US, China and Australia top EX-YU’s busiest unserved long-haul markets

Nonstop connectivity from the former Yugoslavia to long-haul markets remains limited; however, the United States stands out as the largest unserved destination from several countries in the region, according to the latest data.

The United States is the largest long-haul market from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with more than 100.000 passengers travelling indirectly between the two countries. New York is the busiest unserved city in the US, followed by Chicago. In 2021, US carrier Eastern Airlines planned to introduce a weekly seasonal summer service between Chicago O’Hare and Sarajevo, scheduled to operate from May 28 to September 3 using a Boeing 767-200. Although tickets were placed on sale, they were withdrawn shortly afterwards, and the route never materialised.

The United States is also Macedonia’s busiest unserved long-haul market, with New York ranking first, followed by Chicago, Miami and Detroit. The busiest routes largely reflect cities and regions in the US with a sizeable Macedonian diaspora. Skopje Airport has previously sought to secure nonstop services to New York. In 2017, it submitted a joint proposal with the Macedonian government for Turkish Airlines to introduce flights to the US via Skopje. At the time, the carrier said it would review the proposal and expressed interest in the potential service.

New York is also Pristina’s busiest unserved long-haul destination, followed by Chicago and Washington. Last year, the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo held discussions with representatives from Delta and American Airlines regarding the potential launch of nonstop flights between Pristina and New York. “We are optimistic that, through continued efforts, this important connection, alongside several other strategic routes, will be launched soon”, Pristina Airport’s CEO, Gokhan Ackgoz, told EX-YU Aviation News last year. Pristina was last linked to New York with a scheduled air service in 2009. That year, Scanderbeg Air, a short-lived tour operator contracting Sky King Airlines, operated two weekly flights between the two cities using a Boeing 767-200ER from June to September.

Similarly, the United States is Montenegro’s largest unserved long-haul market, with New York ranking as the busiest destination, followed by Chicago and Detroit. From Slovenia, the US also ranks first, with New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami the busiest unserved destinations in the States. 

Croatia is already linked to the United States, its largest long-haul market, and also maintains connectivity with Canada and South Korea. China has since emerged as Croatia’s busiest unserved long-haul market, with notable demand also recorded for Japan and Australia. Shanghai and Beijing rank as the busiest unserved city pairs between Croatia and China. In 2017, Beijing Capital Airlines, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, planned to launch services between the Chinese and Croatian capitals, however, the proposed operations were later shelved. Last year, the Head of the Croatian National Tourist Board held talks in Beijing with representatives of both Air China and Hainan Airlines over potential flights.

Serbia has in recent years established nonstop links with its busiest long-haul markets, including the United States and China. This will be followed in May by the introduction of flights to its currently largest unserved market, Canada. As a result, Australia emerges as Serbia’s biggest remaining unserved long-haul market, with Sydney ranking as the busiest destination. However, Australia has consistently proven difficult for most European airlines to serve profitably due to a combination of extreme distance, high operating costs and structurally limited yields. Demand between Europe and Australia is heavily leisure-driven and price-sensitive, constraining airlines’ ability to command the high fares required to offset costs. At the same time, intense competition from well-established Middle Eastern and Asian hubs further depresses yields by offering one-stop alternatives with higher frequencies, lower fares and extensive onward connectivity. Other sizeable long-haul markets from Serbia include Thailand, India and Japan.