begin operations.

So far, Mat Airways is also hoping to establish services from Macedonia in spring, while Aeromak, another start up hopeful was rejected by the Macedonian Civil Aviation Directorate.

Dubrovnik Airline ended 2009 with a 2.5 million Euro loss, blamed on the global financial crisis.

Osijek Airport – biggest improver in 2009

The majority of Croatian airports ended the year of the global financial crisis mostly unscathed with small passenger losses. One of the worst months for all airports in Croatia was December 2009 when airports such as Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Pula and Zadar recorded a traffic decrease of more than 10% when compared to December 2008 while the number of passengers handled on behalf of Rijeka Airport decreased by 69%.

Overall in 2009, Zagreb Airport handled 2.056.388 passengers, a decrease of 5.7%. Both Split and Dubrovnik also saw passenger numbers decreasing between 5 and 7%. Both airports handled over 1 million passengers. The worst performer of the year was Pula whose traffic decreased by 20.8%. The airport handled 302.448 passengers, compared to 381.680 in 2008. This is despite the fact that aircraft movement at the airport did not decrease by a large margin.

Zadar and Osijek have survived the year with a major increase in traffic and passengers, showing that the 2 airports were not following the trends of others in the country. Passenger numbers at Zadar increased by 34.9%. The airport handled 195.163 passengers. The airport also recorded an increase in aircraft operations of up to 124.1%, mostly thanks to the arrival of the low cost Ryanair. The most successful airport of the year, when compared to 2008, is Osijek which saw passenger numbers increase by 37.8%. Meanwhile, Rijeka, which is having financial problems, managed to report growth of less than half a percent.

The following table displays the passenger change that airports in Croatia had in 2009, compared to last year.

Airport	Passengers 2008	Passengers 2009	Change (%)
Zagreb	2.179.756	2.056.388	-5.7
Dubrovnik	1.177.510	1.109.934	-5.7
Pula	381.680	302.448	-20.8
Split	1.171.179	1.080.121	-7.8
Zadar	144.708	195.163	+34.9
Osijek	14.883	20.503	+37.8
Rijeka	109.706	110.208	+0.5

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Terminal 2

In 2009, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport was severely affected by the global financial crisis with passenger numbers decreasing by 10% compared to 2008. All of the 12 months in 2009 recorded a slump in the number of handled passengers, compared to 2008. Even with Belgrade hosting the world’s largest sporting event of the year in July 2009, the airport did not manage to post a passenger increase. However, on December 19 2009 visa restrictions to Schengen Zone countries for Serbian citizens was abolished and the airport recorded a passenger decrease of only 0.7% during that month. Travel is on the up and in December the airport handled 161.497 passengers compared to 162.690 in 2008. In total, in 2009, the airport handled 2.384.077 passengers, compared to 2.650.048 in 2008. Despite the slump, the airport still handled the most passengers in the former Yugoslavia.

The management of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is largely unfazed by the 2009 result saying that in 2010 Belgrade will have the highest growth in the region. An official statement from the airport reads “At Nikola Tesla Airport travel towards European destinations has been significantly increased since the abolishment of visa restrictions for Serbian citizens. Travel to Europe has been increased by 20%”. The airport also released data showing that since December 19 travel to Milan has seen the biggest increase (45%), followed by Munich (44%), Prague (40%), Rome (32%) and Vienna (30%).

In 2009 the airport handled the most passengers in the month of July (308.710) and the least in February (130.687).

No one willing to help Rijeka

Rijeka Airport has received bad news after the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, which has been funding the airport for several years decided to withdraw its planned 2 million Kuna (275.000 Euro) financial injection for 2010. The county justified the move saying that there is insufficient interest on the part of the airport’s co-owners, the city and municipality as well as the airport’s majority owner, the Government of Croatia. Rijeka Airport, which found itself on the verge of financial collapse last year, now faces the prospect of loosing all available funding and could loose its status as an international airport.

Since 2001, the city of Rijeka invested only 12.000 Kuna (1.650 Euros) into the airport while the other co-owners, the cities and towns of Opatija, Krk and Omiš, have not invested a single cent in the past 10 years. The only exception to this list of uninterested holders is the town of Crikvenica (population 11.000) which will invest 72.400 Kuna in 2010 (10.000 Euros) for the reconstruction of the airport’s buffet, the repair of 4 toilet facilities, the creation of the airport’s logo and the addition of glass panels to immigration booths. The town of Crikvenica has a 4% stake at the airport. The Government of Croatia, which has a 55% stake, has invested 23 million Kuna (3.1 million Euros) into the airport for the past decade.

Rijeka reported mild passenger growth in 2009 of just over 1%.

Montenegro Airlines’ 2009 a success

Montenegro Airlines seems to have avoided the global economic crisis. The airline served 527.000 passengers in 2009, an increase of 4.6%. Accompanying this figure is news that the airline had more flights than in 2008, a total of 12% more. The airline recorded revenue of 62 million Euros, although whether the airline completed 2009 with a profit or a loss will be known in a few months according to the airline’s CEO, Zoran Djurišić. He also stated, “This was the most difficult year for civil aviation, with economist predicting that the airline industry lost 11 billion American Dollars in 2009. We are satisfied with the 2009 result. We have done our outmost in the circumstances that prevailed”. Djurišić also stated that in 2009 the national carrier of Montenegro began new services to Skopje, Priština, Dusseldorf and Copenhagen.

By the 2010 summer season the airline will have 8 aircraft in operation – 5 Fokker F100 jets, 2 Embraer E195 jets and 1 Embraer E175 scheduled to arrive just prior to the summer season. Meanwhile, the arrival of B&H Airlines’ new Boeing B737-700 has been delayed. The aircraft, which was to enter service later this month will now arrive in March, prior to the 2010 summer season. The fate of the second B737-700 which was scheduled to arrive in March is unknown. Whether its arrival will also be delayed remains to be seen.

The year that was

2009 was a difficult year in aviation due to the persistent global financial downturn that affected passenger numbers and income. This is a short recount of how the national carriers in the former Yugoslavia performed:


Adria entered the year knowing that it would be difficult to reproduce results achieved in 2008, particularly in the first half of the year. In 2008 Slovenia was overseeing the presidency of the European Union and thus business travel was significantly increased. Adria’s passenger figures fell on average by 18% in 2009, but Tadej Tufek, Adria’s CEO said it would be more reasonable to compare the 2009 result with that of 2007. Slovenia was the first country of the former Yugoslavia to enter recession forcing Adria to cancel planned services to Sofia. Nevertheless, in February the airline received a new CRJ900 and announced a fleet renewal programme which will see the airline receive up to 3 Airbus A319s by 2013.

As 2009 drew to a close, Adria announced that it will commence 6 weekly flights to Belgrade in March of 2010 and posted its first profit of the year in the third quarter of 2009. On January 1, 2010 the airline became a full member of Star Alliance.


B&H Airlines started the year off optimistically. Being purchased by Turkish Airlines in late 2008 the airline announced a new fleet and new destinations. The national carrier of Bosnia and Herzegovina received its first jet engine aircraft, a Boeing B737-400, on May 10. With enthusiasm the airline announced new flights to Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Dusseldorf. However, this hasty expansion led to the termination of flights to Prague and Berlin due to poor interest. Similarly, newly introduced flights to Podgorica were also cancelled.

On the other hand, B&H Airlines managed to secure an increase in passenger numbers. In November it was announced that B&H would return the Boeing B737-400 in exchange for 2 Boeing B737-700s, one expected to arrive later this month and the other in March. The airline also announced it would begin services to Amsterdam in 2010.


Once again, Croatia Airlines ended 2009 as the airline with the most passengers handled out of all the EX-YU airlines. Its passenger figures did decline but not as much as expected. Still, the airline’s finances are far from positive and Croatia Airlines ended 2009 with the greatest financial loss out of all of the EX-YU carriers. In June the airline welcomed its 3rd and 4th Dash 8 Q400 jets. Near the end of the year Croatia Airlines listed flights to Belgrade in its 2010 summer season timetable. In spite of this, shortly after the flights disappeared and the future service to Belgrade, expected to commence on May 1, is under question. Croatia Airlines will inaugurate flights between Zagreb and Athens in 2010.

During 2009, Croatia Airlines celebrated its 20th birthday. Yesterday the airline became a full Star Alliance member.


Jat did not get an easy ride in 2009. From the beginning of the year the airline began recording immense passenger declines. Despite fleet renewal announcements the airline so desperately needs, Jat’s management was dismissed in July and a new one brought it. The previous management was blamed for signing damaging agreement with Montenegro Airlines that saw Jat practically disappear on the lucrative services to Podgorica and Tivat. The airline’s new CEO drafted a 2010 recovery plan which will see the airline order 2 Boeing B737-700 aircraft. In October, Jat was paralysed for a week by a strike by its technical division, Jat Tehnika, which was resolved with the help of the Government. The airline was battered by the press in the summer when photos of unscrewed bolts on one of Jat’s aircraft appeared.

In 2009 Jat began services to Abu Dhabi and began refurbishing it’s on board cabins. The airline stumbled on a major hurdle when it announced it would resume flights to Dubrovnik after nearly 2 decades but in the end decided to back away from these plans. Jat has announced that it will begin flights to Portorož in April of 2010 and offer free travel insurance to all its passengers travelling to countries of the European Union. Jat faces extreme competition from other airlines in 2010, with many announcing new flights to Belgrade.


The Montenegrin national carrier had been the quiet achiever of the year. The airline managed to increase passenger numbers, largely thanks to its domination on services heading to Belgrade. During the first few months of the year the airline was constantly plagued by smaller safety incidents reported by the local media. In 2009, the airline redesigned its website and began services to Copenhagen and Skopje. On May 23, Montenegro Airlines received its 2nd Embraer E195 jet and modified its final order for this aircraft to an E175 jet.

Talk of Montenegro Airlines’ privatisation began in 2009. A tender to find a privatisation advisor has been opened while El Al Israel Airlines seems to be the most interested candidate for the purchase. In July, power abuse chargers were laid on the airline’s CEO for grand corruption. The airline celebrated 15 years of existence and announced plans of creating a Serbian based airline in 2010.


MAT’s demise in 2009 was imminent as the airline’s debts mounted. MAT was officially grounded in April and criminal charges were laid on the airline’s management for continuing to sell tickets. That same management, together with the Serbian tour operator Kontiki, is now hoping to open Mat Airways in March 2010. It will take over the Boeing B737-500 aircraft previously operated by MAT.

MAT Macedonian Airlines is expected to begin bankruptcy procedures in a few weeks.

2009 poll results

Top 3

· Most convenient airport

1. Ljubljana Jože Pučnik (37%)

2. Belgrade Nikola Tesla (33%)

3. Sarajevo (13%)

· Will MAT be flying by the end of 2009?

1. No (61%)

2. Yes (39%)

· Best 2009 summer schedule

1. Jat Airways (56%)

2. Adria Airways (17%)

3. Croatia Airlines (11%)

· Should El Al take over Montenegro Airlines?

1. No (67%)

2. Yes (33%)

· Best solution for MAT

1. Jat Airways takeover (55%)

2. Takeover by an airline other than Jat (21%)

3. Takeover by Macedonian Government (11%)

· Which airline will be most affected by financial crisis?

1. Croatia Airlines (35%)

2. Adria Airways (35%)

3. Jat Airways (14%)

· Which airline should be first to fly to US/Canada?

1. Jat Airways (60%)

2. Croatia Airlines (20%)

3. B&H Airlines (10%)

· Best website

1. Jat Airways (45%)

2. Adria Airways (23%)

3. B&H Airlines (17%)

· Should Macedonian Government create new national carrier?

1. Yes (55%)

2. No (45%)

· Will Jat’s recovery plan be successful?

1. No (67%)

2. Yes (33%)

· Which airline had the most successful 2009?
1. Jat Airways (25%)

2. None of the EX-YU airlines (23%)

3. Adria Airways (17%)

2 millionth passenger at Zagreb Airport

On December 22, 2009 Zagreb Airport handled its 2 millionth passenger of the year. This number has been reached 20 days later than last year as passenger numbers have declined by almost 6% compared to 2008. The passenger, Haris Alodbašić, who was preparing to board an Air France flight bound for Paris, received a 200 Euro voucher that he can use at the airport’s duty-free shops. Air France also gave the passenger a round-trip ticket for flights between any two of its European destinations.

Zagreb Airport welcomed its 1 millionth passenger this year on July 9, which was 8 days later than last year. The airport management claims, however, that the passenger decline is less than the average being recorded across European airports, which amounts to 7.2%.

Zagreb Airport’s terminal has the capacity to handle 2 million passengers annually. The airport has managed to surpass this number for a second year in a row. In 2008, Zagreb handled 2.192.453 passengers. In passenger terms, Zagreb Airport will once again be in second place when it comes to the EX-YU, behind Belgrade, but ahead of Ljubljana.

Dubrovnik Airport passenger terminal

Dubrovnik Airport is set to end the year with a profit of 2.7 million Euros indicating that the airport has not been financially hit by the global recession. Airport boss Roko Tolić told the Croatian Times that he was "satisfied" with the results, bearing in mind the period of economic decline. He is expecting a 2% rise in passenger numbers next year, mainly due to the opening of the airport's much anticipated new terminal which will make it the largest in Croatia, ahead of Zagreb.

The terminal, whose construction cost amounted to approximately 22 million Euros, is expected to bring the total number of visitors up to almost 1.2 million. Airlines with a strong presence at Dubrovnik Airport include Croatia Airlines, British Airways and easyJet, with the most travellers arriving from Britain. EasyJet has linked Dubrovnik with six European resorts in 2009, while the airport is also in negotiations with Ryanair to open routes.

From January to December this year the airport recorded a 5.6% passenger decline when compared to last year. By December the airport handled 1.091.079 passengers.

Jat’s new campaign a success

Jat’s discounted ticket sale entitled “Europe for all of us” is doing extremely well according to the airline. Serbia’s national carrier has managed to sell 10.613 tickets by December 23. The discounted fares to 19 European destinations amount to 19 Euros (one way with no taxes included). The airline extended the ticket sale and says that its goal is to fill its cabins to the last seat as more discounted fares are available. The current average occupancy index on Jat’s flights amount to 61% although this could increase for the months of December and January due to the promotional fares. The ticket sale began on December 1 when it was officially announced that from December 19 the citizens of Serbia would no longer need visas for travel to Schengen Zone countries. The sale will last until January 12, 2010 or until all available seats are sold.

This late rush of sales could help Jat which has had a bad year in passenger terms. The airline’s passenger numbers decreased on average by 20% each month of this year when compared to 2008. Meanwhile, Serbia’s infrastructure minister announced that the Government will work hard to find the airline a strategic partner in 2010 and will continue to help the airline in its restructuring process. On Thursday it was announced that the airline’s agricultural aviation sector has been separated from the Serbian carrier and will, from now, be controlled directly by the Serbian Government which will, it is believed, decrease the airline’s losses.