Russia’s S7 Airlines will commence flights from Moscow Domodedovo Airport to Belgrade from May 21. The carrier intends on initially operating one weekly flight, each Friday, due to the frequency caps currently in place between Serbia and Russia as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and then increase operations once restrictions are lifted. Services will run with the 160-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft, featuring twelve business class and 148 economy class seats. S7 Airlines will become the fourth carrier to maintain flights between the two countries and the second new Russian airline to launch operations to the Serbian capital this year following Nordwind Airlines. It will also become only the second Oneworld alliance member to fly to Belgrade after Qatar Airways. Currently, Air Serbia maintains four weekly rotations to Moscow, while based on reciprocity, Aeroflot runs three weekly services and Nordwind one weekly operation.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, travel between Moscow and Belgrade is in high demand, primarily due to Russian tourists visiting the Serbian countryside in organised tour groups. Aeroflot has been deploying its wide-body Airbus A330 jet on two of its three weekly flights throughout March and April, while Air Serbia has recently upgraded its equipment from the A319 to the A320 on the majority of its Moscow flights. Demand is also being generated by transfer passengers. Both Serbian and Russian citizens are able to travel between each other’s countries without restrictions with a negative Covid-19 PCR test, however, they must fly on the nonstop Belgrade - Moscow service to avoid quarantine upon entering Russia.
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| S7 Airlines B737-800 cabin |
S7 Airlines is the largest private airline in Russia, and currently boasts the youngest fleet on the Russian market. It operates a network of 181 cities in 26 countries across with a fleet of over 100 aircraft. The carrier has a limited presence in the region, operating seasonal summer flights to the Croatian coast, as well as year-round operations to Tivat until the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Further flight details for S7 Airlines' new Belgrade service can be found here.
Knowing it's in the CAD's hands, I would not hold my breath that they issue approval.
ReplyDeleteThey only listen to JU.
DeleteYes but Russia can restrict JU and I doubt they'd want that. Also JU failed to block Nordwind.
DeleteLet's hope they don't limit the market in order to protect JU. Local market profits the most like this.
DeleteWouldn't the easiest solution be for the Russians to allow JU 5 weekly and then S7 can start its flights?
DeleteBut that hurts Aeroflot's interest, which is also a state owned company :)
DeleteNice. They have a huge network in Russia. Would be good for transfers.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they were such a big airline until I read the last paragraph. That's impressive.
DeleteNice
ReplyDeleteWhen are these silly caps going to be lifted?
ReplyDeleteIt's Russia's doing. Not the other way around.
DeleteThe more airlines the better since it will help with BEG's recovery.
ReplyDeleteWon't help Air Serbia though.
DeleteIt will force them to be more competitive
DeleteIt would be nice to finally see some more Oneworld airlines. They are really under represented in BEG.
ReplyDeleteAgree. But we are missing some big ones from the alliance like BA and Finnair which I believe could be attracted.
DeleteYou forgot Iberia .
DeleteBut for the Spanish who once conquered half the world Europe ends in Croatia .
Welcome!
ReplyDeleteThem pulling tickets is not a good sign.
ReplyDeleteTickets are back on sale now :)
DeleteWhat are the fares like?
DeletePricey 250 euros without luggage.
DeleteWell actually when I say pricey, I think this is the same at Air Serbia.
DeleteGood news
ReplyDeleteWasn't expecting them. They will be a nice addition.
ReplyDeleteGreat that it's finally an airport other than Sheremetyevo.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if it was a city other than Moscow.
DeleteAs you can see, flights can't be operated from any city other than Moscow at the moment.
DeleteUsed to be only SVO good to see they changed that
DeleteBefore covid the coverage of Russia was quite ok in my oppinion. There were flights to Moscow, St Peteresburg, Krasnodar and flights to Rostov were about to start.
DeleteLet's hope they launch.
ReplyDeleteAlmost every week we get good news about new airlines / routes in Belgrade. Even in the normal times it would be extra ordinary and especially in these crazy circumstances.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteThis is I believe 10th or 11th new route announced for this year.
DeleteGood thing is that JU gave up on Ukraine because their airlines are doing really well in Belgrade. Windrose is introducing third weekly and SkyUp is sending B738 this Friday in stead of B737-700.
DeleteBEG is making a strong comeback
DeleteGood think about BEG is that it shifted its focus to markets where there are no or limited entry restrictions. Hopefully this situation with Russia is resolved since both sides stand to lose from this situation. Serbia gets fewer Russian tourists and Russian carriers carry fewer passengers.
DeleteFrom 03.05 TK is increasing BEG from 10 to 11 flights plus the A333 ever Wednesday like it was report here yesterday.
Deletegood ties should be utilized as much as possible, so go ahead
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
ReplyDeleteShame Russians are not allowing more flights to Moscow. There seems to be more than enough demand.
ReplyDeleteAre the fares between BEG and MOW expensive?
ReplyDeleteNordwind is ok with prices. JU and SU are expensive because they are full to the last seat.
DeleteNordwind is expensive too, especially when luggage is added.
DeletePrices are really expensive at the moment across all three airlines because demand is outstripping supply.
DeleteMaybe SU will send the B77W :D
DeleteCan the B77W even fit on the gate? I know those who visited BEG in the past always parked on remote stands.
DeleteIt can. They were parked at remote stands because they were never passenger flights, mostly VIP, which always parks at remote stands.
DeleteInteresting, thank you.
DeleteNice! But what is the point with one weekly frequencies?
ReplyDeleteLike it says flights are capped. It will be good if they get approval for that 1 weekly itself.
DeleteGreat news for Belgrade
ReplyDeleteStill nothing on INI-Russia market, could it work?
ReplyDeleteRed Wings used to operate some Nis charters in 2017.
DeleteI think Pobeda would be best suited for Nis.
DeleteWhen does Red Wings resume flights?
ReplyDeleteThey have terminated all international flights fot now except Yerevan.
DeleteGood. The more foreign visitors the better.
ReplyDeleteNot surprised. There are many types of passengers using these flights.
ReplyDeleteLet's just hope they launch
ReplyDeleteNice development. Hope that S7 can start flights and this route can be sustained with so much competition.
ReplyDeleteAll this 'competition' is far less than frequencies prior to Covid.
DeleteTrue but all of these airlines will still be there when the situation normalizes.
DeleteLet's see.
DeleteIt's not excessive given the size of the market.
Loving the livery :D
ReplyDeleteAny news on Ural's five new routes to Serbia?
ReplyDeleteI'm getting really depressed here in Ljubljana reading about all these airlines launching flights everywhere around in the region and we are here stuck with neverending "talks with airlines".
ReplyDeleteAnyone ever flown with S7? What is their service like? They are a full service airline?
ReplyDeleteThey are a full service airline. They also have proper business class.
DeleteThe schedule is so and so. 23.00 arrival in Moscow is not great.
ReplyDeleteThey have a night bank of departures between 23.50 and 02.00. It's mostly Russian and CIS destinations.
DeleteAh ok makes sense then.
DeleteHope they add more frequencies soon.
ReplyDeleteThey will once the caps are lifted.
DeleteTheir business class is better than JU's!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is. Have a look at their product on short domestic Moscow-St Petersburg flight
Deletehttps://www.executivetraveller.com/s7-airlines-boeing-737-business-class-flight-review-moscow-domodedovo-st-petersburg
Looks good!
DeleteIt is not that hard to beat JU business class. Since the removed the dedicated business section seats it is the same as sitting in economy with a slightly better menu but that better catering comes at an axtravagant price. SU business is the real thing.
DeleteI'm surprised. But nice to have S7 come too :)
ReplyDeleteNice. DME is S.East of Moscow. It is accessible by Aeroexpress train the same way as Sheremetievo only the train ride is 10 minutes longer. DME is served by many airline. LH, OS, JL, TG, SQ, EY, EK.
ReplyDeleteWe're getting tired of Sheremetyevo.
Delete@13:09 please explain what is DME better for compared to SVO? In my opinion SVO is the best in Russia by far.
DeleteYou need to have an option for inhabitants both of South and Northern parts of Moscow.
DeleteNordwind A321 SVO-BEG 144 pax
ReplyDeleteWhy did they send the A321 when the B737-800 could serve that capacity. Was there more passengers on the return flight?
DeleteThey will be sending the A321 next Tuesday too.
DeleteSorry my mistake. Its the 737 after all.
DeleteFrom what I was told it arrived with 144 and returned with 111 passengers. No idea why they sent the A321, maybe for operational reasons? Personally I am surprised they managed to sell 144 seats. At first I thought they weren't going to make it next to JU-SU duopoly.
DeleteI wonder if Ural gave up on their plans to fly to BEG.
ReplyDeleteThe article here stated that they applied for approval from Russian Aviation Agency, which they received but that it does not mean that they will necessarily launch the flights. Russian airlines apply for all sorts of routes and then decide what and when they will start.
DeleteDoes Air Serbia's hybrid fares/model apply to SVO route or is it like their New York route?
ReplyDeleteSo 3 Russian airlines flying to Belgrade. All from Moscow!
ReplyDeleteIs there any indication when JU will be able to resume LED and KRR?
ReplyDeleteI noticed that Aeroflot plans to increase frequencies to BEG in June so maybe this is when the Russian government plans to end the caps.
DeleteI hope they manage but I'm not sure they will be able to repel SU and JU.
ReplyDeleteGreat news for BEG, bad news for JU.
ReplyDeleteWhat about SU? Or is everything bad news for JU these days?
DeleteLOL dude, SU is 20 times larger airline than JU!
DeleteSo what? Just because they are larger they are immune to competition? That's an odd statement.
DeleteWho said that? SU can respond to competition a whole lot better than JU can. It is a huge airline.
DeleteSU is the one offering great transfer options to the whole Asia. They will always fill their plane first.
DeleteBy that logic TK boosting BEG to 11 weekly from next month is cataclysmic news for SU which operates just three weekly flights to Belgrade, no?
DeleteJU profits at the moment from two things:
1. TK restrictions in Russia since most passengers moved to JU.
2. Massive influx of Russian tourists to Serbia.
p.s. JU is now carrying transfers to western Europe from Moscow so that helps as well.
How big is that massive influx of Russians, in terms of numbers?
DeleteWe will know when statistics for this month are published. However, looking at the February numbers I see that there were 2.808 Russian tourists which represents a drop of 26% compared to the year before.
DeleteThis is quite good since most other big markets recorded a much larger drop, Chinese by 89% for example.
S7 has generally higher fares than Ural, former Transaero, Rossiya and Pobeda on domestic routes. I suppose it will be the same for BEG flights. In my opinion, a decent low fare option would really boost tourism, such as INI-VKO by Pobeda and we would have all three airports covered. And for 2$, you can take a mini-van from VKO to Moscow.
ReplyDelete