Air Serbia believes it will see further improvement on its way to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic next year but warned that plans could change at short notice due to the ongoing consequences the virus is having on the aviation and travel industries. The carrier’s CEO, Duncan Naysmith, noted, “At Air Serbia, we place more trust in plans, strategies and well-convinced steps on the path to achieving a goal. The year behind us was very specific - the consequences of the pandemic can still be felt globally, travel restrictions are still around, and it remains more difficult to make plans, with the possibility that everything could easily change in an instant. However, we can say that, for us, this year was better than the last one. In the first three quarters of 2021 alone, we carried 40% more passengers than we did during the whole of 2020. We worked hard, adapting quickly to the shifting situation, and kept pace with passenger needs”. He added, “This ensured that progress was not lacking and that we achieved better results than the industry average in almost all segments”.
Commenting on the coming year, Mr Naysmith said, “We have laid strong foundations to support the belief that 2022 will be even better. We are continuing to adapt our network, digitalise our operations and improve the user experience”. Air Serbia is tipped to start off 2022 with a slew of new routes, which will be subsidised by the state. The airline is widely expected to apply and be selected as the operating carrier on ten routes deemed to be of public interest, six of which are required to be launched as early as next month. These include services from Niš to Belgrade, Hahn, Cologne, Ljubljana and Istanbul, as well as from Kraljevo to Turkey’s largest city.
Air Serbia has said its objective is to fully return to 2019 passenger levels, after which it will pursue the multilateral development strategy that was planned before the pandemic, complementing it with elements of its crisis management that has proved successful over the past twenty months. The carrier is considering a greater presence in Central Europe, regional development with potential new routes in Romania and Bulgaria, as well as a return to the Ukrainian and Polish markets. “We want to position ourselves as the leading regional airline in this part of Europe and we believe that so far, we have been successful in this respect. We would like to continue doing so in the future”, the company said.
Wonder if we will see any new routes other than the PSO ones.
ReplyDeleteFrom last paragraph we can see they have plans to grow and add more routes. Hopefully we see some of these cities added next summer.
DeleteBut they say no until they return to precovid levels. That could take years.
DeleteIt will be sooner rather than later.
DeleteFirst they should bring back routes they suspended because of Covid.
DeleteAgree with last anon. Quite a few routes to return - Madrid, Cairo, Nice, Venice...
DeleteWhat about Helsinki, m
Delete^ it is terminated for good. They said that last year.
DeleteMAD, CAI and NCE is said to be returning next summer. I assume VCE would also return. They are stepping up flights to Italy and recently signed a codeshare with ITA.
Delete@09,33
They've opened new routes during the pandemic. OSL, GVA, ROV.
It's nice they had above avarage year but at the end of the day, it is finances that count and they made no mention of them.
ReplyDeleteLoss has also been reduced probably.
DeleteDefinitely
DeleteGood news but first I think they have to address the regional fleet
ReplyDeleteYes notice how regional flights are constantly moved around and delayed. Disaster.
DeleteYeah they are addressing it alright... Since 2013! LoL
DeleteGood luck JU
ReplyDeleteSo no new long haul routes?
ReplyDeleteIn the middle of Covid? Highly doubt it.
DeleteIt's been over five years they've been flying to New York. Time to add a second destination.
DeleteAnd how many years have they had a profit on the route?
DeleteWe want ORD!
Deleteoperating a single long haul route for 5+ years is a failure in my opinion. If in 5 years you were unable to add a single additional long haul route, then you have failed.
DeleteI actually appreciate the cautious approach JU management has had towards long haul expansion.
DeleteChina might be launched once restrictions there are eased, which is expected in mid 2022.
DeleteEverything is possible (last minute though) as elections in Serbia are approaching...bear in mind who's airline it is!
DeleteI do agree with you, but China isn't gonna open up just so Serbian government could have a favorable election campaign.
Delete@Anon at 10:28
DeleteAir Serbia is majority owned by the government of Serbia. That means anyone in power owns that airline. From that viewpoint elections are irrelevant. Air Serbia will continue to be a flag carrier when change in power occurs.
Hey Duncan, cut the crap. Your fleet is literally falling apart right now. Regional flights are constantly moved around (OTP yesterday, VIE today,TIA today, Rome is moved to 20.30...).
ReplyDeleteIn any normal business you would be fired for such miscalculation and for signing off on not renewing leases for the planes that left the fleet.
Why are comments like this allowed on exyu?
DeleteI don't think that decision is up to him.
DeleteI'm sure if he's hands were not tied he would bring in a fleet of neos and e-jets or ATR600s.. And 2-3 A330s..
Hey Anon 09:08 cut the cxxp and help finance those planes if you really think they need them right away.
DeleteThey are being changed as leases run out, but they are changed for ones that are cheaper to operate and lease.
They can't just give a plane back mid contract and say we don't want it anymore.
And with the current situation YU can't realistically maintain a bigger fleet then it has. Yes they had to wetlease during pick summer months, and now they can't even utilize full fleet capacity.
@09,08
DeleteFlights being moved around is an everyday occurrence in aviation. It is in fact mentioned in the terms and conditions when you purchase the ticket that the airline can change the time of departure. Here is an example from LH, Article 9:
https://www.lufthansa.com/gb/en/business-terms-and-conditions-1#9
This isn't a JU specific thing.
You also had last month AA which had to cancel hundreds of flights as they didn't have enough staff to operate them. For AA this is totally fine I assume? You also had Jat cancel hundreds of flights every season as they didn't have enough airworthy aircraft to operate the schedules which often meant linking destinations ie BEG-AMS-BRU-BEG. Departure pushed back an hour or 2 isn't a big deal.
It was widely mentioned, as well as televised in a multi part series, the scandals of the lease prices JU paid for its aircraft through EY. YU-ARB replaced YU-ARA for example as it was almost half price, roughly USD$3 million savings per year or a third of losses made by JU in 2019. ARA wasn't the only aircraft. The aircraft leaving the fleet are from this EY deal. Resigning the lease on these aircraft under the same conditions would be scandalous. Obviously the lease rate was not up for negotiation which is why they are leaving the fleet.
i like JU's approach
ReplyDeleteHow so?
DeleteSeeing as there is mention of Romania, a couple of years ago they were considering flights to Oradea
ReplyDeletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/p/oradea-eyes-air-serbia-flights.html
I'm wondering what cities in Romania could be launched.
DeleteConstanta? Cluj?
Is Timisoara a possibility? Or too close?
DeleteI think it's too close.
DeleteTimisoara is really close, roughly 3 hours by car.
DeleteJatovanje
ReplyDeleteAnything but "jatovanje". Pretty much everything they say, they end up doing in the end. In my opinion, the only ex-YU flag carrier with some kind of forward thinking perspective and proactivity.
DeleteHow will the new domestic flight work?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean?
DeleteHow will it be organised st BEG considering it's a domestic flight?
DeleteThey will have a gate on the ground floor with direct access from check in apparently.
DeleteAnd what would be the problem to use all of the existing facilities ? just at passport control show identity card instead of passport and that's it.
Deletethink of the need to distingluish between connecting and p2p pax. Who will checl documents of someone connecting from INI to JFK for example? In ssuch case that passenger neeeds to leave the airside, claim the luggage, check it onto the JFK flight and here we go again. Thats not how things will be done...
DeleteThat is exactly how the things will be done.
DeleteI'm looking forward to seeing what Air Serbia has in store for us next year. I hope there are some surprises coming :)
ReplyDeleteIt will depends a lot on the Covid situation.
Delete*depend
DeleteHope for more growth in 2022
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that matters is profitability.
ReplyDeleteFind me an airline that is going to be profitable this year.
DeleteSometimes seizing an opportunity to ensure long term profitability for short term loss is more important.
DeleteHopefully things will get better in terms of frequencies. In terms of destinations, they have really good coverage.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know their average load factor?
ReplyDelete66%
DeleteOverall this year has turned out relatively well for JU. They managed above average passenger numbers, introduced some new routes, returned old dinosaurs from the fleet, repaid the Etihad Partners loan in full... looking forward to 2022.
ReplyDeleteI said it before and I'm going to say it again. It's time they think about joining an alliance.
ReplyDeleteAn alliance would be very beneficial for them.
DeleteAnd expensive with a monthly memberdhip fee.
DeleteAnon @9:38, when did you say that?
DeleteIn Bulgaria only Varna might work this time around. Maybe Burgas.
ReplyDeleteI would say Plovdiv as well, as it is quitely being invaded by both vultures FR and W6.
DeleteNot to mention that Ruse will soon most likely be served by Gullivair:
https://bnr.bg/en/post/101563585/ruse-airport-to-start-serving-civil-flights-at-the-end-of-february-next-year
Didn't they try Varna several years ago and they never returned?
Delete@Sam
DeleteVAR was terminated after the summer 2016 season when it operated 4 pw.
@14,39
Ruse would be a waste for JU since OTP is less than 2 hours drive from the city. There was an interesting piece on Ruse Airport on BNT recently btw.
Plovdiv would be interesting, but I think a return to VAR would be better.
Good joob, many airlines are in worst position than Air Serbia. Somebody is doing something right.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, but his comments to me are absolutely deprived of any essence. They could very well apply to any airline and any circumstances. What kind of communication is this?
ReplyDelete"we place more trust in plans, strategies and well-convinced steps on the path to achieving a goal. The year behind us was very specific - the consequences of the pandemic can still be felt globally, travel restrictions are still around, and it remains more difficult to make plans, with the possibility that everything could easily change in an instant. However, we can say that, for us, this year was better than the last one. In the first three quarters of 2021 alone, we carried [...] more passengers than we did during the whole of 2020. We worked hard, adapting quickly to the shifting situation, and kept pace with passenger needs"
"We have laid strong foundations to support the belief that 2022 will be even better. We are continuing to adapt our network, digitalise our operations and improve the user experience"
Cannot he say something more concrete like a) we are thinking/not thinking about fleet renewal, which, if finally decide to go this path, as we see it now, would evolve around X/Y type of planes and we need up to Z amount of planes of this type, we are talking/are not talking with lessors about it, b) we want to stay with one long-haul route/we are thinking about adding one more long-haul route and the ultimate decision, apart from covid situation, depends on getting another plane on good terms/getting appropriate slots/changing a relevant bilateral/we want to see first what will be the effect of opening of the Schengen - US market and increased competition from Schengen based airlines on profitability of our existing long haul route etc.
It's hard to plan anything in current circumstances m
DeleteSo you think there are no plans being made and he is just inconcrete because of that?
DeleteThat would be a surprise to me, because every normal business is planning for the future, also short term. They may need to be flexible to adjust the plans and plans may have radically different scenarios, but you need planning. And if you decide to communicate with the market (and you do not have to communicate), this is because you want to pass some info.
How many routes does Air Serbia currently have?
ReplyDeleteI think it is 40 now
DeleteNot bad at all. Thanks
DeleteI am wondering why didn’t JU expand their network in other cities such as Tuzla, Mostar or Cluj-Napoca in order to attract more transit passengers via BEG.
ReplyDeleteWhat have they got to gain from Tuzla which is a Wizz base?
DeleteSame with Cluj.
DeleteBut Tbilisi, Baku and Yerevan could work in my opinion.
DeleteLisbon too
DeleteIn my opinion, Cluj has a fairly large network of flights and there will be few transfer passengers.
DeleteTuzla may be.
Mostar will be successful!
So, will they get any new planes
ReplyDeleteAny chance they will bring back Madrid?
ReplyDeleteNext summer
DeleteThey still haven't scheduled any flights.
DeleteBut interestingly Geneva is coming back next summer. Tickets are on sale.
DeleteWithout going into detail, lets just say that I monitor multiple global sectors and one of them is airline(s), cruisers, leisure, hotels (you can merge them or call them sub-sectors). If we focus on airlines, picture is not rosy at all. Airlines sector is usually very volatile during normal times. Covid-derived volatility influences multiple actions behind the scene, from panic selling of its stocks, to increase in required interest rate on loans, etc. Major 3 US airlines are very volatile, mgmt. is trying to be 1 step ahead with pre-planning but it can not as virus counters that with new unpredictability. That is clearly reflected in price volatility. So I think this will last, sadly for some time. Airlines will simply be very cautious as not to expand too much and at the same time not lose markets, so it will be a balancing act not seen before. Major, strategic decisions will be put on a hold, even bolder management will be under pressure from shareholders (read major US mutual funds, Private Equity they own everything:) to watch out and not play with stock price. So there is much more into play. I think this will sadly last more and overall travel/leisure sector will be changed significantly maybe similar to deregulation that shook the US airtravel in the late 70s. One of the worst periods since the start of air travel........
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said, but in the US we also witnessed a birth of some new airlines like Breeze and Avelo. JetBlue launched flights to London and is planning to add more flights later on, possibly CDG and AMS. The US is lucky as the domestic demand is still relatively strong. However, the crew shortage, unruly passengers, last minute cancellations and rerouting make flying anything but enjoyable.
Deletewhen will they change their livery?
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would they do that?
DeleteBecause it is the same since its foundation in 2013?
DeleteIt would be nice to refresh the livery but they have so many other priorities right now that need to be addressed first.
DeleteWhen Belgrade-China?
ReplyDeleteNo demand, dear.
DeleteImam utisak da imaju plan za sledeću godinu ali ga ne otkrivaju da konkurencija ne bi imala dovoljno vremena da odreaguje.
ReplyDeleteWaiting to fully return to 2019 passenger levels to pursue development strategy. That will be 2024 at the earliest.
ReplyDeleteKLM, Luxair and others that initiated service to Belgrade during pandemic didn't wait for 2019 levels, same for Wizzair and others that expanded service. Air Serbia in 2016 didn't wait for 2019 passenger levels to start JFK.
All is well at AS as long as the taxpayers are subsidizing every failure, bad decision, and bad hire.
ReplyDeleteCopy/paste every time.
DeleteI like the way someone from NY is worried about tax payers in Serbia.
DeleteWe don't know if NY stands for New York. Could it be Novi Yelkovec/Jelkovec?
DeleteJust searching, Ryanair flights at the end of January, Zagreb-Thessaloniki, return ticket 65 euro, Air Serbia Belgrade-Thessaloniki return ticket 159 euro. Difference only in junior water and junior chips, included seats and cabin size luggage. And yes, a lot of tax payers money in subventions. No more please
ReplyDeleteI don't know how any airline can survive offering this route for 65 EUR. You realize that's not enough to cover even fuel expenses. It's simply not sustainable and sooner or later they will have to increase their price.
DeleteDuncan Naysmith,... what a joke. The guy is the last CFO of the defunct Alitalia and relict of the defunct Etihad Partners. Is it real that Air Serbia is not capable of getting some decent CEO that understands the airline business. Even Jirzi Marek could do the job better.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that Marek has any better cv than Naysmith ... Malev, LOT and Alitalia - all went into bankrupcy/administration .... so no thanks. Let's get some fresh blood altogether.
Delete@15.33 - I wouldn't worry so much about Naysmith, given that he is soon to leave and head back to the Middle East. So your wish about Marek becoming the new CEO may well come true.
Deleteanon 19:43
DeleteMarek never worked for any of those companies. At that time he worked as some junior consultant for a consultancy firm that among plentitude of other consulting firms worked for those companies. So stop selling this as if he had any role there and influenced anything.
anon@22.53 - As Marek's PR Mgr, you get a massive fail. Have you heard of Linkedin ? Obviously not. So check this out https://rs.linkedin.com/in/jimarek which makes no attempt to hide anything. The only thing missing from the list was CSA Czech Airlines - which by the way, was another bankrupcy to his list of airline failures - making it 4 in a row prior to JU. Not a good track record by any measure
DeleteThat's SOOOOO funny ... I love it when people have so much bravado and go all out to negate a point only to end up with egg on their faces ... what a dope ! Why write something like that without first checking the facts ? Instead of defending him, you make him look even worse ... hahahaha ... what a classic !
DeleteWasn't JU supposed to get some newer ATRs from New Zealand just before the pandemic? Also, I have noticed that the manufacturer of ATRs also offers ATR42. Would that be something that could work for JU on some Balkan routes like BNX, PUY, SJJ, INI, SOF, BUD, etc.?
ReplyDelete@Sam
DeleteWhats the point of the ATR42? SJJ is often short on cargo capacity on the ATR72, ATR42 would make that worse. This isn't the only route. ATR42 would be a waste of money for JU.
I almost never see the subject of cargo being brought up. During the upcoming years, there will be more hunger and demand for freight. They need a cargo plane!!
ReplyDelete