The Air France - KLM Group says it sees new opportunities for growth in the former Yugoslavia as it continues to add routes and frequencies in the region, primarily through its low cost subsidiary Transavia. Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, a spokesperson for the airline group said, "The Air France - KLM Group strongly believes in the potential of ex-Yugoslav countries. We have a real desire to serve the region to our best. Transavia maintains sustained growth and is developing its network on departure from all its bases in France and the Netherlands to the former Yugoslavia. We have also launched codeshare agreements with Croatia Airlines, Adria Airways and Air Serbia to Paris and Amsterdam. These agreements pave the way for further development opportunities. We are here to stay".

Joon, the latest brainchild of the Air France - KLM Group, which launched earlier this month, could give the airline conglomerate the necessary push to better serve the region. The new Paris-based airline has a significantly lower cost structure, giving it the opportunity to serve markets which have previously proved unprofitable for its parent company. Joon currently serves Berlin, Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona, but will launch new routes to places such as Istanbul, Rome, Oslo and Tehran in 2018, to name a few.

Next year, the Air France - KLM Group will further strengthen its operations in Croatia with the Dutch national carrier to maintain ten weekly flights on its seasonal summer services between Amsterdam and Split, up from eight per week in 2017. Furthermore, Transavia will launch two new routes to the country at this point. The carrier will add new seasonal flights from Rotterdam to Dubrovnik starting April 5, as well as two weekly services between Eindhoven and Rijeka on July 5, making it its fourth destination in Croatia. In addition, Transavia will introduce an extra flight between Rotterdam and Pula in 2018 for a total of three per week. Previously, Transavia noted it would begin operations to Zagreb and further expand its presence in Croatia. The Air France - KLM subsidiary informed the Croatian Ministry for Tourism of its intention of adding flights from France to Zagreb and Pula in 2018. However, these new routes are yet to be officially announced or scheduled by the airline.

Elsewhere, Transavia has announced it will double the number of flights between Amsterdam and Belgrade for a total of six per week from late February, while services from the Dutch city to Ljubljana will run five times per week starting next June, up from three this summer. The airline launched year-round flights to both the Serbian and Slovenian capitals in 2017. In Montenegro, the carrier will maintain its three weekly seasonal flights from Paris Orly to Tivat which were launched earlier this year. The Group says it continues to look for new possibilities for Air France and KLM in markets such as Serbia and Montenegro. "We continue to seek new opportunities for both airlines. Air France did stop its daily flights to Serbia in 2013, but has signed a codeshare agreement with Air Serbia in 2014 and now offers two daily flights from Belgrade to Paris. In Montenegro, Air France also signed a codeshare agreement in 2014 with Montenegro Airlines for flights to Paris".