Air Serbia considering Toronto service in 2018

Air Serbia is considering launching flights to Toronto as its second long haul service, sources inside the Serbian government have confirmed to the daily "Večernje novosti". It comes after the company said it was mulling its second far-away destination after New York. According to the newspaper, preparations for the new route are underway and in the advanced planning stages, however, there is still a lot of work to be done and the carrier still needs to be granted regulatory approval. Prior to that, the two countries must sign a renewed bilateral Air Service Agreement, which has been in the works for some time. The Serbian carrier is relying on the Serbian diaspora, as well as travellers from the region for the route's success. The airline is expected to continue operating flights to New York, as well as the potential Toronto service, with its sole 254-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Air Serbia itself has not confirmed the exact new destination it is considering launching as part of its possible long haul expansion. In a statement issued earlier this week, the carrier noted, "We are working on a complete analysis and we are seriously considering all aspects. A final decision on the potential introduction of a new transcontinental service will be made in the coming period". The airline added that a large part of the analysis has already been completed, but that the new destination will be made public after it finalises all necessary procedures, which, it says, is "serious and complex". "It is a complex project which takes several months and does not depend solely on us, but also on regulatory authorities since all procedures must be harmonised with the laws and regulations of the country we fly to", Air Serbia said.

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 earlier this year, "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 outgoing Canadian Ambassador to Serbia, Philip Pinnington, noted, "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 added, "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 services to Toronto and Montreal. In 2007, leisure carrier Skyservice commenced scheduled 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. 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. Presently, Zagreb is the only city in the former Yugoslavia linked with Canada through Air Transat's seasonal two weekly service from Toronto, which will be further strengthened next year with the introduction of an additional new four weekly seasonal flights operated by Air Canada Rouge.