Air Serbia has finalised its fleet plans for the summer and intends on wet-leasing eight aircraft, which will include ATR turboprops, Airbus A320-family planes and Boeing jets. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the airline will wet-lease an additional ATR72-600 from Romania’s Air Connect. It already wet-leases one turboprop from the carrier. Furthermore, it will add another two A320s from Dan Air. The Serbian airline already utilises one A319 and one A320 from the Romanian carrier. Finally, Air Serbia has signed a letter of intent to wet-lease two Boeing 737-800s from Lithuanian charter carrier KlasJet. The airline is open to adding additional wet-lease equipment to its fleet if the need arises.
As previously reported, Air Serbia also plans to grow its dry-leased fleet. Two ATR72-600s are set to join this summer, while the airline is in discussions with a lessor for two A321 aircraft, which would also be dry-leased. “Renewing the fleet is one of Air Serbia’s strategic goals. During 2022 alone we took delivery of four ATR72-600s, as well as one A330, one A320 with sharklets and an A319. Earlier this year, Air Serbia took delivery of its fifth ATR72-600 and wet-leased a sixth unit. Also, this year we will add at least two more ATRs. During the summer we expect the third A330 to join the fleet”, Air Serbia’s Head of Network Planning and Scheduling, Bojan Arandjelović, told the “Connect” publication.
The carrier has said its fleet development is in line with its network growth. “Our fleet plans are undoubtedly aligned with our five-year network development strategy. Our commitment is to still be the airline of choice in the Balkan region, with constantly improved connectivity through Belgrade, not only to the US and China but also to the rest of the European continent and the Middle East thanks to our ever-growing network”, Mr Arandjelović added. Recently, a number of Air Serbia aircraft undergoing maintenance returned to the fleet, alleviating scheduling issues which occurred in April as a result of fewer available units and the need for last-minute wet-leases.
Why constant wet leases?
ReplyDeleteBecause there is nothing for all those extra planes to do in winter.
DeleteBecause they are unable to reduce seasonality so there is huge fluctuation between passenger numbers in winter and in summer.
DeleteThey need to work on reducing seasonality.
DeleteEasier said than done.
DeleteThis is normal practice. Many airlines in Europe are doing it.
DeleteThey have actually reduced seasonality a lot.
DeleteThat's true. And many of their new routes actually started in April and May unlike in previous years where it was always June.
DeleteThey don't have enough planes and staff to fly them.
DeleteEven during winter.
I wonder how it is possible that JU yesterday had 53 departues from BEG taking in consideration that "they don't have enough planes and staff to fly them".
DeleteProbably robots flew these planes. Or AI. Humans surely not.
Anon 09:17
DeleteYou do understand that a Ju flight code does not necessarily mean it is a JU aircraft and crew. Right? Right? :D
Of course not, but the most of 53 flights are JU flights.
DeleteCorrect, it is huge majority of all JU code flights that are actually JU operated flights.
DeleteWow interesting to see the A321s will be dry leases. What are they going to do with them in winter?
ReplyDeleteSVO, IST, BCN, ZRH
Delete+ CDG.
DeleteWhen could the A321s arrive, seeings that discussions are just starting?
DeleteThey can use them on Russian routes alone all winter long.
DeleteIf no sanction till winter...
DeleteKlasjet has 2 passenger B737-800s. Both are 22 yrs old.
ReplyDeleteFirst time I hear of this airline
DeleteWhere do they find these no name airlines?
DeleteWhy does it matter? Few well known airlines can wet lease planes in summer.
DeleteKlas Jet is actually a very fast growing airline, they plan to add around 15 737s over the next few years with the first 8 arriving in 2023.
DeleteKlas Jet is not such an unknown airline at all.
DeleteKlasJet is not unknown - but it's unknown in the wet leasing sector. They recently added two Ukrainian 737s both flying for FlyEgypt
DeleteLithuania is World Champion in ACMI leasing. In addition to Klas Jet, they have Get Jet, Heston Airlines, and Avion Express. For those interested, Heston operates fleet which included A330, and Avion Express operates fleet of 44 units of A320 and A321.
DeleteAnd a large part of it out of one hand: Avia Solutions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avia_Solutions_Group
DeleteHorrible naming of the airlines.
DeleteI would also like to get rid of them ASAP.
The Baltic countries and Romania and Bulgaria are perfect for AMCI leasing airlines. Skilled young workeforce, low wages, low taxation, EU membership and EU subsidies for investments.
DeleteThat's a lot.
ReplyDeleteRealistically speaking, they need to have at least ten ATRs to maintain normal network
ReplyDeleteHow many wet leases did they have last year? 5?
ReplyDelete4.
Delete1 B733 (SX-LWA)
1 B737 (SX-LWC)
1 A319 (YR-URS)
1 B734 (SX-MAM)
Little.
DeleteAlso the planes were smaller.
It is in line with the seasonality of their network.
ReplyDeleteIt is in line with their inability to have enough pilots, flight attendants and flyable aircraft to execute their schedule even during the off season.
DeleteThe only problem they had up to now was aircrafts missing due to extra long technical check.
DeleteNo flight has been cancelled due to "inability to have enough pilots and flight attendants".
Mind you, new 100 people joined JU team as flight attendants just a month ago.
@Anonymous 09:14
DeleteHow many of those 100 new hires are for replacement of crews that left the company?
And how many are for filling up already existing vacancies?
Maybe you can tell us how many flights were cancelled as "JU did not have enough crew"?
DeleteEvery other BUD flight is cancelled precisely for that reason
DeleteEvery other? They flew 12 pw and cancelled 2 in last week.
DeleteIt is every other?
Delete@Anonymous 10:01
You do realize that not all flights with JU codes are operated by JU crews and aircraft, correct?
And that this is the reason they are wet and dry leasing so much extra capacity, right?
@07,15
DeleteNo, it isn't. A quater of their fleet as wet leases would indicate increased seasonality. JU has been reducing seasonality not increasing it. JU also had as many as 4 wet leases at a time during the winter.
The myth about lack of crew has been broken. They hired 130 crew last month out of over 800 that applied. So they have more than enough.
DeleteSeems like Dan Air has become Air Serbia's ACMI provider :D
ReplyDeleteWhat will Dan Air do with their own network? Aren't they supposed to start their own flights from June?
DeleteProbably aircraft will operate on certain days for JU and on certain days for Dan Air.
DeleteFrom what I have as information, Dan Air should have two A320s in Romania. One in Bucharest and one in Brasov.
DeleteMaybe they will add a few more new planes.
More cash money is to be made wet leasing their aircraft out than charter biz.
DeleteThey were very lucky to find a partner like JU.
Delete+1
DeleteToo much wet leasing
ReplyDeleteGiven the uncertainty of markets, short term wet leases are good option.
DeleteNormal practice, during the winter the demand falls drastically so where is the surprise here?
DeleteAlmost a third of the fleet wet-leased will inevitably damage the "product".
Delete@07,38
DeleteYes, but not in high numbers.
@07,47
The fall isn't that drastic to have 8 wet leases in the fleet. Alot of new destinations are year round, new routes are also launched in the winter (KZN, MLA, AGP, TSN this past winter), while the fleet is reduced during the winter as aircraft go for maintenance. Not to mention that the new routes started alot earlier this year compared to previous years where they previously would launch them at earliest in the last week of May, mostly in the first week of June where as this year the expansion started in March.
Anon 10:15 "Almost a third of the fleet wet-leased will inevitably damage the "product"
DeleteSerious inevitable damage was best demonstrated by 53% pax increase over April 2019 and 84% increase over last year when they liberally used wetleased aircraft.
Love the start time today.
ReplyDeleteWe may have better news later ;)))
DeleteNice. I'm already loving it.
DeleteAt least they are proactive. Starting new routes and getting extra capacity.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't proactive be to get new capacity and then start new routes?
DeleteYou have to take every opportunity. If certain routes are showing potential better to use current market conditions and start them ASAP
DeleteWhich routes start ASAP? Those that JU launches are scheduled for a half year at least.
DeleteWhat will be the size of the fleet with all the new wet and dry leases this summer, 30 airplanes?
ReplyDeleteI think just over 30
DeleteQuite a lot
DeleteI ko ce da upravlja sa toliko puno aviona? Imaju li dovoljno pilota? Hvala.
DeleteWet leased planes are operated by foreign crew.
DeleteFor big ACMI operations(the size of which JU plans, and up to Correndon size), ground ops and OCC should be perfect to coordinate this, as all of this is on JU. Not into JU, I can tell about CTN, RLX(ACMI)or SAS, but I am quite sure it will not go well at least initially just due to number of operators operating under JU this summer and due to Klasjet, GetJet and similar Lithuanian ACMI companies reputation within the industry. If you add to this JAT Tehnika(Linetech) maintenance support, who did lack people to support even much smaller Air Serbia when needed, disaster is on the horizon. I want to be wrong, but knowing the industry, I suspect I am not.
DeleteGood luck!
ReplyDeleteThey should have taken a regional jet
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteMarek said in that interview for ex-yu aviation that they are thinking about it for next year but that it will probably be a wet lease because introducing a new type would mean extra costs.
DeleteAny idea which aircraft they are considering?
DeleteEmbraer.
DeleteHopefully not E2s because the GTF engines are problematic so far.
DeleteThey would probably stick to E1, there are cheap aircraft on the market right now (second hand).
DeleteGood
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the A321 in Air Serbia's livery.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteDon't have to wait. Air Serbia A321s at C gates:
Deletehttps://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YT4O9n8oMdk/YGyj0puR3BI/AAAAAAAA5BQ/9xMxxaULvRw0rtF25rjZ7e64KM6pISpaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/2.jpg
Fourth A330 has left the conversation
ReplyDelete?
DeleteChina's unwillingness to grant JU licenses to launch new routes is the main factor for this.
Delete3rd A330 is for PEK and PVG. 4th was to ply new NA routes.
Delete4th A330 will arrive when the time is correct.
DeleteEven a broken clock shows the correct time twice a day.
DeleteSo many wet leased planes mean the demand this summer in Belgrade will be huge!
ReplyDeleteI am very glad to see Air Serbia is growing.
+1
DeleteI hope that they use these wet leases on charters predominantly, and operate their own fleet on scheduled services. Regular flyers don't want to be surprised about differences in planes/on-board service, etc.
ReplyDeleteI am regular flyer and I do not care if it is Air Serbia plane or wet leased.
DeleteI am a frequent flyer too, and I don't have an issue with wet leasing, everybody is doing it. I have a problem with the implementation of the wet lease: The lack of business class is an absolute no-go, so is charging for “premium seats”, which don't actually exist on the operating aircraft.
DeleteJust when I was getting used to the jetty’s to board the plane. I am assuming with increased traffic at Belgrade this summer we will have to get used to the buses again for some routes especially the ones used for the ATR’s
ReplyDeleteBEG was using jet bridges to board turboprops?
DeleteI had 20ish ATR flights in the past 12 months and not once has a jetbridge used - 100% buses. What’s irritating about it is that they failed to place the bus gates, closer to the passport control, and the Air Serbia lounge. Also, frequently, when an ATR arrives, the bus would leave passengers near gate A4 from where they need to take the stairs to the upper level, and then walk all the way to gate C2, and then back to passport control.
DeleteI would love to see AirSERBIAs fleet to look something like this by 2025:
ReplyDeleteATR 72 X12
A319 X10
A320 X10
A321 X4
A332 X4
A333 X2
I know its a lot i think they can do it.
12 A320 and 6-8 100 seaters instead of A319s is what I found only change :)
DeleteThey should wet lease whole OU fleet…
ReplyDelete🤣🤣🤣
DeleteHahahahahahahaha, you made my day @notLufthansa!!! 😃😃😃 In one sentence you found solution how OU fleet could be fully utilized, and how can they get to profitability 😅😅😅
Delete+1
Delete+1
Delete+2
DeleteI will upgrade my proposal: and they should apply for subsidy given out by Slovene govt and operate out of LJU
DeleteKada dvoglavi orao na repu A321 bude sleteo na BEG. nekima će ovde trebati veštačko disanje. Kad sam pre par meseci rekao da JU treba 2 A321 za početak, dobio sam brdo negativnih komentara. Biće posla za ove ptice i tokom zimskih meseci jer JU veoma uspešno smanjuje sezonalnost. I kao što rekoh pre par meseci, oba u Februaru na redovno održavanje i problem najsporijeg meseca u godini je rešen.
ReplyDeleteTrebace respirator na drugom sajtu.
DeleteO da!! Pogotovo jednom "analiticaru".
DeleteSpavati nece danima
Alen se trese
Deletehttps://www.airserbia.com/footer_menu/kompanija/novosti/novosti?id=1046
ReplyDeleteSerbian government starting a low cost company that would wire up the whole Balkans would be a great move. Revive Aviogenex!
ReplyDeleteOne if the stupidest comments I've ever read here. Sorry bro.
Deleteagreed. dumb idea
Deletemaybe not so dumb
DeleteWorst idea ever.
DeleteI know what you mean. You're idea is not stupid, but it is not ripe for this region yet. You want something like Air Asia or Easyjet to spring up here, right? Well, for that you need a jame that is not attached to past, a brand that does not recognize Balkan borders and something that is going to be catchy and appealing from Slovenia to Macedonia.
DeleteI get you man. But for that you need foreign investments ad management structure that is not run by politics. These people need to come from the outside. They need full support of local governments but also they need to respect EU labor laws. So idea is good.. But the timing is bad.
Anonymous13:20
ReplyDelete"Wet leased planes are operated by foreign crew". Hvala puno na odgovoru, sve najbolje.