The launch of the national carrier of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entity Republika Srpska has been delayed by another year. Original plans set the timeframe for the launch for January 2009. Back then it was delayed for January 2010 and has now, for the third time, been delayed by yet another year.Nedeljko Čubrilović, the transport minister of Republika Srpska said that the Banja Luka based airline would receive its first aircraft in late 2010 and the second in January 2011. The 80 seater aircraft purchase would be wholly funded by the Government itself. Zoran Injac, the CEO of the airline, says that Sky Srpska would begin operations with 2 scheduled destinations but would also operate charter flights. Injac notes that setting up an airline is a difficult task, but with the help of the Government and other related agencies the airline could succeed.
This a second attempt at setting up an airline in Republika Srpska. The first, Air Srpska, was launched by Jat in the late 1990s with the Serbian airline providing aircraft and crew. After the United Nations sanctions, imposed on Serbia and Montenegro (then Yugoslavia), were lifted Jat withdrew its 2 ATRs from the Air Srpska fleet and, as a result, the airline ceased all operations.
Sky Srpska’s launch would ensure a big boost for Banja Luka Airport which is currently only served by the national carrier of Bosnia and Herzegovina, B&H Airlines.
Ovo nikad nece zazivjeti, lijepe price za narod uoci predstojecih izbora i nista vise!!Sjetimo se samo auto puta Banjaluka-Gradiska,koliko to traje i koliko je novca pokradeno samo na toj dionici a o ostalom da se i ne govori. Kakva avio kompanija, koliko bi i postojali i kad bi se to kojim cudom i ostvarilo? Gledajuci realnu sliku stanja Banjaluka nikad nece biti u mogucnosti da ima dovoljan broj putnika da bi bila sjediste nekoj avio kompaniji.Jat-u nije uspjelo iz nekoliko pokusaja i subvencija od strane vlade RS-a da ima 2 sedmicna leta za Beograd, BH Airlines ima dva sedmicna leta za Cirih ali ti letovi jos zive zahvaljujuci tome da polaze iz Sarajeva sa zaustavljanjem u Banjaluci...Zivi bili pa vidjeli koliko je neistine u svemu ovome.Kod nas vlast moze da radi sta hoce i nikome nista, nazalost...
ReplyDeleteIts Sad to hear this news. Hopefully things will get better and Sky Srpska will launch.
ReplyDeleteWell same thing as I said for Trebinje Airport and its one million passengers in three years...
ReplyDelete@Nemanja
ReplyDeleteThe only sad news here is that they are still wasting tax payers money on some fool dreaming up different scenarios.
The reason that lets say JAT, BH Airlines or Lufthansa are not flying from BNX is that there are not enough passangers. It is as simple as that.
So my questions would be if real carrier cannot manage to be profitable how the hell is entity government going to be.
Governments in every country on every level should engage in their core business/competency and not make excursions into totally unrelated business.
@1 st Anon
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis. Problem is the lack of good journalists in Bosnia that are not affiliated with politicians. (especially in rs).
Good journalist should be able to make politician accountable for his past deeds (no matter if they are good or bad). Ask good questions. As you pointed out highway Bosanska Gradiska - Banja Luka is at its 5th km (if I remember correctly) and has been built for ten years. It is remarkable that the journalist doesn't ask this conman (that is what he is) how the hell he expects to be able to manage an airline when he is not able to build the road. Or how his airline is going to succeed in being profitable when say JAT is not able to.
Hmmm, kada cijeli svijet ( puno bogatiji od RS/BiH )ide u privatizaciju nacionalnih avio prevoznika, siromasna vlada, jos siromasnije zemlje kupuje ni manje ni vise nego dva aviona..ts,ts..recipe for disaster...Or maybe I am wrong - like that Mr. Dodik can travel faster to Belgrade, stupid me
ReplyDeleteThis airline will NOT be up and running by the end of this year. They have not even STARTED to wrote any of the operating or procedure manuals, and none of the post holders are in place.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that Republika Srpska is doing is disgracing whole Bosnia with news like this one. Criminal, corruption, nepotism in RS is bigger than Mexico
ReplyDeleteThis is completely political. It is posturing for the October elections, but a waste of tax payers' money. Money will be spent and a few will profit, but an airplane will never leave the ground or possibly never even be bought. Also why buy two planes to serve just two destinations?
ReplyDeleteWhy not hold a referendum on this, Mr Dodik?
ReplyDelete