The year ahead for EX-YU airlines
Following on from a busy year which saw the collapse of Adria Airways, 2020 is shaping up to be another eventful one for the remaining national carriers from the former Yugoslavia. The following are some of the highlights which have been confirmed and scheduled to take place over the next 365 days.
Air Serbia is entering the new year with over twenty new routes and a second base in its home country. As a result, the airline plans on seeing its passenger numbers grow over 27% during the first quarter to 488.000, while it estimates for its load factor to increase four points during the three-month period, from 62% to 66%. Air Serbia has confirmed it will introduce a further ten new routes in 2020, most of which have so far been unofficially revealed. In addition, it will add at least two more aircraft to its fleet. Among its new routes, the carrier will introduce its second service from Kraljevo’s Morava Airport, while it is also set to enter the markets of Hungary, Jordan, Moldova and Norway from Belgrade.
Croatia Airlines’ prviatisation process is expected to be completed by June 2020, with two carriers having submitted non-binding bids for the company. The Croatian carrier will also benefit from the second tranche of a 33.7 million euro state aid package. The carrier will receive 20.2 million euros in 2020 from the state. The company plans on introducing new services from Zagreb to Sofia and Podgorica this year, while it expects to benefit from Croatia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first six months of the year. During 2020, Croatia Airlines will complete the roll out of its modified livery, with the remaining three Q400s, one Airbus A319 and two A320s to get the tweaked design.
Montenegro Airlines will begin a deep-seated restructuring process with the Montenegrin parliament recently adopting a law “for the investment and consolidation of the national carrier”. It foresees the state investing 155 million euros into the carrier over the next six years. A total of 105 million euros will be used to cover the airline’s debt, while fifty million will be utilised for the acquisition of new aircraft. It represents the biggest single state aid package in the country’s history. For its part, Montenegro Airlines plans to operate with a profit in 2020 and carry over 700.000 passengers. The Montenegrin government has already allocated 21 million euros for Montenegro Airlines in 2020 under its state budget for this year, which is irrespective of the abovementioned legislation. The Montenegrin carrier will add an Embraer E195 jet to its fleet at the start of the 2020 summer season and has completed tender procedures to select the most affordable dry-lease option.
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