Air Serbia has taken delivery of its sixth ATR72-600 aircraft in Belgrade (pictured), which is expected to alleviate recent delays and flight cancellations resulting from a fleet shortage. The aircraft, which was originally to be delivered last month but was held up due to a lack of spare parts on the market, is expected to enter commercial service in early July. The turboprop is nine years old and was previously operated by Aer Lingus Regional. It has been registered YU-ASB. The carrier’s seventh ATR72-600, from the GOAL leasing company, is expected to be delivered in August. The average age of the airline’s turboprop fleet is now eight years.
During the week, Air Serbia also took delivery of an Embraer E190 jet, which is being wet-leased from Greece’s Marathon Airlines. “We are honoured to be chosen to partner with Air Serbia in operating our E190 and E195 to connect destinations and create unforgettable travel experiences for their passengers”, Marathon Airlines said in a statement. According to the “TangoSix” portal, the Serbian carrier will take delivery of two E195 jets in July and August respectively. The two aircraft are expected to include Air Serbia’s full livery and not just billboard titles as featured on the plane delivered this week.
The carrier’s CEO, Jiri Marek previously told EX-YU Aviation News the company was interested in adding 100-seater regional planes into its fleet to bridge the gap between its ATR turboprops and narrow-body Airbus fleet, however, that they would initially be wet-leased through a capacity provider. “Because that is low risk - observing how that aircraft or segment can perform before you start creating the complexity of adding a jet that requires additional licenses, crew training, engineering etc.”, Mr Marek said.
The two aircraft are expected to include Air Serbia’s full livery and not just billboard titles as featured on the plane delivered this week
ReplyDeleteI cant wait for this, it should look stunning
Is there an aircraft that doesn't look stunning in JU livery?
DeleteNo
DeleteSo no need to state the obvious.
DeleteYes, both A330s look horrendous in their current livery.
DeleteYou mean beautiful
DeleteNo, i mean horrendous.
DeleteThey should have left that stupid tail alone.
The tails are proud of Serbia
DeleteI find it interesting that the E190 has a Serbian flag yet a Greek registration
ReplyDeleteProbably means it will be in the fleet long term
DeleteThe E190 is wet leased.
DeleteI know it's wet leased. That's the whole point.
DeleteIsn't the right to fly the flag only reserved for aircraft which are registered in the country whose flag they're flying?
DeleteI pointed that out when the first pics were out a few days ago... Looks like they can fly the flag if its operating strictly for AirSerbia. A bit odd, i agree
DeleteThat flag in front is part of the livery, not the registration. Those two things are unrelated.
DeleteWhen are the A321s arriving?
ReplyDeleteMarek said he hopes during the summer so it's far from a sure thing they will come in summer.
DeleteThere is a global lack of A321 in good condition plus the huge issue of spare parts and engine availability.
DeleteAnd you need to lease these aircraft at affordable rates.
Still parked in Ljubljana with Avianca livery. My guess is - in the best case scenario, they'll fly them with Avianca livery. Worst case- they aren't getting them
DeleteIs it such a huge issue to paint them?
DeleteOr maybe they can't find an available paint shop to do the change.
The thing is that it will take them at least 2 weeks to re-paint them, not to mention that I have no clue about how well maintained they really are
DeleteAnon 09:37
DeleteThat could be a serious issue. Especially with JU's difficulty to find MRO providers who do the job on time.
Plus the global unavailability of spare parts.
Why is repainting them so important?
DeleteCan't they do that in winter?
Branding is good for image, but delays are bad for image, so JU now should go for not jeopardizing its image more and putting that metal in service ASAP.
DeleteAno@12:40, the importance of having a stable schedule hugely overpass the branding image of the company. I'm sure if the contract for this aircraft has been signed and the aircraft is operational, it will already be deployed on any JU destination.
DeleteWhat happened with additional 2-3 a320 aircraft from DanAir? @admin
ReplyDeleteThey are delayed because of Dan Air.
DeleteAnyone knows when they'll get them?
DeleteOne A320 is missing, not two. I don't think anyone knows, nothing is being specified.
DeleteJU desperately needs YU-ASB to replace that Romanian trash that was chased out of BEG.
DAT ATR suffered two emergency events within 2 days so DAT is even worse
DeleteInterestingly they'll be flying E190 and E195. Quite a big expansion
ReplyDeleteE90 will finally replace their DC-9s, only took them what.... 18 years to do it?
DeleteCan already picture a year from now JU singing songs of praise over E jets and how perfect they are, while half the comments here saying yeah we know we've calling for E jets for about a decade now😂
DeleteIt's been clear they need them since the start of the expansion. I'm glad they decided to go with them now and not waiting until 2024 like some of us thought they will
Delete@anon 09:28
DeleteYou're right. I've been saying they need more E Jets.
I know they like the A319 becof cargo but I don't think they make enough from cargo transport on all 10 A319 to justify all of them.
The E Jet will be cheaper and more efficient. Fly more routes and bring prices down for passing
Plus they can be used to grow Nis as well
In all honesty, Etihad should have gone for the E90/95 back in 2013 instead of the A319.
DeleteA320 made sense back then as it still does today.
A319 caused many problems for JU as it was too big and too uneconomical for many routes they ended up launching.
For newcomers, Air Serbia already used regional jets multiple times since 2016. Some were Embraer wet leases from Montenegro, some CRJ900s from different sources. You are welcome!
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2016/03/air-serbia-to-lease-adria-jet-and-add.html
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/03/air-serbia-to-wet-lease-crj900.html
You da man!
DeleteE190 is perfect for Nis expansion, JU can easily launch CDG, BER, ZRH
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. It can reach all of Europe while being small and efficient.
DeleteBut I was actually thinking of the E170 or 75 for Nis
DeleteAMS
DeleteThis is a mess. He’s changing his mind every 2 minutes. A long term fleet plan is needed, not just Marek ego trips.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteTo be honest everything that they are doing makes sense, and from what I hear the issue this year is that the partners (AirConnect, DANair) are unreliable. Imagine you sign a contract for 3 aircraft, you plan your expansion around it and then 1 week before your 10 new routes launch, you get an email that you aren't getting your aircraft
Delete^^^
DeleteThat is why you choose reliable partners.
Or better yet you plan better so that you don't end up looking for last minute leases in summer season.
Just my2cents
Anon 10:55 - I have been stating since February that this wet leasing strategy is a disaster. The circumstances that you have outlined and that have indeed played out are exactly why I was saying this. Someone has got to come up with a concrete long term fleet plan for the airline and realize it. Frankly it’s at such a critical point that if they have to secure aircraft at unfavorable rates - so be it.
DeleteIt is not COVID anymore and they are not in a position to bargain hunt.
Covid is no more but the mess is still there. And its not just JU, it's a global problem. A number of airlines are still trying to reach their 2019 levels, JU has used the opportunity to not only return to 2019 levels but to surpass it and secure market share while competition is still down, which has been a fantastic strategy that has overall worked in their favour. It hasn't been smooth, quite messy lately and the poor weather in Belgrade hasn't helped. This season has shown that they've been over ambitious and have had to cut back.
DeleteRegarding long term plans, there has been hints as to what they'll be (aircraft order once fleet hits 35 aircraft, more ATR's, regional jets, 8 A330's). Even short to mid term plans have been hinted (A319 being replaced by A320, more new destinations outside of their usual target of 3 hour flight time of Belgrade). The aviation industry is very dynamic, constantly changing and you simply cannot put a plan in place and stubbornly stick to it. The positive side is how JU immediately reacts to market changes such as airlines going bankrupt, competition announcing routes etc. It's these market changes that has pushed JU to react quicker than they intended (launching LIS shortly after Wizz announced the route for example).
With wet leases, I think there is way too many. Planned entry of new dry lease aircraft is coming later than it should, this summer has bit them in the ass, forcing them to wet lease more capacity then they should be. This summer's expansion started much earlier and entry of new dry leases should of been targeted earlier and not late May, early June as was the case previously and what seems is currently the strategy in place. I think next summer (2024) the only wet lease capacity will be the ERJ's and that JU will have sufficient crew and aircraft for the rest of the fleet.
@Anon 09:49 "This is a mess. He’s changing his mind every 2 minutes. A long term fleet plan is needed, not just Marek ego trips. "
DeleteAs previous comments clarified, fleet plan does exist and has been laid out on this and other sites. But we both know that you know that very well, yet you pretend like you have no clue just so you can try to attack Air Serbia once again. Try 8 hours of sleep it might help you.
Anon 16:41 whether if he sleeps 8 hours or not cancellations and delays continues by Marek choices.
DeleteHe only sleeps 2-3 hours, that's why he has hallucinations of Marek being responsible for everything.
DeleteThis will definitely come in handy. I did JU803 yesterday and it was about 1:40 late. There was about 8-10 flights that landed at BEG at the same time because of the late flights and it was an absolute mess. Plus the baggage carousels had no title of which flight was where and that caused even more chaos 😂. Welcome to Belgrade?!
ReplyDeleteVinci has to take some responsibility for this chaos.
DeleteThose two E-190 with full Air Serbia livery will be wet or dry leased ? Thanks in advance .
ReplyDeleteWet leased
DeleteE195 wet leased
DeleteWhy don't they hire planes from Lithuania or Bulgaria, they are much more reliable?
ReplyDeleteHeston, Avion, Smartlynx, Get Jet, Bulgaria Air, Electra Airways, Fly2Sky, European Air Charter? I think only Greek operators are reliable at the moment!
Interesting question. Although I agree that the worst idea was to work with Romanian Air Connect and Dan Air. Those 2 companies are still too young. Air Connect itself cancelled various new routes such as CLJ-BUD or SCV-CND. The carriers you mentioned are currently on full capacity because of the summer season. Heston is flying practically everywhere within EU, same for EAC. Electra is doing Slovakia and Poland. Avion Express operates for Air Baltic, etc, etc. Bulgaria Air got their new A220 last week and had their Embraers in Portugal flying for TAP since last year. Bul Air is doing charters and active in PRN similar to Trade Air. I don't think JU has a lot of options in Europe left.
DeleteYou are right everyone is busy!
DeleteBul Air is FB.
DeleteYes, everything is leased out for the peak season. Just for example, Avion Express is leasing out all of its 50 units of A320 and A321, and not only in Europe - at the moment they operate bases in the USA, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Malta, Turkey, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with Brazil and Vietnam highly likely to join the base network in winter
Delete+1
DeleteAnd why is it taking so long to put this newest ATR into service right away instead of waiting another 10-15 days? Just a waste of time since it is badly needed.
ReplyDeleteBecause it has to go through checks by the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate and be issued an airworthiness permit by them. 1 July is in 6 days, not 15 days.
DeleteArticle says early July so it doesn' t mean on the first of July but rather a few days later so it may be 10-15 days.
DeleteI gave you the reason it can't enter traffic immediately. Or you suggest they should break the law and just let it fly? It will enter the fleet in a few days and not in 20 as you suggest.
DeleteI would like to see these E190 with JU colour.
ReplyDeleteYou can if you click in the link in the news article.
DeleteI !m waiting about futures announces for winter season soon must know about It . I think Tenerife will be one of routes that operate
ReplyDeleteHow realistic is it that we are gonna see the E190 or E195 on Morava airport?
ReplyDelete