VLM Airlines plans to introduce services between Maribor and Belgrade this October, linking the two cities for the first time in over two decades. According to Belgrade Airport, flights are scheduled to commence in October and run five times per week, Monday through Friday. Although the Slovenian carrier itself is yet to confirm the new route launch, it has indicated its intention of starting operations to the Serbian capital on several occasions. VLM has noted that, "New routes for our winter schedule are coming soon". Belgrade Airport has listed slot requests for the new service as operating with a midday arrival, and a departure at 13.00 local time.
VLM Airlines has previously said that, in addition to Belgrade, it will eventually serve Berlin, Hamburg, London, Podgorica, Zurich, Xi'an, Chongqing and Nanchang. The carrier operated its first two seasonal routes out of its base in Maribor to Split and Dubrovnik during August and has been engaged in a number of charter flights from Italy to Croatia, Greece and Montenegro this summer. "We are already negotiating with some tour operators for the 2018 summer season, when you can expect a broader program with more frequencies. We are also trying to define our winter flight schedule which will begin on October 29. We will be revealing more shortly. With the Fokker 50 aircraft, we will continue operating ad hoc charters. Because of the aircraft's size, there is a lot of interest for such flights", the airline said. In addition to its three Fokker 50 turboptops, VLM intends on adding a jet-engine aircraft to its fleet during the fourth quarter. Fokker 70s, Airbus A320s and A330s are all expected to join the airline in the coming period.
Scheduled flights between Maribor and Belgrade have not operated since the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in 1992. Previously, JAT Yugoslav Airlines maintained services between the two cities, launching operations on May 26, 1976. At the time, flights to Maribor were primarily targeted at Yugoslav nationals living in southern Austria. Services between Slovenia and Serbia resumed in the early 2000s. The bilateral air agreement between the two countries at the time limited the national carriers of each nation to operating only one destination the other had not covered, with JAT introducing operations to Ljubljana and Adria commencing services to Pristina. Today, Air Serbia runs twelve weekly flights between the Serbian and Slovenian capitals. Last year, start-up airline AWEX Croatia secured a Swiss charter contract to operate services from Zurich to Belgrade via Portorož. Flights were maintained once per week with a 34-seat Saab 340B turboprop, however, the route was not resumed this year.
Comments
Unfortunately, besides Vienna, Serbs in Austria have no other option to fly to Serbia.
ASL can't launch any new routes until it gets a new CEO and fixes its finances.
Ticket prices will be key.
Instead they have one F50 and had just 200 passengers all summer to Split and Dubrovnik.
No need for conclusion.
Plus, VLM's F50s are 28 years old, older than JU's Atrs. They are noisier and VLM's brand is still weaker.
The only downside for JU is that they don't serve anything besides water on this flight. I think it's a shame they completely suspended catering on regional Atr flights.
If they were in one of the real alliances then maybe it would be different.
Naturally from a strategic point of view, SkyTeam or oneworld would make more sense but I fear ASL has little to offer.
If you are staying longer than three days then fares are ok, around €120.
Do you know how many passengers Maribor had so far this year?
Maribor will rely on Austrian passengers.
and Google them for Romania, if you wish :)
What kind of onboard service does VLM offer?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-19YPpTg8e4s/WYrK0z85KtI/AAAAAAAAfQ8/OZ1SOxeM-TwriNCBMqrno0sYYo7vzDG3gCLcBGAs/s1600/1.jpg
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h8CPEIGHzKU/WLkwe6RvVVI/AAAAAAAAccA/pgQG1TjRc3sqdaSz3kb4BA2YdKL2cKs4wCLcB/s1600/Untitled.png
I am a Croat and I don't see a point in immediately mentioning Air Serbia.
This is complete nonsense, yeah is not all flowers, but your writing is way exaggerating and mostly not true. Romania and Ukraine, really??.
JU500
HU7938
TK1984
Connecting BEG with 3 different continents. Nice :)
It is true that Slovenian Styria region is economically not as strong as Ljubljana. But still it is way stronger than most Ex-Yu regions.
Haplek
On Friday there were also 3 widebodies with TK A330F from Vnukovo.
oneworld negotiate with Air Tahiti Nui, Interjet, Meridiana and Royal Air Maroc (last two sponsored by Qatar, first Qatar is owner and 2nd one will be in near future).
SkyTeam negotiate with Jet, GOL and Virgin Atlantic.
More on link:
https://tangosix.rs/2017/12/09/kolumna-alena-scurica-da-li-je-moguca-cetvrta-alijansa-pod-patronatom-emiratesa/