Etihad Airways And Government Of Serbia Unveil Strategic Partnership To Secure Future Of Serbian National Airline

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled plans to acquire 49 per cent of JatAirways. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier has also been awarded a five year management contract for the Serbian national airline.

These are two of the key components of a wide-ranging strategic partnership agreement, signed by Etihad Airways and the Government of Serbia, which includes a fleet of new aircraft, and a new integrated network of international destinations enabling greater access for business and leisure travellers to Serbia.

The historic agreement follows the launch of Etihad Airways flights between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade in June and will significantly enhance trade and investment relations between the United Arab Emirates and Serbia as well as boosting the tourism sector in both countries.

Economic ties between the two countries, valued at EUR 23.3 million in 2012, three times greater than in 2011, continue to expand with a number of key government agreements signed in recent months which will see investments in agriculture, defence, technology, and tourism.

The strategic partnership agreement was announced by James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways and Aleksandar Vučić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Serbian Government, at a media conference in Belgrade today, Thursday 1 August 2013.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Air Serbia to our equity alliance and look forward to working constructively with them and their stakeholders to build a sustainable, competitive, and profitable airline.

“We will have tough decisions to make but the financial investment by Etihad Airways and the Government of Serbia, together with the positive impact of our joint management expertise and experience, will help ensure this airline, with its proud history, now has an even brighter future.”

Aleksandar Vučić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Serbian Government, said: “Etihad Airways’ reputation, financial strength and stability will be of significant benefit to Air Serbia and we are delighted to launch this strategic partnership. Air travellers to and from Serbia will soon benefit from an incredible range of new products and services.