Air Serbia is today taking delivery of its first of five ATR72-600 turboprops, with plans to replace its entire regional fleet with newly leased aircraft by the end of the year. As previously reported, the first ATR72-600 is six years old and will arrive from Toulouse with the registration YU-ALY. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the aircraft will likely enter into commercial service on February 1. It will be scheduled throughout the carrier’s regional network on flights from Belgrade to Banja Luka, Bologna, Bucharest, Ljubljana, Podgorica, Prague, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Tivat, Trieste, Tirana, Vienna and Zagreb, as well as seasonal services to Bari, Dubrovnik, Pula, Rijeka, Split and Zadar. Furthermore, it will be utilised on flights from Niš to Ljubljana and Athens, as well as from Kraljevo to Istanbul and Thessaloniki.
Air Serbia’s ATR72-600s will feature new leather slim seats, which will enable the airline to increase its capacity on the aircraft to 72, up from 66 in the -200 series and seventy in the -500 series. The seats were manufactured by Geven from Italy. The “Prestige” seats featured provide baseline features such as recline, a high literature pocket and eighteen inches in width. Furthermore, in contrast to the current turboprop fleet, the ATR72-600s also enable passengers to store large roller bags in the overhead bins.
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| Air Serbia ATR72-600 cabin |
Commenting on the arrival of newer aircraft, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said, “Fleet renewal is one of the most significant strategic decisions and Air Serbia is capitalising on current favourable market conditions regarding aircraft availability. We are starting with our turboprop fleet and replacing all ATR 72-200s, of which we currently have three in the fleet, as well as two ATR 72-500 airplanes, with state-of-the-art ATR72-600 during the upcoming period. This will significantly increase our operational efficiency, as well as service provided to passengers. Our ambition is to continue to develop further as a regional leader and the upgraded turboprop fleet is an essential step on this path.
The arrival of newer ATR aircraft will significantly reduce the average age of Air Serbia’s fleet, which currently stands at nineteen and a half years. The current ATRs range between 24 and 32 years. The two ATR72-200s were delivered new to JAT Yugoslav Airlines in 1990.
Looks great. Congrats Air Serbia
ReplyDeleteAre they actually bought or leased?
DeleteThey are leased. It says in the article.
DeleteGreat news. ATR is my favourite airplane. I hope JU will have more ATRs in fleet. Beside ATR, CRJ 900 is my favourite also. Very comfortable and fast. I used to fly a lot with Lufthansa City Line CRJ 900
DeleteCertainly an improvement on todays ATR cabins at JU which have seen better days.
ReplyDeleteIs it a coincidence new routes exploded and aircraft started arriving once Naysmith left office?
DeleteImprovement YES big time but unfortunately it will not last too long as ASL doesn't barely maintain their cabins ... they become dirty and falling apart within 12 months of exploitation which is a shame.
DeleteOver 20 new routes were announced in 2019 while Naysmith was there, another 5 announced for 2020, 3 new routes during a pandemic and 2 A319's joined the fleet in 2020.
DeleteWhat time will it arrive in BEG today?
ReplyDeleteYou can follow it here. It hasn't departed yet
Deletehttps://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/f-hipy
I still don't understand how they will upkeep their summer timetable considering they have added new ATR routes. Ok this summer it might be possible since they will have more than 5 in the fleet but what about next year when they replace all the ATRs and have 5 again?
ReplyDeleteWell if these routes perform well then they can always expand their ATR fleet for next year.
DeleteOne ATR 72- 500 will stay in the fleet.
DeleteThere are some rumours about 2 more ATR from Australija. I don't believe in it, some informations about it?
No, Air Serbia clearly stated all ATR72-200 and all ATR72-500 are being replaced. So one ATR72-500 is not staying in the fleet.
DeleteOne ATR72-500 will stay until end of summer seasion.
DeleteI think they might keep some over the summer just in case there is extra demand or one of their newer ATRs goes tech.
DeleteI suppose they need 6/7 ATRs and 13/14 A319/320 for all these routes and charters. Maybe they will wet lease something for high season
DeleteJU have stated that they will phase out the older ATR's by the end of the year.
DeleteI do think more will join the next year, together with an announcement of new destinations and frequency increases on current routes. I also think a couple ATR routes will move to the A319. TIA seems to be an A319 destination during the summer for example.
I can't believe the ATRs are getting replaced after 30 years! Nice to see.
ReplyDeleteI thought the day would never come :D
DeleteGreat. Finally.
DeleteI prefer to fly the ATR than the Q400.
It is a pity that Air Serbia and Croatia Airlines do not use jet regional aircraft. I prefer to use the CRJ900 or E190, but as they say, these are less economical than turboprop aircraft.
E190 is fine but I am so happy JU never went for the CRJ900. It's probably one of the worst aircraft out there. I always felt so cramped and claustrophobic while flying it.
DeleteATR might not be ideal but it's not that bad.
I agree about the CRJ900. It feels claustrophobic. And very loud. SAAB is still the most comfortable regional AC with its 1-2 configuration!
DeleteYes, ATR is ok. For me the Dash 8-400 is more claustrophobic and uncomfortable than Crj900.
DeleteFrom all those tiny planes, my favorite was the E45. I have very nice memories of LO when they had them. That said, I was always lucky enough to be sitting on the single seat so I am biased.
DeleteQ400 is ok for me, I always felt it was vibrating more than the ATR. It's probably just me.
And I really hated that plane on AZ flights.
DeleteSo narrow and claustrophobic...The width of the cabin is 2 meters!
If you think about it, this year is very important because that's when last remnants of JAT/Jat will be phased out from JU.
ReplyDeleteThis process started in 2013 when the first A319s started arriving and when certain 733s were immediately retired. Now it's the ATRs that are leaving and Air Serbia has somewhat completely transitioned from that previous period.
Not only are these ATRs more economical but they are going to be far more reliable than the old ones they have now.
It is a new era for them and I think the biggest developments we have seen at the airline since 2013.
DeleteI like the new interior, although wouldn't it have been better for the colour to be dark blue like on the Airbuses?
ReplyDeleteI would think so too. Cabins should be uniformed. Although the Adria Airbuses still have gray seats.
DeleteReading between the lines
ReplyDelete"Wee are STARTING with our turboprop fleet"
I expect more Airbuses will come too.
This is a good start
DeleteOf course more A319's will arrive. They were short 2 ac last summer (2 wet leased B737's) and in the mean time 2 A319's were retired, which means they are short 4 aircraft for this summer. Plus the announced expansion, my guess is 5 A319's will join the fleet.
DeleteAre these new additions to JU fleet CAT II certified?
ReplyDeleteCat 2 - yes.
DeleteCat3A - not a chance
Does this come as improvement over old ATR's? Were these rated for CAT2 as well or lower? Thx in advance for your answer and clarification!
DeleteThey say this plane will fly to Zadar and this destination has not been announced yet.
ReplyDeleteInteresting.
Good observation. They haven't operated there since 2019.
DeleteSure looks nicer than this
ReplyDeletehttps://www.airlinereporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IMG_2045.jpg?x71265
This trashy AC was the reason I NEVER booked any flight via BEG, even tho it was cheaper/faster connection than connecting via FRA, IST. I will never forget that hot summer day a few years ago. I flu LJU-BEG-BEY and on the first leg this old ATR was deployed, totally packed, i got the last row, literally squizzed in the back, ... and ... for some reason air-conditioning didnt work. A NIGHTMARE! The worst experience ever. I got to BEG totally sweaty, smelly, gross. Im happy they are finally getting rid off this old metal.
DeleteFrom what I know it's not the aircraft's fault. In order for the a/c to work while the engines are not working, there has to be a generator. Either the one they had at LJU did not work or JU did not request it.
DeleteI remember back in 2014 there were around 4 generators and 5 ATRs at BEG. When it would get hot there would be such a rush among the crew to make sure theirs had it. Luckily later on they got more so now that problem is resolved.
It might be. But the AC didnt work or didnt work properly even after the engines had started. It was a nightmare. I dont remember any other AC type, even when positioned on a remote stand, to use a generator to keep the AC working. Or is it just an ATR thing?
DeleteWhen on the remote stand I think they all need it. Maybe if there is someone who works at BEG that could correct me if I am wrong but I think BEG airbridges have a cord that gets attached to the A319 so there is electricity and with it the a/c.
DeleteIf the a/c was weak after take off then it probably wasn't working properly in general. Those ATRs were absolutely atrocious. That I will agree with.
My longest flight with it was BEG-MUC in 2008, took us 02 hours and 45 minutes.
The Caravelle had no APU, so AC could not work until RR Avons are started:))
DeleteEven J.B. Tito used to fly it, and nowadys folks complain to be smelly after the flight for no AC... Go get a deodorant;)
Sure, 707 also didn't have APU initially, but we are not in the 1960s anymore. Even Ryanair has APU now :)
DeleteHallelujah
ReplyDeleteWhy the orange colour on the seats though? Has nothing to do with Air Serbia :/
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts too. Would make more sense if it was red.
DeleteAnd the funny thing is, the seats look brand new, not second hand, so why did they order them with orange lol
DeleteAir Serbia didnt opt for these seats. They were already installed.
Delete^ They look new to me.
DeleteThese seats for intended for airline called Firefly. And as you can see in the link this post dates back to 2013.
Deletehttps://kotabharuairport.blogspot.com/2013/07/firefly-welcomes-its-first-atr-72-600.html?m=1
I really hope that every ATR won't have different seats.
DeleteThe seats aren't new at all. They were on the plane from the beginning and used at least 3 of the 6,5 years by Firefly (9M-FIF as mentioned above) and latest by Amelia International (F-HIPY https://blog.flight-report.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CABINE-AMELIA-ATR72-1024X576.JPG)
DeleteI'm really excited for Air Serbia and all the positive and good news coming from the airline lately.
ReplyDeleteFinally will fly on an Air Serbia ATR that is younger than me.
ReplyDeleteIf it is entering service in a couple of days, hopefully we soon find out which will be the first destination.
ReplyDeleteI hope they send it to Ljubljana. I am not the only one who refused to fly with JU only due to the AC deployed on the route.
Delete@sloavio - you probably are :) I can totally understand being picky about the equipment on med/long haul, but I really don't understand folk being picky/exclusive on 1 hour flights.
DeleteSorry, I can deal with CRJ900 (even if I dont like it), dash, but those JU ATR were beyond any standard. No leg room, low ceiling, uncomfortable, vibrating, loud.
DeleteI am 190cm/110kg and probably flew more than 50 times to FRA/MUC with Adria CRJs and more than 100 times with JU ATRs. Is it ideal - no, is it really that horrible experience - no. On the other hand I only few twice with U2 and W6 before realising that upgrading to first row is A MUST for me. But then again, I totally get that - 100 ljudi, 100 ćudi :) so I respect your opinion despite disagreeing with it.
DeleteCongratulations and good luck!
ReplyDeleteThe saga is finally over and the ATRs are really being replaced.
ReplyDelete2-3 more ATRs would be nice, perhaps in time for Summer 2023. Mostar, Maribor, Ohrid, and Naples could be new destinations, as well as increasing some of the better performing regional destinations.
ReplyDeleteCabin looks perfect. I am not sure if JU withdraw all current ATR's, will they have enough for announced new destinations, existing one's and Nis and Kraljevo service
ReplyDeleteIn the articles it says that the ATR replacement will take place until the end of the year. So they will have more than 5 ATRs this summer for summer. It probably means that next year they will lease more ATRs.
DeleteI hope they are less noisy than the older versions.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if they could give one ATR-72-200 to the Belgrade outdoor museum!
ReplyDeleteSeats looks great. Anyone know the legroom?
ReplyDeleteThesaloniki from KVO? Isn't Tivat the seasonal route from KVO, not SKG
ReplyDeleteBoth are. Thessaloniki was launched last year. Tivat joins this year.
DeleteI still think they could have introduced business class on these birds. Last two rows, same seats, only difference is you get something free from the elevate deli menu and the seat next to you i blocked. Of course sell same capacity of economy seats too but. If someone buys it great, if not there is no loss.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming the next one will come rather soon?
ReplyDeleteI wonder what is the leasing cost of this bird per month.
ReplyDeleteWould be nicer if its brand new but oh well, at least something.
ReplyDeleteThe article that is linked from a few weeks ago says this plane has been stored for several years so it's almost brand new.
DeleteCongrats!
ReplyDeleteFrequencies from the region is one of the ways how JU can fight LCCs, and you need economical planes to deliver that.
I suppose it doesn't make sense to install winglets as the savings in absolute terms would not cover the installation investment.
Introduction of these planes will actually produce quite a few savings considering they are much more economical.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any assessment how much could the savings be? Are we talking about 5% or even more?
DeleteI guess much more than 5%. Not only will it carry more passengers but it will consume less petrol and I believe they will no longer have to carry a mechanic with them.
DeleteMy cousin flew VIE-BEG just before covid. They were all in the plane sitting when something went wrong. The mechanic stepped outside and started banging on the inside of the engine. My cousin stood up, disembarked, went home and came to BEG on OS the next morning. :D
JU ATRs didn't have any accidents on VIE-BEG according to internet accident databases. If your cousin have stayed on the plane, he would have arrived safely one day earlier.
DeleteWhatever (or whomever) that mechanic was banging, he did a good job :)
Correct me if I am wrong, but the fuel amount DC10-30 used for taxing from the gate to the runway is equal to the amount of fuel that ATR72 needs for the whole flight between Belgrade and for instance Tivat.
DeleteYou are not wrong; ATR 72-200 needed 550-650 kg of fuel to Tivat and widebody jets easily spend that amount on taxi....maybe not BEG as it is not long one but in AMS, FRA,NYC or similar, for sure!
DeleteAnon 17.58
DeleteHehe of course, it's just that he is generally terrified of flying so I think that was too much for him. It didn't help that he was sitting on that side and could enjoy the show.
Personally I flew the ATR on BEG-VIE at least 20 times and I always enjoyed it. Actually I think that segment for me had the widest variety of equipment over the years: ATR, B733, B736, A319, A320, A321, MDs, Q400s, CRJ200 and even that small Tyrolean Bombardier.
All of those were either on JU or OS.
Good times.
Guys, there are so many reasons to be optimistic about 2022. I think it's the year of Serbian aviation.
ReplyDelete1. Air Serbia renews its ATR fleet.
2. BEG is opening its expanded C terminal in April.
3. Several old gates were upgraded.
4. New remote stands being opened.
5. New control tower will be opened.
6. Wizz Air will operate a full summer with three A321 plus AUH, DTM and LTN with non-BEG planes.
7. KLM, LOT, Turkish Airlines, Aegean, flydubai ... have all announced more flights in summer.
8. Air Serbia announced a major summer expansion.
Who can't be excited about all this?
It is really great news. Plus I expect in the next two days we find out the final new JU routes.
DeleteI think by mistake they uncovered Zadar as one of the remaining two. It means the other two are not operate by ATR so they are not regional ones.
DeleteSomething new is that Norwegian increased OSL-BEG to 4 weekly from this summer. Market to Oslo is becoming extremely hot from all the competition. It's becoming too difficult to handle for some like Wizz Air.
DeleteBEG has done well in recent years. I still think BT, SK and BA are missing for the European offer to be completed. As far as LIS goes, I'd rather JU or W6 take that one.
DeleteLike the cabin and the plane type :)
ReplyDeleteSo the 5 ATR registration will be: ALQ, ALW, ALX, ALY and ALZ?
ReplyDeleteShould be, although interesting they started with ALY and not ALQ.
DeleteQ is not used in YU register its too similar with O. QOQ OQO you get the point ��
DeleteI'm sorry, maybe I missed the news. Are these going to be bought or leased?
ReplyDeleteIt says in the first sentence :D
Delete"Air Serbia is today taking delivery of its first of five ATR72-600 turboprops, with plans to replace its entire regional fleet with newly leased aircraft by the end of the year."
These birds should make them more competitive against Air Montenegro's Embraers on BEG-TGD/TIV routes.
ReplyDeleteSame as with Austrian Airlines' E95 which are far more expensive on this short segment.
DeleteDo these have a bigger range than the -200s and -500s?
ReplyDelete...or bigger speed?
DeleteYes, indeed, all parameters are better.
DeleteWill those ATR's get any names?
ReplyDeleteCity or mountain?
Following the fiasco of the "Living legends of Serbia" names, I think it's best they don't name them.
DeleteJU has a horrible system for naming aircraft. The 'living legends' theme for the A319's was not done in full and was ridiculed.
DeleteIMO, I think they should join the Serbian tourism board and do something along the lines of:
ATR's - rivers, national parks, mountains: Sava, Dunav, Drina, Tisa, Morava.
A319's - towns and cities of Serbia: Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Zrenjanin, Kraljevo.
A330's - historically important people: Nikola Tesla, Milutin Milankovic, Mihajlo Pupin.
Serbian tourism board could offer material about these places on JU aircraft to market Serbia.
I like the idea JATBEGMEL proposed! ATR´s should def be named by the rivers!
DeleteThey should be named after towns, rivers, mountains. They are enough so that any major town in Serbia is not ommited.
DeleteFun fact: I remember flying Austrian back in 2004. The inflight magazine revealed its fleet named after cities the airline flew to: even Chisinau was there, only, there was no Belgrade. Remnants of 1914:)
Belgrade was a F100 from what I remember.
DeleteNice work Air Serbia
ReplyDeleteGood to see at least one airline in ex-Yu spreading its wings and modernizing its fleet.
ReplyDeleteName the new arrivals after famous Serbian monasteries.
ReplyDeletethat is for the trains :-)
Deleteif you remember that episode
ahahha a hahahaha hah
DeleteMislim da će se putnici za Beč i Prag naj više obradovati. To su čini mi se naj duže rute na ATR-u.
ReplyDeletenajviše i najduže, 'naj' nikad odvojeno.
DeleteI da, leteo sam više puta PRG-BEG u one stare krntije.
Sad mi je lakše,taman sam se zabrinuo ,kolektore moj.
DeleteRazmak posle zarez, uvek.
DeleteYU-ALY is enroute to BEG. Should be landing in just over an hour from now :)
ReplyDeleteIt has arrived and has parked in front of the new C extension.
DeleteДобро дошао!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozr5CPpeUAo&ab_channel=FlyingHighAviation
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. Interesting that French pilots flew it to Belgrade and not JU's.
DeleteWas nice to see it taxi and park next to the new extension, looks very nice.
I am a bit surprised they went for leather seats to be honest. Most car makers are going away from leather because of the animal rights movement. Faux leather could have put Air Serbia ahead of the curve and been a minor PR win.
ReplyDeleteStill a beautiful aircraft.
good point
Delete