Optimism returns

Interior of Jat's Boeing 737-300 fleet

15th of January will be Jat’s D-day. It will be the day the Serbian government votes on whether it will provide the 1 billion Dinars (12.3 million Euros) needed to reconstruct and empower the Serbian national carrier. The government loan will provide 7.5 million Euros for a stimulus package, in hope 700 workers will leave the airline. The other 4.8 million Euros will go into fleet restoration. Serbia’s Minister for Infrastructure, under whose authority Jat is under since late last year, stated that “No one will lose their job in the airline. Workers that wish to voluntarily leave will be provided with a special pay incentive programme. The government has begun helping Jat by writing off its debt to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Serbian Air Control and NIS (Petroleum Industry of Serbia)”. The government funds should stabilise the company by February 1. The Minister has also said that the government is firmly determined to help the struggling carrier.

Jat’s CEO Saša Vlaisavljević said the airline’s management is analysing each destination in its route network in order to make sure that they are operating with a profit. It can be revealed that Jat Airways will end services to its most profitable and popular destination – Dubai. The line which is primarily set up to transport the Serbian Diaspora from Australia (which fly with Emirates to Dubai under a special agreement between the Dubai based carrier and Jat) will cease with operations in early February. The reason for this is because Emirates has heavily increased its prices for Jat making it impossible for Australian based Serbian passengers to finance their trip to Belgrade. Jat has commenced talks with Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi. A deal with one of the airlines is expected in two weeks which will secure the continuation of transportation of Serbian passengers in Australia and New Zealand.

Meanwhile Vlaisavljević also confirmed that 2 Boeing 737-300s from the airline’s fleet are on lease to an airline in the Ivory Coast. From this lease Jat is receiving 1.2 million USD per month.