Another EX-YU airline for Turkish Airlines’ collection?
Yet another takeover in the EX-YU region, orchestrated by Turkish Airlines, is being rumoured. Croatian media report that the Turkish national carrier is interested in purchasing the struggling Croatia Airlines, its Star Alliance partner. Srećko Šimeunović, the head of Croatia Airlines marketing, says that he is unaware of any interest on Turkish Airlines’ behalf because it hasn’t been decided whether the airline will be privatised but adds that any interest on Turkish’ behalf show that Croatia Airlines has value. Speaking to the “Večernji list”, Šimeunović says that Croatia Airlines is reporting financial losses and therefore plans to cut its work force and fleet (despite the fact that the airline recently purchased new aircraft and has more on order).Earlier this year, the CEO of Croatia Airlines said that the carrier’s only saviour from bankruptcy was swift privatisation. Lufthansa was rumoured to be interested in the airline but the German carrier denied such claims several months ago. This year, Croatia Airlines is loosing its grip on the Croatian market, unable to fight again low cost airlines. Of particular concern to the carrier is the arrival of low cost airlines in Zagreb.
Turkish Airlines owns 49% of B&H Airlines and is the front runner in the purchase of Jat Airways.
Maybe Turkish will do something no one is thinking about - take over all EX-YU airlines and in some future unite all of them together, hm?
ReplyDelete@JU500
ReplyDeleteIf that were to happen it would be a union similar to pre-1918 under the Turkish brand, not post-1918 (or post-1945 for that matter).
In any case, there's no going back. Aviation industry is no longer going to be dominated by national (legacy) airlines such as Aeroflot, Swiss, JAT or British Airways. Open skies has really changed things and airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet, Air Berlin or S7 are going to be just as important.
So, whether all national airlines of the countries that have come out of former Yugoslavia will be 'united' under Turkish (or Lufthansa for that matter) or not will not make a big difference. There will be no single "hub" in the region. All 10 or so major airports will have direct flights to most of Europe, whereas intercontinental flights will go via IST, FRA, VIE or whatever. No single airline or alliance will dominate the aviation industry in the way that say JAT did post-1945. That era, for better or worse, is dead.
Ottoman Airlines
ReplyDeletesultan skies
ReplyDeleteI think that this is part of LH strategy. LH "grabs" central european carriers like LX and OS and the role of TK is to "collect" balkan and east european airlines.
ReplyDeleteI am not too sure if these small carriers will be so happy under the TK umbrella, since TK grew too fast and the state/politics have their fingers in the game. For JP, OU it would be definitvely better to be taken over by LH while JAT should be taken over by AF/KLM and join forces with Tarom and later Bulgaria Air.
As for the railway traffic, with the declaration signed yesterday between SLO, HR and SR, similar should be done for the air traffic, focusing on much much more connections and flights within region, especially to/from a hub or two which will be connected too, wit direct services, to the USA, Canada, India, China, Japan and Australia,
ReplyDeleteEach of countries, national or other airlines, cannot do that alone with the market of 2, 4, or even 8 million. But all together, taking into account tourism on croatian and montenegrin sea and slovenian mountains, half of Bosnia moved to overseas countries during the last war, big croatian and macedonian diaspora, the biggest in population Serbia, with
big diaspora as well, little forgotten but still atractive Medjugorje, which at the time used to full up 3 JAT's DC-10's, not to mention Kosovo and Albania, and even Bulgaria which has no direct long-range connections make such a market where potentially 5 or 6 widebodied long-haul planes could be used with 95% cabin load factor.
That is what, in my opinion, would be profitable, better for people speking same or similar language and sharing similar habbits and history, and probably less expensive for passengers.
The other solution is to continue to stick to primitive non-market-wise nationalistic politics, to obstruct cooperation between ex-yu airlines and to continue to use our, ex-you airlines as feeders for LH, AF, TK, OS, BA and others, and be eshamed every time when transferring to ATR, Q400, Embraer or CRJ, from 747, 777, 330 or 340 in VIE, MUC, FRA, CDG.
Hoping some people from some ex-yu airlines who can make some decisions about these, or maybie have influence to some politicians in their countries, will reda this and agree with it, i send everyone on this site my best regards.
Long Haul from Sarajevo or Zagreb no chance, Malaysia pulled out of Zagreb long ago due to poor loads. Belgrade could see small scale long haul services which are highly improbable.
ReplyDeleteTurkish Airlines is a joke, they carrier will now be hit with a massive competition probe by the Turkish watchdog.
I doubt the EU board will allow for EU member carriers to be taken over by THY (Adria and Croatia)
http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2010/07/27/turkish-airlines-hit-by-a-competition-probe/
@Air Koryo TU204,
ReplyDeleteEqualizing ZAG and SJJ, is simply something you cannot do:
First of all: runway in SJJ is too short for widebodied long-range aircraft.
Second: political and economic situation in BIH and that in Croatia is incomparable.
Third: BIH has almost no tourism. In Croatia, it's opposite. Year by year, USA tourist workers call for start of direct longhaul operations USA-Croatia.
Fourth: FAA has just finished check of Croatian Agency, airports and airlines, which should result in category 1 for HR very soon, which enables direct flights. They don't even think of going to BIH.
Fifth: HR is in USA visa waiver program, and USA visas for HR citizens which soon be past, which will make HR emitive market, too. BIh will wait for that probably for decades.
Sixth: agreements for air traffic have been signed between Croatia and India, and China, and these two are seen as future new markets. I haven't heard for such strategy in Bosnia.
Seventh:, Delta, Air Canada, Emirates, Malaysian, Qantas and Cathay Pacific have offices in zagreb, some of which cover whole southeastern europe. None of those has office in Sarajevo.
Eight: Malaysia did stop flights to zagreb, but temporarily. Skyservice Canada operated seasonal flights to both Zagreb and Split till last year. JAL is flying currently charters on 747-400 to/from ZAG and DBV. Everything unlike BIH.
Nineth: ZAG apt has already had talks with Delta and Emirates for services to be established to New York and Dubai. Haven't heard such things for SJJ apt.
I think this 9 are enough to show how wrong you are comparing ZAG and SJJ.
Of course, ZAG apt building is definitely the worst of all ex-yu capitals. It is big minus. However, potential investors from China have already been here. Croatia Airlines, with business strategy to be feeder for LH is big minus, too. But, nobody who knows a little about aviation, is not expecting OU to start long-haul flights. However, unlike other ex-yu republics, we have here at least minimum of market economy, and several commercial airlines operating "big passenger planes".
And yes, after all, I think you are right when you think it's highly unlikely for BEG to see some long-hauls in the near future, despite big terminal building at BEG apt.
It will be difficult and maybie even longer than I expect for ZAG, too, but based on what I wrote, my opinion is that ZAG will be the firs ex-yu apt which will have long-range flights. Very soon, i hope.
Ciao!
@ Air Koryo TU204,
ReplyDeleteJust forgot this:
Malaysia did not leave ZAG because of poor loads.
It was because of political influence (at that time) and Ministry of Transport of Croatia (at that time) which refused to allow them non-stop flights to ZAG, and rights to 3rd destination (Canada). The flight from ZAG was operated via Vienna. Load factor from ZAG was about 60%, more then 90% from VIE. MH flight KUL-ZAG-YYZ vv., on 777, is not impossible in near future. And for the figures, friend of mine is employee of MH office in ZAG.
Zagreb can't cater for long haul services, the airport itself is not up to scratch. Bosnia is a small nation which very very strange politics compared to more European nations which would see limited or no long haul besides Mahan which can be considered medium-long haul. Personaly I don't think the flight will last. BEG also saw services to Canada via the same carrier Skyservices. If any of the former Yuugoslav cities could sustain long haul it would be Belgrade.
ReplyDelete@Air Koryo TU204
ReplyDeleteI gave 9 reasons and facts to back up my opinion about ZAG.
Except "I think", you gave no explanation or fact on which you base your opinion for BEG.
I used to work for JAT Yugoslav Airlines in its "golden ages".
JAT used to fill its DC-10's on Northamerican flights in Zagreb and Dubrovnik, not Belgrade.
Pan Am and Air Canada operated direct non-stop flights on A310,
B767, L1015 to Zagreb, not Belgrade.
Passengers from Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Kosovo, BH federation would NEVER use BEG as transfer hub. Even people from Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro are trying to avoid JAT as it is today, whenever possible.
Serbia has no tourism, and has largest, but rather poor population which cannot be enough to fill long range flights.
As I wrote in one of my previous posts, the "cure" for this, could be cooperation between ex-yu airlines, and based on facts and numbers, forming of one or two hubs for long-range flights.
Unfortunatelly, until majority of politicians and "businessmen" in ex-yu countries, think the same way you do, which means "only ours is the best, others worth nothing", it would probably not happen.
And last, but by no means least, your nick here says it all. Both for the country and the aircraft manufacturer. And you.
Definitely the last: I'm now stopping with this ridicolous and useless conversation with you!
Best regards from Croatia!
Dude you are so wrong. Belgrade is the crossroads between East and West. New railways are going to pass through Belgrade making it one of the largest international rail hubs in Europe. The same is going on with roads. Serbia itself will have a huge highway configuration which allows easy transit through Serbia and Belgrade. Finally, Europe and he EU has decided that a regional control tower be built in Belgrade not Zagreb for he fact that Belgrade has the potential to be a huge hub for international carriers. It doesn't need to be JAT, for example flights from Belgrade to USA and Canada have been confirmed that will happen in the future through Emirates Airlines. I repeat: IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. Flights to Australia might also commence through the same airline. And as for USA tourist workers looking for flights to Croatia, that is false. No USA tourist worker is looking for any flights to the Balkans because they just don't care about the Balkans. Know your information...no offense to you or Croatia...
ReplyDeleteThe discussion itself is insane and rediculous, but never mind.
ReplyDelete@ the last Anonymous
The thing that I'm interested in is this - Emirates Airlines to fly BEG-USA? Please tell me this will happen? But for real? :)
I just hope that Serbian Government is postponing negotiations with THY because UAE is interested in at least commencing some routes from/to BEG :)
That is the biggest load of bullshit I have read in a long time! Flights from Zagreb to North America originated in Belgrade. Also Zagreb airport is so run down and small, not to mention Serbia is a larger nation in general.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from DPRK, Spasibu!
You people are F....d up!!what do you people think BEG,ZAG and SJJ is?? Paris?? who the fuck cares about BALKANS,specially CRO,SRB,BiH....
ReplyDeleteNo sir, you are the one who is F'ed up, get off the damn blog if you don't like it simple isn't it, but for some like yourself it isn't
ReplyDelete