Jat brand to disappear?

Future owners want new name

Yesterday marked 65 years since the introduction of the JAT/Jat brand, however fresh reports suggest that the potential new owners of the Serbian carrier, a group of local businessmen, wants the name retired. Miroslav Mišković, Miodrag Kostić and Miroslav Bogićević are tipped to invest 25 million euros into the new carrier in return for a 50% share in the airline. The new owners also want the next CEO to be an expert in the aviation industry from abroad. As EX-YU aviation understands, Miroslav Mišković, who is set to invest the most into the new carrier, recently hired the Deloitte financial consulting company to provide a review of Jat’s current business.

Despite the Serbian government claiming that Jat will have new owners by May 2012, before general elections are held in the country, reports surfaced yesterday that Jat’s privatisation and subsequent rebranding will be left to a new government. The current administration was to begin tender procedures in search of a new owner for the carrier this month but a deepening feud with Airbus cancelled such plans. Airbus, which is considering on suing the government over a 1998 order for eight A319s is said to have been further angered when it heard the government has been negotiating with Boeing over an aircraft order.

The “JAT” brand was introduced following World War Two. The recognisable “egg” livery was introduced in the 1950s. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia and the easing of international sanctions on Yugoslav air travel, the “flame/wing” livery was introduced, in 1994. Finally, in 2003, as the name Yugoslavia became history and the country was renamed to Serbia and Montenegro the airline changed its name to Jat Airways and introduced the “dot” livery created by a Slovenian design team, seleccted through an international competition.