NEWS FLASH
Air Serbia has today inaugurated flights between Kraljevo
and Thessaloniki, over a year late due to the coronavirus pandemic. The service
also marks the first scheduled flights from Kraljevo’s Morava Airport since
March 2020 when the Serbian carrier suspended operations to Vienna as a result
of Covid-19. Flights to the Austrian capital are yet to resume. The seasonal
service to Thessaloniki will run once per week, each Tuesday, with the ATR72
turboprop. “We are pleased that we have expanded our offer to a third airport in our country. We are particularly glad that we will make it easier for passengers from the West Serbia and Šumadija regions to travel to one of their favourite destinations in Greece during the holiday season”, Air Serbia's Head of Sales, Boško Rupić, said.
It is possible to book tickets till 24.08. Whether flights exist after this date or what???
ReplyDeleteIt's a seasonal route which lasts until then (the end of the school holidays). That was announced from day 1.
DeleteWell I really do not get to fly less than an 1,5 month. Since the tickets are much cheaper than from Belgrade, I was ready to go to KVO.
DeleteIt's not uncommon for seasonal flights intended to fly people to the coast (many flights like this present in Croatia). They showed some guy on TV who was flying on this flight and he said he came from Belgrade.
DeleteSo ATR will fly ferry from/to BEG or W? Also anybody knows what happened with KVO new runaway construction? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe plane is ferried from/to Belgrade.
DeleteIt's madness to ferry it, they should sell tickets for people connecting from AirSerbia flights. I bet there would be some enthusiasts who would want to fly just for fun.
DeleteFor once a week?
DeleteFor the billionth time, they can't because BEG doesn't have domestic gates. Ugh.
DeleteFor the first time, arrangements can be made for once a week domestic flights, no big deal.
DeleteNo they can't, you can't remodel the whole departure airport for a one weekly flight.
DeleteAirport staff can personally escort the 40 or so passengers through the airport to a bus gate, put the people on the plane without passing through customs. Easy peasy.
DeleteYeah that's not how it works especially since that would create a security breach. I am sure JU, the government and the airport have thought of this already. Plus what do you do when someone transfers from let's say CDG to KVO or INI? He has to enter Serbia in Belgrade.
DeleteThat's right. He enters Serbia in BEG, clears customs and passport control, because he is entering Serbia, and then proceeds to a designated waiting area for the flight to KVO. Where airport staff will escort these passengers to the bus gate. Again, no biggie for 1 or 2 flights a week.
DeleteWhy they don't fly BEG-SKG-KVO-SKG-BEG like Wizzair does from Skolje base to Dortmund I believe? It will save some money.
DeleteCan a 320 or 737 land in KVO and how many aircraft can it have at its apron?
ReplyDeleteRunway is to short for A320 and B737
DeleteWikipedia says the runway is 2,265 m long. This is more than enough for a A320 or 737. Or Wikipedia is wrong?
DeleteAccording to Flightradar24, the length of the runway is 2265m. Thus, more than sufficient for an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737. WizzAir could easily quickly open routes to Basel, Dortmund, Malmö, Memmingen and Vienna.
DeleteI've heard in the past that it was the weight rather than length limitation of the runway.
DeleteIt's not length, but weight that is the problem. The runway is designed for military aviation, which planes are lighter than civilian
DeleteGreat news!
ReplyDeleteIf Gov't really wanted to open up central Serbia, they could 'instruct' Air Serbia to enter into a code share on KVO-VIE route as a start. Air Serbia already shares with some competitors (co-opetition)
MUC is perhaps to far for ATR (~2 hours), but Lufthansa could potentially open it with CRJ900 or E190/195 (if runway allows)
my2cents
And what about flights to Switzerland and Germany? For example, Basel or Zurich would certainly also work well. There are many Serbs from the Kraljevo region who live there. I think Air Sepia should quickly expand the network from Kraljevo before WizzAir comes and snatches away all routes.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for it, just thinking what can be done immediately without much effort. ATR may not be best suited for some longer routes, while A319 is too 'heavy' for the runway, as I understand. People would even pay a premium to avoid drive/bus/taxi to BEG.
DeleteExpanding KVO with either Wizz or JU basing a plane there would hurt BEG as a hub airport. If Wizz were ever to open a base in KVO that would be great for the immediate region, and JU could only complain. But I don't see JU basing a plane there because it would go against there policy of BEG being their hub airport.
DeleteHowever JU could base an ATR and fly to only secondary airports from KVO, so as not to affect the BEG hub.
(They do fly to a few secondary airports from INI, but I don't think that effects BEG much).
VIE worked, SKG seems to have worked... Obviously KVO has some potential no matter what a certain self proclaimed expert from our region says. Great to see Kraljevo prove them all wrong.
ReplyDeleteThose routes are heavily subsidised similar to the ones in SKP. It will take some time to see some figures. However, SKG remains extremely seasonal as we see. KVO should consider Egypt in winter. Cheap destination, similar to Northern Greece where most middle class go.
DeleteJU won the concession for more than 1 flight a week, not clear why they didn't make more frequencies. Tuesday departures?? Seriously, it should be for weekend getaways.
ReplyDeleteJU can't spare ATR for the weekend, and for holiday makers it makes no difference when is the flight, as long as they get to their destination quickly. It would've been better if the flight was bi-weekly, as there would've been more combinations
DeleteAnyone know why they made a 360 degree turn right after take off? Was it for local cameras?
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this political statement from Mr Rupić and with fact that they will perform only 7 flights, I am getting feeling that Air Serbia is really joking with us
ReplyDeleteThese are flights for holidaymakers going to Thessaloniki. How many flights do you want since we are already in the middle of the summer season. These operate once per week, if there is enough demand I am sure they can add more departures after the last planned one for now.
DeleteBtw anyone know why there are two Wizz Air flights from TIA in BEG tomorrow? Are these bringing those Albanians who got vaccinated with Astra Zeneca some months ago?
How difficult could it be to create domestic routes.
ReplyDeleteA couple of 30- 50 seaters flying up to 3 daily flights to/from Belgrade from Nis and Kraljevo.
50 euro returnticket.
I know, right? Most bigger neighbouring countries have domestic flights and Serbia is the exception. No idea why. I guess it's a fleet issue. JU is running out of ATRs it seems causing delays, which in July are not good.
DeleteAgree with everyone on the domestic flights. If the ATR is flying between BEG/KVO or BEG/INI they may as well make it possible for passengers to fly instead of flying empty. It takes very little money and coordination to enable domestic arrivals/departures.
ReplyDeleteStill, Kraljevo is too close to Belgrade. but maybe there would be some transfering pax. On the other hand, flights to Niš and Užice do make sense.
ReplyDelete