NEWS FLASH
Air Serbia added seven new short-haul routes to its network over the past week in addition to its new long-haul service to Chicago. On May 15, the carrier introduced flights between Belgrade and Hamburg, which it last served in 2019. It will compete directly against Wizz Air on the route. Hamburg becomes the airline’s tenth destination in Germany.
Later that same day, the carrier inaugurated scheduled flights between Belgrade and Cairo, which were last served by the airline prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. This summer, Air Serbia also maintains regular charter flights from Belgrade to Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh and Mersa Matruh, as well as from Niš to Hurghada.
On May 18, the Serbian flag carrier introduced flights to Gothenburg. The route was last served by Air Serbia’s predecessor Jat Airways in 2013. The Serbian carrier will compete directly against Wizz Air between the two cities. Gothenburg becomes Air Serbia’s second destination in Sweden after Stockholm.
That same day, Air Serbia inaugurated services between Belgrade and Cologne. The carrier already served the German city from Niš. Cologne Airport’s CEO, Thilo Schmid, said, "We are very pleased that Air Serbia is now adding another exciting destination to our flight plan with Belgrade. There are options to connect from Belgrade to the wider Air Serbia network. These include long haul destinations such as New York and Tianjin, as well as metropolises such as Florence, Tel Aviv and Bucharest, but also regional destinations like Podgorica and Tivat in Montenegro".
On May 19 and May 20, Air Serbia added two seasonal destinations in Italy by launching flights to Naples and Florence. The airline now serves eight cities in Italy with Palermo to become the ninth next month.
Air Serbia added Marseille to its network on May 20, becoming its third destination in France. “We are thrilled to welcome Air Serbia at Marseille Provence Airport. The national carrier will operate two weekly flights between Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and Marseille Provence, connecting the Serbian community directly to their home-country and bringing additional connectivity to the Balkans and more”, Laurent Dubosc, Marseille Airport’s Network Development Business Manager, said.
Wow great news!
ReplyDeleteit would be great if air serbia was more serious. It will struggle to compete with the large inneficient A319.
Deleteif air serbia wanted to compete with Wizz and stay profitable it would get the A319 NEO at least or preferably use Embraer jets. Smaller so don't need as many passengers to be profitable. and more efficient and cheaper to operate means cheaper tickets
Why bother to compete with Wizzair. I think they should directly compete with SpaceX and that they should immediately buy few Orion's from NASA and show to everyone that they are serious. Without it, they are just a joke!
Delete@Slav.Man You mean more serious like OU that opened a total of 4 routes then cancelled one? LOL.
DeleteGetting A319NEO is something you may try to sell to other, less smart airlines. JU knows 319neo has no almost orders and is a dead end. They are getting A321 to compete against Wizz.
@ 17:13 and what happens if there is a turn in the economy or politics. then they will have a bigger plane that they cant fill.
Deletealso as someone who's home is 100km closer to NIS than to belgrade there would be even more people that would fly but they choose not to because it too inconvenient to travel to belgrade.
A319 neo is dead end to bigger airlines. who need more capacity so they go to for A321. but for serbia its a good size. just need more efficient plane.
and just because Air Serbia is in better position than Croatia Airlines doesn't mean that should just accept it. always lots of ways to improve and get better.
A319 is becoming small for JU. In reality they don't need it. They need something smaller and larger than the A319: they need E90 and A320.
DeleteAlso don't forget that BEG no longer just attracts local passengers, now we have those from the region as well especially from the Romanian Banat. TSR is pretty much dead, BEG has run them over. Just look at each airport's Italian network this summer. BEG has close to 80 weekly flights while TSR has 13.
@Slav.Man someone who's home is 100km closer to NIS than to belgrade
DeleteFrom Novi Pazar to INI is about 100km more than to BEG.
the other way around
DeleteSlav.man, those ones who choose not to fly because BEG is 100km too far, what do they do? Take a bus or stay at home?!
DeleteThe policy of competing against Wizz Air will fail because Wizz Air has more professional crew and a much larger turnover than Air Serbia.
DeleteWizz Air offers low prices and profits on its investments from the large cash flow rather than from flying.
How Air Serbia thinks it can fill large planes to destinations like Gothenburg is a mystery.
Absolutely amazing growth, i noticed that 737 is already flying for them, does it feature JU livery, since it was on the ground at Kosice for 3 weeks?
ReplyDeleteNo, it is all white
Deletehttps://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10953268
DeleteUsed to have a hybrid PS livery which was luckily removed before delivery.
DeleteGreat news! I wonder how much is driven by transfers, in particular those from Russia. My brother flew from JFK, it seems that good portion of passengers were Russian speaking.
ReplyDeleteRussian passengers have little, if any, effect on new routes and frequency upgrades. There simply isn't that much capacity being thrown into Russia that will have a noticeable difference effect on the JU network. There will be a few routes where you will have a fair bit of Russian transfers, but again not enough to justify this growth. SVO has the most frequencies but also has large O&D demand. The rest are a couple of flights a week and mostly on the A319.
DeleteTheir pricing in/out of Russia for transfers is absolutely not attractive. Flying with a combination of airlines (Azymuth, S7 or SU + TK) through IST or EWN (SU + OS) is +/- 30% cheaper.
DeleteWhere is EWN?
DeleteEVN (Yerevan)
DeleteBravo Air Serbia!!! 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDeleteWow. New possibilities for durnolot :)
ReplyDeletePo cenama karara reklo bi se da su letovi na novim linijama fino popunjeni. Dobro urađen posao za JU.
ReplyDeleteRespect!
ReplyDeleteGo Serbia!
ReplyDeleteThe ticket sales on the new routes look like they're going really well!! Super excited for Krakow, for Lisbon already being upgraded regularly to A320s, all the new Italian routes, it's fantastic!
ReplyDeleteIf air Serbia maybe focused on growth from Nis they wouldn't need the A320, keep the A319 from Belgrade and let people fly from Nis on the E170. Nis can serve at least 1-1.5 million passengers since its much closer than Belgrade
Delete@Slav.Man you comment contradict your own comment above where you mentioned "large inneficient A319." Did your brain fell out along the way?
Deleteit doesn't contradict.
Deletethe A319 is large and inefficient on the skinny routes with low demand such as these new routes launched, like London. its always half full when i travel. plus tickets are expensive
however for routes with more demand, such as Vienna or Lisbon where there is demand. it would be better to serve the route from NIS also since there is demand.
here's an example. Wizz air and ryan air fly every day from Nis to vienna. they use large A320 and A321. This shows there is a lot of demand from the south of serbia. its not just people from Belgrade and Novi Sad that are travelling.
Nis struggled to fill flights to Zurich yet you expect them to successfully fill a flight to Lisbon? JU has no business on INI-VIE with both FR and W6 operating the route.
DeleteINI-HHN does really, really well. CGN not so much. How about we first succeed with existing gasto routes before dreaming of Lisbon. There are going to be a lot more charters out of INI this summer, that's a step in the right direction.
In the next phase INI should lobby to get flights to Berlin and Paris.
@nemjee.
DeleteWhich plane did they use for the NIS - ZURICH route that they couldn't fill?
@Slav.Man London. its always half full when i travel
DeleteLOL. First thing you should learn is not to rely just on personal experience and draw conclusions from small sample set. Then you should research more and realize Air Serbia asked to increase LHR weekly slot pairs to 14 but was denied. They wouldn't ask for it if they didn't have a plan to fill those seats.
They used the A319. Are you aware the first flight had 30-something passengers? That's bad even for an E70.
DeleteYou simply can't put so much focus on INI and it can't expand at the same pace as Belgrade. Not only is the region poorer but it has a much smaller catchment area. Nisavski okrug is home to 354.000 people while the average salary was 68.390 RSD.
Compare that to Novi Beograd which has a population of 209.000 and where the average salary is 123.914 RSD.
Municipalities around INI are poorer and are experiencing negative population growth. The same can't be said about BEG.
It makes sense for BEG to be booming while INI experiences slower growth. Just look at the average salary over the past few years.
Nisavski okrug
2020: 54.674
2021: 60.386
2022: 68.390
Belgrade
2020: 74.311
2021: 82.132
2022: 94.808
If we look at GDP per capita last year then you can see why demand varies so much.
Belgrade: 1.233.000 RSD
Nisavski: 584.000 RSD
That said, Nis has been experiencing growth and that is why we are seeing more and more flights being added. This summer they should have the best ever charter season, that's already something we should celebrate.
Even BEG-INI is starting to see healthier loads. There are very few flights will less than 15 passengers per flight.
It also doesn't help that INI has SOF and SKP fighting for the same passengers. This is Nis' main problem, not Belgrade.
@Nejmee. of course i understand slower growth, exactly why i asked the jet they used. the E170 can reach the whole of europe, be more efficient and help to start routes until they mature. it took what 5 years until New York became profitable. the A319 is more expensive so more expensive tickets. so probably added to poor sales to zurich.
Deletebut that's why i said they should have a E70 for at least one weekly flight to the routes with interest, the people that travel to Belgrade for the flights. likes paris, munich/berlin, vienna. its not much but its a start and rest of the time serve Belgrade.
also of course be happy for the increased charter flights, but try to find year round growth.
and the population decline you mentioned could actually help it. because the Serbians that emigrate are from that region they would like to fly home to closer airport. and yes skopje and sofia are close, but that means those demographics can also fly from NIS if timed well and the cheaper to run jets are used, since Skopje centre is 2.5-3 hours from NIS airport. on days and times not served by Wizz.
@20.44 so they wanted double slots, they were denied but didn't try using an A320 then? thats strange, if they thought they could fill two a319's every day why not a single A320 then?
Yes but you are forgetting that it costs money to introduce a new model and JU doesn't need E70 for their Belgrade operations. It makes no sense for them to go into all that trouble just for a few INI flights.
DeleteThat is why JU can only serve routes out of INI that have the potential to fill an A319. HHN, IST and TIV in summer have shown us that there is potential. We will see how CGN will perform now that they offer it from BEG.
INI-BER should be the next one in my opinion followed by INI-BVA. Both of these could be served by JU with the A319. There is enough demand for a 2 weekly flight.
As the standard of living improves, so will the offer out of Nis.
The Naples crew are very pretty :)
ReplyDeleteEspecially the purser.
Jasmineeeeeee!!! Dje si? Je l'se ispila kahva? Jel' bija dobar rostilj u Ronda u Mostaru? Je l'se pocelo razmisljat dje cemo na godisnji? Trebalo bi, blizi se ljeto. Ocemo li jedrit sa gazda Ivanom? To su pitanja svih pitanja, a ne neki tamo novi letovi i linije, 'ko je jos vido' s tim se bakcat, jel' tako?
ReplyDeleteA što si takav, pa i OU ima 5 novih ruta ove godine.
DeleteJasmin is busy cancelling Tel Aviv :(
DeleteNice work Jasmine ! Break POZDRAV'S nerves ! The more the merrier !
DeleteProtiv Jasmina i svega sto predstavlja se mozda i moze. Protiv botovske gluposti Univerzum je nazalost nemocan 😃
DeleteGreat news. Hope Naples will be at least extended if not year round.
ReplyDeleteBravo JU !! Why dont they fly in Nice ?
ReplyDeleteBecause Wizz is Wizzier
DeleteVery pathetic, Anon 15.24. i am sure you can do much better.
DeleteThey are Wizzier then Wizz in several routes, if they lost on one, who cares.
Nice produces one of the lowest yields from BEG.
DeleteWell, I doubt Nice performs that badly for them otherwise they would have cut it or at least not increased it this summer.
DeleteThe growth is impressive. Hats off to the management of Air Serbia, they are really doing a great job under the circumstances.
ReplyDeleteBeirut seems like a good option too
ReplyDeleteHi all, anyone knows what will happen with Krakow? This destination is still scheduled and will be launched? Why asking? Well, I am trying to buy tickets for quite a lot of days and it's not possible, AS doesn't reply to my emails...so the only possible issue I am seeing is that this route won't be started after all and AS is somehow blocking the tickets being sold (I already bought some tickets recently on Air Serbian's website so there should be no issues with my card/bank).
ReplyDeleteI would appreciate if anyone can share any information about this destination, thanks!
I can find tickets without a problem. If you can't find it for a particular date, it is likely the flight is sold out. What date(s) are you looking at?
DeleteIt's definitely that certain flights are sold out - some have already been upgraded to A319 instead of ATR. Krakow will definitely be a success.
DeleteWell, the trouble is that it fails at the last step - when I need to pay for the tickets I have chosen (after all the data is input). When offered to choose the seats I see only 3 occupied, so there are a lot of free seats.
DeleteDates are 24.7. and return 26.7.
You see free seats because no one selects seats because it comes at an additional cost. But I can normally select these flights through their website. Try booking through another browser as it seems to be a technical problem.
DeleteOr just call them via call centre, you will be able to buy a ticket there as well.
DeleteI had the same issue with tickets for Lyon in October. You just have to try again and again. They have so much bugs in their application... I couldn't reset my password...
DeleteOvaj Jasmin je previse zauzet pa zato samo ima vremena da pije kavu.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else notice one guy from Air Serbia was at many of the new destinations, did a few miles
ReplyDeletewhich guy?
DeleteI think he means the one with the beard. That is their route development managet I believe.
Delete*manager
Deletenow i see the guy, with the beard. hahahah ...
DeleteThe guy is Head of Network planning if I recall correctly...
DeleteLako s tuđ ___ kroz koprive.
ReplyDeleteBuring taxpayers cash like there's no tomorrow.
Yeah, the airline had 9 million EUR profit in Q1 and has 180 million euros on its account. But I guess you know best
DeleteIf JU is so successful how come there are no investors willing to buy a stake in it?
DeleteSuccessful businesses have huge demand for their shares or bonds. Air Serbia is not a viable business, since it cannot obtain capital in the capital markets but only through political shenanigans.
Who's investing in airline with the new logo? No one. Absolutely no one.
DeleteNew routes by Air Serbia are making some people very very nervous. Aleni na aparatima. Wait but there's more! Look at new routes being launched by Air Serbia in the next couple ot weeks:
Belgrade Heraklion
Belgrade - Krakow
Belgrade - Ohrid
Belgrade - Varna
Belgrade - Rhodes
Belgrade - Corfu
Belgrade - Chania
Belgrade - Palermo
Hahaha tnx for this reply, Anon 16.29. some are really loosing their nerves reading this article. 🤣
DeleteEspecially after checking the other 2 of today.
DeleteFor a healthy growing development JU needs to invest into new technology aircraft
DeleteIt could look as flws:
5 A330 NEO
10 A220-100
12 A220-300
10 A320 NEO
03 A321 NEO
Why don't you show me the numbers that prove investing in those planes will create financially healthy environment for Air Serbia?
DeleteInvestment into future and to the benefit not just of Serbia but also the region as these planes easy spend 25% less on fuel, so if u want to compete with yr competitors who more and more invest in these ac types, u need to match their weapons. JU has invested into the growth of their network, next step is to increase frequencies and invest into new aircraft.
DeleteAir Serbia ordered 10 A320NEOs about a decade ago to compete with others. Turned out it was too expensive. OU also ordered A320NEOs but changed their mind.
DeleteA320NEO vs A320 fuel consumption is about 10-15% better on a typical 1.5-2h flights.
Air Serbia CEO did not exlude NEOs if they make financial sense.
Fuel makes only 30% of total cost so in reality Neo- is about 5% more efficient or even less efficient if you add other costs.
DeleteTheir Italian routes are so short that you could nearly consider them domestic flights !
ReplyDeleteI really hope that the new ones get over time more and more frequencies and become year round .
Especially the Sicilian ones .
Good that they added both so that you will be able to fly four times a week there minimum (Palermo,Catania).
JU many years flew charters to Lamezia Terme.
DeleteWould be interesting to know if they still do so.
I might be wrong but I think the B738 with a configuration of Y189 has become the highest density narrowbody they have ever operated. It's nice to test it before they decide on whether to introduce the A321 into their fleet.
ReplyDeleteA lot of happy and beautiful people in these pictures!
ReplyDeleteCatania seems to perform badly .
ReplyDeleteToday they cancelled the flight for a second time in a row ..
Bruh... It was cancelled due to volcanic eruption
DeletePlease do not spread misinformation. Catania was cancelled today due to the eruption of Mount Etna. "A statement from CTA read: “Due to the eruptive activity of Etna and copious amounts of volcanic ash on the airport surfaces, flight operations are suspended until safety conditions are restored.” Air Serbia issued a statement that the flight today is cancelled due to the eruption. There is even a news report of over 100 Serbian citizens that were supposed to be on the flight stuck in Catania.
DeleteThe one flight cancelled before that was due to Italian airport handling strike on 19 May. Air Serbia also said in a statement the flight to Catania was cancelled because of it. "Due to the strike of airport staff in Italy, announced for tomorrow (Friday, 19 May 2023), Air Serbia will be forced to cancel its flights between Belgrade and Rome, JU532 and JU533, while its flights between Belgrade and Catania JU538 and JU539, planned for that day will be postponed for Saturday, 20 May."
It is amazing how some people from neighbourhood try to belittle this huge Air Serbia success, but at the end all they manage is to look funny 🤣
DeleteDoes someone else knows why many other flights were delayed yesterday?
DeleteAl su sankcije rusiji legle er srbiji ko nikome
ReplyDeleteSto se kaze ko budali samar!
DeleteIts difficult to find charter flights as Airserbia does not have website for it. I had to go to Egypt with Pegasus only because I didn't know how to buy Airserbia charter flights. When you call them to ask them, the operators don't know as well. Crazy dumb, but thats Serbia.
ReplyDeleteAirines don't sell charter flights. You buy them through tour operators. It takes 5-10 minutes to do an online search to find a tour operator for the destination you want.
DeleteAnonymous 12:31 that what you did tells more about you than about company; calling airline for charter flight ticket is really dumb, sorry man!
Delete