FlyBosnia

FlyBosnia was registered in November 2017.[1] The Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate of Civil Aviation (BHDCA) issued an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to the airline on 11 January 2019.[2] Flying a single Airbus A319, FlyBosnia based its growth strategy on religious tourism[3] and announced services to European operations, mainly London, Paris and Rome.[4]

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.[5] The airline originally planned to add two more aircraft to its fleet by the end of 2019,[6] with an additional eight to arrive by 2023.[7]

Former FlyBosnia Airbus A319-100 taking off from Beijing Capital International Airport, transporting medical supplies

In October 2019, reports emerged that FlyBosnia owed Sarajevo Airport substantial amounts of money for handling services.[8] 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.[9] FlyBosnia also phased out one of its two Airbus A319s, with plans to take two more in 2020.[10]

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.[11] In November 2020, FlyBosnia terminated its contract with Sarajevo Airport due to unpaid debts and financial difficulties.[12] Following the move, the airline ended operations.

In December 2021, FlyBosnia announced that it will return to the market with flights from all airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina to Zürich and Geneva in Switzerland.[13]

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.[14]

Media related to FlyBosnia at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website