Airbus ready to sue Jat airways - for disregard of agreement on procurement of 8 airplanes

Jat airways will most probably have to refresh its fleet with airplanes of Airbus, because this manufacturer, which signed contract with the Government of Serbia, just before NATO bombing in 1999, on procurement of 8 airplanes of type A 319, insists on realization of that job worth about 450 million USD. If JAT does not agree to that, Airbus will sue our country for violation of the contract and demand compensation up to three times bigger than 23 mil USD, which is the amount JAT paid in advance to that European consortium with the headquarters in Tuluz.

Unofficially, when headquarters in Tuluz learnt that our national airline company plans to buy on leasing 2 Brazilian airplanes Embraer 170 in May, management of Airbus concluded that the contract could only be changed so that JAT procures somewhat smaller airplanes of type 318 instead of Airbuses A 319. They are supposed to replace ATRs 72.

American Boeing has so far withdrawn from the story. Therefore, planned project for construction of Boeing center for maintenance of airplanes, which would cover entire region of Southeast Europe, has been temporarily cancelled. Smaller Boeing airplanes such as model 737 were supposed to be repaired on the airport "Beograd", whereas jumbo jets 747 would be directed to Budapest where Lufthansa, in cooperation with Maleva, maintains its fleet of those airplanes.

Unofficially, due to insistence of Airbus on contract obligations, the Government of Serbia gave up try to find buyers for the ordered airplanes through Donald Banker company. Airbus replies that such possibility is out of question.