FlyBosnia
IATA ICAO Callsign
6W FBS BOSNIAAIR
FoundedNovember 2017
Commenced operationsJanuary 2019
Ceased operationsNovember 2020[1]
HubsSarajevo International Airport
HeadquartersSarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Websitewww.flybosnia.ba

FlyBosnia was [1][2] an airline from Bosnia and Herzegovina based at Sarajevo International Airport in Sarajevo.

History

FlyBosnia was registered in November 2017.[3] The Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate of Civil Aviation (BHDCA) issued an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to the airline on 11 January 2019.[4] Flying a single Airbus A319, FlyBosnia based its growth strategy on religious tourism[5] and announced services to European operations, mainly London, Paris and Rome.[6]

FlyBosnia's second plane, also an Airbus A319 (registration E7-FBB), arrived from the United States on 8 May 2019, delivered by Aircraft Ferry Specialists. However, the aircraft was returned to its lessor in November 2019.[7] The airline had planned to add two more aircraft to its fleet by the end of 2019,[8] with an additional eight to arrive by 2023.[9]

In October 2019, reports emerged that FlyBosnia owed Sarajevo Airport substantial amounts of money for handling services.[10] Shortly after, it came to light that the airline had been failing to pay wages for several months and had been forced to lay off nearly half its staff. In November 2019, the company came to an agreement with Sarajevo Airport to pay the fees.[11] FlyBosnia also phased out one of its two Airbus A319s, with plans to take two more in 2020.[12]

In August 2020, FlyBosnia announced the termination of all its scheduled routes, with only charter services to Kuwait and Antalya remaining. Its sole owned aircraft, an Airbus A319-100, was to be scrapped and replaced under a wet lease contract to establish a broader network of charter destinations in 2021. A new CEO was also appointed.[13] In November 2020, FlyBosnia terminated its contract with Sarajevo Airport due to unpaid debts and financial difficulties.[14] Following the move, the airline ended operations.[1]

In December 2021, FlyBosnia announced that it would return to the market with flights from all airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Zürich and Geneva in Switzerland.[15] However, the airline confirmed that these flights were a scam, as a travel agency from Switzerland had been selling FlyBosnia tickets without their permission for 2 weeks.[16]

As of late 2022, Sarajevo Airport released a tender to find a succeeding airline for FlyBosnia.[17] In October 2022, the Bosnian authorities revoked both FlyBosnia's air operator certificate and operational license, over two years after the airline's final flight.[2]

Destinations

Former FlyBosnia Airbus A319-100 taking off from Beijing Capital International Airport, transporting medical supplies.
FlyBosnia Airbus A320-200, painted in the airline's updated livery.

FlyBosnia served the following scheduled and charter destinations:

Country City Airports Notes
Bahrain Manama Bahrain International Airport
Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo Sarajevo International Airport Hub
Bosnia and Herzegovina Mostar[18] Mostar International Airport
Egypt Hurghada[19] Hurghada International Airport Seasonal charter
Kuwait Kuwait City Kuwait International Airport
Saudi Arabia Buraidah Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport Seasonal
Saudi Arabia Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport
Saudi Arabia Riyadh King Khalid International Airport
Tunisia Monastir[20] Habib Bourguiba International Airport Seasonal charter
Turkey Antalya[19] Antalya Airport Seasonal charter
Italy Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport
United Kingdom London Luton Airport

Fleet

FlyBosnia's fleet had been composed of the following aircraft:

FlyBosnia fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Airbus A319-100[21] 2 — 144 One leased from AerCap (E7-FBB)
Airbus A320-200[22] 1 — 174 Leased from Onur Air
Airbus A321-200[23] 1 — 153 Leased from HiFly
Total 4 —

Accidents and incidents

On 17 October 2019, FlyBosnia flight 6W108 from Rome, operated using an Airbus A319 (E7-FBB, MSN 1925), landed at Sarajevo Airport where it struck a boarding stair vehicle, damaging its left wingtip fence. The causes of the incident were determined to be the insufficient monitoring of the follow-me vehicle's movements by the flight crew while taxiing to the aircraft's parking position, and the incorrect positioning of the passenger stair vehicle on the apron.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 ch-aviation.com - FlyBosnia retrieved 12 October 2022
  2. 1 2 aviation.direct (German) 31 October 2022
  3. ↑ "FlyBosnia Airline Profile | CAPA". centreforaviation.com.
  4. ↑ "Public announcement – BHDCA issues Air Operator Certificate to Fly Bosnia". bhdca.gov.ba. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  5. ↑ Fabinger, Jakov (26 June 2019). "Religious Tourists Will Make FlyBosnia A Successful Airline". Simple Flying. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "FlyBosnia preparing for first European flights".
  7. ↑ "FlyBosnia returns jet, plans Paris and Barcelona flights".
  8. ↑ "FlyBosnia outlines fleet and network plans". www.exyuaviation.com.
  9. ↑ "FlyBosnia welcomes second plane". www.exyuaviation.com.
  10. ↑ sarajevotimes.com - Sarajevo International Airport is likely to terminate its Contract with FlyBosnia? 16 October 2019
  11. ↑ "FlyBosnia - Sarajevo Airport agree debt repayment deal".
  12. ↑ exyuaviation.com - FlyBosnia facing internal turmoil 10 November 2019
  13. ↑ exyuaviation.com - FlyBosnia retires sole aircraft, puts charters in focus retrieved 23 August 2020
  14. ↑ "Sarajevski aerodrom raskinuo ugovor s Fly Bosniom zbog neizmirenih dugova". www.klix.ba.
  15. ↑ Bosnian, Flying (23 December 2021). "Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News : ✈ FlyBosnia plans to restart operation in March". Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News". flyingbosnian.blogspot.com. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  17. ↑ simpleflying.com - Wizz Air To Close Sarajevo Base This Month 6 October 2022
  18. ↑ "FlyBosnia od danas uvela redovnu avioliniju iz Mostara za Rim". www.klix.ba (in Croatian). Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  19. 1 2 Bosnian, Flying (24 February 2021). "Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News : ✈ FlyBosnia Sarajevo – Turkey and Egypt charter flights". Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  20. ↑ FLYBOSNIA - Our first landing at Tunisia, Monastir airport... | Facebook, retrieved 11 September 2022
  21. ↑ Gerd (27 March 2003). "Airbus Hamburg Finkenwerder News: A319-112, flyBosnia, E7-FBB (MSN 1925) SCR". Airbus Hamburg Finkenwerder News. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  22. ↑ "FlyBosnia takes delivery of A320 jet". Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  23. ↑ Bosnian, Flying (20 June 2021). "Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News : ✈ FlyBosnia leases an Airbus 321". Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation News. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  24. ↑ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 230094".

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