Air Serbia is set to expand its fleet by gradually adding more Embraer aircraft in the future, with plans to potentially operate up to fifteen jets of the type. The carrier is due to introduce its first two 118-seat E195s in September. Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said, “Our market study shows that we can accommodate around fifteen of them, however, it will be a gradual introduction. The main constraint for quicker implementation will be the pilot training program. There are a sufficient number of applicants for first officers, however, it is a new aircraft type in our fleet, and they will need a certain number of hours and experience before they are considered for upgrading to the captain's position. We are gradually introducing the cadet program for all aircraft types”.
Air Serbia is working with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer to integrate the new aircraft type into its fleet. “Since this is a new aircraft type, we are also working closer with Embraer on how we can bridge this period. This is an aircraft type which will now be targeted to grow the fleet. The Airbus A320 and the Embraer will now be the aircraft that will be in focus for us”, Mr Marek explained. Asked over the initial delay in adding the first two E195s to the fleet, which are already in Belgrade, the CEO noted, “The main issue is aircraft documentation and administration procedures around it. However, we are now in the final stages”.
This April, Air Serbia began wet-leasing two 108-seat Bulgaria Air E190 jets. Mr Marek has confirmed the pair will continue operating on behalf of the Serbian carrier this coming winter season. “We will continue to work with them [Bulgaria Air] over the winter because it’s the perfect aircraft type and the economics for that operation proves that it fits our needs. It is an interesting synergy because they are transitioning to the A220 aircraft, so, for them, the Embraers are on the way out. Therefore, there are synergies as to how we can find an economically beneficial win-win situation with their operations”. The wet-lease cooperation between Bulgaria Air and Air Serbia has been very stable, with positive feedback from customers. “We believe this is a good option to bridge the period before we can get sufficient pilots for our own Embraer operations”, Mr Marek concluded.
So E195s will become the main aircraft type in the fleet!
ReplyDeleteGood choice
DeleteWrote that myself here long time ago, having in mind LOT`s fleet.
Delete"The Airbus A320 and the Embraer will now be the aircraft that will be in focus for us"
DeleteThat means that JU will expand network to mainly transfer destinations
DeleteI see no problem in that.
DeleteIt’s not a problem at all. They have to feed their long haul network
DeleteWhich is why this winter will be their biggest test so far. If they start cutting left and right and if they buthcer their network like they usually do then they will be stuck as a seasonal operator.
DeleteDemand is smaller in winter but it's still there. They just need to find a way how to capture it. Once they do they will be on the right path to victory.
They are doing an Air Baltic in the region
ReplyDeleteEven Bulgaria is going for the A220 while AirSerbia takes 10-15 year old Embraers. Why does AirSerbia not try to get new planes in? Less noise less polution for the people who live in Serbia too.
ReplyDeleteWho says some of the Embraers won't be new. If you read the article it is mentioned they are working with Embraer.
DeleteBecause they are not stupid. They are learning in someone else’s mistakes, not on their own’s.
DeleteThe A220 is really proving successful for regional airlines. Cyprus Airways has to wet lease planes because its A220s are grounded because of engine issues. Croatia Airlines had to leave passengers in Skopje because it was hot and they chose the worst engines on the A220 and so on...
DeleteA320 neo is the right choice for JU
DeleteThanks, but no thanks
DeleteWell eventually they’ll have to switch to more economical and less fuel burn aircraft whether you like it or not.
DeleteI would like it, but damage is still a lot bigger then small benefits
DeleteUnfortunately new efficient PW PW1000 engines are fuel efficient but unreliable and expensive for maintenance . So at the moment for airlines like Air Serbia it is more cost effective to take older generation technology instead of new expensive and unreliable. Let’s see first see Croatia Airlines experiences and then make a right move.
DeleteSo whats the maintenance cost?
DeleteWould be nice if they went for E2 jets.
ReplyDeleteOnce they sort out the engine problems
DeleteThis a smart strategy. And once Airbus introduces A220/500, or A221, whatever they might name it, they can transition to a single type instead of E195/A320 duo.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not Airbus, it’s Bombadier
DeleteWell, it`s Airbus.
DeleteWell, it’s not. Not further than official name
DeleteAirbus produces, sells and develops the aircraft atm. Bombardier has nothing to do with it anymore
DeleteIt is Bombardier technology and Bombardier aircraft branded as Airbus. Read about it a bit more.
DeleteNot just branded, bought and owned by Airbus, so it's an Airbus plane no matter the Bombardier technology. Bombardier ditched commercial aviation entirely and that name means nothing anymore, so it's a weird point whatever you're trying to prove here
Delete"The Airbus A320 and the Embraer will now be the aircraft that will be in focus for us”
ReplyDeleteSo 10 ATRs are enough?
He probably meant on jets.
DeleteSpeaking of 10 ATR, they have enough of them. Winter is coming and there’s no way that they can utilize all of them, there’s even no more remote stands left at BEG.
DeleteI don't think they have enough pilots to operate all ten of them at the same time. That is why they decided to keep some of them as backup, it's better PR. It's sexier to say: we are having 2 to 3 Atrs on the ground in each wave so as to reduce delays... Than to say: we can't fly them all at the same time due to a pilot shortage.
DeleteThere is definitely demand for more frequencies on regional routes that are operated by the Atr. No business will avoid boosting their revenue and profits unless they are absolutely forced to - like JU is this year.
O'Leary said the other day that the situation with pilots is stabilizing slowly especially since Arab carriers are no longer hiring like they used to. JU should also profit from this.
I flew with the E190 on Bulgaria Air (operating for Air Serbia) and have to say it was a good experience. Crew were also nice.
ReplyDeleteThey should buy their planes and hire their crew immediately
DeleteCrew is always the best part when I take BG air.
Delete@ 10:19 huh?
DeleteShould have been incorporated into the fleet years ago.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Embraers are a very reliable and efficient aircraft and already used by so many European airlines.
DeleteGetting more E195s gives them more opportunities to open new routes.
ReplyDeleteIt is a sensible solution for the future in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteBaš lepo da se to ćuje od JU. I daj da koriste njih is Niša.
ReplyDeleteAirbus A220's are the way forward. I suppose there aren't many second hand ones available to lease at the moment. But surely it would make sense for Air Serbia especially as the rest of their fleet are Airbus!
ReplyDeleteDo you see how many issues airlines operatimg A220s are having?
Delete“Other than being rebranded from its original name into Airbus, the A220 has nothing in common with Airbus. So, you cannot use the benefit of the cockpit commonality, which you have, in our case, with A319s, A320s and A330s where you can use the same pilot. There is no benefit to you if you introduce it because it will be treated as a new aircraft type. You will need new CAMO, engineers, new pilots, new crew and so on”.
DeleteMr Marek noted that savings made through using new technology such as the A220 would be offset by high ownership costs. “There is no benefit for us from that technology at the moment, because if you compare A220s and Embraers, the majority of A220 operators, excluding the big ones like Delta and Korean, are single-fleet operators like airBaltic. Their business model is single-fleet with no complexity, using that model for short-range and long-range. For us it is different, because we are a hub-and-spoke airline, we operate both long-haul and short-haul and for us it is a feeding aircraft. From that perspective, the ownership cost is very important. This new technology, like the A220 and even the Embraer E2, will save you 18% to 20% in direct operating costs but that will not offset the high ownership cost. So, you will increase the cost of feeding your hub and it will become unprofitable”, Mr Marek said. He added, “Therefore, for us, it was a very natural choice to select the Embraer E1, which are mid-age and mature aircraft. The ownership cost is super low and the aircraft don’t face any significant issues like with new technology. At the same time, we didn’t want to deal with the complexity of adding a new aircraft type, which is why this pilot project with Marathon Airlines, which started as a wet-lease and will expand into a CPI model was a logical win-win solution”.
Of course this statement was given before problem with Marathon, but everything he said was correct.
DeleteA220 has a hughe backlog so they would have to wait years before they would have a proper fleet… not to mention the P&W problems, e-jet is a great plane, and they can still get e2 version in future, it doesn’t have backlog as hughe as a220 and it’s still a nice plane
DeleteWhy is there a huge A220 backlog? Because of the so-called engine problems?
DeleteNo, airbus doesn’t have enough capacity to handle the demand, the same goes for a320.
DeleteThere’s a nice explanation on youtube by simple flying (It might be on simple flying long haul) but anyway it is a realy nice explanation
So Air Serbia will operate the ATR, E90/95, A320 and A330.
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteI would add A319 and A321
DeleteI am not so sure about A321.
DeleteIs it good to have such a diversified fleet?
DeleteYes, it is. They are not such a small airline anymore.
DeleteIt will have 3 aircraft types in total. How is that an issue?
DeleteGoal is 15 ATRs, 15 E90/95, 10 A320, 8 A330 and 2 A350
DeleteOf course it is good to have diversified fleet. Should launch Guangzhou with ATR?
DeleteThat would have to make quite a few stops :D
Deletemakes sense
ReplyDeleteAny idea what is the timeline for these 15 E195s. At least approximate.
ReplyDeleteMaximum 3 years, until Expo. That should be a peak season for JU
DeleteI'm not sure they can deal with the pilot shortage within 3 years, as mentioned in the article.
DeleteI really like the Ejets in the Air Serbia livery.
ReplyDelete+1
Deletewhat will be the Serbian registration of the first two E195s?
ReplyDeleteOY-GDA becomes YU-ATA while OY-GDB will be registered as YU-ATB.
DeleteThank you
DeleteWhat about GetJet, is it staying through winter
ReplyDelete2 airframes most definitely for now.
DeleteIt has already been announced last winter that GetJet will have 4 A320s this summer season and 2 A320s this winter season in JU.
DeleteA very good summer season for Getjet ! They have 13 or 15 airplanes and they are all wet leased ! Good business for the Lithuanians .
DeleteNice idea, I hope JU will base one E190/195 in Nis and fly to CDG/BER/ZRH year-round, eventually LCA on a summer basis only, …
ReplyDeleteIt would be very good, but JU does not consider INI at all. Let alone KVO...
DeleteI'm not sure KVO can even handle E195. And no, it's not about the length of the runway but about the weight bearing capacity.
Deleteand will they gеtting rid off Atrs?
ReplyDeleteWhat are you talking about? They just got 3 additional ATRs this year for a total of 10.
DeleteEmbraers are great. 2-2 seating is much more comfortable than 3-3.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Great plane
DeleteAnd they usually have the comfy padded seats rather then the slim boards.
Delete6xA332
ReplyDelete12xATR76
24xA319
please no embraer or a220
Everyone is getting rid of A319s. And Air Serbia has said it is also getting rid of A319s. Embraers are needed because with 118 seats it allows them to add more frequencies on routes by replacing a daily A320 service, allows them to experiment new routes with less risk, and allows them to keep previously seasonal routes over winter.
DeleteThat's exactly why they should keep the A319. Better price and already trained crews.
DeleteAnd how do you know it's a better price? You saw their lease contracts for A319 and E195 and then made that conclusion?
DeleteWhy are you talking like they eliminate A319? They haven't even started it yet...
DeleteThey said it multiple times they will replace the A319 with A320 as their lease contracts run out...
Deletegood choice, Air Serbia!
ReplyDeleteWhat about E175s? Would they make sense for JU?
ReplyDeleteIt is too small. They already have ATR. Why Would they need E175.
Delete^ True
DeleteBecause there are some destinations out there where the E90 is too big and the Atr too slow. E75 can be used on routes such as MRS, HAJ, HAM, NUE... but also on regional routes where the Atr is too slow and can't make it there and back in time to catch all connections (OTP, SKG).
DeleteWhen do we expect their first flights ?
ReplyDeleteAround 10 September.
DeleteПрво скочи па реци хоп ... видећемо !
DeleteBased on the current schedule first one entering fleet on 10 September. Belgrade-Milan JU416.
DeleteLet's hope sooner rather than later
ReplyDeleteI think it can be done relatively quickly last year from June until February they managed to add 5 Embraers through wet-lease. Obviously this is a bit more difficult since it's a dry lease.
DeleteThe main issue will be pilots. Like Marek says.
DeleteTrue especially since there are not many Embraer pilots from Serbia.
Delete"The wet-lease cooperation between Bulgaria Air and Air Serbia has been very stable, with positive feedback from customers"
ReplyDeleteMoi, THE customer of the Lufthansa business, lost connection flight in Frankfurt and I requested first flight to Belgrade, they provided me 1st available flight that was with a AirBurgaria/ Airserbia as well in business class.... I don't have words... My experience was like from the movie The Proposal with Sandra Bullock that part when she is on that small airplane flying to Sitka(Alaska).
Extremely negative comment about Air Serbia to close the comments for the day? If I had a penny every time this was attempted I would be a billionaire by now.
DeleteI don't even understand what he said.
DeleteI get it but you're not a target consumer for Air Serbia, they're not after premium customers. On the other hand, LH (which is premium, at least in business) sent you via Air Serbia/Air Bulgaria. Speaks more about how LH treats their premium consumers than about JU, don't you think?
DeleteA220 is a great plane but not the best fit for current Air Serbia needs. How can I respect those who can't even understand this?
ReplyDeleteI don't think JU has considered A220. Capacity wise, it is too much the same as an A319. JU needs something between A320 and ATR72 capacity wise and the E195 with 118 seats is exactly that.
DeleteSo the fleet could looks something like
ReplyDelete10 ATR72s
15 E195
10 A320
4+ A330s
Not bad
And I see potential chances of getting rid of ATR's as well in the future, finally. Embraers (E175 for example) could replace them, and we'd have a fleet consisting only of jets. I understand some people love turboprops, but they are awful to most people and honestly inefficient, annoying aircraft to fly on. Much prefer Ejets to them.
ReplyDeleteWell, they are at least 3 times cheaper to own, handle and fly than jets. Irreplaceable for regional routes
Delete01:21 You are talking nonsense, turboprops are not inefficient.
Delete01:21 Not sure if you ever flown with new Air Serbia ATRs... Totally different story compared to old 200s and 500s... These 600s are much quieter and comfy...
Delete