Air Serbia has retired the first of three Airbus A319 aircraft, marking the start of a gradual phase-out of the type from its fleet. The first unit withdrawn is the 22-year-old jet registered YU-APK, which operated its final service for the airline yesterday between Belgrade and Lisbon. The aircraft joined Air Serbia’s fleet in 2019. The flag carrier, which purchased three A319s last year, plans to retire the type over the next three to five years. Another A319 is scheduled to leave the fleet following the 2025 summer season. The aircraft will be gradually replaced by Embraer E195s and Airbus A320s, in line with the airline’s fleet renewal strategy.
The carrier is expected to take delivery of two Embraer E195s this winter, followed by an additional three Airbus A320s. In addition to its dry-leased capacity, adjustments are anticipated in its wet-leased operations as well. Although capacity from Lithuania's GetJet Airlines was initially filed for the upcoming winter, it has since been removed. Air Serbia is expected to shortly announce a new wet-lease partner for Airbus aircraft for the 2025/26 winter season and the 2026 summer season.
The airline is expected to handle its fourth millionth passengers in early November and is on course to break the 1987 passenger record set by its predecessor JAT Yugoslav Airlines. “We’ll soon be able to celebrate another record, as we expect to welcome our four-millionth passenger at the start of November. Recently, we also marked the tenth anniversary of Air Serbia’s premium lounge, so this year has been full of milestones, from major anniversaries and new records to the launch of several new destinations. In fact, we’ve already introduced six new routes this year, expanded our network and added new aircraft to the fleet, making 2025 one of the most significant years in our history”, Bojana Knežević, Air Serbia’s Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, said.
Anyone know what will be the next A319 registration to retire?
ReplyDeleteYU-APB
DeleteThanks
DeleteAPK ode na kilo
DeleteJel APK u JU vlasnistvu?
DeleteNe
DeleteYU-APK had a short life with Air Serbia, only six years. Surprising it’s leaving already.
ReplyDeleteBecause it is in bad condition, it was often out of service.
DeleteIt was a very problematic plane for Air Serbia. Kept breaking down all the time.
DeleteYU-APK is 22 years old so it's not so old. I doubt it will find a new home so it might be sold to spare parts.
So how many passengers could they handle from early November until the end of the year?
ReplyDeleteAround 700.000
DeleteNot bad
DeleteThey’re retiring the A319s, but it will take several years. It’s smart not to rush, as they need the capacity while demand is growing.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. Better to cut wet leases than retire own planes. With gradual arrival of new dry leases, wet leased capacity could be limited
DeleteI wonder which airline will replace GetJet as the wet-lease provider. Hopefully it’s a stronger partner with more reliable operations.
ReplyDeleteMarathon?
DeleteLOL, sure
DeleteMarathon does not have Airbus aircraft in its fleet. So even if you were trying to be funny you failed.
DeleteOk, it wasn't funny, in a dark sort of way.
DeleteThe A319 is much better and safer Aircraft then those Embraer's.
ReplyDeleteHere comes the expert...
DeleteI don't know how you can conclude what aircraft is "safer and better"
DeleteEmbraers are definitely the right move. More comfortable for short flights and cheaper to operate. Smart decision.
Delete@09:22 Embraers are are not more confortable on any flights, but the biggest problem is because Air Serbia is sending them to 3 and a half or 4 hour flights..Last winter they were sending that Bulgarian crap E190 to Porto, to Malaga..So first you sit in them for 4 hours, and then talk about comfortability
DeleteWithout those Bulgarian Embraers, there would be no such lines over the winter.
DeleteFour hours to Malaga?
DeleteEmraers are surely more comfortable - there is no doubt about it.
DeleteThere are only 4 wider seats in a Embraer row comparing to 6 quite narrow in Airbus 319/320.
@13:57 well Malaga was running twice weekly during wimter much before Embraers showed up..and it was always full , because Russians go there during winter..
Delete@14:22 Porto is 4 hours, Malaga is 3 and a half, as I wrote in previous comment.. you're just trying to be smart, but it doesn' work, right?
Great to hear about the 4 millionth passenger. Air Serbia really has come a long way since its rebranding in 2013.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWhen are the first of three A320s coming?
ReplyDeleteThis winter
DeleteCroatia with brand new A220 replacing getjet ;)
ReplyDeletewould not be surprised. lol
DeleteOh boy... From what i hear from JU you aren't far from the truth
DeleteOk, let's say I buy that JU is getting A220s, wouldn't that defeat the purpose? They need bigger jets not smaller
DeleteAir Baltic is the one...
DeleteI think it could be AirBaltic as that Latin wet lease isn't going ahead. Or at least no news were published about it recently
DeleteFor the passengers the A220 would be a nice improvement.
DeleteOn JU side the A220 instead of an A320 is a capacity loss.
They are getting 3 new A320 so they would be direct capacity replacement to returned A319
DeleteGoodbye YU-APK! Flew on it to Paris in 2020.
ReplyDeleteMy first flight on YU-APK was, I think, in winter 2019. We flew BEG-LCA and we were just 34 passengers onboard.
DeleteI remember it still had the Cobalt interior, it was strange to see Greek onboard JU.
I flew on it about a month ago TGD-BEG and the cabin was in a really bad shape.
I flew it 3 weeks ago and it was still quite ok.
DeleteI dont know what people expect, Emirates?
Well, given the fact JU isn't exactly cheap, would be nice to at least sit in a cabin where seats are not broken. The three passengers sitting in the row in front of us could not put their seats in the upright position, during both take off and landing.
DeleteSo no, the cabin obviously didn't meet the most basic safety and quality standards. This is far from demanding EK style service.
Honestly, I don’t understand why they’re getting rid of the A319s so soon. Many airlines still fly them and they seem fine.
ReplyDeleteIt’s one-two retirements per year, the type will stay in fleet until 2030.
DeleteOther bigger airlines usually have A319 as their backbone of the fleet, JU has smaller and more efficient types for its business such as ATR and E195.
Which airlines still have the A319 as the backbone of their fleet?
DeleteLH & BA
DeleteYU-APK must be in a pretty bad shape, that's why...
Delete@10:16
DeleteLH & BA definitely do NOT have the A319 as the backbone of their fleet!
LH itself has 35 A319s, but when you add LH City and LH Cityline it goes up to 51 A319s.
DeleteThen you have Eurowings with 32 A319s.
British has 25 A319s.
easyJet has 82 A319s.
A321 are badly needed.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! I don't know why they don't want to source it.
DeleteThey were interested in wet leasing to ex Avianca A321s which were stored in Ljubljana a few years ago but deal fell through.
DeleteGoodbye APK – probably the least loved in the fleet.
ReplyDeleteGetJet being dropped is interesting. Maybe they’re negotiating with SmartLynx or Avion Express instead. Both are big in the region.
ReplyDeleteI’m betting on SmartLynx.
DeleteWhat will happen to the plane now? Is it going to be ferried out to the desert (e.g. Marana) or it will stay in BEG?
ReplyDeleteReturned to the lessor.
DeleteReturned to Avolon from who they have been leasing from. I assume Avalon will park it in the desert.
DeleteI feel sorry for GetJet, they just had a huge recruitment from the region so their flight attendants were speaking Serbian.
ReplyDeleteThey announced the other day that they concluded a wet lease arrangement with Etihad for 2 A320s. They need that crew anyway.
DeleteOh boy. Imagine someone with a purchased Etihad business class ticket getting a Getjet plane.
DeleteThere will be lots of disgruntled passengers, that's for sure.
DeleteWhy is Air Serbia replacing GetJet? Is it because the contract expired and they took the opportunity to find a partner with better or cheaper lease prices, or is there another reason?
DeleteThey did tender for wet leases and got a better deal.
DeleteAir Serbia should offer those crew a job, especially if they have Serbian speaking pilots.
Delete@Nemjee
DeleteThere was at least one Serbian speaking pilot from that I know, from a month ago flight. But could JU offer him a better deal than GetJet?
A friend of mine started working for GetJet for the summer season. Even on casting day, which was in April I think, they apparently told her that the Serbian cabin crew will be laid off at the end of the summer.
DeleteYesterday I heard that Foreign affair ministers of Serbia and Israel announced need of Air Serbia continuity of Tel Aviv flights. Maybe that’s why they slowed down with retirement of two more A319. Previous news were that 3 A319 will be retired during winter timetable
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the retirement has been slowed? Winter has not even started. We are still in the summer season. One left yesterday. Another will next month and the third probably during winter.
DeleteBtw, what's the issue with TLV flights, I think we have some Israeli carriers already flying on the route without ministers stating the need...
Delete10:13 Because it read the article. Next one will be retired after summer 2026
Delete"Another A319 is scheduled to leave the fleet following the 2026 summer season."
ReplyDelete@Admin, is it 2026 or 2025?
2025
DeleteThey fixed it to 25.
DeleteI guess this is a point where you take a company public?
DeleteWhat do you think?
I agree with you.
DeleteSo how many aircraft will they have in total this winter?
ReplyDeleteTricky to say how many active planes they will have since many go into maintenance so some point over winter.
DeleteThe whole market got some weird dynamics since it's normal to dump your aircraft but leave the wet lease...
ReplyDeleteWow Getjet cancellation is so unexpected since they hired Serbian crew.
ReplyDeleteThat's the part i'm most interested in the whole article. So Getjet will be no more??
DeleteThey were hired only for the summer season
Deletealright.. guess it's Air Baltic next
DeleteI guess this is a point where you take a company public?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think?
It needs to be actually profitable first.
DeleteIt's proffitable, at least in the last two ys
DeleteIdemo dalje...
ReplyDeleteDoes someone know why Croatia airlines was flying to Lybe today ?
ReplyDeleteTransporting Dinamo team for game with Israeli team being played in Serbia.
Delete