Air Serbia will soon welcome its seventh ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft (pictured), just over a year and a half after starting the renewal and expansion of its regional fleet. The plane, which will be registered YU-ASD, was recently painted in the carrier’s livery in Derby in the United Kingdom. The 72-seat aircraft is nine years old and was initially delivered new to Ireland’s Stobart Air. It has been stored and out of commercial use since June 2021. “We expect it to join our fleet any day now”, Air Serbia said. With the new addition, the average age of Air Serbia’s ATR fleet now counts eight years. In January last year, the ATR fleet averaged 27 years.
The Serbian carrier plans to further expand its ATR fleet, with another three units planned to join by mid-2024. “The optimal size of the [ATR72 fleet] I would say is ten because then you can start benefiting from some economies of scale”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said recently. Since the retirement of its ATR72-200 and -500 turboprops earlier this year, Air Serbia no longer has any aircraft in its fleet within its ownership, as all are being leased. The airline has put on hold plans to potentially convert some of its older ATRs into freighter aircraft.
Air Serbia is expected to further expand its fleet with the arrival of a second Embraer E195 aircraft, making it the third Embraer in its fleet overall. Its delivery is likely sometime next month. It will be wet-leased from Greece’s Marathon Airlines but will feature the carrier’s full corporate livery. It plans to eventually transition the Embraer wet-leases into dry-leases. With the arrival of the upcoming ATR72-600, Air Serbia has dry-leased three aircraft so far this year (two ATR72-600s and one Airbus A320). The carrier has seen aircraft lessors pull out of deals in the final stages of negotiations, including for a third A330-200 jet it negotiated earlier this year “because the existing customer has either extended the deal or overpaid”, according to Mr Marek. Air Serbia currently has the youngest fleet among the notional carriers in the former Yugoslavia, averaging thirteen years.
With seven ATRs they will most likely boost their network this winter. Maybe we finally get more flights to LJU!
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe introduce those night flights from/to Sarajevo?
DeleteAnd Zagreb.
DeleteYou mean night flights to ZAG? I'd rather get noon departures because then they can offer fast connections to JFK as well.
DeleteZAG won't see any increase as they already have more flights than they can fill.
DeleteI would like to see night flight to SJJ and to open some Romanian destination like CLJ.
They increased ZAG relatively recently.
DeleteZAG usually does really well in one direction but not in the other. Yesterday they had 60 passengers to ZAG and then like 24 on the way back. With more flights connectivity from ZAG will be better so there will be more passengers.
DeleteJU's overall network is still relatively modest especially when looking at the number of frequencies.
Zagreb needs midday flights to cover JFK and ORD plus some routes to Northern Europe. Zagreb is a very poorly connected airport, especially considering that this winter OU will only fly to 7 destinations that are not LH hubs.
DeleteWe could benefit from a midday flight departing from LJU. Personally, I often experience extended waiting times for transfers at BEG because there are no midday flights. Consequently, I opt for alternative flights even though BEG would otherwise be a favourable choice.
Delete@10:03
DeleteZAG is double daily. For which flights are you giving loads because both are incorrect?
i hope that JU gets enough ATR to have 3-4 daily flights to most airport in the region. this way to have make Beg into a serious hub.
DeleteI I hope to se finally more flights from BNX to BEG. Double daily 3 times a week would be great. Air Serbia should also connect Banja Luka and Niš
DeleteBiggest success was replacing entire ATR fleet which was falling apart.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely one of the biggest improvements from the airline!
Delete+1
Delete+1 couting the Embraer additions
DeleteThis means they will probably grow regional frequencies.
ReplyDeleteHope so.
DeleteToo low frequencies are their biggest disadvantage.
They actually have relatively high frequencies on most routes, with few exceptions.
DeleteIs the wetleased Danish ATR still operating?
ReplyDeleteYes, it will stay until the end of September since this 7th ATR was delayed. I honestly hope they start getting those extra ATRs early to not have such delays.
DeleteYes, it is.
DeleteAircraft arriving late even though contract for it was signed months ago is hardly the airline's fault.
DeleteWe can also blame JU for this because they made it very tight. If they need new planes by Mach 2024 then they should plan their delivery for January 2024. With all these delays they will be in BEG on time by March.
DeleteBut how can you plan that the lessor will delay the arrival of the plane even if you contract the plan months ago?
DeleteYes, the company has to plan delays if it is taking planes from the deep storage of several years. For those planes you always need some extra part, something is malfunctioning ... But JU wanted to get planes cheeper, which is OK, Ali im se takva strategija obila o glavu. And that is only Air Serbia fault
DeleteThey mentioned this plane months ago. So obviously they contracted it a while ago.
DeleteWell they know there are delays, they were aware of this a long time ago so they should have planned accordingly. Now they should plan ahead of the 2024 winter season.
DeleteSome here like to use any situation to blame AirSerbia. Yes, maybe this is their fault, and also maybe this is not their fault, we don't have sufficient information to know it for sure, but some here believe they are absolutely right.
DeleteSo, what do we know for sure:
1. AirSerbia contracted this plane to be delivered on time taking into account their plans, situation on the market etc.
2. Leasonr delayed delivery. It is clear that this delay was not planned and was not possible to foreseen it.
3. The delay impacted the operations, caused the financial damage to AirSerbia etc.
I don't know, but I believe the contract has some penalties, also there are different guarantees and insurance policies that would cover and protect both sides from risks like late delivery, so I am very confident that AirSerbia had 0 financial impact due to this. Whether there was any other impact, can be assessed, of course.
So, haters gonna hate, and AirSerbia is going to fly and grow.
@15:43
Delete+1
+2
DeleteWhat is the number of planes on wet lease now?
ReplyDeleteA320 Dan Air
DeleteA320 Leave
A319 Dan Air
ATR DAT
B738 Klas
B738 Klas
B738 Klas
E90 Marathon
E95 Marathon
Total: 9
Dan Air A320 comes over the weekend only, the one featuring their livery.
Thank you
Delete@Anonymous09:08
DeleteB738? Are there 737 in YU fleet?
Three B738s are wet-leased from KlasJet.
Delete@anonymous 16:38 all of the above airplanes are not in JU fleet (not YU) . They are wet leased , they are not having the Serbian registration ,( YU-ARA) for instance.
DeleteBravo Air Serbia 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDeleteDo all the new ATRs now have the same seats and cabin?
ReplyDeleteThey are similar. They all have slimline leather seats (same seat type). I think the colors are different in some.
DeleteIt is actually non important anymore as the entire fleet is a mix and match of everything possible. You get lucky when they take you from A to B.
Delete^ Don't talk nonsense. There are no cancellations and all ATR flights are in 99% of cases operated by an ATR.
DeleteWhat nonsense are you referring to? With all the wet leases the entire fleet configuration is a mix of everything with regards to cabin interior, number of seats, color...etc. And being lucky by getting from A to B I meant within +/- 2 hrs delay which is the Air Serbia's norm.
DeleteMy daughter and six year old grandaughter flew Beg/ Tivat. Out Sat first flight return first flight Monday ( today) a319 out A320 back. Both flights early!!!
DeleteYes amazing out of about 20 delayed flights this morning there were two that came early ... great result; even impressive! You and family should play the lottery! )))
DeleteDoes anyone know why YU-ASC registration was skipped?
ReplyDeleteYes... it is an old superstition from the 60s in Yugoslavia... no C in registration
DeleteYU-APC (A319), YU-ARC (A330) in recent years.
DeleteYU-AKC was a JAT B727.
YU-ALC was an FH-227 for Pan Adria Airways.
YU-AMC was a JAT DC-10.
YU-ANC was a DC9-82 with Adria.
My guess is that there is an eight ATR which was designated YU-ASC registration, but it was delayed, so YU-ASD came first.
DeleteNicely done Air Serbia ! Have pleasant and safe trips !
ReplyDelete+1
Delete"With the new addition, the average age of Air Serbia’s ATR fleet now counts eight years. In January last year, the ATR fleet averaged 27 years."
ReplyDeletewow
Amazing result!
DeleteLooks great. Congrats Air Serbia
ReplyDeleteCertainly an improvement on the ATR fleet a year ago.
ReplyDeleteWhen is it expected to arrive in Belgrade?
ReplyDeleteThis week
DeleteBut it will take a few weeks before it is in service. Needs to be registered and inspected by Serbian CAD.
DeleteHallelujah
ReplyDelete2-3 more ATRs would be nice, perhaps in time for Summer 2024. Mostar, Maribor or Graz would be good additions.
ReplyDeleteIn Mostar, there would be unfair competition because OU gets big money for that route.
DeleteGRZ or LNZ maybe, MXB and OMO surely not.
DeleteMaybe Brac
DeleteAnon 10:18
DeleteJU can compete. They have a much stronger network than OU.
Ljubljana getting triple daily on some days in the winter? Or is it too soon for that?
ReplyDeleteWe will find out soon. They should publish winter schedule in week or two.
DeleteWhen was the winter schedule for 2022/23 published?
DeleteBEG-LJU was always a solid performer for them. Noon flights performed really well before covid, they even had transfers to places like Rome and Milan. With an even larger Spanish and Italian network these should be even more successful.
Delete@10.05 in around a week.
Deletethey are much less noisy than the older versions. I have had 3 flights with Air Serbia's ATR72-600 this year and all were excellent. I like the blue lighting that they have on night flights.
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.
ReplyDeleteDo these have a bigger range than the -200s and -500s?
ReplyDeleteYes, speed and range.
DeleteHow much faster are they compared to the -200 and -500 models?
DeleteCruise speed
DeleteATR72-200
460km p/h
ATR72-500
510km/h
ATR72-600
510km/h
Interesting, quite quicker than the -200 series.
DeleteSo there is no such big advantage between -500 and -600 series.
Deletethe main differences lie within the cockpit of the ATR72-600, which is an all-glass one, as opposed to a mix of mechanical and electronic displays on the ATR72-500.
DeleteCompare that to 665km/h the Q400 crusie at...
DeleteRegional plane does not care that much about speed. Difference between BEG-ZAG is less than 5min Q400/ATR76
DeleteWhen will those ATR's get names? They said how they would be named after geographical names.
ReplyDeleteSo A321 deal is also cancelled for now? B
ReplyDelete"Also" what is the other that is cancelled?
DeleteThe A330-200...
DeleteIt would be good to see KVO-VIE re-introduced.
ReplyDeleteI assume if the cancelled it, the loads weren't great.
DeleteIt was corona year.
DeleteI can't believe that VIE on ATR 2-3 times per week wouldn't work.
Anonymous10:43
DeleteHowever, marketing was bad and covid happened and the route was discontinued. KVO-VIE had 0 marketing and majority of people did not know the route even existed, people working at VIE also had no idea where the airport and the city are and had no idea that AirSerbia had more than one destination from there. The fares were relatively cheap and the demand is there (knowing that there are multiple daily bus connections to Vienna from that part of Serbia) so if they informed the public properly that there are flights it would be a successful route year round. INI has daily VIE flights and they are all full almost all the time.
I wonder, does AirSerbia consider about buying ATRs? They are around 25M€ each. Looking at the profit they made in first half they can buy at least one by year?
ReplyDeleteThey used the profit from H1 to repay government for capitalization.
DeleteThis profit would be bigger if they didnt pay for leasing the planes, but its still good amount after all of the expenses.
DeleteIf they didn't pay for leasing, they would have to pay back the loans which they would have to take to buy those planes, which would be a lot more expensive....
DeleteBut if they continiue to make profit as first half of this tear they can buy an ATR without any loan.
DeleteNice work Air Serbia
ReplyDeleteIt’s been a long time we didnt receive News about this ATR
ReplyDeleteIncrease Niš to daily or at the very least a slight increase. I'm here from Australia and I, along with other family members would have flown multiple times but had to use the bus instead. The current situation makes it so hard to arrange flights via Belgrade unless you fly on either of the two days currently provided.
ReplyDeleteTrust me...if INI-BEG is on ATR you do not want to have more long haul transfers, even now, with maybe 15 long haul transfers on ATRs from Skopje for example, JU is struggling with luggae, as all pax have 2 pieces of luggage
DeleteI do not believe you.
DeleteThat's actually in Leicestershire where that's been painted.
ReplyDeleteI wonder when Air Serbia might start flying to MUC...
ReplyDeleteI don't think that'll happen anytime soon. LH has 3 daily on the route plus Wizz is daily to FMM. Better to use capacity elsewhere.
DeleteLH flying 3 daily means there is demand, ergo there is room for JU.
DeleteLH has a large hub in MUC drawing in a tonne of transit traffic.
DeleteJU not only has heavy competition on O&D traffic but also on transit traffic. LH has alot more of our wider region covered with better frequencies almost always. Then there is Aegean, Air Malta, Anadolujet, Austrian, Condor, Corendon, OU, TK, El Al, Egypt Air, Eurowings, Sky Express and more that would be competing for the same markets that JU would be offering via BEG.
JU being the late comer will have to dump frequencies and trash yields to make an impact and hold on. It's better to just use capacity elsewhere for the time being until JU builds up a better network to the east to make a route like MUC work (ie Caucuses and MENA).
Couldn't the same be said for FRA and yet JU flies there.
DeleteNot the same.
DeleteJU never pulled out of Frankfurt and has managed to maintain it's position there. Wizz tried to be the third carrier there with flights to Hahn and failed. JU canceled MUC in October 2008 and Wizz took its place with FMM in April 2011.
LH's flights from our wider region, until the past couple of years, was always centred more around MUC rather than FRA. As an example, LH had MUC-SJJ but not FRA-SJJ. MUC-BEG was for years 3 x daily while FRA-BEG up to 2 x daily.
BEG only recently started to see more routes capable of having 2 carriers, however quite a few of those routes are where both carriers have poor frequencies (LIS, MLA, HAM, GOT). Routes with 3 carriers doesn't tend to have success and always 1 carrier ends up pulling out (VIE, CDG, GVA, FRA, OSL).
Launching MUC would be an expensive battle for JU which wouldn't guarantee success. Resources would be better used elsewhere for now. The network isn't quite there neither are the frequencies to really have a competitive edge.
Appreciate your explanation, sounds reasonable. Would still like to see JU in MUC, and WAW some day.
DeleteThe question we all thinking about, where is the A321
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time to try Split 2-3 times a week with ATR.
ReplyDeleteThey already fly to Split. And its more than 2-3 times per week.
DeleteI think he wanted to say:It's time for winter flights to SPU
DeleteNo, thanks.
DeleteIn February SPU has no more than tiny 30.000 passengers flying mostly on domestic routes supported by PSO. That would be unfair competition.
Apart from it there is a very good reason why KLM heavily decreased SPU on only 1 pw while no other legacy or LCC flies to SPU during the winter.
So, thanks but no thanks, JU would have much better markets where its JU could fly to during the winter.
+1
DeleteDoes anyone know how many passengers did JU / BEG have in July?
ReplyDeleteI think that BEG passenger numbers will be announced tomorrow by Admin . I don't know for JU.
DeleteYes, there was an article about that. VINCI said that statistics for July will be 29 AUG
DeleteYes it says tomorrow evening. I noticed ex-yu publishes it around 6pm
DeleteIs it possible to create more viable connection schedule through BEG? It appears that the 4 wave schedule is a bit tight and longer flights do not fit into many of them.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'll take care of it.
DeleteI know a guy at the airport.
This has already started roughly 3 years ago.
Delete- ZRH and LJU in the midday wave.
- LCA also added not only from midday but also 10am.
- 10 am also sees routes such as BUD, LHR, TIV, PUY, BNX.
- ROV at 8pm which also accompanies routes such as TGD, SVO, KZN and ZAG.
- FCO added to the midday wave and this winter will have 4 pw during this wave.
- MAD at 2 pm.
- AGP at 9am
You will see more and more of this as JU grows.
Isnt it very problematic that an airline just had leased airplanes. Could be there any problem in the future the sustainanility of this business model?
ReplyDeleteNo, they are perfectly fine.
DeleteWell they are getting help by the state, in a direct or indirect way one could argue. And as long ASL is state backed there wont be any problems.
DeleteHahahaha what delusion.
DeleteJU just paid over 20 million euros into the state budget.
Wau
ReplyDeleteNajmlađu flotu u ex-yu od svih nacionalnih kompanija, cele 3. Znači...
Pa do prošle godine je bila najstarija, tako da jeste wau.
DeleteWau ili ne wau mi iz Beograda letimo na preko 120 linija a sama JU se neprestano siri.
DeleteObnovili celu flotu ATR, dodaju ih stalno. Oslobodili se matorih 737, zamenili preskupi ARA. Zamenili neke preskupe A319/320. Tako da jeste wau. Dok ostali moraju preko FRA, MUC ili koga vec da bi videli svet.
Jeste, i sad u zakupu imaju avion 2001 godište, a svoje iz 1990ih su rashodovali...
DeleteIma li podataka o popunjenosti svih tih 120 linija?
Linije su odlično popunjene, a avioni su kao novi, hvala na pitanju!
DeleteNema nijedan avion da je 2001 godiste.
DeleteCemu lazi?
Zato sto je navikao na jednom blogu da laze i da ga bloger podrzava a ovde toga nema.
DeleteAre airline customers just overpaying or did the market change? With more cargo conversion and higher travel demand it was expected to see widebody leasing rates increase over 2021 leasing rates while inventory went down. Window of opportunity for cheap lease rates has closed. Airlines that missed the opportunity will have to adapt to new market conditions and pay more.
ReplyDeleteOverpaying
DeleteI think they should name this one Jasmin :)
ReplyDelete