The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate has failed to issue Russia’s Ural Airlines a permit to commence flights between Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport and Belgrade, which were to launch tomorrow. The carrier has now suspended ticket sales on the route. Flights were initially planned to operate once per week with the Airbus A320 aircraft. It is the second Russian carrier after S7 Airlines not to be issued a permit on the route. Serbia and Russia have a stringent bilateral air service agreement in place. Although revised in 2013 to allow airlines other than Aeroflot and Air Serbia to maintain operations between the two countries, it still heavily favours the two national carriers.
Russia is one of Belgrade Airport’s biggest markets and despite the coronavirus pandemic has continued to perform well. Currently, Air Serbia, Aeroflot and Nordwind Airlines maintain flights between Belgrade and Moscow with frequencies limited to sixteen per week by Russian authorities due to the pandemic. Nordwind itself inaugurated operations to the Serbian capital in January but has also faced permit issues with the Serbian regulator. Last month, both Aeroflot and Nordwind introduced flights from St Petersburg to Belgrade, while Air Serbia restored operations to Krasnodar and St Petersburg, as well as launched operations to Rostov-on-Don. Due to existing limitations, both Aeroflot and Air Serbia have often been deploying wide-body aircraft on flights between the two capital cities so far this year, including the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 777 jet, with the Russian carrier almost exclusively maintaining operations with its A330-200 aircraft.
Commenting on its Russia operations, Air Serbia’s General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, recently said, “The Russian Federation represents a strategically extremely important market for us. Despite travel restrictions, we have managed to increase the number of flights to Moscow, recommence services to Saint Petersburg and Krasnodar, and even introduce a completely new route to Rostov-on-Don. Great demand and passenger load factor on the new route showed us that it was a good business decision. We will continue to monitor demand and adapt to the circumstances on the market quickly”. Earlier this year, the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate also blocked Turkey’s AnadoluJet from commencing operations from Antalya, which is served by Air Serbia with multiple daily departures across most days of the week.
Surprise surprise
ReplyDeleteFunny how Air Serbia is petrified from any competition
ReplyDeleteThe title should read "Air Serbia blocks Ural Airlines". Everyone kbows it's their phone call to the directorate that leads to airlines being blocked
ReplyDeleteThat's why Karma is doing it's thing elsewhere
DeleteIf they had their own way, the only airlines flying from BEG would be Air Serbia and airlines they codeshare with. You would basically have JU and 5 foreign airlines.
DeleteBasically BEG until 2009.
DeleteCAD is out of control
ReplyDeleteHow are those 16 weekly flights distributed among the airlines
ReplyDelete8 flights by Air Serbia
Delete7 flights by Aeroflot
1 flight by Nordwind
Thank you. Do you know if Moscow will increase the frequency caps anytime soon?
Delete:(
ReplyDeleteIn a year they should be accepting any airline they could get to accelerate recovery, they are blocking airlines left and right.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWe would have much more flights from Russia. Remember Ural and S7 both planned flights from several cities in Russia, not just Moscow.
DeleteSo far they blocked 3 airlines that we know of - Anadolujet, S7 Airlines and Ural.
DeleteRossiya from LED
DeleteCham Wings from Damascus
DeleteFeel sorry for the people that bought tickets
ReplyDeleteUral shouldn't have started getting tickets before getting government approval.
DeleteI'm assuming anyone that booked with Ural will be rebooked on another airline? Or they will just be issued compensation.
DeleteLove these PR fluff pieces by Marek. Like they are only doing well in Russia because they are shielded from competition. Look at what's happening in AMS, IST, FRA...
ReplyDeleteEven Aegean is putting pressure on them this year so the difference is only two weekly flights.
Today JU sent the ATR to STR while EW sent the A319. I wish Marek would love to block them as well.
Same with Moscow really. They are sending A319 while Aeroflot sends A330-300
DeleteExactly, they don't dare block SU so they have to suck it up. Just like SU launched LED and they couldn't do anything about it.
Deletepa mora da se malo stiti, ne moze kus sa rogatim! Mora ovom prvom da se pomogne malo iako ne valja.
DeleteThis has got to stop
ReplyDeleteWhy does this not surprise me in the slightest
ReplyDeleteHow come they didn't block Red Wings in the past? Weren't they more of a thret considering they are an LCC?
ReplyDeleteWell they obviously let one more airline just for show. Now it's Nordwind.
DeleteThere were no caps and restrictions before covid. They were introduced lady year.
DeleteExpected, Moscow became Aeroflot and Air Serbia's playground, at least I hope we get to see Red Wings because they already used to fly to BEG so maybe their comeback won't be blocked. This is such an unfair decision, first S7 and now Ural. Serbia should use any possibility to attract new tourists, I highly doubt that those people who got tricked will consider flying to Serbia again....
ReplyDeleteThe prices between Moscow and Belgrade are out of control.
DeleteTrying to understand how 1 weekly flight on an A320 could have hurt anyone.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia was probably thinking long term when they rung the directorate.
DeleteObviously they don't wanna take any risk.
DeleteBack in 90's nobody thought LCC would have imposed any threat to Lufthansa, Air France etc.
By saying it I surely do not support this CAD blocking.
Shame. It would have been nice to have another airline in BEG.
ReplyDeleteA message for other Russian airlines not to even try.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to say it again, thank goodness we have open skies with the EU otherwise the CAD would be blocking all flights.
ReplyDelete+100
Deletethey actually tried to block easyJet from flying in 2013 I believe. But all hell broke loose. Went to the top of the government and of course they had to let them.
Why is it so difficult to reach an agreement with Russia, preferably one without limitations?
ReplyDeleteBecause it would not suit the interests of either Aeroflot or Air Serbia.
DeleteWhat's next, blocking other carriers for the BEG-TIV route? oh wait...
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable. Sounds like in the 90s.
ReplyDeleteThis ASL protectionism is insane.
Why are you all mentioning JU and not SU? Also, Russia is free to start renegotiations and get a new agreement signed and ratified so all of its airlines can fly freely to Serbia.
ReplyDeleteBecause they were blocked by the Serbian CAD, Russians gave the green light.
DeleteBut they would also block any other serbian carrier (if we had another one).
DeleteStupid, stupid, stupid...
ReplyDeleteSince Serbia is not a part of EU, , open sky agreement should be revised for it benefits large foreign airlines.
ReplyDeleteAfter the pandemic new rules will almost certain apply in many countries, national carriers will be seen as resource not liability.
Why?
ReplyDeleteMore people people flying from/to Russia to Serbia is good for other sectors too.
There is enough space for both because there is demand for.
Once more:
why?
Would they stop other airlines trying to fly to Belgrade from other cities in Russia too?
ReplyDelete(I know: Moscow is the main hub and a perfect destination and transit airport.)
I remember the statement of JAT pilots back in some year after 2000 saying that "Serbian sky is national treasure and it should not be allowed for anyone to use it".
ReplyDeleteIt seems the same mentality is stil in CAD.
Air Serbia is loosing on all fronts with regards to competition and SVO. First their prices are often higher than SU, second their onboard product is not pair to SU, third they are constantly late departing SVO (average 25-45 minutes) and counting to catch up a tail wind, fourth they are handled by SVO airport and have 2 counters open for check in so the queue is quite long depending on the load. I fly often between Moscow and Belgrade but honestly I am not bothering anymore buying JU tickets and flying them. One advantage they have is that you can match ticket classes and buy one way as luggage free and then buy the return in a different class. For me this one advantage is not sufficient to make up for the negatives.
ReplyDeleteHere's a different perspective:
ReplyDeleteAirserbia was a troubled airline for a long time, even before it became Airserbia. Unlike Russian airlines, we have a small and poor market, which definitely doesn't help. It takes time to improve and grow, but having a national airline proved to be important. So, why not protect it? Just look at China and what they do politically and economically. It's all about protectionism over there. Yes, we all want growth, but Airserbia simply can't compete with Aeroflot or whoever. There's nothing wrong about it. I feel like many people here are being unrealistic. You all complain about them being protected against Turkish + it's subsidiaries and Aeroflot, which are massive.
Besides that, both countries, Russia and Turkey, have odd rules and agreements with Serbia.
Sure but of you want to force people to fly on JU make sure they are not ripped off like paying €500 to fly to Moscow.
DeleteI'm really pissed off with CAD decisions lately and their continues protection of the "National Carrier" which doesn't have resources, interest nor intention flying to these destinations! CAD is a group of idiots who still believe Tito & JAT are still alive, so viva bureaucracy!
ReplyDeleteI believe it is in everybody's interest to have open skies with each and every country which will certainly have good impact on Serbian economy, bringing prosperity in tourism & aviation industry as well!
Such a shame!
I wonder if they would be blocked from flying to INI ?
ReplyDeleteAs I am a lawyer and I keep reading about supposedly problematic decisions of CAD regarding permits for flights from/to Russia I checked "zakon o vazdušnom saobracaju" and its article 91. CAD has to follow the rules set in the law. And if the bilateral agreement between Serbia and Russia sets rules for the number of airlines which can fly on a particular route, the number of frequencies, the capacity, or it favours national carriers, CAD has very little to do. Bilateral agreements are concluded between the gov and often ratified in the Parliament, so CAD has no (formal) power to change it. And as long as the agreement is so rigid, the CAD will keep rejecting the permit.
ReplyDeleteYet they ignored the law and allowed Nordwind to operate. This is JU's doing.
Deletescared of some competition
ReplyDeleteHow many negative comments and I dare say hate to AirSerbia. I think they are true Serbian treasure and worth of protection, although this decision has something else to do then AirSerbia protection.
ReplyDeleteThen what is the reason? Please enlighten us.
DeleteThe duopoly on Belgrade-Moscow flights inflates prices a lot.
ReplyDeleteObviously many people are turned off by high prices and fly to other destinations.
That is why Aeroflot has decreased capacity from daily A333 and now on many days is only sending the A321.
On 09.07.2021. SU A333 had cca 25 % load on BEG-SVO. Price SVO-BEG-SVO cca 800 EUR bought 1 week before...
DeleteMeanwhile, Wizz BUD-VKO-BUD cca 90 EUR no lugage.
Insane..
Purchasrd tkt mow- beg- mow for 25 Dec, fare without luggage was 260e this is about 60-70 e more expensive than prior to covid farce
ReplyDeleteNobody buys airline tickets one week prior to flight. Of course the price is going to be high. Try purchasing tickets a month or two out.
ReplyDeleteNobody?
DeleteYou've never heard of last minute booking, or emergency need to fly somewhere?
C'mon NY man.
I just noticed that there are people looking out of the windows!
ReplyDeleteahahahah ....
funny
DeleteThere was flight to DME on Saturday by Ural....
DeleteNot from Belgrade.
DeleteFlight radar says there was, it was 1,5 h late...
DeleteThat is 2,5 h...
DeleteThey got a one way charter permit for today because they were selling tickets until 48 hours ago and have actually sold them. Don't think they will be having any more flights unless they get a charter permit but in that case they won't be able to sell tickets online (this is what the directorate tried to do with Nordwind but back then Russia said it would restrict Air Serbia flights so they backed off).
DeleteIf it's so, how those pax will go back?
DeleteBy the law they should be able to make exemptions under circumstances of national interest.
ReplyDeleteBelgrade airport being succesful and paying taxes definitely is of national interest!