New acquisitions and CEO (220 words)

Published: 8/30/2000

Having been criticised and investigated for its failure to invest in Balkan Airlines, the airline's owners, the Israeli Zeevi Group, appear to have gone into commitment overdrive, with the resolution of a number of outstanding salary issues with its employees, a string of new aircraft acquisitions and a new CEO Zvi Frank replacing Briton Andrew Gray. According to Frank, the airline plans to return its three Boeing 737-500s leased from Ansett in 1995, the first being returned by the end of this year. The airline will also add an additional Boeing 737-300 leased from GEAC in September, joining the two aircraft currently leased. The airline, says Frank, also has plans to acquire a further two 737-300s for its international service within a year. The airline is also set to take delivery of two ATR-42s in August and September, to replace the airline's six An-24s, three of which are reported to be operational, used on domestic routes. The new aircraft join the airline's fleet of 12 Tu-154Ms primarily used for charter work and four An-12F cargo aircraft operated through a Rotterdam-based subsidiary. The airline has however, postponed the start of construction of its $20m maintenance facility for Boeing and ATRs due to start in late August until September according to local reports.

Article ID: 2036