Air Serbia and Wizz Air have scheduled April 13 as a tentative date for the resumption of flights from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, which has been closed for commercial operations since last week to stem the outbreak of the coronavirus Covid-19. Both airlines have begun selling tickets for flights commencing in three weeks’ time. Additional adjustments remain highly possible, pending on travel restrictions and traffic demand. Air Serbia is today operating rescue flights to Moscow and Doha for stranded passengers, while foreign carriers, among which are Montenegro Airlines, Aegean Airlines, Air France and LOT Polish Airlines, have also been deploying aircraft to Belgrade to repatriate their own citizens. Furthermore, the Serbian carrier is expected to operate a flight to the United States in the coming days.
Foreign airlines have tentatively scheduled their resumption of services to Belgrade. According to existing schedules, Turkish Airlines, which will suspend most operations as of this Friday, plans to return to the Serbian capital and other points across the world on April 17. Etihad Airways will resume daily flights to Serbia on April 30, Flydubai on May 22 with seven weekly flights, while, at this point, Qatar Airways plans to make a comeback on June 1, initially with four instead seven weekly services, increasing to ten weekly from July 1. Government officials have so far refused to speculate on when the airport may be opened, blaming incoming arrivals from Europe as the source for the spread of the virus in the country.
Airlines are facing an unprecedented challenge as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause widespread disruption to operations and business. With cash tight and demand plummeting, airlines may be looking to bring in whatever money they can, by scheduling flights which may not necessarily materialise and getting passengers to defer their travel for later on, even if they won’t officially recognise revenue until a traveller flies. With exception to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, airports in other markets across the former Yugoslavia have been closed for commercial flights. Slovenia has tentatively scheduled the reopening of Ljubljana Airport for March 30, although it remains to be seen if it will reopen as new virus cases in the country continue to rise.
UPDATE: Wizz Air has since extended its service suspension from Belgrade until May 1.
UPDATE: Wizz Air has since extended its service suspension from Belgrade until May 1.
I highly doubt it will be possible for them to resume flights
ReplyDelete*that early
DeleteIt's in 3 weeks. Not that early.
DeleteEven if they resume flights, who would they fly when all countries have entry bans?
DeleteIt is early in the sense that the Corona outbreak won't be yet under control in three weeks time.
DeleteMost probably things would be worse both in Europe and in the rest of the world.
Even more unrealistic is the Ljubljana Airport reopening on 30th Match.
DeleteHave any other Fraport owned airports closed around the world?
DeleteBurgas. But it actually closed a few weeks ago for runway repairs. They are supposed to reopen today, but not sure if it's happening.
DeleteI don't believe Fraport or any other airport operator gets to decide whether an airport will close or not.
DeleteThe decision to close and when to reopen is taken by the government of each country.
The airports as such are not closed. But the airlines are prohibited from operating passenger flights, unless they have approval by authorities.
DeleteI find it interesting that both have scheduled the same date. It is possible them that the government gave them a preliminary date.
ReplyDelete**then
DeleteMaybe on purpose before Orthodox Easter?
DeleteQR's date is most realistic.
ReplyDeleteI personally think so too. Germany has just gone into lockdow for initially 2 weeks like the rest of Europe, making it very unlikey this will be over in some 3 weeks. June is realistic to start slowly getting better.
DeleteI think this is the first time we will see JU in Doha
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteYes it is
DeleteAre they even allowed to do that? Sell tickets for flights that likely won't even happen?
ReplyDeleteLike it says in the last paragraph, most airlines need money now. If the flight is cancelled they give you a voucher to use later but for them it's important that they have your money.
DeleteSneaky
DeleteSomething will have to happen at some point. This can't go on for eternity. Otherwise the economic impact will be so great that it really won't matter anymore if you have the virus or not.
ReplyDeleteExactly, not to mention that ex-YU governments are poor so they will be in shock when their altruism results in collapsing VAT revenue. That's when shops and cafes will open and life will start returning to where it was before. Hopefully by then the outbreak will be put under control.
DeleteI expect arrivals from China to explode once this is over. That YU-ARA clip was viewed by 1.100.000.000 people! Great promotion of Serbia in China
DeleteHope so, Serbia could use extra income from tourism after the virus situation. Any guesses who might profit the most? Aeroflot? I would say TK but they are limited in BEG.
DeleteInterestingly Air Serbia hasn't even decreased their prices at all.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia being Air Serbia. Meanwhile US airlines have slashed all prices until Thanksgiving.
DeleteWell now might be the time for them to do price dumping like they did in the first year of their existence and get some much needed cash flow.
DeleteI guess they received some additional state funding..
DeletePrice dumping will only lead to even bigger loses and even bigger need for government subsidies.
DeleteI don't think that during this coming economic crisis offering cheap flights to travelers of the rest of the Balkans and Middle East (like it happened in 2013-2016) should be our top priority.
I remember originally Air Serbia made cancellations to their various routes all the way till the end of May.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they could slowly start resuming some flights from mid April but I see they are selling all routes.
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested to see which foreign airline will be the first to come back, whenever this is over.
ReplyDeleteIf you're not counting Wizz Air as foreign then my guess is Turkish Airlines.
DeleteYM?
DeleteDepending when Montenegro opens its airports.
DeleteWell the last foreign airline to have a scheduled flight from BEG is Turkish Airlines. They operated their flight even after the airport was officially closed.
DeleteAustrian has extended its grounding to 19th of April.
DeleteAre there any tentative schedules when some of the European airlines plan to return? LH, AF or LO?
ReplyDeleteOS will not fly until 19th of April.
DeleteAll employees will be sent to short-time work. (irrelevant to your question but preventive answer as to avoid speculations that people are being let go or asked to take unpaid leave or other similar disinformation)
I hope so. At least partial resumption.
ReplyDeleteJust fly and spread the outbreak
ReplyDeleteThe oubreak is much smaller than the flu so maybe we should ground aviation each year when the flu season comes?
DeleteThere is a vaccine for the flu and we've developed immunity against it. We don't have any of it when it comes to coronavirus.
DeleteTrying to diminish its risks?
The flu strain changes every year and people still die from it in massive numbers, much higher than from corona, statistics are available online, you should check them out sometimes.
DeleteCan you come up with a piece of information that isn't the first thing you can read online regarding the flu?
DeleteI suppose you should give all these scientists and doctors a lesson.
But can't we say the same for you? I mean you are behaving no differently than those you accuse of misbehaving. Kind of sad.
DeleteThere is a vaccine for the flu and we've developed immunity against it. We don't have any of it when it comes to coronavirus.
DeleteTrying to diminish its risks?
Could you please point where I wrote what you're accusing me of?
Лепо изненађење да се комерцијални летови успостављају
ReplyDeleteУ Београду. Са вером да ће Ниш и Краљево почети летњу сезону. Очигледно да се огромни напори улажу да се савлада пандемија... Дивно. Отвара се пут за Београд.
Из Сиднеја,
Rodney. ✈
It should be illegal for them to sell tickets without being certain they will actually fly from that date.
ReplyDeleteI doubt people will rush to book flights for April 13 anyway.
DeleteWhy should it be illegal? April 13 is when NOTAM expires.
DeleteWhen the airport was being closed for commercial flights, did they actually give a date when it may be opened?
ReplyDeleteNo
Delete"Government officials have so far refused to speculate on when the airport may be opened"
But I'm inclined to think airlines may have been told something.
Could you tell me, when the Serbian Authorities will lift the border restriction on its land borders?
ReplyDeleteI am in Hungary now, but my dad is in Serbia, and I cannot enter into Serbia, but I have dual citizenship...Btw, I have flown many times with AS. This year it was that we are going to visit Dubrovnik, I have nearly booked our tickets, but fortunately, I didn't do that....
If you have Serbian citizenships, you may enter Serbia now. But you have to go to isolation camp for 14 or 28 days.
Deleteuh...Thanks for your reply!
DeleteBtw, before that you could stay at your own home for 14 days, not? In Hungary there is no isolation camps, just if you arrive from Italy, Spain, Chine, Korea you should self-isolate yourself..In Serbia there is more strict rules...I wish I could go back to home without being forced to camp :(
I think that isolation camps are not for all citizen entering country but for certain categories (ie. not having confirmed place to stay, high risk persons etc.) Others will be sent home for isolation.
Deletehttp://rs.n1info.com/Vesti/a579641/Otvoren-kamp-za-500-ljudi-u-Moravicu.html
That's not true. All Serbian borders are closed for everyone since 20.03.2020, including Serbian citizens and residents. Thousands of us are affected by this unlawful (against the Universal Human Rights) decision by the Serbian authorities.
DeleteThis is not entirely correct, because, for example, you have Serbian citizens coming to country via rescue flights and they are crossing that border...
DeleteFor Hungary, additional issue for sure is they also have closed all borders, keeping even EU citizens from crossing through the country (BG, RO). Everything now goes on special permits, no matter is it in or out of country. Its complicated on multiple aspects...
Serbia is the only country in the world closed it's borders for their own citizens and residents. That's the main (not the only) reason thousands of travellers and tourists being stacked and locked-out of their country and their homes. Since yesterday, the only way to enter the country is via very few rescue flights or by getting smuggled in cargo trucks. We don't need any rescue missions or help from the Drama-Queen, we just need him to respect the Universal Human Rights and open Serbian borders for Serbian residents. https://www.bbc.com/serbian/lat/balkan-51989277
DeleteYou can enter Serbia by foot if you are Serbian citizen.
DeleteIt means someone brings you to the Hungarian border by car, you walk through it and from Serbian side somenone wit the car needs to wait for you.
Of course you need to be isolated for 14 days in Serbia after it.
Representatives of the Border Police Department of Ministry of Internal Affairs give different information in their call centre: No one (including Serbian citizens and residents) can enter Serbia at the land border crossings even on foot, unless they obtain special permission/visa from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia. Passport of Serbia and proof of residency is not enough anymore to enter your own country. This information is from today - 4 hours ago. Four days ago, I officially contacted Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Health and Prime-minister cabinet with no respond so far.
DeleteHey Dule!
DeleteI am so sad to hear that.. Where have you been stucked? So it means that you have to apply for special entry visa or similar staff to enter into Serbia? And then your are forced to tent camps? hahaha
Spoke to Border police from Horgos yesterday and asked the same question. Im in London right now and wanted to cone to Serbia via Budapest and then by foot at Horgos. He said that I can enter, of course, but will be transferred to a military base in Sid for min. of 14 days, so I have decided not to come, will wait another few weeks. Well done to Serbia for the way they are handling this. UK is useless. Hope we abandon “EU integrations” forever after this crisis is finished. Proud of Serbia! See you soon!
DeleteHi Parti!
DeleteIt doesn't sound so promising to be transferred to a "military tent camp"..Why? It would be enough to spend that period in your own house in self-isolation mode with a few COVID quick test. Not? It would be humane....Romanians do that also...
Just as remark - quarantine at home with other family members which are not in quarantine is not best solution...
DeleteGood Afternoon, I am a Belgian Citizen in Serbia, I would like to go to Hungary because I have my fiancée there. Is there any news on when the border will be opened or do I need special permit ? Thanks.
DeleteCouldn’t Vinci have used this opportunity to refurbish the runway instead of wasting money on another one which will be useless later? They needed the airport to be closed to do that, didn’t they?
ReplyDeleteThere are still some operation at airport - rescue, humanitarian, special flights. etc. It is not completely closed.
DeleteAnd it would be madness to start such a project now.
And for that they could use Batajnica airport. It would be a logical thing to do.
DeleteAnd how to get the planes from Surcin to Batajnica without the runway? By train? On the back of a van?
DeleteThere is ZERO chance that there will be a full lifting of restrictions come mid April. ZERO. If by some miracle the situation is stabilised, MAYBE they'll allow borders to re-open with neighbouring countries if they too have the situation under control (ie. Montenegro, Bosnia, MK). Don't see flights to Western Europe resuming until mid to end May at the earliest.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat!
DeleteWell the situation in Serbia seems to be under control thanks to strict restrictions, I think today only 15 people are on respirators. In about ten days number of infected will considerably drop once people are cured. I am sure by mid-April several flights will resume, the real question is to where.
DeleteYou are wrong. This is just starting.
DeleteIt is starting in countries that have not handled the situation in a mature and responsible manner
DeleteWhich are most of them. And that's more than enough for all others not to open their skies.
Delete@18.02 haha
DeleteWizz can open flights to former ussr destinations. Why not?
ReplyDeleteAnd it, will. Slots have been applied already, but request revoked due lack of deliveries from Airbus. 2021 for sure we will see some former USSR destination from BEG.
Deletelol experts. only LED can happen
DeleteUfa & chelabyinsk :)
DeleteDuke is right,l flew to Serbia on March 9th,from London,l came to visit my family,and l'm stuck here,l can't go back,because the borders are all closed from Serbia,l'm afraid of work,l live in UK for a long time,l have a family there too,l work as a health worker,nobody asks about us who's stuck in Serbia,l'm very upset
ReplyDelete