On its November 6 promotional Belgrade-Banja Luka flight, Jat made an official presentation of its 34th regular destination, which it launched on November 9, 2007. After taking-off from Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport, an ATR-72 flying at an average altitude of 6,000 meters flew just 35 minutes before landing on Banja Luka airport’s renewed tarmac.
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According to Jat Airways Director General Saša Vlaisavljević, a total of 7,500 passengers are expected on this line annually. Initially, flights to Banja Luka will be on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and to Belgrade on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays:
– As early as December, Jat will introduce a fourth weekly flight, and daily flights on this destination in the spring.
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Jat tour operator, Air Lift, will provide special facilities as its package arrangement clients will be in a position to obtain tickets for this destination when they purchase a package tour.
The ticket price, without tax, for one-way flights begins at 45 euros and 79 euros roundtrip. Flights from Montenegro and elsewhere in the region to Banja Luka range from 30 euros one-way and 59 euros roundtrip. Passengers from Banja Luka may reach all Jat destinations for a price of 99 euros.
– The airport tax at Banja Luka airport, determined by international regulations, is set at 20 KM, but we will try in the shortest possible time to reduce it, said Banja Luka airport director Velimir Bobić.
- Opening a Jat line to Banja Luka is not a political but an economic issue. Following Hemofarm and Telekom Serbia, Jat Airways continues to connect Serbia's economic representatives with those in Republika Srpska. On behalf of the Serbian government, I can promise that this line will remain in service over the next three and half years – said Serbia's Minister without Portfolio Dragan Djilas at Banja Luka airport. He set out the importance of maintaining traffic between the two countries, recalling at the same time that economic cooperation between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina picked up only after Jat re-established the line to Sarajevo.
Describing this line as another economic bridge between the two countries, Republika Srpska Traffic and Communications Minister Nedeljko Čubrilović expressed his satisfaction that citizens of the larger entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina will find travel to European and world destinations much easier thanks to Jat Airways.
In addition to the two countries' cabinet ministers, Jat Airways director general and Banja Luka airport director and their associates, the promotion of the new Jat Airways destination was also attended by Serbia's Ministry for Diaspora State Secretary Neda Maletić, Republika Srpska Commercial Air Traffic Acting Director General Dragoljub Trgovčević, Serbia's Commercial Aviation Directorate Director Dragan Djurić, Serbia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry Deputy Chairman Zoran Bojović, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sarajevo office head, and a number of businessmen and reporters from Serbia and Republika Srpska.
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After Jat's first plane on the new route landed at Banja Luka airport, Serbia's Minister without Portfolio Dragan Djilas said more about the Serbian government's plans relating to Jat:
Jat Airways Privatization?
– The Serbian government intends to retain its ownership share of Jat so that it may continue to function as the national air company. |
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We will see what kind of proposal will come from Rothschild, the privatisation adviser. In any case, the government will retain the possibility of taking decisions and exerting influence on Jat. Naturally, we will not stand in the way of those who want to invest in Jat, primarily in fleet renewal. I expect that over the next six months Jat will complete the privatisation process and find a strategic partner, as this company will definitely be a strategic partner and not only a purchaser of Jat.
How do you see the future of the Serbian national air company?
– It is unrealistic to expect that Jat Airways can perform on an equal footing on the European market in competition with Lufthansa, Air France, Swiss or Austrian Airlines. But Jat can become a reliable, regional air company that flies the region’s passengers towards Europe. This is why the lines to Skoplje, Tirana, Podgorica, Sarajevo, and now to Banja Luka, were opened, and new ones towards Sofia, Timisoara, Bucharest are planned. | | 
