Jes Air

JES Air was founded in 1991 and was one of the first privately owned airlines in Bulgaria. The airline was supported with capital from Singapore-based companies. JES Air was famous for its delays, but despite this, passengers used the airline because of the cheap prices it offered.

JES Air
ДЖЕС Ер

IATA ICAO Call sign - JES JES AIR
Founded	1991
Ceased operations	1992
Hubs	Sofia Airport
Focus cities	Tan Son Nhat Airport
Fleet size	3
Destinations	6
Headquarters	Sofia, Bulgaria
Key people	Milen Keremidchiev [1]

History

The first route for JES Air was Sofia–New York City, due to an agreement between the two countries, and it then expanded its destinations towards Canada and Asia.

One of the aircraft - LZ-JXB was wet leased to REGION AIR PTE. LTD., Singapore and took place in the creation of the new face of Vietnam Airlines. "JES Air" fell into bankruptcy only one year after it started flights and at the end of 1992 was re-registered in the Middle East and renamed.

Following the bankruptcy, REGION AIR PTE. LTD. had employed ex-JES Air Bulgarian pilots and engineers to continue with the development of Vietnam Airlines. The company's director, Milen Keremidchiev, later became Deputy Foreign Minister of Bulgaria from 2007. He is currently a member of the populist party There Is Such a People.

Destinations

A JES Air Airbus A310 prior to delivery at Zurich Airport, Switzerland in 1991.

A JES Air Airbus A310 at Bangkok International Airport, Thailand in 1992.

 Australia

• Melbourne - Melbourne Airport

 Bulgaria

• Sofia - Sofia Airport

 Canada

• Ottawa - Macdonald–Cartier Airport

 Singapore

• Singapore - Changi Airport

 United Arab Emirates

• Dubai - Dubai Airport

 United States

• New York City - John F. Kennedy Airport

 Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh City - Tan Son Nhat Airport second hub

Fleet

The JES Air fleet included the following aircraft:^[2]

JES Air Fleet

Aircraft	Total	Registrations	Notes
Airbus A310-200	1	LZ-JXB	Sold to Vietnam Airlines
Airbus A310-300	2	LZ-JXA LZ-JXC	Both returned to lessors JXA was leased by Air Niugini
Total	3

Accidents and incidents

• 4 September 1992: Vietnam Airlines Flight 850, an Airbus A310-200, registration LZ-JXB, leased from Jes Air, with 127 occupants on board en route from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, hijacked by Ly Tong, a former pilot in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. He then dropped anti-communist leaflets over Ho Chi Minh City before parachuting out. Vietnamese security forces later arrested him on the ground. The aircraft landed safely, and no one on board was injured. He was released from a Hanoi prison in 1998.^[3]