Etihad And Serbia’s JAT To Sign Partnership Deal On August 1

The United Arab Emirates’ Etihad Airways will a sign a strategic partnership deal with loss-making Serbian flag carrier JAT Airways on Aug. 1, a Serbian government source said on Friday.

Neither airline would reveal details of the deal, but after signing a preliminary agreement last month on a possible equity investment Etihad CEO James Hogan said the airlines would discuss “ways to further integrate their networks and help JAT Airways achieve efficiency, build revenue and reduce costs”.

Etihad and JAT agreed in April to share route-booking codes but stopped short of an equity tie-up, though Belgrade-based media have suggested that Etihad may take a stake of more 49 per cent in JAT.

The new agreement will be signed on Aug. 1 by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Etihad’s Hogan, the government source said on Friday.

Serbia is aiming to offload loss-making state businesses, including JAT, drugs company Galenika and the Zelezara Smederevo steel mill, to keep its 2013 budget deficit at about 4.7 per cent of output and secure growth of up to three per cent.

However, its attempts to sell JAT have failed because of lack of interest from prospective buyers.

JAT currently operates 10 Boeing 737-300s and four ATR 72-200 turboprop aircraft on 30 routes within Europe and to the Middle East.