Four months after the addition of 9A-JSE, the third Cessna Citation CJ2 to join its fleet, Croatia-based Jung Sky is starting to ride the 'growth wave' everyone at the company was talking about four years ago when Kresimir Vlasic left the COO position at flag carrier Croatia Airlines to take over the same position at the AOC operator.

“One very particular reason Jung Sky owners decided to bring me in was fleet expansion, and consequently the long-term expansion of our flight operations and our team,” says Vlasic. However, three months after his arrival, WHO declared the COVID pandemic and the company's plans to grow the fleet came to a pretty big halt. The pandemic turned the aviation industry upside down, he reflects, and very soon business jets became the number one commodity on the market because of their reputation for flexibility.

Jung Sky was faced with two major challenges, he continues: “The first one was that there were little to no CJ2s available for purchase. The other challenge was the prices, which pretty much exploded. That, as you can imagine, was not a great starting point for a company that was at that moment built and prepared for a three jet fleet, but was still flying with two jets, in a very specific moment in history that changed everything.”

It took approximately one year for the company to find the right aircraft, but the management had patience, kept a clear vision and communication with its team was of key importance.

“In late 2022 we had a big meeting with all of our employees during which we elaborated everything we were doing in terms of moving our company forward. We discussed the fleet situation, new hirings, raising salaries and the development of our own maintenance organisation,” he continues. “Aircraft prices were still much higher than we originally anticipated, but we knew the quality of our service and the expertise of our team would make a strong foundation for our long-term planning and growth, no matter the circumstances. Looking back, I am proud to say that from the moment the 9A-JSE became a strong possibility for purchase, we achieved everything the company's board and myself promised our employees on that meeting, and we did it in a fast and efficient fashion.”

Today, Jung Sky employs 31 people; nine joined after the addition of the third aircraft in late April; five of them first officers, one a captain, while two were assigned to its OCC and one to sales.

In July and August 2023, and compared to the same time period last year, the company has achieved a 16.7 per cent increase in flights with passengers.

The company has also recently established its own aircraft maintenance organisation, able to meet any line maintenance requirements for Cessna 525, 525A and 525B jet types. It currently has two line maintenance stations, one at Zagreb airport and one, with a hangar, at Varazdin airport, where it plans to start base maintenance certification.

“We are not a big company, and we still do not have a large fleet, but this addition of one more CJ2, one of the most sought-after business jets out there, boosts our strength on so many levels. Our very successful summer this year confirms that. So, I would say long-term planning is necessary and important, but it is even more important to be patient and persistent. Even if things do not always go your way, you must trust the process and wait for the storm to pass because eventually, you will get another opportunity to be successful and achieve your long-term goals. Aviation is like that; it's hard and miraculous at the same time,” concludes Vlasic.