Serbia and Canada have expressed joint interest in re-establishing flights between their two countries after almost a decade, with the two finalising an Air Service Agreement which will regulate future operations. The Serbian Foreign Minister, Ivica Dačić, said, "The agreement will pave way for negotiations to start between Air Serbia and Air Canada. Their representatives have to determine how many flights there should be and what would be the most profitable solution. However, there is no doubt that the introduction of nonstop flights to Canada would be extremely important for our citizens and country". The Foreign Minister added that he is pushing for Canada to lift visa requirements for Serbian nationals.
On the other hand, the Canadian Ambassador to Serbia, Philip Pinnington, said that while there is a common interest for flights to be resumed between the two countries, it is ultimately up to the respective carriers from each nation to determine whether such a service would be commercially viable. "We have been negotiating a new Air Service Agreement with Serbia for some time and we are very close to signing it. Of course, it will be up to Air Serbia, Air Canada and some other carriers who may or may not be interested in operating this route. With the signing of the agreement, which will hopefully occur very soon, there is potential for this service and the interest is already there". He noted, "We would really like for flights to commence and I am certain Canadian Serbs would want it too as they have fond memories of JAT's nonstop service".
Flights between Belgrade and Canada operated during the 1970s and 1980s with JAT Yugoslav Airlines maintaining operations to Toronto and Montreal. Its numbers on the route peaked in 1988 when it carried 56.043 travellers between Yugoslavia and Canada. Air Serbia’s predecessor, Jat Airways, conducted a study in late 2005 based on which it estimated it could carry up to 83.000 passengers to Toronto on an annual basis. The airline anticipated an average cabin load factor of 74% on a Boeing 767 and believed the flights would appeal primarily to diaspora travellers, as well as transfer passengers from the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, western Romania, southern Hungary and the Middle East. Last year, Air Serbia's former Vice Chairman, James Hogan, said, "We have already considered flights to Chicago and Toronto and these services could be introduced in two to three years".
In 2007, leisure carrier Skyservice commenced operations from Canada's largest city to the Serbian capital, but the airline suspended all operations and declared bankruptcy later on. Currently, travellers from Canada to Serbia are transferring through a number of European cities to reach Belgrade. Last year, Krystian Rolla, LOT's Sales Manager for Europe & Middle East, told EX-YU Aviation News that the largest number of passengers on its service from Belgrade to Warsaw are headed to Canada. "Of those transferring through Warsaw, the majority of passengers connect onto flights to Toronto and several points in western Europe", Mr Rola said. Presently, Zagreb is the only city in the former Yugoslavia linked with Canada through Air Transat's seasonal two weekly service from Toronto, while Macedonia has also expressed interest in flights to Canada.
Comments
I think they overestimated their figures considering Air Serbia handled around 72,000 passengers during their first year to New York.
Serbia would be better served by year round flights serving, leasure, diaspora, business, and transfer passengers.
Good luck with that. It's the same as if asking UK or Australia to lift visas. No chance.
AC 9166/9167
AC 9334/9335
(Pfffhahhahaah!!! Are you insane?)
So maybe before hatin' on Serbia you do your research.
Mind you, those two countries need only good will of their rulers to bring that decision forward, unlike in Canada.
Another words, as someone said - no chance.
We should ask him why several pilots refused to fly on YU-ALT. ;)
Prema kanadskom zavodu za statiku u toj zemlji zivi 80,320 srba, a 48,320 se izjasnjavaju kao jugosloveni.
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=105396&PRID=0&PTYPE=105277&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2013&THEME=95&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=
http://www.vfsglobal.ca/Canada/serbia/english/contact_us.html#1
It was not YUL. Athe that time YMX was major Montreal's airport and JAT flew there, like all other international carriers, and Air Canada as well,
-No, it has nothing to do with EU. Croatian passport holders had visa free enter to Canada several years before Croatia became full EU member.
No one else is interested in it because it is loss making market.
Air Canada too,
Air Canada Rouge is more of a hybrid leisure airline, like Air Transat.
Air Canada or AC Rouge won't fly to Belgrade any time soon, first they need to have market for such flights. AC and ACR are very very careful which routes they fly to.
Sadly we don't have Canadian Airlines any longer, would have been cool to have few more such larger airlines to offer connection with Canada.
Air Canada flew only to Zagreb in ex-YU, just before the war they halted their flights. We'll see if Air Canada expand beyond major European destinations. I somehow doubt it they will.
Air Transat is now flying to Zagreb and are also considering in adding Montreal from next year. Not 100% yet, however they're looking at possibilities of adding Montreal too, once per week. We'll know closer to next summer season.
No idea if Air Transat has any plans for Belgrade or Dubrovnik.
Visa regime still in place, only Slovenian and Croatian passport holders (from ex-YU) can travel to Canada visa free. Also I doubt Canada will lift visa requirement any soon. perhaps in 15-20 years, at the earliest.
6-2016 / 6-2017
321.545 / 403.585
+25,51%
+82.040
No they didn't. Those two are not connected. Fake news, just like your estimates of ZAG airport traffic growth.
@AnonymousJuly 3, 2017 at 3:37 PM
Yes, i am Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada.
As to no air Canada flights to Belgrade, not before they've got flights to Dublin, Stockholm, Warsaw, Vienna, Prague and Oslo.
As to other Canadian airlines, no idea where you got the idea. I've never said anything about Canadian airlines not flying to Belgrade. Air Canada, however, is entirely different matter. They fly only to major European destinations, normally airports with 25 million + pax.
Stop spreading your ignorance. AC Rouge does fly to places like Dublin, Warsaw or Prague. As the photo shows, no one is talking AC mainline to BEG, but RV. Stop trolling.
https://youtu.be/Grm5C2xGBsk
That´s a LOT!!!! I am 100% confident that this route will work out well, initially summer and then year-round.
Prije nego što iko pocne razmisljati o bilo kakvoj zavjeri moliobih vas da shvatite da popis o dje sluzi za vrlo prakticne potrebe a to su plabiranje razvoja infrastrukture, skolstva, zdravstva itd., a ne za nekw dnsvno politicke potrebe kao kod nas.
Nebih da pretjerano dosadjujem ali u ovu temu sam poprilično upucen i iako nemogu biti 100% siguran mislim da je broj koji pominjem puno veci od nskih 80K za čitavu Kanadu. Isti princip se moze primjeniti za ostale exYu nacije.
Regardless, I still think that Croatia much safer bet even with Air Transat fkr multiple reasons:large nimber of diaspora, very connected diaspora, tourism, no visa etc.