After EX-YU aviation news exclusively revealed in November that Turkish Airlines was planning a full takeover of the Bosnian national carrier next year, the Bosnian Privatisation Agency announced on Friday that government owned shares in B&H Airlines will be sold in 2011.B&H Airlines is featured on a long list of companies that will be fully privatised in the coming year. 51% of the Bosnian carrier is owned by the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and 49% by Turkish Airlines. According to sources close to the airline, this ownership structure has proved ineffective with many decisions being delayed as both parties have to agree on a set decision. Furthermore, Turkish Airlines has been criticised for not doing enough with B&H, while a possible majority stake in the company would give the Turks more room for action.
The sell out decision might come under scrutiny sometime in the future since Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to become a member of the European Union. Current European Union regulation states that a flag carrier cannot be in majority ownership of another airline or business that comes from a country not part of the EU.
Do you think it’s a good idea to fully privatise B&H Airlines? Should the government keep some of its shares in the carrier? Post a comment with your thoughts.
I personally think that selling this airline is that best thing they could have done.
ReplyDeleteSince the government has no clue what they want to do with it let someone else do it.
Now, let's hope TK buys them and makes them in a decent carrier.
By estimates how far is Turkey from the EU? If they enter the EU and BH follows after than the ownership should not be a problem.
ReplyDeleteEU regulation makes this deal over .49 stake - senseless.
ReplyDeleteThe same apply for TK-JU deal.
The only option for ex-yu airliners to survive is strategic partner up to .49 from Turkey/Middle/Far East. There are no interest from Western airliners.
Proof for this statement is recent JP attempts.
BH already has that but it doesn`t work obviously due to BH side.
TK-JU relation is waste of time, rather than mistery.
Well, Turkey might be in the EU before BH or Serbia, so there shouldn't be any issues about the ownership. Small and fractioned as they are, Ex-Yu airlines will never become anything major in this region or anywhere else. The Balkan region needs an airline that will encompass the entire region and work across the political boundaries that have been so much entrenched in peoples' heads during the opast 2 decades.
ReplyDeleteLOL I find it too funny that some people here believe that Turkey will ever become a member in the European Union.
ReplyDeleteWhat is wrong with believing that Turkey will become a EU member?
ReplyDeleteWell the fact that whoever believes that Turkey will ever be part of the EU is funny.
ReplyDeleteTurkey will never become a member in the union, its very clear to see. 1 France and Germany (among others) will never allow it and second of all the interest in Turkey is fading so...
Why should Turkey not be a EU member. For sure they have earned it before all Balcans Countries incl Romania and Bulgaria.
ReplyDeleteTheir economy is growing like a rocket lifting off from Cape C. and for me Turkey is the springboard to the problematic ME countries. Turkey has a tremendous important task in regards to Balcans and countries such as Syria, Iraq, Lebanon etc
TK airlines is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, very profitable and more and more succesful. So any partnerhsip with ex YU Carriers is more than welcome.
But last anonymous is right: the question remains, where are the interests of Turkey heading to??
yakshamlar
@ JU520 BEGLAX:
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately it is not likely that Turkey will ever become an EU member, due to its size and large muslim population. You guys were waiting for few DECADES to get the candidate status, if that is not a valid proof, I dont know what is. Believe me, the Balkans will be in the EU before Turkey (if it ever will, it is more likely that it will fall under the Neighbourhood policy, or Eastern Partnership)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWell according to Mr. Wilders Bosnia should not be considered as an EU member state.
ReplyDeleteIn this matter politics is related to the aviation topic at hand.
I think by the time all Ex-Yu countries join the EU, that one might as well fall apart, the same as our old Yugoslavia. Just look at what's going on with all those bailouts of Greece, Ireland, Portugal..who's next?
ReplyDeleteTHY did everything to destroy JA, with well prepared decision making from Istanbul, and bribing some members of the local Ministries, not to aid the carrier. THY staff, pretending to be JA staff in the office, were sent with direct orders to bring costly decisions, time wasting and sending reports back to IST of thier "succes". Hope my friends will stay at work...je.bem vam .ma.ter tur.s.ku
ReplyDeleteLOL well maybe they were doing that because they were angry that they couldn't get all the shares of the airline.
ReplyDeletePlus, let's not forget that THY today is a creation of a consulting house, not the capability of the Turkish CEO or managing team.
hey local, B&H Airlines (what a name hahah) was a joke and a zero even before THY bought 49% of shares. So whatever Turks did was good since B&H would be bankrupt by now if THY didn't bought them. So...zacepi i ne pravi se pametan, ta kompanija je bila sramota za drzavu prije dolaska Turaka.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIf Bosnia and Hercegovina enter the European Union it will be much harder for Turkey to enter itself! Have any of you heard of the European commision on competition? The Turkish Government does not allow Turkey's smaller carriers to operate in direct compeition with Turkish Airlines, also having a stake in another future E.U carrier will lead to problems.
ReplyDeleteSometimes regulation can be a help, other times it can be a hindrance. But I don't buy this 'ineffective structure' one bit.
ReplyDeleteTK has never needed to be transparent with their plans for JA simply due to the pathetic bureaucratic bungle that is BiH. If there was accountability and had to regularly report to someone (anyone?) it would be a different story.
Sadly, the reality remains that JA will be small potatoes for long into the future on the exYU aviation scene.