In the sky of the aviation industry of Serbia, two significant investments have shone, which could position our country highly when it comes to this area.
Namely, the German company MTU Aero Engines in Nova Pazova opened a factory for the repair of aircraft engine parts, while the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) company in Belgrade opened a plant for the conversion of passenger planes into cargo planes, the first in Eastern Europe.
– It is important to note that making decisions about entering into such large investments is preceded by detailed and comprehensive multi-year analyzes of investors. The fact that Serbia was chosen ahead of other potential countries around the world as a location for investment shows the importance of our comparative advantages, and they are first of all reflected in a quality human resource that is capable of responding to modern requirements in the high-tech areas of the aviation industry – Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Simonović from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Belgrade.
He points out that the newly opened factory for repairs of aircraft engine components in Nova Pazova is of exceptional importance.
– The joint efforts and investments of the Republic of Serbia and the company MTU Aero Engines will create 400 new jobs in the high-tech sector of the aviation industry. With this plant, MTU Aero Engines will increase its current overhaul capacity by about 25%, but also increase the number of employees by 4%. The Republic of Serbia and Nova Pazova will get new jobs where the income will be significantly above the national and local average. On the other hand, in the long term, it is extremely important that in this way a clear professional perspective will be created for a large number of young experts in the aviation industry in Serbia who would otherwise build their future abroad – says our interlocutor.
When it comes to Israeli investment, when asked why companies decide to invest in the conversion of passenger planes, Simonović says that the new trend is “primarily a response to the direct demands of the market, i.e. the reaction of companies to disruptions caused in air transport by the COVID pandemic”:
– In this regard, in order to meet the increased need for cargo transportation, airlines are faced with the choice of whether to lease or purchase new planes or to opt for used passenger planes, where conversion is necessary. By the nature of things, companies opt, in this case, for a more quickly available, but also financially more favorable solution.
The interlocutor of eKapija also states that Serbia’s potential can be assessed as very encouraging.
– Bearing in mind the quality of professional staff trained within the educational system of the Republic of Serbia, the rich tradition of aviation and supporting institutions, but also considering the current situation and existing capacities, our potentials can be assessed as very encouraging. The proof that this is true is precisely the recent investments and the arrival of companies related to various segments of the aviation industry – he points out.
He also says that “the development of aviation and aerospace engineering will continue to follow the efforts and goals of the further development of society, technology and science, both in the world and in Serbia”:
– Bearing in mind the recognized importance of new investments in the field of aviation and the efforts made by the institutions of the Republic of Serbia, it is to be expected that investments in this direction will continue. In the coming period, relying on the past experiences of large investors, it will not be a surprise if the nature of investing rises to an even higher level. There is already great interest in investing in the establishment of research and development centers, start-up companies and technological parks related to the aviation industry, eKapija writes.
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