All EX-YU flag carriers to expand, renew fleets in 2022
The three national carriers in the former Yugoslavia - Air Serbia, Croatia Airlines and Air Montenegro - will all be renewing or expanding their fleets this year. As reported earlier this week, Air Serbia has begun the process, with the arrival of its leased ATR72-600 aircraft now planned in the coming weeks. The airline is expected to take up five of the turboprops, which are currently undergoing test flights and painting in Toulouse. Although the carrier has not commented directly on the imminent arrival of the aircraft, it noted, “We have big plans when it comes to upgrading our services and offering the best possible user experience. We are planning to boost frequencies to certain destinations, introduce new routes and offer many new exciting experiences for our passengers”. It added, “Air Serbia is rapidly recovering and aiming to achieve 2019 pre-pandemic levels by 2023. As a result, we plan to embark onto a phase of continuous growth as the leading regional airline”.
Croatia Airlines is considering operating a single-type fleet as part of its post-Covid strategy which would include the replacement of both its Airbus and Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. Both Airbus, with its A220 jet, and Embraer, with its E2 family (pictured), are courting an order from the Croatian carrier. Croatia Airlines is now waiting for its owner - the Croatian government - to approve its post-Covid strategy, which has been developed in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, in order to implement the proposed changes over the coming three years. The strategy, which has not been made public, is believed to include the acquisition of up to fifteen aircraft. The carrier has dubbed its upcoming transformation as a “strategy for success”, which has been driven by the ongoing pandemic.
Air Montenegro, which currently boasts a fleet of two Embraer E195 aircraft, has said it plans to add “at least one” jet next summer season. The airline recently issued a public call for the lease of one aircraft, either from the Airbus A320 family or the Boeing 737 family, for a period of between three to eight years, starting from April 2022 at the earliest, with the possibility of extending the contract. The aircraft must have the capacity to seat at least 144 passengers. The Montenegrin carrier will select the most economically favourable bid with their public opening scheduled for next Monday at 13.00. The airline’s CEO, Predrag Todorović, recently said, “Based on analysis we undertook, a business model centred on the exclusive use of Embraer aircraft is difficult and can almost never be profitable. Therefore, in order to be successful on a market such as Montenegro, especially during the summer, greater capacity is required. We are slowly moving in that direction”.
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