Air Serbia China flights in advanced planning stages


Air Serbia’s plans to introduce new services to China are already in their advanced planning stages, with the company finalising its business case for the new long haul service to the Far East. According to the “TangoSix” portal, apart from seeking discounts for handling and landing fees at China’s airports, the state is also negotiating reduced overflight costs for Air Serbia with Russia and China. Last week, the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, said the airline would lease a second Airbus A330 aircraft and introduce services to either Beijing or Shanghai if talks over reduced fees and taxes are successful. Expansion into China would also trigger the introduction of an additional two weekly flights to New York and a potential new service in North America.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic and strict entry rules into China, traffic between the two countries is continuing to recover on the back of strong business ties between the two. Due to a lack of flights, Chinese carriers have been chartered in recent months to transport Chinese construction workers to the Serbian capital, with services from Shanghai, Xian and Beijing taking place just over the past few weeks. On the other hand, Iran’s Mahan Air, which currently maintains a biweekly service between Tehran and Belgrade is presently catering purely for transferring Chinese passengers, which was confirmed by the Iranian Ambassador in Serbia last week. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Aeroflot was the main transfer airline of choice between Serbia and China, followed by Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.

China has emerged as one of the top unserved markets to and from Belgrade since visa restrictions between the two countries were mutually lifted in 2017, with travel reaching a record high in 2019, prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the traffic flow between China and Serbia over the past few years has originated from Shanghai, followed by Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Chengdu. Flights between China and Belgrade were first introduced in August 1972 by Air China’s predecessor CAAC from Beijing via Karachi with the Boeing 707 jet. Over the years, the stop shifted from the Pakistani city to the likes of Urumchi and Tehran. In 1985 the equipment on the route was changed to an Ilyushin Il-62 and in 1989 to the Boeing 767. On the other hand, JAT Yugoslav Airlines operated its first service to Beijing via Karachi in late 1971 under the Air Yugoslavia charter brand with its Boeing 707, while scheduled flights were introduced in 1979.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:03

    Well YU-ARA is sitting in Abu Dhabi painted in Air Serbia colors...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:26

      Looks like it's destined to come back to JU.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:34

      It's not coming back, it has different engines from ARB.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:41

      Does it matter much if it has different engines?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:03

      More spare parts required.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:05

      OMG

      Looks so much better than the current tail.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:03

    Time for Air Serbia to launch Shanghai.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:06

      What about triangle flights? BEG-PVG-PEK-BEG?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:14

      That would be suicide because it would make them uncompetitive. Age of triangle flights is long gone.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:27

      Age of triangle flights is not gone. Turkish Airlines operates a lot of triangles on their long haul network...

      Delete
    4. JATBEGMEL13:25

      @11,27

      Airlines don't typically do this unless they have to, or they are launching a route to a secondary destination.

      As you mentioned TK, one example is their IST-MEX-CUN-IST rotation. They operate like this because of limitations at MEX, the high elevation of the airport restricts aircraft performance, making it impossible for them to operate direct back to IST.

      Delete
    5. LH operates FRA-RUH-BAH-RUH-FRA.

      Delete
    6. JATBEGMEL16:59

      @sloavio

      FRA-BAH doesn't have enough O&D demand, while linking it with RUH allows crew to layover in BAH instead of RUH, with Bahrain being alot more liberal.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:03

    So JFK would go daily?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:06

      Why would it go daily? They could fly it 5 times weekly if they wanted now, but they only fly 2 times per week. It's not an issue with having 1 plane only. It's about lack of demand for a daily service.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:09

      They operate it 5 weekly in summer, so going up to daily makes sense. Obviously in winter there is not sufficient demand for so many frequnecies.

      Delete
    3. JATBEGMEL11:28

      @10,06

      It's 2 pw for roughly 3 months a year.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:04

    There would definitely be more O&D traffic if they started Shanghai.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:09

      Shanghai has potential. Once corona is over it can be used by business people, expats and tourists. I'm also sure there would cargo traffic on this route.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:12

      Shanghai not only offers excellent transfer opportunities to other important Chinese domestic destinations, it also serves as a hub for people travelling to Japan, South Korea, other countries in Southeast Asia, and to Australia or New Zealand.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:04

    Wow very interesting about Mahan Air. Who would have thought it would be used by Chinese.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:07

      Same. Would never have thought that. Very interesting. On one other site the author was saying how these flights operated once every two weeks are for refugees escaping into Europe.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:14

      And you are really taking him seriously?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:16

      No one takes him seriously. Best to ignore him.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous02:00

      Just by accident stumbled on this on Twitter today. Seems like Chinese are indeed using Mahan.

      https://twitter.com/LazarLiu8996/status/1491712734399979522?s=20&t=0dXia27imdBPGYcQMIHfAw

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:07

    Good for Mahan Air! I remember they resumed flights before covid to carry Chinese passengers. Iranians are smart for picking up on this. Hopefully these flights increase once China opens up.

    Even if JU launches China, the country is so vast with many different points of sale that they will rather create new demand than steal existing one.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:09

    There is also lot of people traveling to Hong Kong and then transferring to mainland China. Many of the travelers to Shenzhen & Guangzhou were using this route because you can transfer directly from HK airport by car, train or ferry.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous09:10

    I would prefer JU focus on USA/Canada and leave China to one of their Interline partners.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Yes but without China JU would never have the courage to get a second A330. It's thanks to China that they will boost JFK operations.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:13

    JU will be heading to China very soon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:14

    Air Serbia has a huge potential here, because it also serves some of the other top unserved European routes from Shanghai, and little bit advertising in China, and there you go: Shangai-BEG-Shanghai could work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:18

      And which are the top unserved European routes from Shanghai?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:20

      It was written here before

      1. Dusseldorf
      2. Manchester
      3. Venice
      4. Athens
      5. Belgrade
      6. Hamburg
      7. Berlin

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:29

      Interesting. Well JU does serve Dusseldorf, Venice, Athens and Berlin.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:51

      I am shocked not to see ZAG on the list

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:54


      I think the majority of Chinese tourists don't come to Zagreb or Croatia by air but by bus from another European country.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:11

      statistics here are based on O&D only. It could be that Croatia isn't the final destination for Chinese tourists. They continue on to somewhere or come to Croatia from a third country.

      Delete
    7. If OU did what JU is doing now, those Chinese tourists wouldn't have to come from third country by bus. They could have used OU to come to Croatia, and than go by bus to another destination. But why would someone in Buzin think about it. They have much more important things to do, like inventing in other airlines non existent positions for the Army of HDZ Uhljebs

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:16

    They will have to have a very good sales network in China and marketing to make these work. Chinese prefer to use Chinese airlines . Also they would need to find a codeshare partner in China to offer flights beyond Shanghai and Beijing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:12

      Anon@9.16 - you have hit on THE most critical aspect of airline sales in China - and that is in having a sales and distribution network - especially with Chinese tour operators, who are the bulk of contributors to pax no.s on most longhaul outbound flights.

      Based on past and present comments, most people seem to think that getting an aircraft and flying it to China is all that you have to do in order to generate traffic. Nothing could be further from the truth and especially in China.

      Without first investing in people and infrastructure to build a sales and distribution network, this project will result in nothing other than significant losses.

      Fingers crossed that there are enough sensible airline heads within the decision making circles to understand this. Otherwise, if decisions get made to go forward in the absence of doing so, it will be obvious where and why the decision was made.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:14

      Air Serbia has a GSA in China for several years already.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:17

      Anon@11.14 .... all I can say to your comment is "HAHAHAHAHA" ! If you think that that is all that is needed, then you have no idea around how airline sales works in China.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:18

    I hope the second A330 will have the normal Air Serbia livery like on the photo. It looks great on the widebody.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:04

      Yes, I also agree ... the current A330 has lost its identity. I've no issues with the portrait of Tesla BUT, they should have incorporated it along the fuselage of the aircraft and left the tail livery intact ...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:57

      Yes, or painted it on a narrow-body.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:21

    Does Air China fly from Shanghai to European cities?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:23

      Before Covid, yes

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:24

      Yes they flew to Barcelona, Frankfurt, Milan, Munich and Paris.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous09:22

    I believe there is also a big opportunity for Chinese passengers to use JU's European network to reach their final destination via BEG.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous09:22

    Smart about them wanting to get discounts everywhere they can, overflight fees included

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:24

      It's good that SRB has good relations with Russia and China so there is an actual possibility they could get it.

      Delete
  16. Anonymous09:24

    Seems like there is a lot of political involvement in this route.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:25

      As is the case with most things having to do with China.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous09:25

    The demand is obviously for Shanghai.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous09:26

    I think this route to China could be more profitable than New York. You tick all the passenger categories - business, leisure (tourists), O&D for Chinese diaspora and workers, transfers plus lots of cargo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:48

      True. It works for business, Chinese locals living in Serbia, tourism and trade (cargo).

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:29

    WE WANT CHINA FLIGHTS!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous09:30

    Shanghai is much more logical route to BEG then PEK.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:31

      There would definitely be more O&D traffic.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:47

      Shanghai is also the business capital of China.

      Delete
  21. Anonymous09:30

    It would be fun to learn the new flight numbers... for example JU98 to Shanghai, JU88 to Beijing and move JFK to become JU50.

    Greetings from Slovenia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:35

      I don't think JFK flight number will change, it's the old JAT one.

      Delete
    2. AirSerbia could do the renumbering as their current network is way wider than the initial changes. They have a 7xx and 9xx range to tap into, but it is obvious that the company outgrew the initial numbering scheme. Good for them! :)

      Delete
    3. JATBEGMEL12:28

      Flight numbers JU50 and JU88 used to be used for DXB when JAT/Jat Airways relaunched the route.

      JAT's TATL flight numbers were in the JU500-JU599 range.

      JU506 BEG-ZAG-JFK-ORD,
      JU510 BEG-LJU-JFK-ORD,
      JU532 BEG-ZAG-YYZ.

      I think JU will keep long haul in this range as well. It would be great to see the afternoon JFK as JU502.

      Delete
    4. I would love to see JU502, no question about that.

      If they gave up on JAT for ASL, flight numbers come rather low in their priorities.
      With the addition of numerous new destinations, even numbering became severely inconsistent.I prefer consistency and long-term thinking, especially if I am about to board a plane.

      Rostov on Don is JU676, and Sochi is JU678. Palma took Malta’s 690… unusual.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous18:56

      Please ezplain your interest in flight numbers? Is it nostalgia, or some sort of romanticism?

      Delete
    6. I am just a number junkie, no traces of nostalgia and certainly no romanticism :) :) :)

      In the airline business the flight numbers can show what has been planned far in advance, and what was not. Hense my curiosity.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous09:41

    Aeroflot was winning big time with China transfers before Covid.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:47

      That's why they had three daily flights between SVO and BEG.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:49

      Time to change that :)

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:21

      Which is also reason why the Russians will not give any concessions on overflight fees. Why would they give JU and additional advantage over their own carrier ??

      Russians give nothing away and are nobody's friend when it comes to giving a competitor an advantage over one of their own companies

      Delete
    4. Like all others. With exception of Danke Deutschland HDZ airlines and its uhljebs who enjoy in being fu.ked by the "senior partner"

      Delete
  23. Anonymous09:46

    What would be the realistic frequency for these flights. Twice per week? Three weekly?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous09:53

    Go Serbia!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous09:53

    Flew yesterday JU651 from SVO to Beg YU-APL. L.F. around 60% while tickets are expensive as hell, paid mine around 420e (return with luggage).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:18

      Classical JU, they are looking to rip people off whenever they can. They are profiting from the market being extremely regulated so competition is limited. Meanwhile to FCO they reduced their prices to €40 one way thanks to Wizz Air.

      Delete
    2. Flights to Moscow have rarely been below 30.000 RSD from Belgrade. Same as London. I have never paid below 33000 RSD to LHR. However, I am rarely flexible with dates, so I never gave much thought.

      Delete
  26. Anonymous10:10

    Would the next A330 be registered YU-ARC?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was just wondering the same thing. I do hope they do, it sounds cool.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous10:11

    Come on Air Serbia, we can do it!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous10:20

    It would be nice if this route launched this year

    ReplyDelete
  29. Toronto and Chicago is on listing for so long time. Hope to be priority in future Air Serbia networks.
    Five intercontinental destinations is logical network for two Airbus A320 -200 in Air Serbia fleet.
    Renewed Belgrade Airport will be port to much more wide body aircraft's. Most of as will be surprise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:31

      Tačno tako.

      Delete
    2. Sorry, but 5 destinations are impossible to make with 2 planes, especially if JFK goes daily, as announced. 3 or maximum 4 is limit for 2 planes. But I do keep my fingers crossed for the third plane to join JU, and for 5 or even six long haul destinations, with 3 big planes. And I keep my fingers crossed JU will have more and more transfers to Croatia from those new long haul destinations. And I hope someone from OU or croatian gvt will feel at least a bit of shame while reading this.

      Delete
  30. Anonymous11:27

    If BUD restores all its previous Chinese connections, it will be bad news for JU. Let's not forget that BUD had at least 4 or 5 Chinese connections due to the real estate and general high demand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:22

      They should have started BUD long time ago.

      Delete
  31. Anonymous13:08

    Just as a reminder: JAT briefly maintained flights to China even in the late 1990s-2000 (before the fall of Milošević).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:33

      You remember correctly.

      Delete
  32. Anonymous13:15

    Can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:35

      Do you think you will actually use this flight?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:44

      Yes, in 2018 and 2019 I visited Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. For the first two I used Qatar Airways, while I flew to Shenzhen from Budapest and then visited Hong Kong via ferry since Shenzhen is right next to it. I had a great time and not needing a visa is quite unique to visit China. Those arriving visa free can just scan their passport on arrival at the airport and even the scan machine started speaking instructions in Serbian when it recognised the passports which was cute. I would love to visit again and explore some new cities.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:23

      Nice, thanks.

      Delete
    4. And even if visa is formally needed, there is exception, 2-7 days visa free "transfer" stay if arriving to one of the main airports. I used this opportunity back in 2018 to visit Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Macau and Taipei. Flew Air China from/to FRA, and Air China and China Airlines locally. Also lot of chinese people have shops in Croatia, ok, not that much as in Serbia, but still lot, I know at least dozen croatian people who went as tourists to China, plenty of tourists agencies offer trips to China, so the demand is on this side as well, not to mention over 100.000 of Chinese tourists visiting HR (in normal times). Chinese companies doing business in Croatia (shipping companies, construction...), so I expect JU to have significant feed from Croatia and wish them all possible luck with new long haul services

      Delete
    5. Demand seems to be there from Balkans and China.

      Thanks bro for sharing.

      Delete
  33. Anonymous16:48

    Come July 1st we will not see Air Serbia board their second A330 to China and Toronto. I will believe it when I see it take off.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous16:50

    Znači biće, JFK 7X, YYZ 3X i PEK 2X.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16:56

      What you mean Toronto? Where they say dat?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18:04

      Rekli su da će biti jedna linija za Kinu,druga za Severnu Ameriku. Znači YYZ ili ORD. Dajem prednost Torontu.

      Delete
    3. JATBEGMEL18:47

      YYZ is limited to 2 pw. Serbia on the other hand has an Open Skies Agreement with the US.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous19:14

      Da li je to zvaničan podatak da je YYZ limitiran na 2pw? Mislio sam da su to samo nagađanja.Ako je tako,možda se odluče pre za ORD jer sa 2 nedeljna leta teško da mogu biti konkurentni Lotu,Austriji ,Turkišu i Lufthanzi.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous21:00

      Mislim da je zvanično. Tako da Čikago možda izvodljiviji.

      Delete
    6. JATBEGMEL22:05

      It's official according to the bilaterals.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous02:26

      Thanks JBM.

      Delete
  35. Anonymous17:06

    ^ Bravo Air Serbia!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous23:37

    CAAC, B767-200, Belgrade Airport with Bu-Khi-Pek on display, I remember like it happened yesterday.
    Also, once('91-'92) I saw Garuda Indonesia B747-200 from Paris to Indonesia, dunno for what reason was in Belgrade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In addition to CAAC B767, Qantas was scheduled in BEG to BKK-MEL-SYD, weekly, for a period of time even twice weekly, with B747. Iraqi Airways flew twice weekly on B747 to BGW as well, and Alia Royal Jordanian weekly both to AMM and LHR. Plus JAT with 5 DC-10 's and up to 22 weekly departures. Of course some 5 years before the time you talk about

      Delete

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