Air Montenegro's new Embraer E195 aircraft, the fourth in the national airline's fleet, landed at Podgorica Airport today and will be included in regular traffic starting tomorrow (Saturday, July 18).
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Air Montenegro CEO Vukadin Stojanović said that the company doubled its fleet in a year, stating that the purchase of the new aircraft was completed despite some delays.
"We have doubled the company's fleet in a year. We have brought in a fourth aircraft that will transport our passengers starting tomorrow and make a maximum contribution to traffic during the summer tourist season," Stojanović told reporters at the Podgorica airport.
He thanked everyone who participated in the implementation of the aircraft procurement project, especially the President of the Board of Directors Tihomir Dragaš, Mitar Šušić and other members of the Board, as well as the employees of the Technical Department.
"I would especially like to thank our guys from the Technical Department - Mileta Nikolić, Aleksandar Drakić and Marko Babić, who carried out most of the work when it comes to this aircraft," said Stojanović.
He announced that the company will organize a press conference in the coming days to present details regarding the new aircraft, as well as other activities and plans of Air Montenegro.
The news that the new plane had landed at Podgorica Airport was announced on the social network X and Dragaš.
Air Montenegro: Arrival of fourth aircraft an important step in the company's development
Air Montenegro said in a press release that the arrival of the aircraft, with Montenegrin registration number 4O-AOI, represents an important step in the further development of the national airline, which continues to invest in increasing available capacity, improving Montenegro's connectivity with key European destinations, and strengthening its position in the regional and international markets.
The company said that the fleet so far consisted of three aircraft owned by Air Montenegro, while the fourth aircraft will be hired under a dry lease arrangement.
This, as they explained, means that the aircraft will be operated by Air Montenegro flight personnel, while the company's expert teams will take care of its technical safety.
"The new aircraft will be included in the company's regular operations starting tomorrow, contributing to an even more efficient connection of Montenegro with destinations in the national airline's network," the statement said.
Air Montenegro announced that the company will continue to responsibly develop its business with a focus on safety, reliability and quality of service, confirming its role as an important partner in the development of Montenegrin tourism and economy.
The aircraft is being delivered 14 days later than originally planned on July 3rd.
"Vijesti" announced earlier today that the fourth aircraft in the fleet of the national airline Air Montenegro, an Embraer E195 aircraft with registration number 4O-AOI, took off at 5:42 p.m. from Saarbrücken, Germany, on its so-called delivery flight to Air Montenegro.
The aircraft is being delivered 14 days later than originally planned on July 3, when the arrival of this aircraft in Montenegro was suddenly canceled at the last minute because its owner, the Dutch leasing company TrueNoord, failed to secure the issuance of the necessary flight permit in a timely manner due to administrative and technical issues. As a result, the competent aviation authorities did not issue a permit for the aircraft to fly over. In the meantime, these administrative problems have been resolved, and Air Montenegro and TrueNoord have also reached an agreement on how the Dutch leasing company will compensate the Montenegrin national airline for the damage suffered due to the delay in the contracted delivery of this aircraft.
"Vijesti" previously announced that this aircraft could be introduced into regular traffic as early as tomorrow, given that the Civil Aviation Agency of Montenegro, in whose Civil Aircraft Register this aircraft is registered, has completed all administrative procedures.
Air Montenegro has taken "Indija", as this aircraft is already called due to the English transliteration of the last letter of its registration in radio communication, into a long-term dry lease under which the Montenegrin company provides the crew, maintenance and insurance of the aircraft and pays a monthly rental fee of $115.000 to the aircraft's owner, TrueNoord, for its use.
The aircraft was previously registered in Denmark under the registration number OY-NZO and has been grounded and stored in Saarbrücken, Germany, since September last year. The aircraft, which rolled off the production line of the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer in October 2011, previously flew for the Brazilian airline Azul, which operated it under the registration number PR-AYX until March 2023.
Since the aircraft has since been largely withdrawn from service for commercial reasons and stored first in Brazil and then in Germany, where it has since been adapted to all standards and requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), it is in very good condition and with below-average utilization of technological resources compared to aircraft of this type of similar age.
Like its predecessor, aircraft 4O-AOE, which Air Montenegro took on a dry lease last year and recently purchased for $11 million, the "India" has a capacity of 118 passenger seats.
With the entry into service of this aircraft, Air Montenegro will for the first time equal the number of aircraft, but will have a larger number of available seats, compared to the former national airline Montenegro Airlines, which, before its closure and bankruptcy at the end of 2020, had an operational fleet of three Embraer E195 aircraft and one much older Fokker F100. Of these, only the F100 was owned by Montenegro Airlines, and the Embraers were under operating, or financial, lease. Air Montenegro currently has three of its own and one leased aircraft.
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