Air Serbia launches fourth long-haul service

Air Serbia introduced flights between Belgrade and Guangzhou early this morning with the Chinese city becoming its fourth long-haul destination following New York, Chicago and Tianjin. It is also the second city served by the carrier in China. The launch coincides with the “Golden Week” holiday in China which begins tomorrow. Starting on China’s National Day on October 1, the public holiday is celebrated over seven consecutive non-working days. As a result, Air Serbia’s return service from Guangzhou departing later today is sold out with 268 passengers, while the outbound flight from Belgrade, which is currently en route to the Chinese city, has some 200 travellers on board. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, forward bookings for the route are extremely strong spanning several months. The first flight is being operated by the carrier’s Airbus A330-200 jet registered YU-ARC (known as Pupin).

Check-in for Guangzhou service at Belgrade Airport

The inaugural service was celebrated with a ceremony at the gate at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and was attended by the carrier’s CEO, Jiri Marek, the Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, as well as the Chinese Ambassador to Serbia and other dignitaries. Commenting on the first flight, Mr Marek said, "The recommencement of flights between Serbia and the People's Republic of China in December 2022 was a significant step for our company and the entire Western Balkan region. At that time, Air Serbia was one of only a few airlines flying to China, so the direct link to Tianjin represented a bridge for economic, cultural, and tourist exchanges between Serbia and this Asian country. With the inclusion of Guangzhou in our network of destinations, we are expanding our presence in China, providing passengers with even more options. Guangzhou is one of the most important industrial and trading centres in the People's Republic of China, and we believe that nonstop flights to this city will be particularly appealing to the business community, not only in our two countries but also across Europe. Its proximity to Hong Kong and Macau makes this destination very attractive for tourism, especially for those wishing to experience the lifestyle, tradition, and culture of the Greater Bay Area". Minister Vesić noted the country is extremely proud of Air Serbia which handled over 3.4 million passengers by September 25, adding there is no more doubt that the carrier will surpass its all time record, set by its predecessor in 1987. According to the Minister, details regarding the airline's new service will be annouounced shortly.

Launch ceremony

Air Serbia will maintain two weekly rotations between the two cities, on Thursdays and Sundays. It will compete against the two weekly flights launched by China Southern Airlines on the same route earlier this week. Mr Marek said, “Going two weekly to Guangzhou, along with China Southern’s two weekly is the optimal schedule. Guangzhou is now the busiest airport in China. However, these flights are not just limited to that city. You have Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau which are easily accessible. We are also targeting a lot of connectivity towards Australia”.

Departure from Belgrade

Air Serbia becomes only the third European carrier to maintain flights to Guangzhou, alongside Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines. Similarly, it is the only European carrier to serve Tianjin and one of fifteen from Europe serving mainland China. Although its existing frequencies to the country are modest, with just three weekly rotations, they are set to grow as the airline prepares to commence flights to Shanghai in the coming period. Out of the 21 European states that boast flights to mainland China, in October, Serbia will be ranked sixteenth in terms of available seat capacity to the country, ahead of Poland, the Czech Republic, Belarus, Ireland and Luxembourg.

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