Jat Airways and Montenegro Airlines launch joint flights

Air transportation companies Jat Airways and Montenegro Airlines agreed yesterday (August 25, 2010) on closer cooperation, lower prices of tickets, joint flights, and launch of flights to new destinations. Jat Airways CEO Srdjan Radovanovic said at the press conference that the prices of tickets for Belgrade - Podgorica and Belgrade - Tivat flights would be lower prior to the commencement of winter flight schedule on October 31st, but he did not want to specify for how much.

Radovanovic also did not want to say which flights would be jointly operated by the airlines of Montenegro and Serbia because it was "too early" to reveal that because of the competition. These two companies now operate flights to 39 destinations.

- The agreement envisages that the airplanes of the two companies do not take off to the same destination ten minutes after each other, but that one bigger airplane be used for that flight instead, while the other airplane could be used for the flight to some other destination - Radovanovic explained and added that that would lead to reduction of costs and prices of tickets.

He said that they had not spoken to the representatives of airports in Serbia and Montenegro about reduction of prices of their services, that is, taxes charged to passengers and included in the ticket price, but he added that he was sure that they would recognize as necessary to lower the prices and make the profit below 5 to 10%.

- Montenegro Airlines and Jat Airways together have 22 airplanes, 14 of which are Jat's. Their fleets are very similar and that is why cooperation is possible - he said and added that the aim of the two airlines was to create a regional alliance.