Air Serbia
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2013) |
![]() | It has been suggested that this article be merged with Jat Airways. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2013. |
File:Air Serbia - LOGO.jpg | |||||||
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Hubs | Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport | ||||||
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Frequent-flyer program | TBA | ||||||
Alliance | None | ||||||
Fleet size | 0 (15 ordered) | ||||||
Destinations | 0 (current) and 45 (to be introduced with the start of the winter 2013/2014 timetable) when Jat Airways renamed to Air Serbia | ||||||
Headquarters | Belgrade, Serbia | ||||||
Key people | Dane Kondić (CEO) | ||||||
Website | www |
Air Serbia will be Serbia's new airline once it commences flight operations after receiving appropriate regulatory approval. It will replace Jat Airways, whose operations will be transferred to the company after a transitional period, starting from October 2013. Air Serbia will be based at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.
History
On 1 August 2013, the Government of the Republic of Serbia and Etihad Airways entered into an agreement which will see the operations of Jat Airways reorganized and rebranded into Air Serbia after a transitional period ends.[1] Certain assets, such as the ATR 72s aircraft will be transitioned to Air Serbia whereas other assets (such as the Boeing 737-300s) will be retired.[2] It will eventually be owned 51% by the Serbian Government and 49% by Etihad, after the latter converts loans made to Air Serbia, into equity.[3]
Under the agreement, Air Serbia will be formally managed by Etihad for an initial period of five years.[3]
Destinations
Air Serbia will takeover Jat Airways' current network[4] and relaunch some former Jat destinations, namely, Abu Dhabi, Banja Luka, Beirut, Bucharest, Budapest, Cairo, Kiev, Ljubljana, Prague, Sofia and Warsaw. They will also start a new route Varna.
Branding and Design
Announcing the groundbreaking deal, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, James Hogan, said the rebranding signaled the arrival of an all-new airline and exciting new opportunities for Serbia. "This is not just a change in strategy," said Mr. Hogan. "It is a package of changes so significant that the airline requires a change of identity and appearance." The change signals not only a rebranding of the former Jat Airways, but a whole new identity, affirming that Air Serbia will be a completely different airline.
Chief Executive Officer of Air Serbia, Dane Kondic, said the rebranding ultimately would cover every part of the airline, from aircraft exteriors to cabin crew uniforms, ticket offices, boarding passes and advertising. "The new brand will take the Serbian name and its red, white and blue color scheme from Belgrade to the world." Mr Kondic said. He also revealed that a key figure in the rebranding of the national airline was 25-year-old graphic design designer Tamara Maksimovic from the Serbian city of Novi Sad.
Tamara was born in Novi Sad, Serbia. Finished Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Department of Graphic Communications and Design. For the final graduation project, Tamara was required to develop a complete brand redesign for an organization of her choice. "I wanted a big project, something with a lot of detail and a lot of applications," she explained. "It came to my mind to choose an airline. I decided to chose Jat Airways since its a national company and I thought that can be challenging and interesting project." Two years after, the airline discovered Tamara's portfolio on a graphic design website, and engaged her to design the new branding for Air Serbia.
AirSerbia: What Does it Take to Brand a New Airline?
The identity is based on the history of Serbia in the middle ages, firstly the Nemanjic dynasty and Czar Dusan, when Serbia was one of the most powerful and most developed forces in Europe. This was a time when the country was developing very fast in every way – politically, socially, economically and religiously. With all of this, an amazing flourish of arts happened at the time – there was a lot of art from this period that, to this day, stands as a big treasure and pride of Serbian art history.
"The idea was to create a design that will represent Serbia as a modern country which relies on its national symbols and rich history." - Tamara Maksimovic, Branding Magazine.
Fleet
The carrier will lease two Airbus A319 from Etihad during its initial launch and another eight later in the year.[5] whereas Jat Airways' Boeing 737-300s will be retired and ATR 72s transitioned to Air Serbia. The A319s will eventually be replaced with either Boeing 737 MAX or Airbus A320neo in a few years time.[6]
Air Serbia's future fleet will consist of the following aircraft:[6]
Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Options | Passengers | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J | Y | Total | |||||
Airbus A319-132 | — | 10 | — | TBA | TBA | TBA | First two to be delivered in Q3, 2013 |
ATR 72-202 | — | 3 | — | TBA | TBA | TBA | Currently operated by Jat Airways |
ATR 72-500 | — | 2 | — | TBA | TBA | TBA | Currently operated by Jat Airways |
See also
References
- ^ http://www.etihad.com/en-au/about-us/news/archive/2013/etihad-airways-and-government-of-serbia-unveil-strategic-partnership-to-secure-future-of-serbian-national-airline/. Etihad Airways. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ^ http://new.livestream.com/etihad/AirSerbiaStaffBriefing. Air Serbia staff briefing. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Etihad Airways and Government of Serbia unveil strategic partnership to secure future of Serbian National Airline". Etihad Airways. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ^ http://www.etihad.com/en-au/about-us/news/archive/2013/etihad-airways-and-government-of-serbia-unveil-strategic-partnership-to-secure-future-of-serbian-national-airline/. Etihad Airways website. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ "Jat Airways to be renamed to Air Serbia in August". B92. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Staff Briefing Air Serbia Aug 2013". Livestream. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.