NEWS FLASH
Kazakhstan SCAT Airlines has scheduled the launch of its upcoming service between Astana and Belgrade. Flights will commence on November 3 and run twice per week, on Mondays and Thursdays, with the 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft in a single economy class configuration. Tickets are now available for purchase. Based on its existing schedule, flights will operate as a turnaround service, lasting five hours and forty minutes. Last week, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy, said the airline was planning to extend the service from Belgrade onwards to Morocco, Tunis, Barcelona and Larnaca, which may occur at a later stage. Further details for the upcoming flights can be viewed here. It marks the first time the two capitals have been linked with a schediled air service and the first time in 21 years that Belgrade has boasted nonstop flights to Central Asia.
Welcome and good luck!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteHigh density all-economy class is too much for this route length honestly.
ReplyDeleteIs SCAT an LCC?
DeleteNo
DeleteSCAT charges you for everything, they are like ULCC
DeleteQuality-wise, yes. Comparable to FR or W6
DeleteBravo Beograde!
ReplyDeleteBut I read reader comments here that route won't happen.
ReplyDeleteEverything hasn't happened yet.
DeleteThis is the 11th new route from BEG this year!
ReplyDeleteBravo Nikola Tesla airport!
DeleteBravo Vinci!
DeleteHopefully they won't be disappointed by low load factors during winter and they will see things improving greatly in summer. Ideally with JU code sharing with them.
ReplyDeleteArrival to BEG is at 02:20, and departure back at 03:40. This is the most night flight of all BEG flights.
ReplyDeleteTaxi drivers would love this flight times! 😉
DeleteThey even managed to outdo BT with their random middle of the night flight.
DeleteThat said, I think SCAT has more chance of making it.
A little bit too early for JU's morning wave, but ok. Good luck SCAT.
DeleteThose departure times are really tough.. Honestly might be this routes biggest problem
DeleteWhy?
DeleteTake a look at ATH or BEY, IST, SAW departures.
Large airports work round the clock.
BEG is already operating round the clock. For example on most days last JU flight is at 00.45 while the first arrival is already at 04.30.
DeleteIn summer there are a few flights between those hours. No one likes flying in the middle of the night, that is why those flights are unpopular in the end guys.
Well at least they get the incentive from BEG for operating at an ungodly hour.
ReplyDeleteCongrats BEG!
ReplyDeleteIt’s JU turn to think about ALA. Bigger airport and more passengers. Would be nice addition
True dat. Almaty is the actual financial and cultural capital of Kazakhstan. And it also has by far the larger tourism industry and places of interest to a foreign visitor.
DeleteIt even is a winter destination.
DeleteLot of snow,mountains and winter sports.
Very nice addition. I am not familiar with the airline, do they offer transfers? I am asking because of the way they scheduled their flights.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine TK is very happy these days. First JU launches TBS and now this.
TK has been hurt a lot by the loss of the Israeli market. They carried a HUGE number of connections from TLV that are now going through DXB, AUH, ATH, LCA and BUD.
DeleteThat is why JU should launch TLV again ASAP with early morning arrivals in BEG and get loads of connecting traffic from Israel for its morning departure wave.
Just my2cents
They offer transfers through Shymkent to Xian, Urumqi (and other Chinese destinations), Almaty, Astana...that's why it would have been a lot more logical addition.
DeleteBudapest (as usual) somehow figured that out so they have flights from there.
Prague didn't figure it out and they have flights from Astana. They should have called QR921 first.
DeleteAlmaty is the city of Kazakhstan to have flights to.
DeleteWe don't know if their BUD flights are doing ok. For example CZ reduced CAN-BUD from 4 to 2 weekly this winter.
DeleteSo BEG will have more flights to CAN than BUD?
DeleteIs CZ selling their BUD flights via BEG?
11:47 - I don't know if they're doing OK but with my knowledge of central Asia it has a much better chance than Astana.
DeleteIdeally we would have Uzbekistan Airways, they're kind of Air Serbia in central Asia.
Astana is about one direction tourism and poorly thought-out.
DeleteThere is nothing to do or see in Astana, let alone in winter.
Almaty is the cultural hub and year-round detonation.
From Shymkent they could cover Tashkent and Uzbekistan, the most interesting country by far, One hour from there, Kyrgyzstan and all the transfers to both Almaty (all the tourist sites) and Astana for diplomats.
Very very poorly thought out and needs a strong JU codeshare to work, on both ends.
*destination
DeleteThey need ASAP JU codeshare to Tivat, Podgorica, Tirana (visa free for Kazakhs), Turkey and on the flights to Astana itself.
DeleteAnon 13.25
DeleteYes, that is correct. BUD will have 2 weekly to CAN while BEG will have 4.
I think there might be less demand to China from Europe this winter. Juneyao also reduced PVG-BRU this winter.
Wouldn't it be more logical to start flight to Morroco, Tunis, Barcelona or wherever mentioned via BEG first, and later, after the service(s) mature, split them and start separate turnaround services?
ReplyDeleteThey can't secure all permits by November.
DeleteThere is enough demand from Kazakhstan to Belgrade
DeleteAccording to the airline there isn't and that' why they are trying to get fifth freedom rights.
DeleteWell, it was smarter to start Almaty or Shymkent then.
DeleteEven Aktau with connections to the rest of Kazakhstan.
DeleteYes even Karaganda or Turkistan would work amazing. Anything but Astana
DeleteAstana is a modern and vibrant city. It will attract many Serbian travelers.
DeleteThere is nothing in Astana AT ALL except few modern buildings ala Blok 60 and horrid weather year round.
DeleteAll the history (Taraz, Turkestan, Shymkent) and scenic nature are in the South + the connection to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
True. Almaty is far more interesting, especially in the South.
Deletealso in the south*
DeleteSo why did then they launch flights from Almaty and not from those other cities? What do they know that we are missing?!
Delete^ the flights are from Astana not Almaty. Read the headline at least.
DeleteWelcome & good luck, this will need heavy promotion on both markets.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat!
DeleteHas anyone managed to make their website work? I want to see prices
ReplyDeletestarting price to BEG 400 EUR return ticket
DeleteThat is a good price for such a long flight. I wish all sides involved best of luck.
DeleteCheaper than Pegasus.
DeleteBut not cheap enough to fill 350seats a week..
DeleteIf flights to random CAN can be full then I don't see why ALA will be any different. Let's be optimistic.
DeleteCAN is all but random. It's one of world's largest metropolises and in the vicinity of Hong Kong and Shenzhen + CZ own hub feed.
DeleteNo B38M ?
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about BEG is this drang nach Osten trend it is experiencing. We first got PEK ages ago whichi is a very basic destination to have. Then over time we got CAN x2, PVG, TBS and now ALA. Getting DEL next would be indeed cool.
ReplyDeleteWould prefer China Southern Airlines to fly Urumqi-Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteUrumqi airports network is impressive!!
From Astana you can fly 248 (!) times a week to Almaty !
ReplyDeleteAnd here on this blog they say there are lot of flights between SRB and MNE ...
Kazakhstan has a population of 20.6 million and Astana and Almaty are 1200 kilometres apart.
Delete^ Crazy! Thats 30 flights daily or more.
Delete35
DeleteWith 35 daily flights just to Almaty and many more daily flights to other cities in Kazakhstan and Russia-filling twice weekly flights to Belgrade shouldnt be that much of a problem...
DeleteNot all of that 35 flights are by Scat.
DeleteMaybe nine or ten but still thats a lot.
Feed is obviously no problem for them.
But they don't sell transfers via ALA so they will rely on O&D in Belgrade. No?
DeletePoorly thought out.
DeleteI hope they will fly to Marrakesh.
ReplyDeleteBudapest and Sofia already have Marrakesh.
And unlike Budapest and Sofia, BEG has for example JFK or ORD.
DeleteMarrakesh is not logical due to the visa regime.