Qatar Airways unveils plans for EX-YU network

Qatar Airways anticipates returning to all markets it previously served in the former Yugoslavia but says an ongoing review of its network is being conducted in line with market conditions. The airline has resumed operations to both Belgrade and Zagreb since the global-wide lockdowns, while services to Sarajevo and Skopje have been suspended until March 28, 2021. “Qatar Airways recently announced our winter schedule in line with passenger and cargo demand and the continued relaxation of entry restrictions around the world. We are seeing positive signs, there is a demand for travel. We believe that travel will steadily return, limited by entry restrictions rather than customer confidence. People will want to travel again, experience the world, and meet friends and family, as well as business travel restarting”, the carrier said.

As of this week, the airline is increasing frequencies between Doha and Belgrade from three to four per week. Although it initially scheduled to run today’s service with a widebody Boeing 777 aircraft, it has reverted equipment back to its usual Airbus A320 but has instead scheduled a B787 Dreamliner for next Monday’s flight, on a one-off basis. The carrier plans to upgrade its usual equipment on the route from the A320 to the A321 from December 15. On the other hand, services to Zagreb will operate three times per week from October 26, increasing to four weekly from December 14. Flights will run with the A320 jet. “Our focus is not only on restarting destinations, but also operating as many frequencies as possible to provide our passengers the flexibility to travel when they want. We are regularly reviewing and expanding our network in line with market demand and the relaxation of entry restrictions around the world”, Qatar Airways said. 

The airline noted it is better positioned to serve the markets in Croatia and Serbia compared to its competitors, such as Emirates, which has terminated operations to Zagreb, or Etihad Airways, which has suspended flights to Belgrade for over a month, due to its fleet structure. “Qatar Airways’ mix of modern fuel-efficient aircraft helped us to develop a sustainable and adapted solution, allowing us to continue flying routes with less overall demand as we have a variety of aircraft we can select from to offer the right capacity in each market. Our operations are not dependent on any specific aircraft type. We will maintain our flights to Zagreb and Belgrade through to the end of winter”, the carrier noted. 

Qatar Airways said that many routes it previously served, among which are Sarajevo and Skopje, remain commercially unviable. “Due to the global crisis, we suspended our routes to Sarajevo and Skopje along with many others, the routes remain suspended during the winter but we hope to resume scheduled operations in the summer. We have advised all impacted passengers and are working closely with them to offer alternative travel options to other destinations in our network or full refunds in line with our unrivalled “Travel With Confidence” flexible travel policy”, the airline said. It added, “We understand how important it is for many of our passengers to have access to flights and we want to reassure them we remain committed to operating as many flights as possible. An ongoing review is being conducted and the intention is to reinstate flights in line with a return to regular conditions and market demand”.