“Right time” to acquire aircraft for Air Serbia


The Serbian Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Zorana Mihajlović, has said talks could soon begin over the acquisition of additional aircraft for Air Serbia. “We are thinking about starting negotiations for the acquisition of some aircraft. This is the right time, because there will never be an opportunity like this where prices on the market will be so low”, Ms Mihajlović said. She added that new opportunities on the market would present themselves to the airline as some carriers in the region will inevitably go bankrupt. “Air Serbia is now generating losses, there is no airline that isn’t. Its losses will likely exceed forty million euros. However, the company is small, has little debt and has some twenty aircraft, so it is more flexible to adjust itself to the changes on the market”, Ms Mihajlović noted.

Earlier this month, Serbia’s Finance Minister said, “We are currently in discussions with the management [of Air Serbia] and drafting a business plan. We might use this opportunity to acquire another aircraft which could be used to fill the void on the market left by the number of airlines going into bankruptcy, which Air Serbia won’t. Therefore, we will examine how we can even better position the carrier following this crisis”. Air Serbia boasts a fleet of 21 aircraft, including nine Airbus A319s, two A320s, one A330, six ATR72 turboprops and three Boeing 737-300s. The airline was to add more jets to its fleet this summer, however, those have now been halted due to the ongoing pandemic.

Air Serbia will resume commercial flights this Thursday, with most inbound services sold out for this week. The carrier’s CEO, Duncan Naysmith, said, “Our sales and contact centre continue to receive numerous queries about when flights will commence, which is an excellent indicator that there is great interest for travel from our passengers and the citizens of Serbia. We are responding to the demand to recommence flights to as many destinations as soon as possible, within the limitations of the restrictions imposed in numerous jurisdictions. However, we are gradually restoring the traffic, and that’s good news”. The company added that if European Union travel restrictions are lifted from June 15, as expected, Air Serbia plans to increase its number of flights.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:02

    I've been saying that all along for the last two months.

    Now is the time, because in near future, whether that is six or twelve months, prices of aircraft will undoubtedly go up.

    Go for it Air Serbia! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:05

      This is probably the absolute best new for JU in decades. We are seeing a leveling of the playing field with respect for routes and airplanes in Europe.

      However, the Serbian government should not be the only government to pay, the UAE own 49% and should pay its fair share. Otherwise, the Serbian government should buy the planes separately from JU and loan [rent] them, so that the ownership of the planes never come into question down the road.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:15

      Etihad is leaving JU, government will buy them out. In the future that's in front of us, there is no room for Etihad's incompetence. They are struggling on their own, there are major rumors going around that they will merge with Emirates into one mega carrier.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:22

      These rumours last for a very long time.

      Although Etihad made many stupid moves in Air Serbia the situation we have now in JU can't be compared to the situation when Jat Airways was flying around leasing ancient Bulgarian B733's with tank holes.

      If finally EY and EK get merged I believe it would be much better for Air Serbia to be in that team than alone.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:38

      Maybe we could finally see JU return to the UAE with their own metal, daily flights to DWC here we come!

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:02

    What type of aircraft could they be talking about?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:03

      And is it one or more.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:12

      The ones they really need to replace are the ATRs

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:18

      I hope they grow a pair and order ten Are 72-600

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:29

      I think ideally they should purchase as many aircraft as they need in order to get out of the leasing agreements.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:35

      My opinion:
      One A330 (add China flights)
      Three ATR 72
      One A319 (somehohow this size is better for AS than A320)

      Get out Boeings and old ATRs.
      Think about cargo...

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:41

      I think they should replace all ATRs, even the newer ones with their own metal.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:03

    Should be very very easy these days to acquire new aircraft. Let´s see how long that really takes or if it is just talking. If they want they can have new aircraft in 4 weeks time.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous09:06

    What happend to the Adria A319 birds which should have came to AirSerbia this March or April

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:08

      Not sure. It has even been painted
      https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0DheoCIe-j4/XljD9oE14lI/AAAAAAAAxAs/bp0Sy3GZPNI0Z6ZraN0a48EoUPp-3DANACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ju.png

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:09

      I hope they will come to ASL fleet soon

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:12

    some good news

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:12

    I wonder if it involve a second A330

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:13

    I'm afraid the government will push the SSJs even though Air Serbia doesn't want them but it is a great opportunity for the government to secure a big order, for little money and great for their PR.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Unfortunately I think the same will happen.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:19

      That deal is dead.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:41

      I think that now there is nothing of SSJ100 in AS. They probably will opt for some MS21, ( not bad dil at all), i.e. buy faith and time...

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:47

      Wet dreams about SSJ100.

      Now the time is the best for getting new aircrafts as the prices are low. SSJ100 even before crisis had funny low prices just in order to enter in some European airline.

      So, talking now about low prices certainly excludes any exotic option like SSJ100, MS21 etc.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:59

      MS21 is not exotic.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:15

      It is not exotic, it is ultra exotic

      Delete
    7. Anonymous11:24

      Why so much bitterness towards the Russian aircraft? Why?
      Сухой is the best option for JU and the current offer is affordable.
      The SuperJet is now an efficient, modern and state-of-the-art airplane equipped with the latest technological materials.

      I strongly suggest you carefully read the brochure. You will be surprised that it is even much better than E2 or A220 or Mitsubishi:

      http://www.scac.ru/en/products/sukhoi-superjet100/

      JU will be entitled for a sweet discount and free maintenance during the first 3 years. The pilots will be trained for free and the cabin crew will be allowed to explore the aircraft.
      Hopefully, JU will pick the SuperJet.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous11:45

      It is very simple.

      There is no company that was happy with SSJ100. Not reliable plane and too problematic spare parts supply. Even Aeroflot fly them only because they must fly them. In any other situation this plane would not have been Aeroflot's choice. More than enough for me.

      I believe these information are not the part of your brochure, aren't they?

      Delete
    9. Anonymous12:42

      Aeroflot flies them because they have access to spare parts. They are in love with the plane and can't get enough of it. I mean, how many times has it broken down in ZAG? Not a single time. Issue is not the plane but other things.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous12:43

      OMG! Look at the list of reported incidents!

      https://www.aeroinside.com/incidents/type/su95/sukhoi-superjet-100-95

      The most serious one is the SU1492....this short video is really, really scary!

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEpEHQXUvfU

      JU, avoid the Sukhoi at all costs!

      Delete
    11. Anonymous13:04

      Yes, you are right, SSJ is the only one to have incidents and accidents. Also, how many of those were caused by design flaws of the SSJ?

      Delete
    12. Anonymous13:11

      Red Wings, one of Russia's leading airlines, has officially placed an order today for a total of 60 SSJs! Seems like their fortunes are finally turning. I suppose we might see it in Belgrade soon as they operate scheduled flights.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous13:17

      If you followed Russian aviation you would know that they were forced to order SSJs.
      http://www.rusaviainsider.com/red-wings-instructed-to-acquire-60-superjet-100s-by-2024/

      Delete
    14. Anonymous13:19

      That's because they have the same owner as the SSJ program or something like that. Nothing strange about that. I am sure they will thrive once they get their hands on this regional jet.

      Delete
    15. Anonymous13:32

      “Nobody uses force to dictate anything to Aeroflot. We believe that this plane must fly. Who but us will be able to make it happen? In the whole country there is no other such company. True, this implies certain costs. In a sense it’s a headache. If Aeroflot were a private company, its shareholders might refuse to do that. But we respond to this situation with understanding.”

      It is really not difficult to see what this guy thinks! If it is headache for Aeroflot what on Earth would it be for other carriers?

      Never ending night mare!

      Delete
    16. Can someone explain me, why they can't made contract, paying lets say, 25% of value, with options every time when plain not fly, suhoi paying penals and if have big operational and service problems in first 2y, return it back? Im just thinking...

      Delete
    17. Anonymous15:02

      Lets look at Interjet as a neutral airline that ordered the SSJ and now want nothing to do with them. The fact is the SSJ is not a reliable airplane.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:17

    Well I like the fact that the government sees this as an opportunity to strengthen JU and are not giving up.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous09:17

    I think this is the first time Zoka made sense when it comes to aviation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:19

      These are probably not her words but from some JU executive that talked to her and she just repeated it :D

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:28

      That's good enough.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:31

      Maybe someone read the critique online so now she is more prepared. She did have some gems over the years.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous09:21

    Vratiti ARU i iznajmiti 2 A330 za malo veci novac i pokrenuti YYZ,PEK i ORD. Za evropske letove ne vidim koji bi avion mogli da deodaju jer je postojeca flota sasvim dovoljna do sledeceg leta. Jedino sto mi pada na pamet je SSJ100 za regionalne letove i destinacije gde je A319 prevelik.Izbace Boinge i opet imaju 3 modela u floti.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:26

      ,,Проблем'' је у томе што је АТР феноменалан и неприкосновен на летовима ка региону, тј од Беча до Тиране преко Тивта и Софије. Трошкови су минимални, посебно сада када је гориво џабе. Што се А330 тиче, слажем се мада ко зна, можда добију одличну цену за А339 који би им феноменално одговарао. Авион се не продаје добро а сигуран сам да би им Ербас дао јако добру и ниску цену.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:36

      Ali izgleda da im ATR postaje premali za neke regionalne letove,pogotovu posle bankrota Adrie?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:40

      Зато су додали додатне летове ка тим дестинацијама. Љубљана је повећана са 12 на 17, Скопље са 6 на 8 а Тирана са 6 на ваљда 9. Ер Србија прво мора имати два, три лета на дан ка целом региону пре него што крене да замењује АТР са нечим већим. Прошлог лета Тирана је комотно ишла са А319 и возили су око 100 до 110 путника али због боље повезаности и конкурентнсти потребно је да имају што више летова ка региону. Да се није појавила коронштина, ове године коначно би имали солидну регионалну мрежу.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:58

      U potpunosti se slazem sa tobom. Nisam ni mislio da skroz izbace ATR iz flote vec da dodaju recimo 2 SSJ100 za letove gde je ATR premali a A319 prevelik. Definitivno im nedostaje avion sa oko 100 sedista da popuni tu prazninu.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:01

      Moжда је зато боље да изнајме Е75, њих сада сигурно има јефтиних на тржишту. Са тим авионом многе линије које су ишле сваки дан (Рим, Милано, Копенхаген...) би могле одмах да се повећају на 12-14 недељних летова. Тако би још више повећали своју повезаност и конкуренстност на тржишту.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:05

      Mozda,ali Rusi izgleda daju izuzetno povoljnu ponudu. Sigurno iza svega toga ima malo i politike pa videcemo...

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10:13

      Da su dzabe SSJ100 se ne bi isplatili...Tako da se slazem da je E75 mnogo bolja varijanta pogotovo u ovo vreme.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:17

      Руси нуде Србији тај авион већ сигурно десет година. Ако га нису утрапили Јату онда сигурно неће Ер Србији. Не заборавимо да је држава одлучна да претвори ЈУ у озбиљног играча те и сама неће ризиковати са таквим потезима.

      Delete
    9. JATBEGMEL12:34

      2 A330 could do 4 such destinations in the winter, they will struggle for 2 months when the ac is in maintenance, however in the summer it would be a disaster.

      Increasing the A330 count definately needs to happen. I think 4 or 5 is a good number but that is an increase of over 300%.

      People here forget that destinations like ORD and China need more than 24 hours per trip.

      I think a midnight long haul wave would compliment their network well.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:23

    Time to retire the Boeings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:24

      With the charter season probably non existent this year it could be a good move.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:44

      Then lease aircraft next year_

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:30

    I think we are living in a golden era of Serbian aviation. We have not seen such triumphs and investments since AeroPut was launched in 1927 and when Belgrade was placed on the global aviation map as a trendsetter. Today we have a massive airport expansion, talk of new long-haul flights to places such as China, acquisition of new planes and growing in new and exciting markets. All this while JU's historic rivals are suffering and fighting for survival. Serbian government has realized how important aviation is and which is why they are investing millions wisely. After all, how many millions did we burn on foreign investors? I think investing in JU is the smartest way to strengthen and reinforce Serbia's struggling economy. I think this is just the first chapter we are reading of a new and exciting book that's being written right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:15

      Anon 09:30 +1000

      Couldn't agree more. The government needs to be careful, because 49% of the company is owned by Etihad. We saw what happened to its partnerships with other airlines. If there is any $$ given by the Serbian government to JU we don't want to see Etihad taking these planes and other assets if there is a breakup down the road.

      We are seeing an incredible airport expansion in BEG and an opportunity for JU to have a fleet with newer airplanes and maybe even larger ones.

      The only thing left is for BEG to buy as much cheap fuel as possible while prices remain low.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:34

    Maybe leasing companies they are working with now can also sell them some of the A319s they currently operate. I am sure they can get a really good price and they could get their hands on some quick cash.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:48

    I wonder why the A220 was never discussed. This aircraft is indeed excellent and fits nicely. It has an excellent range and metrics.
    BT seem to be very happy with them and before Corona, CEO of FB mentioned they will not buy more Embraers but consider A220.
    It's easier to fill an A220 and definitely a more positive experience compared to the ATR which is still a perfect and reliable plane.
    As for Sukhoi, well it does has its bad reputation but nobody said the same for Lada Niva, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:00

      A220 is expensive.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:20

      These days nothing is expensive in aviation.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:24

      Money, money, money.

      Modern and reliable aircraft costs money.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:40

      Yes but when that expensive plane is manufactured and sold buy a company in desperate need of cash and reporting billions in losses, prices will no doubt go down.

      Delete
    5. JATBEGMEL13:01

      I agree, the A220 would be an ideal aircraft for JU to replace the A319/A320, B733 and the DC9 that was never replaced.

      Delete
    6. Prepelica21:56

      There are no used A220s on market and even with all the cash injections, buying new planes is not an option for Air Serbia. One thing are wet dreams, but reality is a completely different thing.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous06:45

      What makes you say that? They could get them through an operational lease. All the government would have to do is pay the downpayment and that's it. I think for many JU not getting new planes and expanding are the wet-dreams.

      Delete
    8. Prepelica10:21

      First, Air Serbia is my business partner and I am a JAT child, so if anyone would like to see Air Serbia flourish, that would be me. To answer to you anon @06:45, I hope you are aware that operational lease costs money too? Air Serbia was struggling to replace aging ATRs and ancient B737s and now people here are raving about A220s and A339s. Also, same goes for SSJs, the plane which not a single airline outside of Russia is using at scale, nor there are any outstanding orders outside of Russia. It seems that lately 90% of commentators here are so polarized and split between haters and fanbois.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10:27

      Of course JU struggled to replace the ATRs because until now it was replacing its core fleet of B733s with A319/320s. Also it never had this much government support meaning that now the government is actually ready to cash out the money they need. So they can give them the money for the downpayment and then JU will be paying off the leases on a monthly basis the same way it pays leasing rates for its current fleet of A330, A319, A320 and ATRs.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous09:52

    Once this crisis is over Air Serbia will grow much more and become much more significant player in wider region.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:02

      Good thing is that even this summer they are still going to have an ok presence. For them the situation at OS fits them perfectly.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:12

      Exactly. Let's not forget that Aegean have not been flying since 26.03.2020 and their position also can't be stronger than before the crisis

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:19

      Aegean will have a lot of extra capacity this summer as many tourists won't be going for holidays this year. Their costs are not low due to excessive taxation in Greece.

      Delete
  16. I think that for AirSerbia is the best option to buy some a220 or A330neo. Not SSJ100

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:12

      SSJ100 was only Russian idea they tried to push because of political relations.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous10:21

    I do wonder if they would have more success if they kept their name as Jat or if they went for something more neutral like Air Yugoslavia or Balkan Airlines. Just a thought, they could grow much faster.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:26

      You would want them to be called Air Yugoslavia - after a country that does not exist anymore?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:32

      Surely not.

      Adria was neutral name so we saw how they finished their mission. Same as Malev.

      We must be proud of airline name consisting "Serbia" because it is our country.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:41

      I think sticking to Air Serbia is the right way forward as it is a brand ambassador for our country. Imagine how many people read the word SERBIA each time one of their planes lands or taxis around AMS, LHR or FRA.

      It also helps that JU has one of the nicest liveries in the world. Such classy livery.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:51

      Agree. I just hope YU-ARA will get its normal livery soon.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:32

      I have to admit. I miss JAT and what it symbolized. Also miss Aeroput ;)

      Delete
    6. JATBEGMEL13:13

      Yugoslavia no longer exists and its time to move forward.

      The nationalism argument has proven to be pointless. People would still travel no matter what the airline is called, as long as it works for them.

      In the end, Air Serbia still is (was) expanding in markets which are supposed to be 'unwelcoming' of the word Serbia ie Albania, Croatia, while it steped back in the 'friendlier' countries ie Russia. Point is, nobody cares.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous13:30

      The real question is has Air Serbia stepped back in Russia? Moscow has been so-so but JU has thrived in places like KRR and ROV was selling really well. So I think JU, in recent times, has generally done well in most markets it served. In the region absolute kings were Greece, Albania and Slovenia. Those markets really proved to be a gold mine for Serbia's national carrier AIR SERBIA.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous15:03

      -Also miss Aeroput ;)

      LOL, this is funny! How old are you?

      Celebrating 100 years of Air Serbia will be a perfect opportunity to bring back old brands with a special livery. Other than that, Aeroput and JAT should be in a museum.

      Delete
    9. JATBEGMEL17:18

      JU used to serve SVO double daily. It was expected to operate 10 pw this summer. In the mean time, SU launched a third daily and WZ flights from DME.

      LED hasnt worked as well as they anticipated, now down to seasonal.

      KRR has shown to be doing well, while word here is ROV as well was doing ok.

      TIA, SKP and LJU increased after JP went bankrupt, but OU still was carrying more pax in SKP. Im surprised nothing new came from Greece. There was for one season a third ATH rotation on Thursdays:

      JU510 BEG ATH 0730 1000
      JU511 ATH BEG 1045 1125

      But its safe to say that didnt work out as it never returned. In january an article here was published of JU looking into IOA.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous17:32

      Why didn't LED work so well?? This is Russia's second largest city.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous17:51

      LED was scaled back because they needed the plane elsewhere. In SVO JU is harassed by SU which isn't allowing them to fly at times that are inconvenient for them.

      Delete
    12. JATBEGMEL18:31

      LED frequencies dropped because the aircraft was needed elsewhere, however in the mean time, 10 destinations announced last year ex BEG, another 6 for this year was planned, while some routes opened last year saw a boost in frequencies. Not seeing the logic behind the claim.

      JU has a large codeshare cooperation with SU, both ex BEG and SVO. JU also operates their SVO rotations during their own waves unlike LHR and TLV for example. Also not seeing the logic behind your claim.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous19:51

      Ioannina would certainly be a good destination.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous22:05

      Because from last year many charter flights are operated by 319/320 so they needed extra capacity there as well. It's not just about scheduled flights anymore.

      Delete
    15. JATBEGMEL23:00

      They dont need charter capacity in winter. LED was downgraded from full year to seasonal.

      In the mean time, KRR was launched last year, and this year expected to have an extra frequency.

      Delete
    16. Anonymous06:47

      LED was already reduced in summer to 3 weekly and that's the year when they needed spare capacity elsewhere. Don't forget that LED is a bit far and it doesn't catch all the connections in Belgrade which is not the case with KRR.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous10:52

    just as remark for some people here, they did not say "buy" they said "acquire". Also, they didn't say it should be a "new" aircraft.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous10:58

    How about the Q400? Flybe went under, and flooded the market formerly being the largest q400 operator in the world.

    Some great deals could be had with this aircraft... I could be wrong?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:04

      Why to introduce new turbo prop and increase operational costs if JU already has ATR's?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:21

      Replace them completely

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:41

      Surely not. For the network they cover they are better than Q400

      Delete
    4. JATBEGMEL13:45

      There are more disadvantages to moving to the Q400 than just sticking with the ATR. There isnt many places that the Q400 may be better suited than the ATR. In the end, a turbo prop is a turbo prop, that is what pax see, just one would cost JU alot more.

      A220 would just smallen the gap between the A319 and ATR.

      ATR7: 70 seats
      BCS1: ~125 seats
      BCS3: ~145 seats
      A319: 144 seats

      The ERJ/CRJ would work, ERJ170 and CRJ700 have similar pax capacity to the ATR while offering various capacities towards the A220. Perfect for places like PRG, VCE, LWO, HAM, VAR. But when you have regional destinations having those 25-50 pax loads, ATR outperforms the regional jets, while travel time is not that different.

      Delete
  20. Oh yeah, please add another A330, or an A330neo / A350-900XWB for long-haul flights(JFK, PVG/HKG, ORD, YYZ), replace their 3 Boeing 737 by 3 A319 and ATR too by Dash 8

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:55

      let's change whole fleet and spend money on education for pilots

      Delete
  21. Anonymous12:52

    Serbian aviation has been nicely maturing over the years. We have definitely come a long way and looking at things we will soon become a serious force to be reckoned with.

    Best of luck to JU.

    ReplyDelete
  22. For my part, I’ll see AirSERBIA flying to JFK (current long-haul destination), PVG or HKG but more Hong Kong ( richer, more beautiful than PEK or PVG ), HND ( Serbians can go to Japan without any visa, same for S.Korea, so ICN ), YYZ, ORD and EZE for the big diaspora ( there are a lot of people from Balkan that immigrated to Argentina and Brasil ) , maybe SIN would be great with connection to Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and finally DEL.
    But the problem is that AirSERBIA isn’t focusing on long-haul routes, we can just hope that foreign airlines come to BEG ( Japan Airlines HND, United Airlines ORD, Air India DEL, Singapore Airlines SIN, Air Canada YYZ, Cathay if HKG or China Eastern/AirSERBJA if PVG Aerolineas Argentina to EZE and Korean to ICN)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:23

      Hahaha

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:25

      Finally a reasonable comment! 10000% agree with Brasil and Argentina! There are around 80000 serbs only in Argentina. Especially when A330 is struggling in winter, it is summer in Argentina and the beginning of the high season.
      It can be 3 times JFK and 2 times weekly EZE. The A330 can fly from Belgrade to Buenos Aires because it has a range of 13450 km, while the distance to fly there is 11800km and can be done twice weekly with no problem. Buenos Aires is connected to Madrid, Rome, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona.


      Delete
    3. Anonymous17:44

      A reasonable comment? Really!?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous17:49

      What do you not agree with? Please provide your arguments. Thanks.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous19:14

      My thoughts also! Argentina and/or Brasil is huge un-tapped market from East Europe and a nice way to “piss off” Madrid and Lisbon airport :)
      We must pay attention to the following fact - VINCI is modernising airport to handle up to 17.000.000 pax. They need to get airlines that will fly those people. P2P will not be more that 1/3 of those, the rest will be hub model, ergo, Air Serbia fleet and network expansion.
      As you said already, very soon we will see (I am super realistic) long hauls to Chicago, Havana, Sao Paolo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and at least two Chinese cities.
      It is very simple...Airport needs pax. Only way to get them is hub model.
      For example, somebody from Helsinki really does not care if he/she flies to Sao Paolo via Belgrade or Madrid

      Delete
    6. Anonymous20:35

      Good points about SIN and GIG. Those are the real airports but EZE must be considered as well. It would be possible for JU to enjoy 5th freedom flights and even sell tickets on the segment and combine both cities similar to what TK, ET and other Western European carriers do.

      Here are some examples for travel in December 2020:

      1. Ethiopian Airlines

      ET
      Рейс ET-506
      Boeing 787 Jet
      Эконом-класс
      17:00
      14 декабря 2020, Понедельник
      Сан-ПаулуGRU
      2 ч 55 мин
      19:55
      14 декабря 2020, Понедельник
      Буэнос-АйресEZE
      Средняя задержка: 9 мин
      Подробнее о рейсе
      Ручная кладь
      Багаж: 2 чемодана
      Стоимость: 341 USD

      2.Qatar Airways

      QR
      Рейс QR-773
      Boeing 777-200LR
      Эконом-класс
      18:30
      14 декабря 2020, Понедельник
      Сан-ПаулуGRU
      3 ч 00 мин
      21:30
      14 декабря 2020, Понедельник
      Буэнос-АйресEZE
      Средняя задержка: 3 мин
      Подробнее о рейсе
      Ручная кладь
      Багаж: не включен
      Стоимость: 344 USD

      3. Turkish Airlines

      TK
      Рейс TK-15
      Airbus A350-900
      Эконом-класс
      19:30
      15 декабря 2020, Вторник
      Сан-ПаулуGRU
      2 ч 55 мин
      22:25
      15 декабря 2020, Вторник
      Буэнос-АйресEZE
      Средняя задержка: 0 мин
      Подробнее о рейсе
      Ручная кладь
      Багаж: 2 чемодана
      Стоимость: 342 USD

      If the average price for a one way ticket is 340$ this means that JU can easily lower to 289$ and still flying twice per week you can sell:
      BEG-GIG-BEG (average 800$)
      BEG-EZE-BEG (average 850$)
      GIG-EZE (average 300$)

      If YU-ARA A332 has 254 seats C18Y236 this means roughly 1000 weekly seats and if we assume the rough price to be 900 then this is 900000$ weekly!!
      For sure it is much more interesting for YU-ARA to fly long-haul tropic combinable destinations than sitting on the tarmac or relying on JFK in the winter.
      This is how them airlines are making a fortune like this especially ET. Who would have thought they will reach that far and operate regional Latin American routes and gain sweet money on a less than 3 hour flight between 2 of the world's largest cities. Time to wake up and do it before LO or another airline does the same!

      Delete
    7. Anonymous20:53

      Except that HEL-MAD-GRU is 9,949 km and HEL-BEG-GRU is 11,894 km, which means 20% more in terms of time and cost. And except that MAD-GRU-MAD can be done in 24h, while BEG-GRU-MAD not, and except that 10,142 km BEG-GRU is close to max range for most of the aircraft types, especially given the conditions over this part of Atlantic, and except for many other things you have no idea about.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous21:04


      The fact that they've announced that this is the right moment to acquire new aircraft doesn't necessarily mean that they're on their way to become the new TK, EK or QR.

      @Anonymous 19:14 Remember that an anonymous traveller that does HEL-EZE might not look at where he/she is making the stop but rather to the price tag of the ticket, but there needs to be a minimum amount of O&D between city pairs to make things work or have a broader network. And for the airline to be able to offer such price tag that attracts our hypothetical anonymous traveller, there needs to be something called economy of scale, which you don't just achieve by launching a 2pw flight from the Balkans to LATAM.

      I won't even start with the fact that the current news won't just be over from one day to the next and its effects will be felt for a long time and won't also get into the fact that a BEG-EZE flight is quite ridiculous to start with, diaspora nonwithstanding.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous22:11

      Including MAD here is quite irrelevant because it already has those flights operating. Besides if there is a price sensitive Brazilian living in HEL wants to visit his family and travel 1500km more and pay 200-400€ less, then yes. They will prefer to fly HEL-BEG-GRU and not HEL-MAD-GRU.
      The same goes for those who chose to transfer stay in China for 20 hours and continue to Australia than flying via DOH with 1 stop and you pay almost twice as much. Today, there is a market for everybody. CZ has flights from Europe to Sydney for as little as 600€ return compared to QR's 1100€.
      TK, EK, ET, QR are big airlines but that does not mean there is no room for smaller ones. The A332 is a perfect and versatile aircraft and can easily be adjusted to this routes.
      You say, not to focus on diaspora? Wrong. Gastos play a vital role in the economy of the country. Ask the Poles or Eastern Europeans sending money back home or coming to visit where they spend a fortune.
      And LATAM is not only about Serbia but the former Austro-Hungarian reign as well. So, this means this number can easily reach 200,000 thousand if you include ex-Yu.
      This market has been discussed before in this forum a couple of years ago and it was agreed that it would be recommended to star exploring for such flights instead of just focusing on China or Iran. LATAM also has deep historical routes with the Balkans and it makes sense to be connected.
      With this discussion, I am not saying JU can be the next QR but if there are ambitious plans to grow then grow and be different....

      Delete
    10. Anonymous22:33

      And what airline will take this Brazilian from HEL for a ride that is longer by 1,900 km for a ticket cheaper by 200-400 USD and not lose a tonne of money on this? Will this be JU and can JU first start making money on a full year basis on a classic route to JFK?

      Delete
    11. Anonymous17:49

      @Anonymous 22:11 Including [the airlines that operate from] MAD is quite relevant as it is one of the options the hypothetical JU flight would compete against. The issue is not about the price sensitive travellers of the world flying from XXX to ZZZ via BEG. The issue is about JU launching an extremely long flight, with a single long-haul plane, with very little O&D and a regional network that doesn't really scream LATAM. As a matter of making a point of offering constructive input and 'redirecting' the hypothetical flight, wouldn't it be better to launch ORD or YYZ? The flight is shorter, O&D is there and JUs network also serves markets that have a significant diaspora both in Chicago and Toronto, plus several other reasons.

      I didn't want to comment any further RE: the diaspora argument, but as you insist and add up the fact that the 'Austro-Hungarian connection' I believe some fact-checking would do the conversation good. I'm not sure if you mean that people who migrated back then are still in touch and visit their relatives or if you just meant that the countries/nations formerly making up the Austro-Hungarian empire have a significant diaspora in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile...

      Let me put up front that I'm an Argentine with Eastern European roots and in my case (and I would bet that this is the case for 95% of those with Eastern European roots) there is absolutely no connection. I think I don't have to explain that due to the generations that passed, the actual physical distance, a couple of world wars, the fact that many of the Eastern Europeans that migrated were Jewish and next to nothing of their culture was left behind after the events mentioned, etc. constitute arguments strong enough to erase any connection. I'd like to know where you found the numbers that you mention and whether that includes Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian/Slovenian/Macedonian/Montenegrin nationals (including ex-yu here, but any data would be interesting), 1st/2nd generation descendants or a broader count made up by someone.

      I could keep on arguing that there are no gastos in Argentina or Brazil, either you're a big fish buying lands to harvest soya and sell it to the Chinese or to raise cattle to become a provider for Златиборац or some other capital intensive operation, probably dealing with real estate of some sorts or you really didn't do your homework when weighing the pros and cons of where to migrate. Neither group is sending money back home (from LATAM) nor they are coming back spending fortunes in their homeland.

      And we can also argue that how those 200,000 people are distributed in the continent would be served by a flight. Will JU interline/codeshare with LA to bring the Croatians from the far south of Chile to EZE, then connect on a flight to BEG and then to ZAG/SPU/DBV/...? Will they launch a flight to GIG or GRU and serve the Ukrainian and Polish diaspora around Curitiba and simultaneously restart WAW? Will they lure the old believers to come back to Russia via BEG? Isn't it all a bit too much for an airline that doesn't even have a daily flight to their only current long-haul destination?

      Delete
    12. Anonymous18:30

      To last anon.

      Fully agree. This site is full of dreamers who just take the globe, put a finger and say JU should fly there. No real argument and no willingness to learn. If you disagree, they will call you hater, because JU "thrives".

      Anon 22.33.

      Delete
  23. Is Air Serbia the only airline in the world talking about fleet expansion at this time? Maybe they can replace older aircraft and a decent discount but would it be wise to look to expand the number of aircraft they are operating?

    Once we start to recover, many airlines are going to try to get as many bums on their seats as possible in what will most likely be a smaller (especially business class) market for some years to come. We could be entering an even more competitive market with an airline market share brawl most likely erupting in Europe.

    With Virgin Australia's collapse (jury still out), many in Australia were worried Qantas would take advantage and price gouge but they are saying they will be selling tickets for as little as $20 one way Sydney to Melbourne so they can fill their aircraft. We could see a very similar in Europe especially now Lufthansa and Air France / KLM have had their coffers packed with near $10 billion of tax payers money?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:53

      airBaltic said they would want to get their C-series faster. That's the only one I know. TK is also receiving their new planes.

      Delete
    2. JATBEGMEL17:57

      JU isnt the only airline talking fleet expansion, VN was one example.

      The B733's at some point need to be retired and this could be an easy way to do so, ridding the fleet of an aircraft type and simplifying things down to just the Air Serbia brand.

      Alot of airlines are wounded by the outbreak, and alot of airlines wont suddenly pick up where they left. JU, comparing many airlines in Europe, doesnt have alot and wouldnt take much to relaunch full ops.

      LH has alot of in house issues, Germanwings and Eurowings, problems OS and SN. OS was, prior to the pandemic, being attacked by LCC while minor changes in JU allowed them to take over a couple markets where OS was stronger. OS will be making cuts to aircraft and destinations, while LO will not be in a position to play with a BUD hub for a while. RO is having serious cash issues.

      The larger airlines have a bigger network to relaunch, and thatll take time, which can work in JU's favour. Frequencies will take time to rebuild.

      Lets take the highest figures, Serbia gives JU a stimulous of 100 million euros, it isnt as much as compared to what RO was looking for, OU needed over 30 million euros prior to the pandemic. In the end, itll be a few aircraft and not Serbia building the next TK of Europe.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous06:49

      Imagine if JU provides them with a downpayment of €100 million and the rest will be paid off through operational lease over the next 10 years. ;)
      Like that they could get quite a few new aircraft especially now when Airbus is losing billions.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous15:08

    Those announcements are counter productive. Acquire the aircraft and then make the announcement.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous16:31

    I'm gonna say the unpopular opinion here, but this is the time to get 737MAX. The prices are down, there should be a few appearing on the used market soon. It's a gamble but it's a very efficient plane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JATBEGMEL17:59

      737Max, just like the A320neo, doesnt suit JU's needs. There is a reason the A320's were leaving the fleet.

      Delete
  26. Anonymous17:15

    Nobody in their right mind is buying...because nobody knows what will be of the airline industry in the coming months and years, and for those obvious ans apparent reasons normal responsibly led companies don’t wish to add to the fiscal burden amidst uncertainty! its NOT always about the bargain, Good luck JU LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:17

      To acquire something does not mean to buy it. It also means to obtain more, meaning they are 99% going to be leased planes, not purchased.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:55

      Air Serbia and the Serbian market are still going to be here after Corona so the government is actually doing the right thing, making the most of the situation.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous18:48

      @Anonymous 17:15

      JU is not the only one. OU just added another jet to their fleet. Where was your comment then? LOL

      Delete
    4. Anonymous06:49

      So true, double standards as usual.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous20:23

    Corona driven global trend is to park older planes (767, older A330-200, MD-80, 777-200, CRJ/ERJ, A340 etc) and plan on restarting services mostly with modern, fuel efficient planes (newer A330-300, 787, A350, A321NEO, A220 etc). Air Serbia might be tempted by current lower lease rates for less fuel efficient aircraft but when global travel and oil price skyrockets in a couple of years they might find themselves surrounded by competition flying far more efficient planes.

    Is it better to renew the fleet (or some parts of the fleet) now using modern generation of aircraft?

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous21:50

    Serbia needs to forget this non-aligned mentality of political buddying with China and Russia. Flights to PEK - that’s ridiculous, only Chinese that will come to Serbia are ones that will overstay and crawl over the border to Europe. I agree long haul expansion but to proven markets like ORD, YYZ and others where diaspora will fly back and forth.

    SSJ is a death trap, I for one would not step foot in it and many Westerners wouldn’t either if we want to compete with Western airlines then we need to act like them and not be diabolical about our old Communist brothers. JU needs smaller regional jets plenty of proven ones available - E170/E175, CRJ l, A220 come on its not rocket science!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous22:07

      Always so much skepticism and unwarranted criticism when it comes to JU. Luckily they thrive no matter all that.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous22:19

      Сухой is a death trap? This comment is too harsh. I am sure you don't even know anything about it. With this logic Ty154M is the same?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous23:01

      Ex-yu, i think you should delete this comment at 21:50.

      It's basically racist, pure of nonsense, prejudice and doesn't provide any technical data.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous23:13

      We had all kinds of influencers peddling their wares and opinions here. But who would have thought SSJ would rise to the number 1 spot on the most annoying list, topping even concerned taxpayers? Most people here were just indifferent to SSJ but annoying activism and propaganda managed to make it worse, to irritate and antagonize against SSJ. Well done!

      Delete
    5. Anonymous23:19

      Its a shame how many people are brainwashed to instantly get triggered and hate anything Russian or Chinese related. If Sukhois are deathtraps than what is the ''Western'' high quality 737 MAX?

      Delete
    6. Anonymous23:59

      You are making it worse for SSJ. Is that what you wanted?

      Delete
    7. Anonymous06:51

      Why should Serbia drop the non-aligned policy, it suits JU perfectly. Bit of this, bit of that and voila.
      As for the SSJ, ignore the troll, he does it on purpose every time there is mention of JU's future.

      Delete
  29. Anonymous06:51

    So many triggered people today...

    ReplyDelete
  30. Good news... They might add another A330, it would be great!

    ReplyDelete
  31. A320s are not that expensive right now (2019 model for $48 million.)

    https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/29318177/2019-airbus-a320

    https://www.globalair.com/aircraft-for-sale/ListingDetail/Airbus-A320-VIP?AdId=90344

    ReplyDelete

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