Air Serbia is ramping up operations on flights where it now faces competition from easyJet. The low cost carrier last week announced it would introduce services between Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Belgrade, effectively ending the Serbian carrier’s five-year monopoly on the service. In a bid to stay competitive on the route, Air Serbia is adding two additional weekly flights, bringing the total to sixteen per week. Starting September 29, the airline will introduce a third daily service on Mondays and Fridays, coinciding with the days easyJet will operate its two weekly flights. All of Air Serbia’s Paris operations will be maintained with its A320-family aircraft.
Air Serbia resumed flights to Geneva on Monday, marking its return to the Swiss city after a four-year hiatus. The route was initially scheduled to operate three times per week, but the airline announced an increase to four weekly flights during the peak summer period, from July 6 to August 31, following a competitive response from easyJet. The flag carrier has now extended the four weekly frequencies through the end of the summer season. easyJet, which had originally planned to operate the route twice weekly, also raised its schedule to four weekly flights for the peak summer and has since extended this through the end of the season as well.
Air Serbia previously stated it reinstated services to Geneva after closely monitoring market developments and its competitors. This week, the airline’s CEO, Jiri Marek, noted that Air Serbia’s strategy is cantered on delivering sustainable value to passengers through quality service, reliability, and competitive pricing, in an effort to stand out against low-cost carriers. "Our goal is not to be the cheapest, but to be the best choice – one that offers a balance between price and quality. It is this combination that makes us a recognisable and desirable company in an increasingly competitive market", Mr Marek said, adding that he believes healthy competition benefits the development of the entire industry.
At this point this is a full scale war announced!
ReplyDeleteBring it on Easyjet😃
DeleteNo need to be so dramatic.
DeleteCompetition is exceptional and welcome - passengers will benefit and every operator needs to up their game. Welcome move, bring it on!
DeleteI would love for easyjet to launch more flights from BEG :D
ReplyDeleteWe all would. Except of course JU.
Deletesame my friend, same. Open Spain or Portugal (Madeira). I know already from my circle of people dozen who went there during this and last year.
DeleteWill dumping capacity really work?
ReplyDeleteWorked for them before.
DeleteI think CDG needed more capacity, it was an easy choice for U2. JU artificially kept capacity lower than it should be.
DeleteI think Easy could easily increase CDG. If they have slots.
DeleteIf their sales are good, they will expand CDG for sure.
DeleteHmm let's see if easyJet responds to this. In my opinion they should as 2 weekly is not enough.
ReplyDeleteeasyJet is once more growing in Berlin. Would be hilarious if they brought back BER-BEG.
To be honest JU felt really cozy after Covid thinking that no one can endanger them. Except for Wizz, which was also sleepy, nobody has really shown interest in BEG, many airliners withdrew.
DeleteNow it seems that easyJet has pushed them into a different mode and this probably won't end here. JU should proactively increase frequencies to some destinations where U2 is based and launch MAN before it's too late.
Indeed. I don't think JU should be surprised by U2 and CDG.
DeleteAir Serbia planned to increase CDG but then decided against it. This showed their competition that the market is there. Air Serbia failed to adequately serve it due to a crew or plane shortage. Airlines such as easyJet (and even Transavia) noticed this so they decided to react.
Truth be told, these JU CDG increases should have happened last May, not this coming September... end of September that is. A massive market such as CDG should be served at least 21 times per week.
Now all eyes are not only on easyJet but Wizz Air as well. With BEG-CDG getting more capacity fares will no doubt drop. This will make BVA much less appealing to all those heading to/from Paris.
I am still 50-50 convinced easyJet will make CDG work. I think 2 weekly is not enough to be competitive against JU's number of frequencies.
easyJet should fly at least 3pw CDG-BEG.
DeleteWhat about prices. Has JU reduced them on these two routes?
ReplyDeleteCDG-BEG one way under 70 euros on JU lol.
DeleteIn September new flights are selling €100 one way.
DeleteIn october they are below 70 euros
DeleteCompetition works.
DeleteHopefully enough people will support U2 on the route and thus keep the prices reasonable for good.
Smart move by Air Serbia to match easyJet’s schedule and protect its market share. Increasing frequency, especially on the exact days of LCC operations, shows they’re not backing down easily.
ReplyDeleteSome healthy competition on these routes.
ReplyDeleteFor starters, Air Serbia could remove wet lease equipment of the CDG route. That will be more beneficial in competing against easyjet than 2 more weekly flights.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteI've also noticed Paris often gets GetJet.
DeleteI flew on GetJet to LCA recently, absolutely horrible experience. Quite a downgrade compared to JU.
DeleteI know two people who are now flying with one stop connections to avoid the wet leases. I'm serious.
DeleteI was flying Bulgaria Air on JU flight and I must say that they do not have JU standards, but flying one stop connection only because of wet lease plane is utter nonsence.
DeleteAnd what happens if those people you know end up on BRA operating for OS, airBaltic operating for LX, Avion Express operating for EW, Smart Lynx operating for VF etc.?
DeleteDon't know. Didn't question their choice or say they were smart in doing that.
DeletePeople will chose JU's competition over them for various reasons, main ones being:
Delete1. lack of a frequent flyer program
2. lack of a corporate program
3. lack of an adequate number of frequencies reducing your flexibility
4. passengers simply get used to flying on a certain airline meaning they will check them first in the future. This is basically brand loyalty and doesn't only apply to airlines.
I switched to Lufthansa Group when flying intra-Europe as simply their 22.05 departure to BEG means I can leave anywhere from Europe after 18.00 giving me a full working day over there.. JU's split schedule is problematic in that sense because on many days they offer a flight at a different hour.
That is why their key destinations need to have at least 10 to 14 weekly flights.
Plus I don't think anyone would mind flying on a relatively brand new A220 operated by BT. I don't think you can compare them to GetJet or Bulgaria Air.
DeleteWith JU getting more E95s and A320s it shows that wetleases are not part of their future growth strategy.
Anon 09:22
DeleteairBaltic A220s are newer and nicer than most of Swiss's aircraft.
Air Serbia needs brand new aircraft! Now it is time tu purchase 20 A320neo aircraft and minimum 10 E195!!! Meanwhile they can operate the existing aircraft. The fleet will grow in the next 5 years with the destinations growth- so wet lease has to be history!
Delete^ no plans to order new aircraft before 2027
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/06/air-serbia-to-add-more-aircraft-looks.html
^ If they order new aircraft after 2027 JU will start receiving them after 4-5 year with the backlog of both Airbus and Boeing being so long and getting longer!
DeleteUnless they plan on ordering the Yakovlev MC-21 or the COMAC C919.
But politically both will be tricky choices.
Just my2cents
I guess they will order A220, if there is A220-500, because that would cover complete E190-A320 range for them with a single type.
Delete09:51 is comedian. 30 new planes o.O
DeleteI’ve flown easyJet across Europe for years and always appreciated the price and punctuality. Glad to see them finally enter the Paris–Belgrade route.
ReplyDeleteThey are such an underrated low-cost carrier and I loved my flights with them when they operated to MXP and FCO in 2014/15.
DeleteU2 is by far the most quality LCC in Europe.
Delete+1 love to fly with them. I have never had a problem neither with gound stuff nor on board.
Delete* staff
DeleteOctober 6th BEG-CDG on JU one way 7.282 rsd 🤣
ReplyDeleteSuch a fare hasnt happened in the history of JU
BEG is the only airport where I am worried LCC will be pushed out by a legacy carrier :D
ReplyDeleteTrue hahaha
DeleteResistance is futile!
DeleteAir Serbia is so agile that LCC on this route is going to lose the war!
DeleteIstanbul the same
DeleteWell in Istanbul they didn't really win as Turkish carriers remained dominant. Actually due to Anadoloujet's entry into the Serbian market, the LCC share grew.
DeleteAnon 09:52 BEG is not a strong market , that's why LCC's giving up easily look the case of Ryanair in ATH a couple years ago . They threatened ATH that they will leave due to high taxes, ATH knowing they are a strong market did not step back , and the result was Ryanair continues to fly from ATH to 25 destinations
DeleteYou can't compare Athens and Belgrade. You need to compare markets of similar sizes.
DeleteAlso if BEG wasn't so important then easyJet wouldn't be fighting for it like this. For its size BEG is obviously interesting enough for airlines. Ryanair is not serving BEG because the airport is not interested in giving them preferential treatment.
NEMJEE I did not compare ATH with BEG . Everybody knows that ATH is another level . And that level is exactly I'm talking about . If BEG was in a higher level in tourism or in commerce then more airlines would come regardless the taxes or the treatment of the airport.
DeleteBy that logic BEG's importance has improved since easyJet is fighting back which they didn't do last time? Is that correct?
DeleteAlso, BEG's growing importance is shown by the fact that Wizz Air has started growing.
Speaking of ATH there's a rumor Easyjet will open a base there from 2026. Lets see how this goes and how this will affect the ExYu market.
DeleteNEMJEE , by my humple opinion since you are such a unbiased person in this blog , I don't this is actualy correct . A major european capital ( BEG ) served by 25 airlines in high season and easy jet with just 2 weekly to paris , you can not call that "fight back" or an important growth .
DeleteVINCI should have done a much netter job attracting new airlines and routes to the airport.
Delete* better
DeleteWhat about Wizz? Will this hurt their Beuvais flights or is it completely different type of passengers who are going god know where and not Paris central which is something like 80kms away?
ReplyDeleteIt`s the very same type of passengers.
Deleteboth airlines are just playing the same old chess game. Raise frequencies to squeeze the other out, then scale back once they win. Seen it happen too many times.
ReplyDeleteWell the market is big enough for two players. Remains to be seen if easyJet can efficiently capture this market. If they do then they can coexist with JU the same way, for example, Wizz Air and Air Serbia coexist in many other markets.
DeleteThis price war will be ideal for extended weekend trips in either direction. I would have preferred TO from ORY to U2 from CDG, but I'll take it anyway :)
ReplyDeleteJU can capitalize on these frequency increases and can add even more with the Embraers on select destinations if they play their cards right
ReplyDeleteLet’s see how long both carriers can keep this up.
ReplyDeleteBravo Air Serbia! They’re being proactive.
ReplyDelete+1!
DeleteAs someone living in Geneva with family in Serbia, I’m thrilled to have both airlines on this route now. There was just 2 weekly before and very limiting in terms of when you can fly.
ReplyDeleteDon't expect too much of this dumping war and enjoy it while you can. When one pushes the other one out (most likely Air Serbia wins), they will reduce the capacity and bring the prices back up.
DeleteIf someone can afford to live in Geneva, then a 20-30 Euro difference in ticket price is seriously something that won't break their bank.
Delete@Anonymous 10:35
DeleteTypical comment by someone from the region who thinks anyone leaving in Switzerland is affluent. 🤪
Is there a chance that easyJet's presence and its war with Air Serbia could actually leave Wizz Air's BVA as a victim?
ReplyDeleteIt'll be impacted for sure. The only reason anyone travels to/from BVA is the price difference vs. flying to/from CDG, and that difference is about to get a lot smaller. Add the cost of the transfer to/from the city proper and it's questionable whether W6 will be cheaper than U2 at all.
DeleteI think that many people from Parisian suburbs go to BVA, as traffic to CDG can be quite hectic and is really city oriented.
DeleteORL is the most convenient airport for those travelling to or from the city but unfortunately Transavia France doesn't seem to care about our market.
DeleteEasyJet should launch routes that are ignored by JU, as Manchester and Dublin. There is another possibility to launch flights and add more frequencies to LIS, OPO, BOD, PMI, BRS, EDI, LPL..
ReplyDeleteso let the fight begin!
I'd much rather see JU launching MAN, EDI, OPO, DUB instead of fighting a price war in CDG or GVA with a much bigger airline.
DeleteIt will hurt them in the long run.
JU has been flying to OPO for two years now, year round.
Delete@10.02
Delete"densifying leisure routes isn’t always feasible. In some markets, Valencia, for example, adding extra frequencies doesn’t necessarily stimulate additional demand. You simply have to accept the limitations of leisure-driven traffic."
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/06/air-serbia-outlines-europe-middle-east.html
But if EasyJet launch busy unserved BEG routes, JU will respond with launching them as well, so win win situation
DeleteThat's not happening due to the visa situation, no airline is that adventurous.
DeleteAnon 10.19
DeletePersonally I find his comment regarding VLC hilarious. Valencia is a rather big market so if there is not enough local demand then you compensate by having additional transfer ones. It also doesn't help that JU is rather expensive.
If Wizz Air can successfully operate ALC three times per week with the A321 then JU should have no problem having 4 or 5 weekly to ALC (locals+transfers). However, JU won't get far unless they realize that additional demand can and should be stimulated. For starters put a few ads promoting Valencia around the country.
Wizz Air started ALC 2 weeks ago. It is far too early to say if they are successful.
DeleteGiven their current loads I'd say it's more than successful. I highly doubt they will not stay as strong as we enter peak summer season.
DeleteFor example their first had very good loads:
BEG-ALC 223
ALC-BEG 75
I flew BEG-ALC on June 19th, full plane. Returning tomorrow.
DeleteBravo Air Serbia 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDeleteSeems U2 is testing the waters, albeit very shyly.
ReplyDeleteA more bold move would have been Manchester or another destination they have a strong base at.
Let's see.
The visa situation with the UK needs to be resolved first.
DeleteEven with visa regime Dublin and Manchester are busiest unserved routes from Belgrade. So, two or three weekly flights could easily work.
Delete^ they are busiest in Europe, not overall. And the busiest unserved European routes from BEG have very low passenger numbers because so many routes are now covered from BEG. Badically everywhere where there was real demand has been covered.
DeleteI was looking for busiest routes from BEG before LIS was launched, and the number of transfer passengers was just below 10k for a year. Now, when BEG has direct flights to LIS, in Q3 2024, was more then 50k passengers with 4 (or 5) flights per week (JU and W6) combined. That leads to increasing passengers with direct flights. I would just like BEG to grow and to be (even better) connected with other European cities. If there is chance to try, why not? Also, looking forward to establishing other routes as HEL, Baltics, Caucasus, etc.
Delete+1000!
Delete@16:21
Delete|+1000
Rekoh ja da će JU dampingovati cene karata Ponedeljkom i Petkom, ovo nisam očekivao. Još ostaje da vidimo da li sam u pravu da će U2 do kraja Avgusta pobeći sa linije.
ReplyDeleteMislim da neće pobeći i da ima prostora za oba igrača. Vremenom će se samo frekvencije podešavati. Plus Easy leti na CDG za razliku od Wizza na primer što je dodatni plus. Pre će ovde Wizz nastradati iako mislim da se ni on neće povući sa BVA.
DeleteTypical airline turf war. We have seen hundreds of them. If U2 was serious about growing BEG they should have launched new routes long time ago, for example LGW. But they are not serious and that's why they are destined to fail at this turf war.
ReplyDeleteIt would be amazing to see them starting Milan Belgrade to complete primary with terrible timing of wizzair that arrives at 1.30 by schedule but almost never on time..
ReplyDeleteThey did not re-statr any of the routes they had terminated from BEG.
DeleteTheir other French bases could open some flights to BEG to fight off JU, rather than to fight them with miserable frequencies on well-established routes like CDG. Air France and Transavia already backed off from Paris, I don't know how easyJet could make a difference with 2pw.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there are Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes...
Two weekly from Paris have more chances of succeeding than the three you listed combined. In theory their CDG flights should do well especially since the market was underserved.
DeleteWho knows, maybe they expected JU to respond so they have the third weekly rotation ready. I highly doubt they would boost GVA, launch CDG and then give up so easily after all that.