Air Serbia is preparing to incorporate dry-leased Embraer E195 jets into its fleet, which will mark the first time the carrier has operated the Brazilian-manufactured aircraft itself. The planes are due to enter commercial service in July. One of them, currently registered OY-GDA, was previously operated on the airline’s behalf by Marathon Airlines until the agreement between the two was cut short by an accident at Belgrade Airport involving another aircraft. The E-jet has since been returned to its owner. The other, OY-GDB, is currently stationed in Poland. Both units are owned by a Danish company. Presently, OY-GDA is based in Belgrade.
The two E195s will be complemented by two wet-leased Bulgaria Air E190 jets. One is already operating on Air Serbia’s behalf, while the other is due to enter service for the Serbian carrier on June 10, although changes remain possible. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the two wet-leases will run for the summer, with the carrier considering adding a third dry-leased E195 from the winter season. The two incoming E195s have been tentatively scheduled to enter service on July 1. They are set to debut on Air Serbia’s morning wave of departures, to Frankfurt and Milan, and continue by operating services to Naples and Bucharest in the afternoon, and once again to Frankfurt and Milan in the evening. Besides these, they have currently been scheduled to operate flights to Amsterdam, Athens, Sarajevo, Skopje, Thessaloniki, Rome, Podgorica, Tivat and Zurich throughout July.
Commenting on the incoming E195s, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said last month, “We set the target [for the introduction of the Embraer in the fleet] at three months with one month buffer which brings us to the beginning of July. At the moment, it is going according to plan. We have already hired several pilots. We are also working on the introduction of the aircraft into our internal systems, starting from maintenance to flights ops and others. At the moment, we believe that if everything goes according to plan, we will have them in the fleet flying commercial flights by the beginning of July”.
Comments
Congratulations air serbia for making best out of really bad situation
10 ERJs would be perfect on a long run!
GDA arrived actually to BEG shortly before accident with Marathon happened.
With 80$ a barrel it is imperative for airlines to reduce their fuel consumpion.
36% less fuel burn for the same capacity pays for the price difference between them and then some.
Does anyone know why?
1 ATR72-600
2 E195s (in July)
1 wet-leased E190 (in June)
2 A330-200s (late July-August, October)
JU have 3 dry lease A320's, 5 wet lease A320's and 10 dry lease A319's.
If you have just 70 passengers that used to fly on a route operated by Q400 but are now flying on A220, you are not making fuel consumption savings per occupied seat.