Air Serbia recently revealed it is looking into growing its network over the upcoming winter season following a summer focused on consolidation. The carrier’s CEO, Jiri Marek, has now uncovered more about the airline’s short-haul expansion strategy, focusing both on its regional and wider European network.
Speaking to Aviation Week, Mr Marek said, “In terms of European short-haul or regional destinations, there are different strategies for the two. Regionally, we are already covering seventeen destinations in the former Yugoslavia, with the latest addition being Mostar, which was launched in April. The coverage in this segment is densified and we will be focusing on connectivity and adding frequencies. The majority of these destinations are served by the ATR turboprop fleet”. He added, “We are also looking at the wider Balkan region because if you look at Belgrade’s geographical position there are a lot of opportunities for us in Bulgaria and Romania where, at the moment, we are just serving capitals plus one sea-side destination [Varna]. Therefore, potentially, the next destination even for the upcoming winter will most likely be one of the regional points in Romania. In the region we will be looking into further development but those are mostly feeding destinations because there is not enough point-to-point demand, so they will be feeding our network”.
Mr Marek said there are almost no cities in Europe with point-to-point demand left unserved from Belgrade. “In terms of the European market, in the past we were mostly looking at those with a high share of point-to-point traffic but there are almost none left at the moment. The best example of that is when our biggest competitor Wizz Air announced last year its expansion from Belgrade, all the destinations launched were already served. It was just adding destinations which were already part of our network, which means that if someone who can stimulate demand is unable to find a new destination with sufficient point-to-point demand that can be stimulated, any future new destination should come from the hub and spoke airline because you will have the network behind”.
Commenting on potential new routes, Mr Marek said, “Unserved destinations with the highest share of point-to-point demand are Dublin and Manchester but neither has been launched by a low cost carrier, which means that logically that can only be introduced if you have the hub behind. I am not indicating that those will be the destinations we will be opening but we are looking at them”, the CEO said. He added, “The next destination in the short-haul segment will most likely be around the Central Asia/Caucasus region. We have been looking at it and if we did not have the capacity constraints something would have already been launched”. Over the past years Baku and Tbilisi have been highlighted as possible new destinations within Air Serbia’s network.
Bravo Air Serbia 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteI wonder if it would be CLJ or TSR?
ReplyDeleteCLJ for sure. TSR is way too close.
DeleteI don't understand why is Air Serbia never looking into Suceava/Iasi.
DeleteThe latter is very popular with religious tours from Serbia and both are closer to border with Ukraine from where they can get lots of pax.
Seems to me Marek is being too prudent at times.
DeleteTSR would be nonsensical, it's too close. Cluj, Iasi, Constanta could be launched in Romania and maybe Plovdiv in Bulgaria, with frequency increases to Sofia and Bucharest.
DeleteIt would not be "nonsensical", because to drive there takas as much time as to Budapest. Case closed.
DeleteChisinau instead of Iasi.
Delete+100!
DeleteYeah but distance wise it is only just over 100 km, so too close. Now the case is officially closed.
DeleteI was in Chisinau last month and had to fly with OS. All flights there are full, there is increase in demand whereas capacity has decreased as many operators were forced to reduce operations after the war in Ukraine started. There is definitely money to be made there, if JU is smart they should position themselves well now before it's too late. I see W6 reopening their base there as soon as they resolve their fleet issues.
DeleteIn the real life, You do not measure distance by km, but by minutes&hours. Otherwise, there should be no flights between, say, Helsinki and Talinn (some 70 km apart - but it takes two hours to get from one city to another - and that is less than do get from Surčin to Timisoara). Compared to BEG-BUD, BEG-TSR flights would only consume less fuel.
DeleteOne cannot be seriously considered if he/she is comparing flight to BUD and TSR..
DeleteAnd for what exact reason? BUD is a wider market? Sure it is; but it is also a wider market than Skopje, and still, JU flies to Skopje, too.
Delete(Hint: There's much, much more competition at BUD than at TSR)
A consideration should also be made that jfk flights were launched from Bucharest. So to stay competitive in the region JU needs to go after the market outside the capitals to feed its long haul and other routes. So it isn't exactly wrong to look at all airports even those an hour or less away
DeleteHas Air Serbia looked at joining one of the alliances?
ReplyDeleteThey said that they do not need it.
DeleteNo, what they said was that for the moment for an airline of their size, it would not bring the desired benefits.
Deleteyes they did and they decided against it as non-alignment puts them in position to establish codeshares with different carriers where it fits their needs
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/08/air-serbia-no-appetite-to-join-alliance.html
DeleteHas any of the three airline alliances shown any interest in having JU as a member?
DeleteWhich one you think would be the better fir for us?
Sky Team would be the best Alliance for Air Serbia.
DeleteI think definitely Star Alliance or SkyTeam. Definitely not OneWorld. Star Alliance does have a lot of European airlines so…
DeleteOneworld
DeleteProbably SkyTeam because that is the alliance it has the most partnerships with. Though Turkish is one of their biggest partners and they are part of the Star Alliance, so maybe then they could help JU out…
DeleteSky Team already has Tarom as a member in the region and maybe they would be against JU joining.
DeleteOne World is completely absent in eastern and southeastern Europe so it would make the most sense. But I think politics would prevent that.
Star Alliance already has OS, AZ, TK, A3 and LX all competing for the Balkan market so maybe they would view JU as not bringing added value to the group.
I do not see Tarom as a problem. Adria was part of *A although OU was already there. No big deal.
DeleteAir Serbia is much more active company that Tarom is and in couple of years will have many more pax than RO so therefore I believe Sky Team is the best option for JU especially as they already have CS with KL and AF.
Problem being a smaller carrier in a large alliance, is that you lose control over your frequent, loyal customers. This is why OU is stuck to "feeding" star hubs because that's where their most loyal passengers have most stauts.
DeleteI don't believe any of the 3 alliances is interested in having ASL as a member.
Delete^ good thing you know.
DeleteWhen OU and JP joined they were not full members but regional members. They got upgraded later. Star Alliance too crowded for JU. Skyteam has CSA and Tarom. Oneworld makes sense with AA and QR and AY being partners.
DeleteCSA will cease to exist this October.
DeleteAnd Tarom is really...Tarom.
DeleteCouple of times a week someone asks about Air Serbia joining alliance. Isn't it clear by now? How many more questions about this?
DeleteWondering which of the three destination in the Caucausus they will introduce.
ReplyDeleteHahaha... Obviously TBS, GYD and EVN... What else is your thought? Mestia with ATR? Nachcivan?
DeleteIf you read carefully I say I wonder which OF THE THREE. I highly doubt they will launch all three.
DeleteWell, in October Yerevan had highest demand and now seems it’s Baku and Tbilisi. So possibly all three
DeleteBaku stands the best chance of being the first Caucasus destination due to the robust political and economic ties between Azerbaijan and Serbia. There were also talks about AZAL being interested in starting this route as well.
DeleteBEG is not yet mature for AZAL, that is why they chose SOF which has more demand. They also codeshare with Bulgaria Air and they cooperate for transfers.
DeleteYeah BEG is not mature for anything, we know that as some people keep reminding us here day after day. Not mature for long haul, short haul, regional flights.... All routes are political, all passengers are paid actors. Today there are are over 130 departures from Belgrade but it is all fake as it is not mature. Thankfully it has matured for China Southern Airlines but that is probably fake too.
DeleteSure, transfers from Sofia to USA and China are very likely. Via BEG...
DeleteFrom SOF it already happens via BEG.
DeleteIf the visa situation with the UK was resolved MAN would have been launched instantly.
ReplyDeleteVisa regime won't be changed anytime soon.
DeleteHow’s London working perfectly with three companies and Manchester can’t?
DeleteBecause there is certainly more point to point, VFR and transfer demand to the busiest airport in Europe and one of the busiest in the world than to Manchester.
DeleteMaybe the new Labor government in the UK would have a different attitude towards its relationship with us.
DeleteWell they are looking at which destination has he most transfer potential. I think it will be between Baku and Tbilisi. And no, they won't launch all three they will launch one.
DeleteIsn't Serbia having the best political relations with AZE?
DeleteLondon isn't working perfectly with 3 companies as 1 (BA) will exit the route in a few months.
DeleteAs a large European city, London really lacks the frequencies compared to other major cities in Europe served from Belgrade.
It had good relations with all three. They will introduce the one they think will bring them most money.
DeleteWhy UK keeps visa for Serbia? Is there any particular reason or condition that haven't been met? We do have visa for the USA, but it's rather flexible and easier to get.
DeleteI think that even they don't know that.
DeleteFirst about government. Only a Nigel Farage government in the uk would move things forward for visa if anyone moved it forward. And as for demand yh London doesn't have the same frequency because the UK is not the same for serbia as the rest of Europe in terms of diaspora or business and tourism. So unless British people start going to holiday in serbia like they do to Greece, Croatia, Turkey. Then one daily will remain and double daily on some days at peak travel
DeleteI think CLJ is the top priority.
ReplyDeleteNice, Cluj seems to be most likely for Romania. Not sure which of the Central Asian destinations they could start.
ReplyDeleteGood to see growth on the horizon.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"If you look at Belgrade’s geographical position there are a lot of opportunities for us in Bulgaria and Romania where, at the moment, we are just serving capitals plus one sea-side destination [Varna]"
They really should consider Burgas in summer, the airport gets really busy in summer and expected to reach 2 million this year. Yesterday alone, there were 5 arrivals from Tel Aviv. Even Romanian carrier FlyLili launched charters this summer. TUI UK operate from Manchester weekly 789 Dreamliners. Plovdiv is too close to Sofia and has mainly UK destinations and winter ski charters. Not a good option for JU.
As for Romania, definitely CLJ or GHV Brasov, which is obviously now "booming".
Iasi or Chisnau comes after Cluj
DeleteA friend of mine works for Sofia airport and they told me that Plovdiv keeps on asking them for flights but JU is not interested. They would rather focus on destinations like Ohrid or Mostar which have less potential.
DeletePlovdiv is next to Sofia. Although it is a beautiful city.
DeleteCan't wait to see the new route(s). They also mentioned previously they will extend some seasonal routes so I'm curious to see which ones.
ReplyDeleteVAR
DeleteI hope not SPU. There are many other much better destinations for winter.
DeleteI hope SPU.
DeleteNot an expert for routes, but Beirut and all that region once served was 100% full flights with very few point to point travelers, mostly transit
ReplyDeleteTerrible economic situation in Lebanon.
DeleteIt's terrible for other airlines as well.
DeleteNot so terrible for Tarom it seems.
DeleteTAROM is on the verge of bankruptcy and one of the worst examples to compare to anyone.
DeleteExactly.
DeleteThat one is political, they are not politically strong to serve Cairo with obvious demand and that is a shame.
Delete12:14 You would think that an airline that is ''on the verge of bankruptcy'' would be the first to cut BEY with the terrible economic situation.
DeleteWhy would they? It is severely mismanaged and a massive 95 million euro bailout by the government has just been approved. Eventually they will have to cut many routes, not just Beirit.
DeleteEither way, many airlines are flying to BEY.
DeleteAir Serbia is totally absent from the Middle-East which is a nonsense.
DeleteThey should use their Embraers to launch operations there such as LOT did.
Every time they launched new long haul flights it was accompanied by substantial short haul expansion. Same thing now.
ReplyDeleteCluj, Iasi, Košice could all be considered.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder how many new destinations could be added in 2025.
ReplyDeleteHope for Antalya scheduled flights.
DeleteThey need planes
DeleteNot going to happen due to bilateral.
DeleteJU earns a lot of money on charters.
DeleteI flew from Sofia to Yerevan a few months ago with Wizzair, and it was packed to the last seat, mostly with Russians. Given the new Russian diaspora in all these countries, I think routes from BEG to EVN, GYD, TBS would be very successful.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteRussians are starting to leave both Armenia and Georgia and many are still moving to Serbia. I don't think this a market they should focus on. If they launch EVN then they should do it for transfers to western Europe and especially to France.
DeleteExciting times ahead
ReplyDeleteHere in ALC we're eager to see JU finally announcing the ALC-BEG route in the foreseeable future, maybe for S25
ReplyDeleteRyan can start Alicante Nis.
DeleteHow yes no 😂😂😂
DeleteHow would that look if you start your flight in a Schengen country like Romania/Bulgaria, go via BEG and then end in a Schengen country. I guess you have to go via passport control in Romania/Bulgaria upon departure and then again in a Schengen country you go to upon arrival? That would be a serious downside.
ReplyDeleteCorrect. If you are flying from Schengen to another Schengen country BUT via Non Schengen country (e.g. Serbia) you will be subject to passport control both at your departure and your destination airport. However that should not pose such an issue for EU residents due to automated border gates, and security is cleared only once (at departure airport).
DeleteI do understand the problem for the Russian or any other non EU passenger.
Thank you for your answer. For some reason not all passengers go via automated gates, so that will be a serious downside. Also not all airports provide them yet. And some passengers (like families) cannot use them.
DeleteYes, then they would have to wait in passport control queue.
DeleteSomething that was so normal for Romania / Bulgaria only a year ago.
Yes, I'm sure Bulgarian passengers who entered the Schengen zone 3 months ago after almost 20 years in the European union will stop flying Air Serbia as they will have to go through passport control. Of course, Bulgarian passengers will never look at the fare of their ticket and choose their flight based on that, instead it will come down to passport control.
Delete+100
DeleteWhy are you people so sassy here? Can you not say things respectfully?
Deletewell thats why i dont transfer via BG when i fly from schengen to schengen ... and im not bulgarian ;)
DeleteGood for you ;) I'm sure 99% of people buying a ticket have no clue if they have to pass passport control and the thought does not even cross their mind.
DeleteEU and no passport holders would not go through immigration on transit in BEG and would have priority on reentry to EU through EU lines/smart gates. It would not be a major problem if JU was price competitive.
DeleteI wouldn't be so sure of that. Many people are savvy when it comes to ease of travel and know which countries/airports to avoid.
DeleteOf course Serbia is the one to avoid... Pity Air Serbia didn't get the memo. I guess that's why they increased Sofia this summer and why Bulgaria Air now codeshare on 20+ Air Serbia routes. Planes must be empty or if there are any they are paid actors.
DeleteI always find it interesting the amount of people that get irritated when someone suggests passengers from a certain country may be using Belgrade to transfer to another country, as if this is something bad or shameful. I remember when it was suggested people from Zagreb may fly to New York via Belgrade and there was a horde of commentators saying how no one would fly via Belgrade and that Croats love Lufthansa. When I flew with Air Serbia there was a whole sporting team from Croatia flying on our New York flight and several elderly couples too (and that's just what I could see, perhaps there were more). Interesting. I guess the same as some people here suggesting that there is no one from Romania and Bulgaria transferring via Belgrade. Now the reason is express exit from the airport. I also especially like the colorful language such as "passengers know which country to avoid". I don't know if it a complex some people have or what.
DeleteOh yes, it is a complex.
DeleteAnd what a complex!
Tons of Croats arrive to Belgrade every day by bus with large luggage and transfer early next morning for flights to USA and different exotic destinations.
DeleteAccording to the BEG website, 136 departures today, I think this is a record
ReplyDeleteQuite possible.
DeleteWhen is air serbia going to look sariously at Morocco.
ReplyDeleteI doubt it will happen as long as there is viga regime for Serbian citizens.
DeleteWould like to see Cluj and Baku in Q4.
ReplyDeleteAstana or Tashkent/Samarkand would work
ReplyDeleteExpecting Air Serbia to launch flights to another destination in Poland. LOT Polish has services from WAW to New York - both JFK and EWR, Toronto and Chicago. The don't fly between Krakow and JFK, they don't fly between Krakow and Toronto. Other Polish cities, except for Krakow - ORD and once weekly RZE-EWR, have no direct links to US and Canada. Air Serbia could target one-stop connections via Belgrade. Feed from Polish cities could also help launch Toronto flights.
ReplyDeleteOne more vote for Chisinau!!!
ReplyDelete