Air Serbia eyes up to eight wide-body aircraft


Air Serbia plans to operate up to eight wide-body aircraft in the future as it prepares to take delivery of its third Airbus A330-200 jet in the coming months. The carrier’s existing five-year plan stipulates the operation of eight aircraft for long-haul operations and further growth of its long-haul network. The plan stresses that the introduction of additional far-away markets will become easier as the airline continues to grow its network of destinations. Air Serbia will take delivery of its third wide-body jet in late July or early August, with the aircraft booked to go into maintenance at Lufthansa Technic on July 1, where its landing gear is to be overhauled as it has reached its maximum number of cycles. The exact date of its delivery will depend on the availability of spare parts for its landing gear.

Air Serbia anticipates the arrival of a fourth A330-200 in September or October. The company stated that both will feature the same cabin and seats as previously operated by Etihad Airways on their A330 fleet. The two wide-body jets already in operation for Air Serbia are also expected to be retrofitted with the same seats in order for its entire A330 fleet to feature the same hard product. In recent years, Air Serbia has accelerated the introduction of long-haul routes in its network, starting with New York in 2016, Tianjin in 2022, Chicago in 2023, and Shanghai and Guangzhou set to launch in Q4 2024. The airline is also expected to add Miami to its network in 2025.

With the airline aiming to double its wide-body fleet over the coming years, it reached its goal of doubling its ATR72 turboprop fleet last Friday as it took delivery of its tenth ATR72-600. The carrier’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said, “The renewal of the turboprop fleet was one of the key strategic objectives of our company. Previously used ATR72-200 and ATR72-500 aircraft have been gradually replaced by more modern ATR72-600 aircraft. Despite challenging market conditions, we have managed to acquire as many as ten aircraft of the same type, thus standardising our fleet. The average age of the aircraft in our regional fleet is now nine years, making it the youngest in the broader Western Balkans region. We are extremely pleased with the choice of aircraft and the pace of their entry into service. Thanks to them, we have significantly improved our operational efficiency”.


Comments

  1. Anonymous09:00

    We just keep getting pleasantly surprised!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:38

      Russia and China have the most potential for those panes.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:40

      Pleasantly surprised by what exactly? This is so much "thin air" at the moment...

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:41

      ^ You must be fun at parties.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:24

      It's another fluff piece by Marek. Just look at how long it took them to get the third one.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:25

      Less than a year and a half

      Delete
    6. Anonymous12:00

      Exactly!

      Well done Air Serbia!

      Delete
    7. Anonymous13:07

      Yes because they didnt plan long-haul expansion. As we all know they had expansion in Europe last year and since then they announed that now they will focus on long-haul. Thats why it took 18 months for the third jet.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:40

      The ‘thin air’ content needs to be in the context of where do you expect them to pull a plane from? If there’s no suitable aircraft/contracts, how are they meant to get one? It’s a long term strategy, not a short term solution. No point in rushing something through for the sake of it. So many keyboard analysts that know better here… yet remain anonymous. If you’re so smart and know better put a name next to your post.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:05

    Then we are not even half way through. That means about 16 long haul routes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:13

      Have you lost your mind? Maybe if all of them remain at 1-3 weekly flights, but as soon as an economic downturn happens all of those go down the drain and only JFK, ORD and TSN will remain, maybe along with PVG and CAN.
      JU should, as any sensible Legacy carrier, focus on frequency increases, not just opening as many destinations as possible with no more than 3 weekly flights like the LCCs do

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:17

      They are working on expanding frequencies.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:19

      Also like I said below, this is 5 year plan meaning that it is something that is changeable depending on what is happening on the market.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:21

      Article says "up to" meaning a maximum of 8 but can be below.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:50

      9:13
      Yes, I definitely lost my mind, but luckily you are here to remind me.
      You really think that some long haul route like TSN or ORD should be daily??? Dude, it’s not Zagreb or Sarajevo? Seems you didn’t have mind at all, so you couldn’t loose it

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:59

      Some of them could be used to boost capacity on strong short haul routes on some days, leisure ones, ZRH, CDG etc. Strange there is no word of A321s any more.

      Delete
    7. people need to be more serious. Firstly the wide body isn't just for long-haul. it is beneficial for places that have demand. JU can fill a widebody to Switzerland, Russia and to Montenegro.
      Second it would be better to increase frequency to keep constant and stable routes. JU has an opportunity to make JFK daily and even double daily on 1 or 2 days in the summer.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous14:22

      Widebody route to Montenegro is abomination.

      Delete
    9. Nemjee15:38

      I don't think the A330 would be economical to MNE. I think it's cheaper to have one A319 or A320 that would fly to TGD/TIV and back. However, I might be wrong but I think MNE isn't as popular as it was a decade or two among Serbian holidaymakers. I think this is mostly a VFR route. There are definitely Serbian tourists going there but my guess is that they are not the majority filling those seats.

      Delete
    10. Slav.Man18:15

      I know ofcourse the a330 wouldn't be good every day for the frequencies JU has to montenegro. But for the peak summer season it's could be done for one or 2 days a week.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous19:29

      And of course for excess cargo (occasionally) and line training for pilots; instead of flying empty plane in circles around BEG airport they can fulfill pilot training needs on regular route to TIV (rarely) ZRH and SVO (more frequently), ATH, LON, CDG or charter for sport events or tourist groups. THY and others are doing it on regular basis.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:06

    Hopefully they achieve it by EXPO, it would be a great milestone of 100 years of flying but also an opportunity to strenghten network and build awareness

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:42

      Don't get to excited on EXPO 2027. It's only specialized exibition, not the big one.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:10

      And what to do with them after EXPO? Even if it attracts millions of people it lasts for several months... It's an event, it happens, and it ends. Some infrastructure stays, but not the people.

      Delete
    3. Nemjee15:34

      Unless Serbia uses that infrastructure to promote Belgrade as a fair/event destination. In that case it makes sense.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous16:01

      JU already have 40-45% transfer passengers. With new short and long haul routes, that number may go up to 60-70%. Like with all major airlines

      Delete
    5. Nemjee16:10

      Well carriers from relatively small markets need to look for opportunities for growth elsewhere. That's how an airline like Qatar, Finnair, Icelandair... successfully operate out of small markets.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous18:05

      Exactly! New routes will be benefits for tourists and p2p passengers from Serbia and region, but sustainability have to be relied on transfer passengers

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:09

    Likely contrary to popular opinion, IMO this has no basis in reality in the next 10 years. Those of you who think Expo 2027 will turn Belgrade into NewYork traffic wise are in for a very hard reality check.

    Not to mention, where will these planes even fly? Again, contrary to popular opinion, im sure there is no way JU could make profitable a long haul network consisting of 1-3pw ICN, NRT, DFW, JNB, SYD and other fairytale destinations ive seen people talking about in these comments. With good frequency JFK,CAN,ORD,PVG,PEK and MIA can be profitable and JU should focus on these

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:11

      While I agree with you bit if someone told you in 2018 that Air Serbia would have 4 A330-200s within five years, I don't think anyone would believe you.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:16

      Keep in mind five year plans constantly get reworked everywhere depending on market conditions. It's just a guide to go buy, not necessarily fully implement.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:17

      Since in 2018 we knew the expansion plans for 2019. it would be beliveable. If i told you that along with 4 A330s JU also finaly expanded feeder flights in order to reach a critical mass of feeder pax, which people were saying for years needed to be done, everyone would believe it.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:20

      No, in 2018 there was no word of JU starting China flights or any other destination. At the time in 2018, JU was cutting frequencies and destinations left and right.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:24

      To be honest, in 2018 I would not have believed that Air Serbia would have completely replace its entire ATR fleet and add another 5 of them.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:39

      @Anon9:20
      Read my comment again
      " in 2018 we knew the expansion plans for 2019."
      We knew JU was starting to get it toghether and started expanding

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:43

      Listening to all the sour-grape comments, it makes the satisfaction of the future situation in JU even more satisfying.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:59

      @09:43

      +1000

      Delete
    9. Anonymous11:57

      To JU haters: optimistic plan is 10 widebodies within 5 years. Abovementioned 8 birds is reality. More than 30 long haul routes are in consideration now. All of them are money makers

      Delete
    10. @ anon 09:09 is commenting pure jealousy with claims not based in sanity. very sad they need to come to the south Slavic aviation blog and say the same things year after year while JU keeps improving and growing year after year.
      you said JU wouldn't be profitable in JFK you were wrong.
      said that JU would never fly more than 2-3 times to JFK you were wrong.
      said that the widebody fleet would never get to 5 you were wrong. 2025/26 5th one should be coming.
      JU has problems, they do need to focus on. Like they really do need an MRO facility if they do want 8 wide bodies and more than 35 aircraft in their fleet. they need to grow brand recognition and have a loyalty program and make their product uniform across the fleet. but JU with 2 widebody and 3 long-haul destinations is being very profitable. but were all glad you can look at the results and lie to yourself to make the comment about JU's profitability.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous12:32

      More than 30 routes in consideration as moneymakers?? Man you really have got to be kidding me with that statment.

      Brussels, which has twice the fleet and fleet capacity of JU, and 9 widebodies doesnt even have 15 long haul routes and thats being optimistic. And its hubed in Belgium which is one of the richest countries in Europe.

      Not even the comments favourite airline LOT has more than 10 long haul routes, but they do have 15 widebodies and good frequencies on all their routes

      Delete
    12. Belgiums costs of staff and other costs would be much more than in Serbia, so profitability dips for tem

      Delete
    13. Anonymous14:09

      Brussels is already funny city comparing to Belgrade. We will see where they will be in to 5 years, and where Belgrade will be. Just mention in this year Serbia had the largest income growth from the tourism in the world. Brussels is rich, but in three Belgrade municipalities, average salary is already higher than 1500 euros. Just facts. Plans are for the future. So, dont worry, AS have bright future/

      Delete
    14. @12:32 the Italians also have a huge airline and over 100 million passengers through their airports in the year and ITA airways still failed and collapsed.
      don't comment things that are unrelated to the success of an airline. every airline and flag carrier has different opportunities. just because Belgium or LOT has a certain position doesn't have an impact on the opportunities of other airlines. Belgium is surrounded by other huge hubs like amsterdam and paris and london. while the balkans is dark spot for aviation connections to africa, latin america and asia. so its not the same environment to compare the two.

      Also. do remember that Belgium doesn't have an airline. its owned by Lufthansa, so German interests will shape and effect the ability of the airline.

      Delete
    15. Anonymous15:32

      I didn’t say that all 30 routes will be started, but current evaluation says that 30 routes may be profitable at this moment. Of course, conditions are changed through time and routes will be started by priority and depending of number of airplanes.

      Delete
    16. Anonymous16:06

      @Slav.Man
      You keep conflating any negative comment towards Air Serbia with me being a hater. I always wished the best and am proud of what my national airline has achieved. JU has solved the n.1 issue which is profitability but that doesnt mean that it doesnt have other glaring problems as you also said. We should as patriots call out fairytale plans which are purely unrealistic, such as Mareks beliefs that he could be profitbale long term on a 2pw to ICN or NRT with outdated planes and an average at best hard product

      As for your second comment- inform youself better, ITA has not failed, has reached zero losses in just two years of operations, had a bidding war for buying it, and has now been sold off to LH as a profitable entity. Think about what they achieved in the most competitve market in Europe - relatively speaking they had it worse than JU ever did in that aspect, since they never had any government protection and dubious at best illegal at worst airport subsidies. Not to mention, another airline focusing on frequencies and not ammount of routes opened

      Delete
    17. Anonymous21:41

      They never had any government protection? Sexperts all around.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:19

    Bravo Air Serbia 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:24

    How many routes could that realistically be?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:31

    A goal to aim towards

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:38

      Rather a dream I would say.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:26

      Every achievement is a materialisation of an erstwhile dream.

      Good work JU! Keep pushing!

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:31

    Reality check - just imagine...8 A330 parked on BEG at the same time...and handled at the same time...yeah right...
    I know it will never happen because most of them will fly, but just imagine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:08

      Is there even a space in BEG for so many wide-bodies

      Delete
    2. Yes, there are 7 widebody gates at the C-apron (C1A, C3A ... C13A) and then there are remote stands on B, E or N aprons.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:47

      C apron is expanding more. Now we know why

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:13

      By then the other Belgrade airport (Batajnica) will be converted to a commercial airport. It is only 15 minutes away from BEG and has two runways! More than enough room to accommodate additional widebodies.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:14

      ^ there are no plans to convert Batajnica. The long term plan is to build a new airport in Dobanovci.

      Delete
    6. Side note on the original comment, on the 4th both ARB and ARC were in front of Jat Tehnika. Managed to make a few shots. It's the first time I've seen both of them at the same time.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous11:35

      Happens from time to time :)

      https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN8kAJQtpj2sa6KfEN_FVCr3xS8UCJXuLDY1QljH2jJkuRmG0AP6gIsrR4iKSFvk2inxSHxT8eqfb7CUrvyX_FSkjEad0gUnhWfnVvRZljqtsZHrTZG7_Fda1krzNpWvG-kQn_DBmT9KR-xWXB7neA_EX5iuMJBvos2XOLv1fTsm1TCP8GvqOiY4DKPdj/s1962/65432.jpg

      Delete
    8. Anonymous14:11

      No need to convert Batajnica. NT can be expanded much much more.

      Delete
    9. Nemjee15:33

      Turning Batajnica into a commercial airport would make no sense. That said, if they ever do it, it would be cool to sit at Kalemegdan and watch planes land over your head.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous19:35

      If you see more than 3 out of 8 wide body's airplanes at BEG airport at the same time something went wrong.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous01:39

      If Apron C expands any longer it will hit the highway. Also, did ‘t Vinci just expand it, why didn’t they expand it longer at the same time.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous01:48

      You obviously didn't follow the news here. Phase 2 will begin next year with 4 additional jetbridge gates. Will be finished by 2027.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous02:02

      My point, why disrupt with Phase 2 when they just could have done it straight away. Reminds me of those “dogradjne” that’s present everywhere in Serbia. Built it right the first time.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous02:22

      There is a reason why most major infrastructure projects, especially airports are built in phases and not "all at once". At it is done like that across the world, not just in Serbia. Who is going to pay for the operation of additional space that is currently not required?

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:31

    Hopefully they won't all be A330s.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:33

      Why?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:13

      Not OP but A350s are significantly more comfortable and higher capacity, hence why they might want them

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:43

      Will Air Serbia ever buy a brand new plane?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:46

      Indeed, would be a great sight.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:05

      @Anon 10:44 Looks great except it would probably have a famous Serbian person’s face on it.

      Delete
    6. Nemjee15:32

      JU should not get the A350 for the same reason they shouldn't get the A220 or A320neo. New planes are expensive to operate. Why waste all that money on expensive leases when the A332 can do the job just fine?

      Delete
    7. Anonymous16:05

      A339 should be bingo

      Delete
    8. Nemjee16:12

      I agree and I think the Serbian government should pay for them. After all they spend so many millions on random, useless stuff, they might as well invest in JU from which we all profit.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous20:22

      @15:32. New planes are not expensive to operate, quite the opposite. They are expensive to acquire. Big difference.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous20:23

      A330-900 would be perfect. Look at TAP and Condor fitouts.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous21:59

      A332 and A339 have the same range. Air Serbia complained about BEG-LAX being too much for A332, and they can't even fill A332 in the winter.

      Delete
    12. Nemjee23:45

      And to operate since JU would have to pay expensive monthly leases. Why create unnecessary expenses when you can operate cheaper planes such as the A332 which can do the job just fine.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous01:22

      @21.59. That’s not correct. The a330-900 is heavier, has a brand new wing and more fuel efficient engines. Its range with full payload is 7,200 nmi (13,334 km; 8,300 mi). Easy to do LAX with that.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous09:32

    It's good to be optimistic.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous09:32

    In the best times of JAT, they had 5x DC-10

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Different times, now air travel is more affordable and less profitable for the airlines. Plus the competition is only getting stronger. At the time JAT was a force to be reckoned with. Now AirSerbia is making ripples on Balkans.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:40

      Thing did change but Air Serbia will have more aircraft flying (dry+wet lease) this year than what JAT had at the 1988 peak and will likely set JU all-time passenger record.

      Delete
    3. Nemjee15:31

      Wasn't that the time when one of the five DC-10s was leased from Finnair? I think only 2 or 3 were actually JU's.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous16:25

      Again, both dry+wet lease were included for both 1988 and 2024. In 1988 JU had 34 aircraft, in 2024 it will have 36 once announced 2xE195 and 2xA330 are in the fleet, assuming wet leases stay at today's level. Even if two wet leases leave by the time 4th A330 arrives, JU will have 34 aircraft operating for them, same as in 1988.

      Delete
    5. Nemjee17:07

      Cool but I was asking about their widebody fleet back in 1988. How many of those DC10s were theirs and how many were leased for that summer.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous18:16

      Yugoslav Airlines didn't provide breakdown in that 1988 report.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous20:05

      OH-LHA and OO-SLA were leased from Finnair and Sabena (Belgium). Only YU-AMA and YU-AMB were owned. They sold and leased back YU-AMA in 1989 and that’s why Nikola Tesla left the fleet in 1992 whilst Edvard Rusjan remained until the end and was unceremoniously parted out in France. He should have gone to the aviation museum!

      Delete
    8. Anonymous20:07

      And YU-AMC and YU-AMD were also leased ex KLM and Swissair very early models. TU-TAL was leased from Air Afrique.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:32

    All these plans sound great. I just don't know how they are going to finance it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous09:34

    With what pilots Marek? Those who left are not coming back.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:38

    They keep growing it. A dew years ago they said it would be maximum of 5 A330s.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous09:38

    Long term, anything is possible. The largest city in the world, Chongqing (30M+ people) has two or three destinations in Europe only.
    Who knows.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:47

      +1
      Nice city Chongqing. Visited just before covid but flew from Budapest with Hainan.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:03

      CKG-MAD, LHR, FCO, MXP, BUD, CDG

      Delete
  16. Anonymous09:40

    They already outlined some plans - extra destination in US/North America, new destination in South Korea and Japan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:40

      And in the past they also mentioned India

      Delete
  17. Anonymous10:06

    I think five A330s is more realistic number, taking into account that regional and European frequencies will drastically rise, because what JU has right now is far from enough.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous10:16

    I think they will need as many as 10 E190/195 along. Those long haul routes have to be feeded properly

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous10:21

    Okay so I really don’t know how to calculate this but let’s try.
    8 wide body aircraft:
    summer:
    JFK-9pw
    ORD-5pw
    TSN-1pw
    CAN-2pw
    PVG-2pw
    MIA-4pw
    LAX/or other US-3pw
    ICN-4pw?
    NRT/HND-4pw?
    DEL-3-4pw

    winter:
    JFK-4pw
    ORD-3pw
    TSN-2pw
    CAN-2-3pw
    PVG-2-3pw
    MIA-5pw
    LAX/or other US-4-5pw
    ICN-3-4pw?
    HND/NRT-3-4pw
    DEL-3-4pw

    Could we see this down the line or is this schedule physically impossible?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:42

      I am pretty sure network will eventually include Toronto. At least seasonally.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:04

      My bad forgot to add

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:09

      I would add at least two more destinations in China, then Mumbai and Delhi, Singapoore, Kuala Lumpur, why not even Bangkok. Asia is today’s richest continent and it’s only getting richer every year

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:15

      JFK ORD MIA LAX YYZ TSN CAN PVG HND ICN DEL DXB would be a nice network

      Delete
    5. Anonymous16:51

      Delhi and Dubai were not mentioned by Air Serbia. Without them, only New York and Toronto return trips can comfortably fit within 24 hour window. Chicago and Tianjin are very tight and not likely to comfortably fit within 24 hours on a regular basis. Los Angeles, if they decide to go for it, would be more difficut and demanding task from scheduling perspective than adding Toronto for example, assuming slots are not an issue.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous18:13

      Delhi were mentioned by Serbian president, after meeting with Indian president

      Delete
    7. Anonymous18:59

      but not by Air Serbia

      Delete
    8. Anonymous19:55

      Delhi and Toronto would work perfectly in combination. Plan those flights with a minimal layover in Belgrade, and you have a massive, ever growing market of Indians. That way Toronto is easily an all year destination.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous20:10

      They need Singapore and Sydney. Huge Australian diaspora.

      Delete
  20. Anonymous10:42

    Good luck! Hope it happens.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous10:44

    They should fly to the maldives or thailand, zanzibar etc in winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:47

      If they acquire so many wide-bofies, they would surely add leisure destinations during winter, by decreasing frequency for north american destinations ( apart of MIA)..Also, don't forget that CAN is also considered leisure destination during winter, since its very close and well connected with entire Southeast Asian tourist destinations

      Delete
  22. Anonymous10:45

    Means nothing if they won't hire enough.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous10:45

    Add wifi. The old plane had it. 8-9 hours is too long without wifi.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous11:08

    Delhi would be a a major success.

    I used to fly Moscow-Delhi once shortly before COVID. I expected the plane will be full of Russians heading to Goa. Instead, the only Russians were the crew and few pax. All otehrs were Indian. They are highly mobile nation which starts to travel a lot, besides being the most populous city on Earth. I bet its easier to fill a long haul flight to/frp, Delhi much, much easier to any otehr far away place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:56

      It is far more likely Serbia-India flights will be launched by an airline from India. It is also likely airline(s) from China will launch more flights to Serbia.

      Delete
    2. Nemjee15:30

      Whatever airline launches flights from India to Belgrade, I just hope it's not 6E. I watched some trip reports online and they are absolutely horrible to fly on. I hope JU eventually launches DEL.

      However, in order to make it in India they'll need a stronger US and UK network. Their flights to JFK and ORD are already full in summer. Before they launch India they need to make sure they have enough empty seats in order not to create a mess.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:15

      Well most likely IndiGo will start those flights. They have many A321XLRs on order and Belgrade is perfect route for them.

      Even Wizz Air is planning to open Wizz Air India and base A321XLRs there, so Wizz is second option.

      Delete
    4. Nemjee17:08

      That's why JU should beat them to the punch and launch DEL :3

      Delete
    5. Anonymous19:07

      In novembre I flew on 6E AUH-GOX, better service than I expected.

      Delete
  25. Anonymous11:18

    Maybe with all the flights to China they could get a deal for the Comac by then? With the free trade agreement starting in less than 2 weeks with China there will be an exponential growth of cargo between the two countries, especially with the increased EU/China tariffs. Serbia being outside of Schengen - but bordering it - will make it the prime destination for goods that will be purchased in Serbia from businesses in the EU needing these goods at a better rate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:50

      JU buys only used aircraft, which have proved itself as reliable. Comac is the opposite of it.

      Delete
  26. Anonymous11:26

    How about they add more A320s? Their planes are full and they are going crazy with prices! You pay €500 to LIS or AGP while HAM/HAJ fly with 50-60 passengers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:28

      That is called competition. You have several airlines flying to German cities so the prices are relatively low, so they need to earn somewhere and those are routes without or small amount of competitors

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:53

      It's called failing in a market. They need to terminate Hanover and Hamburg and focus on something more lucrative.
      I noticed in the system they downgraded night flights to Athens from A319 to E90/Atr

      Delete
    3. Nemjee15:28

      With E95 hopefully becoming the norm in JU's fleet they really do not need the A319 any more. Sticking to an E95/A320 combo is the right way forward. Many, many destinations are simply too busy to keep the A319. It's a shame there aren't that many A321s around as they could really use it in summer.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous20:15

      They are stretched too thin on too many destinations. They need to reduce route network and focus on frequency to destinations like LIS. HAJ is too close to HAM, DUS and BER.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous11:47

    Are there airlines with comparable fleets?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:16

      Well...my first thought is Austrian...JU aims for something similar...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:54

      OS has like 70 planes in their fleet, JU has 25

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:05

      Exactly. Austria and Netherlands are not much bigger then Serbia, but they have excellent airlines. Why Serbia shouldn’t have similar?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:17

      Because it's outside of the EU.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous13:20

      Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world that is outside of the EU with the strongest airline in Africa and one of the stronger ones in the world. Your argument means nothing.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous13:23

      @ anon 13:05
      Serbia has ok airline for it's size and importance. I would say more than ok. Also a wery good destination map out of it's main airport and flag carrier's hub. If OS has 70 planes for the country multiple economic size of Serbia, then JU's 30-35 planes are great achievement.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous14:14

      Ethiopia is definitely not one of the poorest countries in the world lol

      Delete
    8. Anonymous14:21

      No, it is one of the richest lol

      Delete
    9. Nemjee15:26

      BEG is unfortunate that both of its biggest players are faced with capacity restrictions. JU due to the Marathon mess and Wizz due to neo engine business.
      Both carriers shrank their networks at a time when the Serbian market performed quite well.

      We even read on here how both JU and W6 had to make last minutes adjustments on LCA due to demand being so strong. Wizz will even use Cypriot crew to operate their flight on Mondays.

      Delete
  28. Anonymous12:55

    They can use some of it for charters, like Thailand or Indonesia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No charters, never..People travel on their own these days, especially they don't need agency for Thailand or Indonesia ( Bali)...Much more money for company if not charter..

      Delete
  29. Anonymous18:29

    It’s time to put some female on livery. Desanka Maksimovic, Danica Tomic, Milena Einstein is my proposal

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous19:41

      Maja Gojković, Dafina and Majka Tereza and Lepa Brena

      Delete
    2. Anonymous20:19

      LOL

      Delete
    3. Anonymous20:54

      They should put Milutin Milankovic on the next A330 to have the “Big Three” Serbs but after that definitely some women.

      Delete
    4. Nemjee23:48

      I think Ducic, Paja Jovanovic, Nusic... also deserve to have a plane of their own.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous08:35

      Ivo Andric as priority

      Delete
    6. Anonymous06:37

      It is Mileva Marić Ajnštejn not Milena Einstein. You must be confused with Milena Pavlović Barili

      Delete
  30. Anonymous20:05

    @Nemjee15:38 Wrong.Think outside the box.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nemjee23:50

      Think outside the box in what sense? Outside the plane's performance on such short routes? There is a reason why very few airlines do it. A330 is no A300.

      Delete
  31. Anonymous23:02

    An Air Serbia spokesperson told Simple Flying they are assessing Toronto not a US route
    https://simpleflying.com/air-serbia-new-us-routes/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous02:39

      Different and confusing messaging to Aviation Week and Simple Flying. Not entirely unexpected, this is just a continuation of what is becoming Air Serbia tradition of blowing hot and cold about Toronto flights.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous06:46

      Of course they are. Mark my words. Miami will be flown in winter and Toronto over summer.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:23

      It's not about seasonal or not. It is about completely different statements to two well-known aviation websites. Is it two US destinations or one US and Toronto?

      Delete
  32. Anonymous23:20

    And again people focus on collecting destinations.
    International flights will only be successful if Air Serbia offers as much frequency as possible.
    Especially on flights to NYC and Shanghai.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous06:47

      PVG is capped at 2 per week by the Chinese Government. How do you grow that?

      Delete
  33. Anonymous08:50

    EXPO 27 is coming ! By then more than 100 destinations!?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous14:19

    Is Airbus A330-900, OO-ABF, leased to LOT by Air Belgium considered for JU?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:36

      No, the other two A330-200

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:26

      Two Air Belgium A330s have been already announced, are you saying that additional 2 A330s would be obtained?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous17:09

      Noo, they had only two, now they are AirSerbia's

      Delete
  35. Anonymous07:52

    they are still missing India, which is biggest source market now in the world leaving china behind.

    ReplyDelete

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