Adria Airways (JP, Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU)) says it is planning to replace its two A319-100s, set to be leased to Jat Airways (JU, Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG)) this summer, with two other A319s so as not to adversely affect its operations. According to EX-YU Aviation News, due to their older age, the newly leased aircraft would be more affordable to the Slovenian carrier who in turn, will additionally receive lease payments from Jat for the two jets it plans to use until 2016. The Serbian carrier is said to have already put down USD450'000 dollars for the two aircraft that are expected in Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG) early next month. Adria’s A319s operate flights from Pristina (PRN) to Frankfurt International (FRA) and Munich Franz Josef Strauss International (MUC) but are also utilised on services from Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU) to Moscow Sheremetyevo International (SVO), Zurich Kloten (ZRH), Istanbul Atatürk/Yesilköy International (IST) amongst others. The move comes as Adria hopes to end this year on an even financial footing though it will have to consider the possibility of having to repay an EUR85million bailout to the Slovenian government should the EC Regulator rule that the funds contravened EU regulations.

Adria Airways (JP, Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU)) CEO Mark Anzur has denied that the carrier is planning to launch any charter services to Northern Cyprus in partnership with tour operator Kompas as previously reported by several Austrian and Slovenian media outlets as well as ch-aviation.

Jat Airways (JU, Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG)) has made arrangements to lease five additional aircraft in the wake of the signing of a commercial cooperation agreement in Belgrade with Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International (AUH)) yesterday. Newswires are reported as saying Jat is to lease two Adria Airways (JP, Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU)) Airbus A319-100s (S5-AAP & S5-AAR) on a 3 year contract with another two Airbus A320s due from BOC Aviation. Jat CEO, Vladimir Ognjenović, has confirmed that his pilots have been undergoing training on the type. An additional ATR72-500 has also been allured to, though not confirmed. The leased aircraft however, will only be used to prevent cancellations as the airline is currently only flying six of its nine B737-300s and only two out of three ATR-72-200s. Meanwhile, the first Belgrade-Abu Dhabi International (AUH) flights are due to begin on June 15, with Jat to codeshare on Etihad's flights to Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD), Melbourne Tullamarine International (MEL), Mahé Seychelles International (SEZ), Beijing Capital (PEK), Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International (BKK), Brisbane International (BNE), Kuwait (KWI), Hong Kong Chep Lap Kok International (HKG) and Singapore Changi International (SIN). Etihad will codeshare on most of Jat's flights however they have not yet announced the exact cities. Following today's signing, Etihad CEO James Hogan stated that Etihad will discuss "other possible forms of a strategic partnership with Jat after it reviews the Serbian company's operational and financial data."

Cityjet (WX, Dublin International (DUB)) has received "very positive feedback" from the market as parent Air France-KLM is currently in negotiations with "two or three" interested bidders regarding the sell off of its Irish subsidiary. According to a report by the Irish Times, two of the bidders have been identified as ASL Aviation Group and Intro Aviation. ASL controls cargo operator Air Contractors (AG, Dublin International (DUB)), French cargo and charter airline Europe Airpost (5O, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)) and South African cargo and ACMI specialist Safair (FA, Johannesburg Oliver Reginald Tambo International (JNB)). Intro Aviation owns a majority stake in Austrian regional carrier InterSky (3L, Friedrichshafen Bodensee (FDH)) and is also said to be one of the bidders for a stake in Adria Airways (JP, Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU)). Cityjet CEO Christine Ourmières said "she is impressed with the calibre" of bidders who have so far submitted proposals, all of whom have grand long-term plans for the company. At present, CityJet operates an ageing fleet of nineteen ARJ-85s, twelve Fokker 50s wet-leased from VLM (VG, Antwerp Deurne (ANR)) and two Do328-100s wet-leased from Suckling Airways (CB, Cambridge (CBG)) on routes on behalf of Air France (AF, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)), KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)) and on an own network from London City (LCY), though Ms Ourmières has pointed out that any future fleet and route network renewal plans would depend entirely on the airline's new owner. Air France-KLM is expected to issue an announcement on the future home of Cityjet this summer.

Adria Airways (JP, Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU)) is planning to set up a base in Tirana Rinas Mother Teresa (TIA) as the Albanian capital continues to grow both as a business and tourism hub according to the company's CEO, Mark Anžur. This summer, Adria will join twelve other airlines currently serving Tirana, the biggest of which is Belle Air (LZ, Tirana Rinas Mother Teresa (TIA)), when it plans to launch flights to Frankfurt International (FRA), in addition to boosting its Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU) service from seven to ten weekly. Following the strong performance of the airline's Ljubljana Joze Pucnik (LJU) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) flights, Adria is reconsidering resuming flights to London Luton (LTN) and Berlin at some point in the future. However, within the former Yugoslavia, the Slovenian carrier has seen a fall in passenger numbers at its second hub in Pristina (PRN), owing to "increased low cost competition and demographic changes". Adria is also facing stiff competition in Skopje Alexander the Great (SKP) from Wizz Air (W6, Budapest Ferenc Liszt International (BUD)) who, since the demise of MAT Macedonian Airlines (IN, Skopje Alexander the Great (SKP)), have become the dominant carrier there.