Air Serbia enters the race for Croatia Airlines?

A statement of Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic that Air Serbia is going to acquire a Balkan carrier in a foreseeable time coincides with the Croatian government's second attempt to find a buyer or strategic partner for Croatia Airlines, the Zagreb daily Vecernji List writes in a text under the headline 'Air Serbia enters the race for Croatia Airlines?'.
- Vucic did not name that carrier, but he noted that the Serbian flag carrier would have already taken over two or three airlines in the region if there had not been for political obstacles - Vecernji List reports.

Ever since mighty Etihad Airways from the United Arab Emirates acquired a stake in Air Serbia in 2013, the national airline of Serbia has been reporting high growth rates, so Vucic also said that the Serbian carrier was operating by far the best in the entire region, it is said in the text.

- Expert circles mention Montenegro Airlines, which signed a Memorandum of Strategic and Commercial Cooperation with Etihad this month, as the first possible pick of Air Serbia - Vecernji List adds.

The text also says that the Croatian government hired the World Bank's fund IFC to examine the interest of 13 global airlines in Croatia's flag carrier. It is reminded that Germany's Lufthansa, Greece's Aegean Airlines and Turkey's Turkish Airlines qualified for the second round of talks with IFC representatives about the model of cooperation they have in mind for Croatia Airlines - capital increase, acquisition or strategic partnership.

These talks will be followed by an international open call next year for all airlines, including Air Serbia which Vecernji List says won't be able to acquire more than 49% of shares in the Croatian flag carrier because Serbia is not part of the European Union.

Air Serbia ad Beograd

Vlada Republike Srbije

Vlada Republike Hrvatske

Croatia Airlines Hrvatska zrakoplovna luka d.d. Zagreb

Etihad Airways

OGRANAK ETIHAD AIRWAYS Beograd

Montenegro Airlines Beograd

Montenegro Airlines Podgorica

IFC

Deutsche Lufthansa AG Frankfurt/Main

Aegean airlines

Turkish Airlines Turska

Aleksandar Vucic

Air Serbia

Croatian government

Croatia Airlines

Etihad Airways

Montenegro Airlines

IFC

Lufthansa

Aegean Airlines