Air Serbia’s latest wide-body fleet addition, the A330-200 registered YU-ARC, operated its first revenue service on behalf of the airline yesterday, between Belgrade and Zurich, with the eleven-year-old jet to be deployed on today’s flight between the Serbian capital and New York. The plane will perform select services to the Big Apple throughout December but has so far not been scheduled on the carrier's new flights to Tianjin for the foreseeable future. Changes remain possible. The aircraft boasts cabin interiors utilised by its previous operator South African Airways. The hard product, which differs from the airline's other A330-200, will be used until the jet goes for its scheduled twelve-year maintenance check in February 2023, after which product commonality should be achieved across its wide-body fleet. The airline said there was insufficient time to install its own seats into the cabins.
Commenting on the matter, the carrier said, “We are eagerly awaiting the moment when our new A330 will take flight. Having in mind the current needs of our network, it was very important for the new aircraft to start regular flights as soon as possible, and that is why it will be flying with the existing cabin and seat layout. Our plan is for “Pupin” [YU-ARC] to get a cabin which will be similar to the one in the current A330-200 “Tesla” [YU-ARB] in terms of quality. This will be done during the regular twelve-year airplane maintenance at the start of next year. We continue to renew our fleet in order to offer even more network flexibility and comfort for our passengers”.
In its South African Airways configuration, the aircraft features 268 seats, which is eighteen more than in Air Serbia's other A330. The latest fleet addition is in a two-class configuration and includes eighteen seats in business and the remaining 250 in economy. Premium travellers will enjoy a 2-2-2 cabin layout, with slightly angled seats when fully reclined, a shoe cupboard, touch-sensitive personal television screen, which can also be navigated via a remote control, seat massage function, a handle at the back of each seat for travellers to get up more easily, a power port and USB port, as well as 74-inch pitch. On the other hand, the economy cabin is in a standard 2-4-2 layout with personal TV screens, which are slightly wider than in Air Serbia’s other A330, adjustable headrest and a 31-32-inch pitch.
Business class
Economy class
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It actually looks good.
ReplyDeleteThe interior needs to be standardized with YU-ARA
DeleteARA is no longer with us :D but I agree it should be the same on both A330s.
DeleteI'm surprised ARC is not scheduled on any TSN flights.
ReplyDeleteAny particular reason they are only sending YU-ARB?
DeleteCause YU-ARC is flying to New York and Moscow.
DeleteCargo is a big part of the reason. Pupin, unlike Tesča, has crew rest compartment area (beds) in the cargo section. JU was not allowed to take it out by the owner. That being said, Pupin has one major cargo section less than Tesla.
DeleteHaving in mind currentn pax restrictions, cargo is a big part of JUs efforts to make this route profitable. Therefore, it is important to continuously send the plane with the higher cargo capacity
Tesča?
DeleteI noticed the flight to TSN took the southern route, avoiding Russian airspace? Anyone knows, why they don't fly over Russia?
DeleteBecause flight was operated by YU-ARB. The insurer of the plane does not allow for it to fly in Russian airspace.
DeleteAny other Airline would of refurbished the interior first, then start using the Aircraft! It looks Ok though!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I truly wonder if we all live on the same planet. THY, LH, Virgin Atlantic, not a single one of them did it, and their pockets are by far deeper than JU's.
DeleteProbably because they have 100s of planes in their fleet. Air Serbia has a single other wide body.
DeleteAll those airlines usually operate their first flight with a new plane on a shorter route.
Delete@Anon 9.15 absolutely not true.
DeleteTake Lufthansa for instance. They are currently operating their new B787 on flights only between Munich and Frankfurt for several months before they start using it on other flights. Reason: crew training.
What part of it is not true?
DeleteLH operates four ex PAL A350 the only thing changed are seat cushions amd some minor colour corrections., Turkish've got A350 in Aeroflot configuration, AnadoluJet A32XNEO in S7 config. Virgin Atlanric opetated a fleet of A330s in Air Berlins's config after their bankrupcy. This is not uncommon at all, especially with a clear time frame of the resolution.
Bravo Air Serbia 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDeleteThey put the plane in service and it has to go to wide scale maintenance in just 3 months? Odd.
ReplyDeleteThey weren't planning to add extra A330 now, it was cheap at the market, so everything went 'by itself' but hopefully everything be OK before spring expansion
DeleteAnonymous 09:09 it was cheap exactly because it needs a D-check.
DeleteWhich costs millions.
The check is going to be paid by lessor. But biggers issue is lack of maintenance staff here in Belgrade. They are overstretched. Company needs to pay them or they(company) will be out of mechanics.
DeleteA330 D check is not doable at BEG.
DeleteAnonymous13:08,
DeleteYou got that right. Company was ignoring the constant departure of qualified mechanics, and now they are going to be on trouble when it comes to the staffing issues. Pay them and treat them properly and you'll retain your staff. It's simple.
Great. Not sure why JU deployed this aircraft yesterday to Zurich since it seems that cabin is pretty empty. Only author is the passenger in the business
ReplyDeleteProbably familiarisation for crew, ground staff?
DeleteThere were 86 passengers in total. It was for crew to get extra training.
DeleteNot sure what do you mean by extra training since JU has A330 in the fleet since 2016. Better thing would some promotional flight for best student, children, fans...
DeleteJU has just recruited many of their current cabin crew onto the A330. Actually their entire crew is being trained for the A330. So that's why there is extra training.
DeleteI believe these photos are taken at the airport on a stand, not on a flight to Zurich.
DeleteSome of pax are sleeping. It can hardly be at the tarmac, rather in mid-air to ZRH.
DeleteThe photos were taken on the flight from Belgrade to Zurich.
DeleteThanks for the photos. Reminds me a lot of Etihad color scheme.
ReplyDeleteYes very simmilar although these are South African Airways colours.
DeleteWhen will the third aircraft arrive? Summer 2023?
ReplyDeleteWhen China reopens and more new routes are added.
DeleteLet's first get all the new short haul destinations they are adding for next year :D
DeleteHuge legroom in business. Pity only that the seats are not lie flat.
ReplyDeleteThe pitch in business is actually better than in ARB I believe.
DeleteMore than sufficient for a couple of months.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWhen they do the maintenance will the seats be exactly like in YU-ARB or will they make some updates?
ReplyDeleteTrue but I doubt they will do that in February. I think it's more part of their long term plans.
DeleteI hope that does not happen since under that plan they want to cram in more seats in economy.
DeleteThat would be awful !
DeleteLepo piše ako ste pismeni: cabin which will be similar to the one in the current A330 in terms of quality.
DeleteLooks good. And I don't think they should spend all that money so that the interior matches the other A330.
ReplyDeleteThey should keep these seats.
ReplyDeleteVery photo-detailed trip report. The cabin looks pretty interesting, maybe it would be interesting to leave like this, to make difference between ARB and ARC. Was there service in business class, or just no photos?
ReplyDeleteThe flight ZRH-BEG was with 155 pax
ReplyDeleteI don't now what do you like here in this interior... It looks like it's pretty old...
ReplyDeleteTomorrow evening, Moscow, return flight 18-250 passengers, full.
ReplyDeleteBravo!!! Congratulations Air Serbia!
DeleteIf anyone knows the answer, are there any limits for this plane for flight to Moscow, as other A330 has lessor (insurance?) limitations for flights to Russia....can this one be deployed as often as Air Serbia needs or not? Many thanks
DeleteIt seams they've really got ARC for peanuts so leasor did not bother Russia insurance issue. No wonder it has D check soon.
DeleteThose seats in business class look horrible. I pray I have ARB when I fly from JFK next month.
ReplyDeleteDoes it really make a difference for 8hrs flight?
DeleteIf i pay business class fare then yes, it does matter.
DeleteThe only thing that matter is onboard service and seat comfort, whether the cussions are in proper condition. The only downside is no all-aisle access. People will survive till FEB23
DeleteI hope it has wifi.
ReplyDeleteI hope the next one will have proper livery. It would be good. Or a woman.
ReplyDeleteI just boarded first flight from NY. Seats are dirty (24k had huge dark spot) and there is no USB charger, huge minus. While waiting to find out how late is boarding from scheduled time, found out this flight is 43% of time more than 2 hours late.
ReplyDeleteJU501 is not late 2+hours 43% of the time on arrivals in Belgrade. Luckilly there are plenty of flight trackers to prove you are lying.
DeleteAirportinfo.live
DeleteWhat is the average delay of flight JU501?
The average delay of flight JU501 is 52 minutes and the on-time rate is 29%.
For example in the past 2 months only 3 times 2+h delay. So 43% of a time is a lie.
DeleteOnly 8% of the time based on the last 50 flights and that includes weather delays. Some people are getting desperate trying to hurt Air Serbia.
DeleteAll scheduled flights missed for more than 15 minutes are considered late...
DeleteLate add on on subject - my daughter is about 14 hours late right now, instead of 7 something PM she is boarding now, for flight leaving around 11AM. It’s December 24th today, for guys who want to check.
DeleteI'm so glad this aircraft has found a happy home. I once flew it from Johannesburg , and went to go park this very aeroplane in the desert at Pinal in Arizona during Covid. With the world as it was then, we didn't think she would fly again, and would be chopped up and recycled into soda cans :(
ReplyDeleteGlad we were wrong :)