FlyBosnia (Sarajevo) has applied for an air operator's certificate (AOC) with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate of Civil Aviation (BHDCA) as it eyes the launch of its maiden Sarajevo-Riyadh route during Summer 2018, EX-YU Aviation has reported.
The BHDCA's decision is to be expected within a few weeks, possibly still in March 2018.
The carrier is backed by Saudi Arabian conglomerate Al Shiddi Group, which is the largest Arab investor in Bosnia-Herzegovina owning, among others, Sarajevo City Center, the biggest mall and hotel complex in the centre of Sarajevo.
FlyBosnia initially plans to operate a single leased narrowbody jet aircraft. The company's detailed strategy is expected to be unveiled after it will have received its AOC. Potential future destinations could include Frankfurt International, Stockholm Arlanda, and Amsterdam Schiphol.
The Saudi-backed initiative is the newest attempt to establish a sustainable carrier in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Previous airlines, such as Air Bosna and B&H Airlines, have all gone bankrupt. According to the ch-aviation airline module, the only active carrier in the country is currently passenger charter specialist Icar Air (RAC, Tuzla International).
The new initiative is unrelated to FlyBosnia (2004) (Sarajevo), a start-up which had planned to operate flights between Bosnia and the United Kingdom back in 2004. The project never, however, became reality.
