National airline Air Montenegro has once again entered into a short-term lease agreement with the Ukrainian airline “Windrose Airlines” for an Embraer E190 aircraft, complete with a crew. The aircraft, with the registration UR-EMA, arrived in Tivat on February 11th from the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, and was incorporated into Air Montenegro’s regular service routes from Tivat to Belgrade and Istanbul just four days later.
Air Montenegro’s management confirmed to “Vijesti” that a new leasing agreement has been signed with “Windrose Airlines” under the ACMI model (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance). This “wet lease” arrangement means that the aircraft’s owner provides the plane, crew, maintenance, and insurance, while the lessee pays a contracted leasing fee and assumes all operational costs. The aircraft, 13 years old, has a capacity of 104 passengers, and Air Montenegro has previously leased this aircraft twice in past years.
In January, Air Montenegro transported 24,245 passengers, marking a 29% increase compared to the same month last year, and operated 26% more flights than in January 2024.
The new lease agreement runs from February 11, 2025, until October 31 of this year, with an estimated 1,600 flight hours expected for the Embraer E190 (UR-EMA). This lease ensures that Air Montenegro will not operate with just one aircraft during 2025, as the regular structural maintenance of their own Embraer E195 (4O-AOB) from February 20 to March 20 is effectively replaced by this leased aircraft.
Air Montenegro has praised Windrose Airlines as a “good, now traditional partner,” with whom they have successfully operated safe and precise services for the past two years.
Although Air Montenegro strives to have aircraft in their fleet either owned or leased under a “dry lease” arrangement, the company acknowledged that fully eliminating “wet leases” is not an easy task. Over the years, 50% of their fleet and around 60% of seat capacity has been leased under this model.
Previously, the company’s CEO, Vukadin Stojanović, mentioned that Air Montenegro, which currently owns two aircraft, plans to expand its fleet by leasing another Embraer E195 under a long-term operational lease (“dry lease”). Unofficial sources indicate that this deal is in its final stages, and the new Embraer E195 aircraft will likely come from Denmark in the coming months. The aircraft will be leased under commercial terms, similar to how the former national carrier, Montenegro Airlines, leased its first two E195 aircraft from the American company GECAS, before they were purchased by the Montenegrin government and are now owned by Air Montenegro.
Currently, Air Montenegro is proceeding with two parallel procedures to expand its fleet: the review of the specific aircraft and its documentation for an “airworthiness review” and introduction into the Montenegrin Aircraft Registry, and the finalization of the leasing agreement. While the company is confident that the aircraft will be part of its fleet, further details will be shared once the lease agreement is signed. The aircraft in question is an Embraer E195, certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and holding an active Airworthiness Review Certificate (ARC).
Air Montenegro plans to have the new aircraft in service by June 1, although the company aims to introduce it earlier. Once leased, the aircraft will be branded with Air Montenegro’s colors and operated by the airline’s flight crews, cabin staff, and maintenance personnel.
Air Montenegro is also contemplating the modernization and long-term enhancement of its fleet. The focus is on the latest E2 generation of regional jetliners from the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. The first-generation E-Jets, which have been in service with Montenegro Airlines and Air Montenegro since 2008, have performed excellently.
However, the company anticipates that the E2 models, due to their availability and slots, will not be added to their fleet until 2027 or 2028. The E2 models, including the Embraer E195-E2, offer fuel savings and other advantages, making them an attractive option. The E195-E2 is a larger version than the first-generation E195, with a capacity of 132 to 146 passengers, a redesigned cabin, advanced avionics, and a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency.
The E195-E2 has a range of 4,800 kilometers and is designed to compete with the modern regional jet, the Airbus A220, which is being introduced into the fleet of Croatia Airlines. According to Brazilian manufacturer data, the E195-E2 is about 10% cheaper to operate than the A220.
