Split awaits Belgrade flights
After nearly 2 decades, the capital of Serbia will be connected with direct air links to the Croatian coast. Following talks between Jat Airways’ acting CEO, Vladimir Ognjenović, and the CEO of Croatia Airlines, Srećko Šimunović, flights between Belgrade and Pula, Dubrovnik and Split are set to be launched this summer. A scheduled all year round service between the two largest EX-YU cities, Zagreb and Belgrade, will commence at the start of the 2011/2012 winter season in late October. While it hasn’t been revealed which airline will serve each route it is certain that Croatia Airlines will operate the flights from Dubrovnik to Belgrade and Jat Airways from Belgrade to Pula. The two airlines will reveal all, including their schedules for the abovementioned flights, at the upcoming Tourism Fair in Belgrade which lasts from February 24 until February 27.After the meeting Vladimir Ogenjnović said, “We have defined our strategic goals during the meeting, which concern the future of both airlines. In the next couple of weeks, our teams will specify all of the details". Srećko Šimunović noted that, “This meeting has immense significance as cooperation between two neighbours has been initiated. The political climate has allowed us to cooperate, while joint interest has united us”.
The final ever flight between Dubrovnik and Belgrade (once known as the Adriatic Arrow service) was operated on August 6, 1991. That same day services between Belgrade, Split and Zagreb were also suspended, never to be reinstated again. Flights to Pula operated during the 2008 summer season.
Wow congrats to Split, I did not see this one coming. I am sure that we will see OU operate this route.
ReplyDeleteI just hope that they will not be overpriced!
Oh, pity!
ReplyDeleteNo flights from Belgrade to Rijeka yet.
Anyway it's a good start.
It's more likely that the final flight between Dubrovnik and Belgrade was in August 1991, not in 1992. By May 1992 Serbia was hit with UN sanctions and JAT grounded all their international flights, only operating domestic flights to Podgorica and Tivat.
ReplyDeleteThis still doesn't really tell us very much.
ReplyDeleteThese flights have been long overdue, and it's hard to say "airline X deserves the route to DBV" etc.
What is needed here is for the market to take control, rather than limiting the potential. That way we might end up seeing both airlines on many of these routes within the next couple of years.
BEG-SPU-BEG this summer? It seems to good to be true. Let's wait Feb/27 and Belgrade Tourism Fair for more details revealed! :) Great news!
ReplyDeleteFinally! This is the best news for both Croatia and Serbia. It took them 20 years, but they finally pulled their heads out of their asses. JAT will probably operate the Split route while Croatia Airlines will surely operate the Zagreb route.
ReplyDeleteCroatia Airlines has the advantage of operating to Dubrovnik but Dubrovnik Airlines will also operate the route, making sure that Croatia Airlines keep their prices low on that route.
Such good news for Serbs and or Slavic brothers Croats! Keep it up.
Why no news about Jat/Turkish?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/turkish-airlines-nears-deal-with-serbian-jat-tanjug-reports.html
Yes, for sure I could confirm, it was August 1991, and not 1992.
ReplyDeletePlease check and change incorrect news. Thank you.
JAT's next move should be to restart Banja Luka flights if possible. With the intercontinental flights starting this year, and these connections with Croatia, Banja Luka should be the next Ex-Yu airport. And I must say, Belgrade-Pristina flights should also start. Albanians always complain how they wish they could travel to the US like they once did, and I say let them go via BEG. Albanian Airlines is starting routes to Belgrade pretty much for that reason alone, so JAT should do the same for Pristina. As for long-haul flights, I would love to see Japan and China start flights to Belgrade. Can you imagine Belgrade having flights to Chicago, Toronto, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Beijing??? That would be so epic!!! Again this probably won't happen, but the idea would solidify Belgrade's hub vision for 2020!
ReplyDeleteStill though, one step at a time. And these Croatia-Serbia flights are truly excellent for both countries. I can't wait to see how they perform.
@Last Anonymous
ReplyDeleteYou must be kidding that Albanian Airlines is inaugerating their flights just to connect with charter flights to the U.S.
Are you trying to say Albanians from Albania have had no chance to connect onto North America? What are their flights to Greece, Italy and Germany for? Do you seriously think that people will connect through Belgrade for a charter flight? Last time I checked Athens was the closest airport to Albania that offered multiple daily flights to the U.S during summer and winter.
This great news, and as it has been said, lets wait and see :-) If we really see this year flights BEG to ZAG, SPU, PUY and DBV that is going to be amazing :-) Pozdrav svima :-)
ReplyDeleteA great destination, and I am sure very popular would be BEG- Brac, Brac is a very popular island! Don't see any reasons why not RJK(all year around) and ZAD seasonal.