NEWS FLASH
Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines has held talks with the Serbian Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Aleksandra Sofronijević, in a meeting also attended by tour operators from Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister for Transport Talgat Lasstayev, as well as Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek. The upcoming new service between Astana and Belgrade was discussed at the meeting. SCAT plans to introduce two weekly flights between the two cities by the end of the year. Discussions were also held over fifth freedom rights, which enables an airline to operate between two countries, neither of which it is registered in.
I am wondering what would be the additional stop they are asking for 5th freedom right. I hope it is a destination BEG wouldnt be easily connected to otherwise. Morocco, Algeria or Lybia come to my mind.
ReplyDeleteOf course that they can fly directly to BEG without any stop.
DeleteSomehow it seems to me that they want to make additional stop in order to make the route more profitable as it was earlier the case with QR when they were flying BEG-SOF-DOH, but in case of QR they did not have 5th freedom for BEG-SOF flights.
SCAT airlines want to have it. Maybe for the flights via GYD or EVN.
It's possible they are also hoping to launch a leisure destination in the Adriatic. Like Tivat, Pulj, Tirana
DeleteHonestly I doubt that Serbian Government would allow them 5th freedom for any destination where JU already flies to.
DeleteSo, no TIV, TIA, PUY...
People here don't seem to understand how a fifth freedom works. You don't pick and choose which countries that airline can fly to. They can only fly to countries if all three countries are party to fifth freedom rights. If SCAT wants to fly to say UK via Belgrade, then all three countries must have agreements in place beteween each other in order for these flights to happen. That means that Serbia and UK have to have fifth freedom, UK and Kazakhstan have to have fifth freedom and Serbia and Kazakhstan have to have fifth freedom.
DeleteAlso people should actually read the linked artilce in the text
Delete"Flights to Vienna and Sofia are also expected to be launched alongside Belgrade"
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/05/kazakhstans-scat-airlines-to-launch.html
So if they do link up with any flights it is likely to be one of those two.
That would mean that the BEG flight would be the final leg of the journey.
DeleteA stop in VIE or SOF would increase total flight time for us by at least 1.5 hour.
On what planet do you think that a flight to VIE would operate nonstop and then continue to Belgrade. It will be the other way around.
DeleteVery unlikely they would sell any tickets between BEG-VIE with existing 35 pw and Sofia 10pw
DeleteThey are planning a one stop flight to BEG
DeleteThey called you and infromed you?
DeleteGYD and EVN have the most logic. They are on rouye
ReplyDeleteBut you need to look where BEG is on the route, e.g. to Vienna or Zagreb.
DeleteI just can’t with the name SCAT.
ReplyDeleteIts crazy!
DeleteI was just about to comment on that. It’s truly a most unfortunate name for a company.
DeleteNot what we are all thinking at first. :)
DeleteSCAT stands for Special Cargo Air Transport, it's related to the history-origin of the airline.
Very unlikely, but maybe Moscow or Istanbul? Not in best interest of YU and TK, but would be great for passengers.
ReplyDeleteSerbia does not have a fifth freedom agreement with either Russia or Turkey so there can be no flights via either. It is highly unlikely that there will be any stop on the flgihts to BEG.
DeleteDoes Serbia need to make agreement with anyone except Kazakhstan for these kind of flights? Kazakhstan would require permission from both countries, that's for sure.
DeleteYes, it does. You can't fly to a third country without the approval of the third country. In any case Russia and Turkey are the two most rigid in Europe regarding air transport rights. They certainly would not agree to it and netiehr would Serbia.
DeleteI think you are wrong. If it is Kazakh airline who flies, it is Kazakhstan who needs to get approvals, not Serbia.
DeleteNo, you are wrong. If Serbia and UK do not have an open sky agreement between each other no other airline can fly between those two countries other than the ones registered in Serbia and UK. Regardless if Kazakhstan and UK have an open sky agreement between each other.
DeleteIf they want 5th freedom beyond BEG, maybe it is better to sign wide-range codeshare agreement with JU. Since talks are held on government level, it can be organised.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Air Serbia's code-share agreements have rarely produced positive results. I doubt it would change much... if anything at all.
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