Ural Airlines has scheduled the launch of its first service to Belgrade, after receiving approval from Russian authorities to commence operations from five Russian cities to the Serbian capital. The airline has scheduled and put on sale flights between Moscow Domodedovo Airport and Belgrade starting next Saturday, July 24. Initially, it plans to run one weekly rotation. However, it is highly likely the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate will block the carrier from introducing the flights, as was the case with S7 Airlines, which also put tickets on sale between Moscow and Belgrade only for the Serbian regulator to refuse issuing a permit. 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.
Travel between the two countries has flourished during the coronavirus pandemic. Aeroflot currently maintains daily flights between Moscow and the Serbian capital with its wide-body Airbus A330-300 aircraft, while Air Serbia runs eight weekly rotations, as well as frequent charters with its A330-200 jet. In addition, Aeroflot recently launched flights from St Petersburg to Belgrade, while Nordwind Airlines has introduced services from both Moscow and St Petersburg this year. Furthermore, Air Serbia has restored operations on all of its routes to Russia including St Petersburg and Krasnodar, while it also inaugurated flights to Rostov-on-Don this summer.
In addition to Moscow, back in April Ural Airlines received approval from Russian authorities to launch services to Belgrade from St Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Kazan, however, these are yet to be scheduled. Ural had previously flown from Domodedovo Airport to Belgrade in 2016 but terminated the service after nine months due to strong competition. The airline carried over nine million passengers in 2019 and boasts a fleet of 51 Airbus aircraft including the A320neo. There are currently 25 weekly scheduled flights between Belgrade and Russia, with over 4.700 seats on sale between the two each week.
Further details for the new Moscow - Belgrade service can be viewed here.
Watch the CAD block them.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why. It's not like they are threat to anyone...
DeleteWell maybe a threat to JU & SU.
Delete`1 weekly flight? Why let Nordwind Airlines fly then?
DeleteMaybe N4 has good political connections.
DeleteNot really. N4 nearly got blocked too. But N4 was just lucky because they were the first ones in. N4 started by officially applying for a charter permit, even though they were selling tickets online. Then Air Serbia got upset because it has to compete against someone and asked the CAD to block them. And the CAD actually did and one flight was cancelled back in February but then the Russian aviation authority got upset and threatened to block Air Serbia so they retreated like mice and N4 got its permit.
DeleteThank goodness there is open sky with EU otherwise they would be blocking anyone who dare launch flights.
DeleteThat's what's great about Serbia, JU's parasitic tendencies aren't holding the market hostage and in many ways JU is forced either to fight or retreat.
DeleteThat's why I always laugh when I remember Marek's comment from the other day how they have strategic planning. They have no such a thing and their lack of marketing is best proof of that.
Is it a cynical laugh, a skeptical laugh, or a joyful laugh?
DeleteIt's a sad laugh because this guy receives a huge salary and then he make such statements.
DeleteI don't think they will block them. I looked at their website and tickets are not that cheap, I think they have a lot of customers already.
DeleteSo how do the research, plan, analyze information for a new route without a strategic planning department?
DeleteJU strategy is to look for market with almost no competition and to go for it. When they launch Rostov they were the only foreign airline there. Same with Oslo and Geneva. Now we see how well they do there and I hope it is not like Budapest, Varna, Warsaw and so on.
DeleteIsrael airlines are flying to BEG now but JU is not flying to TLV. Another strategic move at JU?
Ok, so you admit JU has a strategic planning development.
DeleteAnd good observation, when JU realizes there is a demand for a new city, and there is no competition, then that is great for Air Serbia.
Sometimes new routes fail due to low demand, little marketing and PR, but at least they try.
Just because they have a strategic department doesn't mean it is doing a good job or that it's worth all the subsidies JU receives.
DeleteThe strategic decision to enter the South Russian market was excellent and appears to be successful. Krasnodar, Rostov and later maybe Soči.
DeleteI hope JU manages to keep up with LH in FRA, OS in VIE, KL in AMS and especially LX in ZRH. Swiss seems to be going crazy with 21 weekly flights and many of them with A320 and A321. This is the first time in 20 years that Swiss has the upper hand on this market.
DeleteGood observation. JU needs to fight back hard now, not to lose market share. At least not without a fight.
DeleteI think their strategic department decided to strategically have less frequencies to VIE and ZRH. I mean it's a good strategy to have daily flights to VIE on a 31 year old ATR when your competition has 16 weekly on the E95.
DeleteLove the sarcasm.
DeleteSo this will be the fourth airline flying between Belgrade and Moscow?
ReplyDeleteYes, if the Civil Aviation Directorate doesn't stop them.
DeleteTheir fares seem decent compared to the competition.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope they launch.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations BEG!
ReplyDeleteAlmost every week we get good news about new airlines / routes in Belgrade. Even in the normal times it would be extra ordinary and especially in these crazy circumstances.
+1
DeleteBEG is making a really strong comeback
DeleteAnd fairly fast too.
DeleteI'm surprised how modern their fleet is. All Airbus. Although they have MAXs on order.
ReplyDeleteAre there still caps on flights between Moscow and Belgrade?
ReplyDeleteYes. 8 flights per week by each country at the moment (Aeroflot 7 + Nordwind 1, Air Serbia 8).
DeleteIt makes no sense.
DeleteActually it's 8 to Moscow alone. SU, N4 and JU have LED flights and JU flies to ROV and KRR.
DeleteI hope CAD won't limit the market in order to protect JU. Local market profits the most like this.
ReplyDeleteIt's not really about the CAD. They get the order from Air Serbia and then do it. The CAD itself does not care.
DeleteWell, Air Serbia >>> Government of Serbia >>> CAD.
DeleteFantastic news
ReplyDeleteNice, but what is the point with one weekly frequencies?
ReplyDeleteThere is a limit on the number of flights between Moscow and Belgrade. So they start off with one and will eventually grow. Nordwind started a second route within 6 months of launching Moscow-Belgrade.
DeleteMaybe they know they can't get more than that. Better something than nothing.
DeleteI'm sorry about this because of hotel industry
Don't get your hopes up. Air Serbia is uncompetitive against anyone so they will give the orders to block Ural. Got a feeling.
ReplyDeleteStill nothing on INI-Russia market, could it work with 2pw?
ReplyDeleteRed Wings used to operate some Nis charters in 2017.
DeleteGreat idea. And help tourism in southern Serbia.
Delete2pw should be able to work with a low coster.
When does Red Wings resume flights?
ReplyDeleteBelgrade and Yerevan are the only two international destinations that they have on their drop down menu. Hopefully soon.
DeleteGood. The more foreign visitors the better.
ReplyDeleteWhat is this airline like? Are they LCC?
ReplyDeleteIt's a full service airline but they have fares without baggage and meals.
DeleteHope this route starts.
ReplyDeleteTickets are still on sale, so that's a good sign :D
DeleteThis year they have 0, yes zero, charters to Heraklion. Why? Well because they couldn't compete against Aegean and Wizz Air. So they are focusing on Turkey where CAD blocked Anadoloujet and Egypt where anyone else besides Air Cairo can't dream of operating flights. Remember the saga with Al-Masria and their A332 the past few years?
ReplyDeleteKnowing it's in the CAD's hands, I would not hold my breath that they issue approval.
ReplyDeleteThey only listen to JU.
DeleteNice. They have a big network in Russia. Would be good for transfers.
ReplyDeleteWhen are these silly caps going to be lifted?
ReplyDeleteIt's Russia's doing. Not the other way around.
DeleteShame Russians are not allowing more flights to Moscow. There seems to be more than enough demand.
DeleteThe more airlines the better since it will help with BEG's recovery.
ReplyDeleteNot just BEG's but rather the whole country's. I mean these Russian tourists would come here and spend their money in hotels, restaurants, shops and so on. However Air Serbia doesn't really care about that and they want these guys to fly with them for €700.
DeleteWon't help Air Serbia though.
DeleteIt will force them to be more competitive
DeleteBut this doesn't help the Serbian economy. One flight with Ural brings 150+ people who are coming to spend money here. Look at N4, they are doing really well and their flights are packed and many are with A321.
DeleteOr maybe it's a lack of available aircraft?
ReplyDeleteGood that it's finally an airport other than Sheremetyevo.
ReplyDeleteAnd what is wrong with Sheremetievo? best airport in Moscow fyi!
DeleteI have a cool idea. For every airline JU blocks they have to launch that route. Ok, they are going to block Ural now, fine... increase SVO to 9 weekly. You blocked S7 as well? Cool, increase SVO by one flight. If they think there is no market then they should let those who disagree with them to operate flights.
ReplyDeleteGood idea. But in order for those Russians who were/would fly to BEG, Air Serbia would have to reduce their fares. Otherwise those people will go somewhere else.
DeleteNope, they have a few charter flights to Chania so it's not an issue of having or not having planes. Also they will fly to some other Greek destinations so the absence of Heraklion is extremely interesting.
ReplyDeleteIf Serbia want to promote tourism then it has to stop blocking so many airline. More competition mean cheaper tickets so more people can afford to come.
ReplyDeleteWell maybe that's just it, they fly to all those destinations you mention and as a result they have no available planes.
ReplyDeleteOk, it's clear that Serbia is looking into Russia and China during the last decade. If you want to stimulate travel, you need to allow competition. When will this JU protectionism ever end? This mentality is really outdated. I think this is also the main reason why Wizz Air never really expanded that much in BEG. They are probably putting limits.
ReplyDeleteAnd in the case of Ural, we are talking about 1 weekly flight, for God's sake! How can this be a "threat"?
Mhmmm sure that's it, they don't have planes so they only don't fly to Heraklion where they have two competitors.
ReplyDeleteAnd not to mention that Heraklion is second Greece airport by number of passengers so it could work and with transfer and direct passengers. But Mr. Marek is strategic planner, so no.
ReplyDeletereally good period for BEG and Serbian aviation. I am so impressed by Indian carriers doing so well in promoting Belgrade. Every day there are between 1 and 3 arrivals from New Delhi. BEG will definitely earn some money from all these fantastic increases. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteWelcome!
ReplyDeleteThe schedule is good.
ReplyDeleteI hope they manage but I'm not sure they will be able to compete against SU and JU.
ReplyDeleteN4 seems to be doing ok
DeleteWhy wouldn't they be able to compete against Air Serbia? They have an actual business class product.
Deletehttps://cdn.planespotters.net/10290/vp-bbq-ural-airlines-airbus-a320-214_PlanespottersNet_343256_f8b7d8a8c8_o.jpg
Didn't know that Heraklion is second biggest Greek airport.
ReplyDeleteGood point that they could get lots of transfers from Balkans.
Well you saw that they don't have enough aircraft. lol
ReplyDeleteYeah, too bad, Heraklion would be a great addition.
ReplyDeleteDo you think it could work year round?
I am pretty sure that could work year round. Maybe novembar and February could be problematic, but other months for sure.
ReplyDeleteGreat news for BEG, bad news for JU.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they will live.
DeleteIn my opinion, a decent low fare option between Serbia and Russia would really boost tourism.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fair opinion.
DeleteThe prices on JU, SU and now even N4 are out of control.
DeleteIt would be great if BEG get some new legacy carriers. Is there any chance we could see some new carriers this year?
ReplyDeleteThey got two this year- KLM and Luxair.
DeleteI clearly said new...
DeleteHow many new airlines do you expect to launch flights during an ongoing pandemic?
DeleteBA, Iberian and TAP would be nice. Oh, love to see SAS too.
DeleteBA is not needed in BEG.
DeleteI have no expetations. I have just asked. Thats huge difference...
DeleteBelgrade is getting Indigo A321neo from DEL tonight!
DeleteI'm sick of hearing about BEG even though I am from Beograd. The airport and city are doing just fine. I hope the situation in Nis changes. INI has huge potential.
ReplyDeleteWell the demand seems to be for BEG.
DeleteWhy flying to Heraklion when you can fly to Chania ?
ReplyDeleteChania is Cretes second airport and as good .