Air Serbia, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines and AJet handled 855.720 passengers on flights between Belgrade and Turkey last year, data from Turkish authorities show. The figure represents a record number of travellers handled on six different routes, including charters in 2023. It was achieved, in part, due to renegotiated terms of the restrictive Bilateral Air Service Agreement between the two countries in late 2022, which enabled Air Serbia to launch several new routes to Turkey, as well as AJet’s expansion on the Serbian market. Furthermore, it ushered in closer cooperation between the two flag carriers. Air Serbia also maintains flights from Niš and Kraljevo to Istanbul, as well as charters between Niš and Antalya, in addition to its Belgrade operations to Turkey.
Belgrade - Turkey passenger performance by route, 2023
Unsurprisingly, flights between Belgrade and Istanbul’s main gateway were the busiest with over half a million passengers. The figure represents an increase of 32.9% on 2022, or an additional 124.879 travellers. The growth was generated by the close cooperation between Air Serbia and Turkish Airlines, which has resulted in a wide-ranging codeshare agreement and a potential joint venture. Furthermore, tourism exchange between the two countries has significantly increased and flows both ways, there is a notable rise in Turkish workers in Serbia, while a larger number of Russian travellers are transferring via Turkey to and from Serbia, which also generated more traffic.
Despite the Turkish side pushing to obtain rights to commence scheduled operations between Antalya and Belgrade as part of the revised Air Service Agreement, it failed to do so, with Air Serbia remaining the exclusive operator. As a result, the route continues to be maintained as a charter. Last year, the Serbian flag carrier operated up to eight daily flights between Belgrade and Antalya during the height of the summer season. It handled 111.546 travellers on the route, which is maintained only during the summer months. On the other hand, ten years after commencing flights to Belgrade, Pegasus Airlines saw direct competition on its flights to Belgrade, with AJet commencing operations between Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport and the Serbian capital in December 2023.
Incredible numbers, the Turkish market is massive
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't Air Serbia make the Antalya route as scheduled?
DeleteBecause they would then have to allow TK to launch flights as well.
DeleteAnd the passengers are 99.5% Serbian
DeleteThis. The current state is profitable as things stand for Air Serbia
DeletePoor Pegasus.
ReplyDeleteHope JU/TK don't get rid of Pegasus
DeleteI wish they could increase flights. I'm sure if they could they would probably be flying at least 10 weekly on this route. They have completely different type of passengers than TK and JU. Just be at BEG when their flight arrives and you will see what I'm talking about :D
DeleteAt least Pegasus has been able to increase capacity and now uses A321 on Belgrade flights.
Deletewow. If you count INI and KVO flights its probably over a million passengers between Serbia and Turkey.
ReplyDeleteVery unlikely that INI and KVO generated over 140k travelers.
DeleteINI-IST, KVO-IST and INI-AYT could have.
DeleteSince Air Serbia flies Kraljevo and Nis to Istanbul, is it possible that any other carrier start Nis?
DeleteNo, because INI-IST is PSO route and exclusive rights are given to JU.
DeleteThose are crazy number for Belgrade-Antalya considering its a charter route operating a couple of months per year..
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly why JU does not want to give it up. It's a cash cow.
DeleteNormal. Bravo JU.
DeleteMakes sense. Who would willingly give it up?
DeleteWhy no airlines from Turkey are able to commence flights from Antalya, what does the agreement says?
DeleteBecause under the agreement, both flag carriers - Air Serbia and Turkish - have to agree on routes and frequencies. JU wasn't willing to negotiate Antalya.
DeleteFrom IATA “Most of the air service agreements to which Turkey is a signatory remain restrictive in nature, with many having limits on capacity, designated airports and, in some cases, approved airlines and pricing”
DeleteIf there were no restrictions Pegasus, SunExpress and Turkish would all be flying this route.
DeleteBecause tourists are from Serbia only. Why would turkish airlines make a profit on Serbian tourists?
DeleteGreat results! Bravo Srbija!
ReplyDeleteYou do realize that the vast majority of that traffic is handled by Turkish carriers and not JU, right?
DeleteYou do realize that on weekly basis at this moment we have following traffic between BEG and Turkey, right?
DeleteAnkara - JU 4 pw, VF 4 pw
Antalya - JU 23 pw
Bodrum - JU 6pw
Dalaman - JU 1 pw
Istanbul - JU 13 pw, TK 21 pw
Sabiha Gokcen - VF 4 pw, PC 4 pw
Izmir - JU 2 pw, VF 1 pw
In total
JU - 49 weekly flights
TK - 21 weekly flights
VF - 9 weekly flights
PC - 4 weekly flights
Serbian carrier: 49 weekly flights, Turkish carriers: 34 weekly flights.
Even during the time when JU does not fly charters (January 2024) we had:
Ankara: JU 4 pw, VF (at that time still TK) 4 pw
Istanbul: JU 21 pw, TK 21 pw
Sabiha Gokcen: VF (at that time still TK) 4 pw, PC 4pw
Izmir : JU 2 pw, VF (at that time TK) 2 pw
In total:
JU 27 weekly flights,
TK 31 weekly flights,
PC 4 weekly.
Serbian carrier: 27 weekly flights, Turkish carriers: 35 weekly flights.
The difference between JU and Turkish carriers is during the summer much bigger (in JU's favour) than it is during the winter in Turkish carriers favour.
So, the statement that "vast majority of that traffic is handled by Turkish carriers and not JU" is a obvious lie.
Majority of that traffic is handled by Air Serbia.
Thank you for that summary last anon. Put's things into perspective.
DeleteWhy did JU reduce its flights to Istanbul so much compared to last year?
Delete@anon 09:33
DeleteFrequency wise, JU has more flights but mostly with A319/320 while Turks are using a lot of A321s.
The difference in equipment can't make up the difference of 15 weekly flights.
DeleteYesterday from BEG there were four flights to Antalya and three to Bodrum.
ReplyDeleteHow many passanger are there from Nis and Kraljevo to Turkey?
ReplyDeleteGreat results
ReplyDeleteWasn't expecting so many passengers
ReplyDeleteIs there any other destination in Turkey that could be potentially launched?
ReplyDeleteBased on those numbers, Antalya :D
DeleteThat won't happen any time soon. I mean a destination besides the one listed in the table.
DeleteAdana comes to mind.
DeleteAdana, Konya, Gazientep, Malatya, Kayseri
DeleteDiyarbakir..
DeleteA true winner here is JU with over 110k PAX on CHARTER flights to Antalya. Milk that cow
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteYeah, milk those Serbian tax payers with those fuel YQ taxes
DeleteWhat are you on about? Serbian taxpayers aren't funding JU in any way.
DeleteThey guy lives in the past.
DeleteOne more „ANALiticar“.
Delete🇹🇷 is economic superpower in the region and those numbers are just confirming that.
ReplyDeleteEx YU countries need to focus even more on this market.
Is this more than Serbia-Montenegro annual traffic?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteIt's amazing how much this Istanbul route developed in just the last year or two.
ReplyDeleteIt really took off during covid
DeleteHas passport free travel started between Serbia and Turkey?
ReplyDeleteIf you're Serbian, you can't clear passport control at BEG without an actual passport, so I'd say no.
DeleteYou can use your ID card to enter Serbia, depending where you are coming from.
DeleteYes you can, you can travel with your ID to Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia... Give it a try first before writing incorrect info
DeleteAlso many Russians requiring US visa going to BEG and using flights via Istanbul. American embassy in Belgrade is designated for issuing visas to Russian citizens. And you have to appear in person.
ReplyDeleteDidn't know that. Interesting
DeleteWhat about US Embassy in Moscow?
DeleteThey maintain the embassy in Moscow, however, the consular department got moved. I know that F1 visas, student visas, are only issued in Belgrade, not completely sure for other visa types
DeleteI would be very happy if we could earn Miles&Smiles through Air Serbia flights :)
ReplyDeleteBook it on TK website and I think you will be able to collect miles.
DeleteNo, you won't. In Star Alliance the operating carrier matters. JU therefore can't earn miles on any Star Alliance FFP.
Deleteslay
ReplyDeleteIt was very good move from Air Serbia side to sign code share with Turkish.
ReplyDeleteOPEN THE SKY!!!
ReplyDeleteMe as customer should decide which airline I want to fly. And the state should take care of the quality rather then of limiting the business opportunity to the airlines!
I'm surprised a third Turkish carrier has not been allowed on the market. I remember that Atlasglobal was allowed to fly.
Delete+1000
DeleteAtalsglobal were allowed to fly because JU allowed it because they made a deal. That is what the Air Service Agreement was like. Then Atlasglobal went bankrupt and JU later decided to make a deal with Turkish
DeleteRemember that at the time Air Serbia let Atlasglobal fly, Air Serbia didn't operate to IST.
DeleteJU has come a long way since than.
DeleteImpressive!
ReplyDeleteIs BEG now ahead of Bucharest in terms of passenger numbers from IST? I know it was third in the region behind ATH and OTP but ahead of airports like BUD, SOF, SJJ, ZAG etc.
ReplyDeleteOf course. Turkish need visas for EU
DeleteOTP-IST/SAW is 6 daily, of which TK flies 3 with widebodies (2 daily A333 and 1 daily A359).
DeleteATH-IST/SAW is 9 daily, of which TK flies 2 with widebodies (B77W).
So BEG is definitely behind OTP and ATH. BEG is less than 6 daily, currently it is 5,4 daily with no widebodies operation.
ATH is up to 10 daily with 4TK, 4xA3 and up to two daily with Pegasus. TK's early morning and afternoon are sometimes widebody flights too
DeleteAnon 21:46 not sometimes. Everyday in the summer season TK sends widebodies to ATH for the 10:30 departure from ATH and the 21:50 departure also from ATH .
DeleteAm not surprised about those results, Serbian biggest economical and political partner in so called "region" it's Turkey.
ReplyDeleteI think Turkish tourists are number 1 in Serbia
ReplyDeleteYes they are
DeleteHave been for a few years
DeleteIs IST now the busiest route from Belgrade? Or are Tivat and/or Zurich ahead?
ReplyDeleteYes, it has been busiest for some time.
DeleteNo, TIV is far the busiest with 60 weekly flights.
DeleteTIV has most frequencies only during height of summer season. In winter there are 2-3 daily flights all on ATR or E195.
DeleteBEG-TIV-BEG does not have over 600,000 passengers per year like BEG-Istanbul.
DeleteIn the question of original poster was the questions "Is IST now..." and now is the summer.
DeleteHowever, if we talk about winter IST is the busiest route from BEG.
In 2023 there were 2.816 flights between Belgrade and Tivat, 3.585 between Belgrade and Istanbul IST, and 456 between Belgrade and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen.
DeleteThanks admin
DeleteAnd all those Antalya passengers are flying with Air Serbia.
ReplyDeleteScheduled flights are needed on this route.
DeleteDefinitely NO.
DeleteObviously Pegasus and its passengers are the biggest losers in this whole affair.
ReplyDeleteThe Turkish administration seems to not lift even a tiny finger for them to be able to increase flights to at least daily..
Ha ha „affair“. 😂
DeleteI travel from BEG to AYT a lot, but only through IST or SAW. I need direct flight.
ReplyDeleteIn summer JU could use A330 from Belgrade to Antalya without a problem.
ReplyDeleteThey could use it to Hurghada too but they don't have enough widebodies.
DeletePegasus should at least be allowed to go daily.
ReplyDeleteThey can't. It is part of the bilateral. Unfortunately, very common between Turkey and many countries. Not to mention that Pegasus Airlines isn't on good terms with the ruling AK party in Turkey, so they are often being sabotaged.
DeleteThis year there will be even more passengers.
ReplyDeleteSome really impressive figures there.
ReplyDelete