Turkish takes back B&H’s A319

B&H left with two aircraft as it suspends Amsterdam flights

Turkish Airlines has taken back possession of its Airbus A319, which has been operated by B&H Airlines for the past two years as the crisis within the Bosnian carrier deepens. The A319 jet, which is registered in Turkey (TC-JLR) left for Istanbul on scheduled flight JA106 on February 27. Problems appear to have emerged between the minority and majority share holders of the airline - Turkish Airlines (49%) and the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina (51%). Turkish is unhappy that it has been unable to buy a majority stake in the carrier, which it has been hoping to do so since late 2010.

In a further show of problems, B&H Airlines has now suspended services to Amsterdam indefinitely. The flights were to be temporarily suspended during March and resumed in April with four weekly services. In 2011 the Bosnian state auditor said in his report that B&H was better off prior to the Turkish takeover, noting that losses at the airline have increased ten times.

Turkish Airlines has delivered little on its purchasing agreement with the Bosnian government signed in 2008. It was supposed to spend five million euros for the lease of two jet engine aircraft and make a further five million euro investment. According to plans in early 2009 the airline’s fourth jet was to arrive in the summer of last year.