Jat Airways alongside its passengers

The Serbian flag carrier Jat Airways wishes to inform the public that on Sunday, 31^st of May, 84 passengers will be transferred to Antalya via Jat Airways scheduled service to Istanbul. That same day, on return flight via Istanbul, 79 passengers will come to Belgrade from Antalya.

Jat Airways is taken by surprise by the Turkish civil aviation authorities’ decision yesterday, which, after previous approval, without an explanation denied Belgrade-Antalya charter service scheduled for May 30^th. The problem occurred when Serbian civil aviation authorities gave permission for two Turkish air carriers to operate charter services from Niš, but not from Belgrade. In such circumstances, Jat Airways, paying full respect to the rule of reciprocity in scheduled services, has been playing more than fair with the Turkish carriers and has no objection that Turkish Airlines continues operating seven scheduled services per week on Istanbul-Belgrade line, as well as that other carriers operate charter services from Niš. Although Turkish air carriers promise lower ticket fares to Serbian passengers in the upcoming summer season, a high Turkish diplomat in Serbia, in a reaction to the decision of Serbian civil aviation authorities, said that ticket fares of Turkish carriers shall not be competitive. In this situation, never before recorded in civil aviation, where a constant pressure is made that two carriers from Turkey be granted permission to operate services from Belgrade as well, Jat Airways, tour operator that rent charter services and Serbian passengers are those that suffer collateral consequences.

Jat Airways submitted all necessary and complete documentation for charter services towards Turkey to Turkish authorities on time. Official response in relation to the whole charter season has not arrived yet. Jat Airways sincerely hopes that in the upcoming days, which precede the beginning of the full tourist season, the Turkish civil aviation authorities, by following the example of Egypt, will reconsider its stance over granting the permission because past years have shown that visit of Serbian tourists to the destinations in Turkey created profit for the tourist economy of both Serbia and Turkey.

Following the needs of tour operators in the summer season Jat Airways planned 804 flights towards Greek islands and destinations in Egypt, Tunisia, Italy, Spain and Turkey.