NEWS FLASH
Air Serbia has scheduled flights to its third destination in China with services between Belgrade and Shanghai to commence on January 11, 2025, complementing Tianjin and Guangzhou. Operations will be maintained twice per week with the carrier's Airbus A330-200 aircraft, departing the Serbian capital on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while the return service will be maintained on Wednesdays and Sundays. Similar to its existing Tianjin service, Air Serbia’s aircraft will stay on the ground in Shanghai for over 24 hours, enabling the same crew to operate the return service. Tickets are now available for purchase through the airline's website. Further flight details can be found here. Commenting on the upcoming service, Air Serbia's CEO, Jiri Marek, said, "Just nine days ago, on Monday September 30, 2024, we launched scheduled flights between Belgrade and Guangzhou, whcich was our second destination in the People's Republic of China, after Tianjin, which was added to our network on December 9, 2022. With the introduction of nonstop flights to Shanghai on January 11, 2025, along with the visa-free regime and the recently signed free trade agreement, we are contributing to the further strengthening of economic relations, business, tourism, and cultural ties between Serbia and China. We are confident that our scheduled flights between the capital of Serbia and Shanghai will facilitate faster business and tourism travel, as well as a more efficient exchange of goods and services between our two traditionally friendly countries".
Great, congratulations JU! But how’s crew not resting 24hrs on Guangzhou route?
ReplyDeleteBecause the return flight is operated by a second set of crew from the previous flight.
DeleteClearly, but why is that the problem in Shanghai?
DeleteIt's not a problem. They obviously don't have enough flight deck crew for A330s.
DeleteLet's if a Chinese airline launches flights as well.
DeleteYes. Flight deck crew availability is going to be tight to be able to handle this expension.
DeleteWhat a waste of an Airbus A330 them spend so much time in China for Tianjin and now Shanghai. They could have been using the "downtime" of aircraft to open new routes to North America, India or Middle East instead!
DeleteEven around Europe...
DeleteWhat downtime? There is a time difference that is why is next day return....airplane is on the ground around 3-3,5 hours. Get serious even if you are just enthusiast like myself.
DeleteThe times listed are all local. As written in the article, the aircraft is in Shanghai for 27 hours and 25 minutes in order to allow the same crew the required minimum rest to operate the return service.
DeleteThat's triple waste. Airplane leasing is paid for that day and airplane is on the ground. One rotation less on other route. JU is paying parking to Shangahai airport.
DeleteI agree, they have a lot of waist time . They should finally open new routes towards North America. What is happening with Miami one?
Delete^ They have said a million times that North America expansion will only happen after the China expansion. Btw do you think pilots grow on trees? Do you think opening new long haul routes is cheap and easy? And another thing, you just got two new long haul routes and two additional wide body aircraft and you are still unhappy and complaining.
Delete"They should finally open new routes towards North America"
DeleteThey opened one last year. You make it sound as if you have been waiting for a decade for them to launch a new North America route. Some of you have really lost the plot.
@19.17 No you don't know what kind of agreement they have with Shanghai Airport or what sort of charges they are exempt from. In fact for new route simulation airlines are usually offered free parking at airports. Air Serbia has received a nice incentive for its new Guangzhou route and it is likely to have gotten it for Shanghai too. You also don't know what kind of leasing agreements they have in place. For example YU-ARC is a power by the hour contract. They only pay for it while it is in the air.
DeleteI’m sure a cost analysis was done and this was the most efficient way to handle it - otherwise you need double crew and constant 24/7 use of hotels and ground services in Shanghai. Otherwise you’ve got 14 crew hanging around being paid and doing nothing for that time, plus they have to rest when they get home as well.
DeleteGood for the winter season, but surely they'll optimise the rotations in the summer?
ReplyDelete3x 24h layover is 2-3 additional US rotations...
Plus the 24 hour layover for long haul crew is not ideal, it should be at least 48 hours so that they can adapt to the new time zone and get enough rest.
DeleteFrom summer season no 24-hour layover will exist.
Delete@10:55 They have enough rest.
Delete24 hour layover is pretty standard in every airline. The rule of more than 24 hours kicks in once you operate ultra long haul flights.
DeleteThe last two comments are confusing crew rest with aircraft on the ground. Under current schedule the plane that operates this route sits in Shanghai for 24+ hours so the same crew that flew it from Belgrade can return it to Belgrade. From summer 2024, the plane will immediately return to Belgrade after landing n Shanghai (after a few hours). A different crew will operate that flight while the crew that brought the plane to Shanghai will stay a few days in Shanghai and then operate the return service.
DeleteAnd where is problem?
DeleteHence 2 per week isn't ideal, why they don't operate this route 3 per week at least?
DeleteBecause of the demand? They're just starting it and doing so in the second week of January when three per week is questionable even for mature destinations, like JFK.
DeleteIt's a right time. Chinese New Year is by the end of January
Deleteyou are mixing plane layover and crew rest time - it is exception for plane to stay more on the ground than few hours not rule. They can send DHC crew day or to prior to AS flight and that crew would fly the plane back....sitting on the ground airplane does not make money.
DeleteSpiffing news y'all!
ReplyDeleteAfter PVG and MIA, what will be next destination? ICN?
ReplyDeleteYYZ!
DeleteNope.
DeleteThey mentioned that Korea and Toronto are on their radar, so perhaps that. Imo there should be potential for Bangkok, LA and Boston as well
DeleteNo, not Toronto, but Miami.
DeleteLagos for sure
DeleteOf course.
DeleteMiami baby. Then Haneda.
DeleteGreat news, BEG-PVG had the most indirect passengers and I think this will be by far the most successful route in China. On the other hand it seems that Pupin will stay in service instead of going to retrofit, which is not the exciting part at all.
ReplyDeleteARE should be finished within a month. It’s on service 45 days already
DeleteOnly if ARE is scheduled to arrive before January, that will change everything.
DeleteYU-ARC is not scheduled on any flight from February 25 onwards.
DeleteThanks admin! I'm pretty sure JU will send ARD or ARE for the inaugural flight.
DeleteYes, at the moment one of those is scheduled for the inaugural service.
DeleteOnce again, thank you admin. I thought so, because it would obviously be absolutely feckin' crazy to send ARC for another inaugural in such state.
DeleteI don't know how this sensitive info about aircraft scheduling can leak to non-authorized personell. It is a major security risk that DCA should investigate
DeleteThe information is publicly available in all booking systems.
DeleteBy tha logic FR24 should be shut down since it also has airline registrations in advance.
DeleteSome people on here.
Idemo dalje...
ReplyDeleteBravo Air Serbia 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDeleteSeems like JU will continue the pace it has of launching new long haul flights since 2022 (1 per year (obviously not saying it's a bad thing))
ReplyDeleteTSN-2022,
ORD-2023,
CAN-2024
and now PVG-2025.
When is the 4th a330 arriving?
ReplyDeletePotentially by late October or early November, that would be my best guess.
DeleteBravo!
ReplyDeleteNice. Air Serbia has my full support!
ReplyDeleteI miss so much the old original tail.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pity they don't have a single A330 in a normal livery.
I don't see that being a big deal. The essential thing is that it is flying ...come on who really cares about the livery!?
DeleteIs Air Serbia going to sign code share agreement with Hainan?
ReplyDeleteSo we can expect Miami in the fall of 2025?
ReplyDeleteWe are expecting since 2022, but, seems like a joke to me.
DeleteNo, you have not been waiting since 2022 because no one mentioned Miami in 2022. Instead they explicitly said they would launch a new destination in North America after they expand in China and launch Guangzhou and Shanghai.
DeleteWouldn't it be more economical to fly crew between Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shanghai from the previous rotations after 24 hours rest and operate a return flight after a short layover. You don't make money having an aircraft sit on the ground for a day.
ReplyDeleteYes, probably that would be cheaper than to have 24h plane layover almost every day
DeleteYes!
DeleteFor example:
JU lands in CAN on Monday at 1855h local time.
That crew flies back on Friday 2215h local time and lands in BEG on Saturday 0440h.
That crew is away from base (BEG) for almost whole week.
That would make more sense with the maglev between Shanghai and Beijing or numerous flights between the various airports
DeleteThere is no maglev between Shanghai and Beijing, what are you on about?
DeleteAmazing news if we see which cities in Europe have direct flights to Shanghai and they frequency. For example Venice has 3 weekly flights or Vienna with 4 etc. but hopefully they will start to work on hard product
ReplyDeleteCan someone make a complete list?
DeleteYou can check this webpage https://www.flightsfrom.com/PVG/destinations
DeleteCongratulations Air Serbia on 5th long haul destination! Expanding China network has been obvious Air Serbia priority since Chicago launch. With three destinations in China and two in the US, future long haul focus will likely shift back to North America. What is the top unserved destination now from Belgrade?
ReplyDeleteToronto
DeleteToronto!!
DeleteLAX, MIA, YYZ, IAD, DFW
DeleteWhat is the source, year and actual indirect passenger numbers for this list where LAX and MIA are ahead? I think it's a complete fabrication. So please provide missing info, or it's not true.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/09/air-serbia-exploring-additional-us.html
DeleteDumb comment. Table clearly says "Busiest unserved US routes". List is for U-S-A not the whole world!
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2024/06/air-serbia-assessing-one-or-two-new-us.html
DeleteThat's not the answer to original question. Since you are not the sharpest knife in the drawer, here it is: What is the top unserved destination now from Belgrade?
Delete18:12 ExYu Aviation is always accurate but that article is an exception. Info was sourced from Aviation Week but Simple Flying corrected it. To my knowledge, ExYu Av never rectified it. Instead of Air Serbia looking at one or two new US destinations as mentioned in that text, they were looking at one US and one Canada destinations, Miami and Toronto:
Delete"In a comment to Simple Flying, an Air Serbia spokesperson reiterated the airline's focus on its long-haul route network expansion. The airline hinted that in addition to the Miami route, it is looking at Toronto in Canada, not another US route."
https://simpleflying.com/air-serbia-new-us-routes/
We’re getting more long haul flights with a lack of crews and equipment… Nothing is logic here
ReplyDeleteЕр Србија нормално планирање! )))
DeleteThey mentioned sufficient crew numbers in recent TangoSix interview.
DeleteRight, if they had sufficient crew then they would have scheduled those additional winter flights. They didn't because there aren't enough people to fly them.
Deleteor, because they want to start with two weekly and then increase frequency over years, just like they did with JFK. Just like almost every other airline cautiously starts new service and grows over time. Do you know better than all other airlines in the world?
DeleteI know you did not understand what anon 16.29 wanted to say. Maybe read more carefully.
DeleteJust wondering how they advertise for flight attendants? I know there are a number of Chinese who speak amazing Serbian after graduating at Serbian language at the university there, also in Belgrade there is Mandarin studies at Belgrade university, producing lots of good graduates/candidates every year. Do they reach out at those places to advertise for positions on these flights to China? Would be great to have on board staff fluent in both Serbian and Mandarin.
ReplyDeleteThere are staff on all of Air Serbia's China flights that are fluent in Serbian and Mandarin. They are called "Ambassadors" and make all onboard passenger announcements in Chinese and help with communicating with Chinese passengers, including meal orders. They are dressed in Air Serbia uniforms. Some have transitioned and trained to become full cabin crew members while others continue to work in limited roles, assisting with the abovementioned tasks.
DeleteThank you, that is very well done.
Delete