Air Serbia plans to launch seasonal flights to Ibiza next summer after being unable to secure its preferred slot timings at the Spanish airport for 2025. However, the carrier says it has still not received formal confirmation for next year. It noted that if slots are ultimately not granted, it will instead introduce a new scheduled service to a Greek island, which would become its eighth destination in the country. EX-YU Aviation News understands that Ibiza’s slot challenges stem primarily from staffing shortages during peak periods rather than air traffic congestion. If the airline is able to commence operations, it would become its sixth destination in Spain, complementing Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said, “It is very difficult to obtain slots, that is, landing and take-off permissions, at certain airports a year or even a year and a half in advance. Last year we wanted to launch flights to Ibiza but didn’t receive the necessary slots. We hope to get them this year, although it’s still unclear whether that will happen. If we do, we will definitely fly there. If not, we will add another Greek island to our network, though I can’t reveal which one”. During the January - October period, Air Serbia handled 229.193 passengers on its Spain flights, representing a year-on-year increase of 10.1%.
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| Air Serbia Spain passenger performance, line graph denotes change (%) on 2024 |
Staying within the Iberian Peninsula, Air Serbia has secured slots to increase frequencies between Belgrade and Lisbon next summer. Lisbon Airport remains one of the most slot-constrained in Europe, making the approval particularly notable considering the likes of Austrian Airlines have failed to secure any slots for next year. The Serbian carrier requested, and was granted, an additional 48 aircraft movements for the season, equivalent to 24 extra flights. “We were recently given the opportunity to increase frequencies to Lisbon after almost two years of waiting. We will place the additional flights on sale for next summer starting this coming Monday”, Mr Marek said. Air Serbia currently operates three weekly year-round flights between the two capitals. Wizz Air exited the route in October.
Interesting. Anyone know which Greek island they are thinking of?
ReplyDeleteSkiathos would be great, turning charters into regular.
DeleteKos hopefully.
DeleteKastellorizo? :)
DeleteBut seriously, Kos and Mykonos could both work well for JU.
My bet is on Chania or Skiathos. Both have demand and fit nicely into JU’s network.
DeleteThey already flew to Chania last summer.
DeleteI think Mykonos.
Both Chania and Mykonos are served by JU. Mykonos was launched this summer
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/06/photos-air-serbia-touches-down-in.html
Not only was Mykonos launched this year but it was upgraded from E95 to A319 really fast. There was even an article on it here.
DeleteSo far we know Ibiza and Baku for next year's expansion. What could be other destinations that JU will launch?
ReplyDeleteI am one of the people advocating for regional expansion to Romania, Poland, Poland and Moldova. Hoping for those routes, Yerevan and the return to the Middle East. That would utilize Belgrade's position to connect the Europe with the Balkans, rest of Europe, Caucus, and the Middle East
And Toronto.
DeleteMore of Romania, Poland and Moldova will came eventually. It depands a lot on introducing of new E jets into service.
DeleteIntroduction of new Embraers means they have at least 5 crews available per aircraft. At the moment they operate with 4, which brings strain to the aircrew. Having in mind how many pilots are leaving JU - this is going to be a challenge.
DeleteRomania, Moldova and Poland are mostly ATR destinations. So no Embraer type rating crew could be a problem
DeleteThe pilot shortage needs to be addressed.
DeleteI'm afraid the airline will just have to give them a large double digit raise in salary to keep them from jumping ship.
Increase benefits too.
^ That is the only realistic solution.
DeleteCountries all over the world are fast tracking work visas for pilots in a matter of few days.
The demand for their services is far bigger than the supply. Especially for experiences pilots who have worked for European carriers.
That is not an issue, of course. If you would be right, JU wouldn’t have any flights today. Instead, they have more than 250 pilots. This year about 10 to 15 pilots left, but also as many are employed
DeleteIt’s not only about salaries, it’s about other work conditions as well.
DeleteIn W6 for example, you receive your roster a year in advance that changes only slightly, if at all.
In JU, on the other hand, you can’t get reliable roster 2 weeks in advance.
This is the first time I have ever heard that an airline issues a roster a year in advance. In most airlines you get a roster on the fifteenth of the month for the following month.
DeleteIt's the first time you have heard of it because it is a complete fabrication. And I say that as someone from Wizz. Wizz Air publishes crew rosters on a monthly basis and pilots normally receive their schedule at the middle of the month for the next month.
DeletePeople really need to be more creative when they are lying. I mean how do you think that any airline can schedule its crew a year in advance for flights? You don't think that Wizz Air adds or removes routes? That frequencies change? That bases are expanded. And you think crew scheduling knows all about this a year in advance. Seriously dude think a bit, shake that head a bit.
Delete@Anon 12:32
Delete250 pilots are only enough for 25 aircraft total.
JU needs a whole lot more pilots, especially considering that is getting more E-jets.
The reason its own fleet is underutilized and it has to rely on wet leases is exactly that. Lack of enough pilots.
JU have 28 planes at the moment. And 3-4 are always at the maintenance. I don’t see what’s the problem
DeleteJust because you don't see where the problem is, doesn't mean it's not there. JU has enough copilots, pilots are the real problem. Many like Wizz Air are offering unrealistic salaries and it makes you wonder how sustainable they are in the long run.
DeleteIt reminds me of graphic designers in Serbia some 20 years ago. They used to charge you €500 for a small task until thousands of graphic designers were trained. Now they are offering to design a logo for €20. It will be the same with pilots in a few years, salaries will drop as demand is met.
We already experienced this with ACMI. The post-covid boom is over.
Four weekly to LIS is some minimum.
ReplyDeleteThey shouldn't launch another destination. They should increase something else.
Network frequency densification makes a lot of sense.
Delete+1
DeleteInteresting, Austrian didn't granted for new slots but JU did. A little help from Vinci? Now with W6 pulled out and with additional slots JU should play it right.
ReplyDeleteCrazy that Austrian does not fly to Lisbon.
DeleteAlso possible OS does not have the finances to buy slots, they're supposedly the weakest link of the Lufthansa Group
DeleteAs mentioned in the article, the airline had requested slots but none of the slot requests were granted to them. It is unrelated to finances.
DeleteI don't understand business logic for this Greek island. We will fly there if we don't fly to Ibiza? If there is demand, we should fly there anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe airline does not have enough resources to fly everywhere there is demand.
DeleteNot enough aircraft for that and especially not enough crews.
Exactly, airlines don't have infinite crew and aircraft. Even if route x is profitable, if route y yields bigger profits, just launch or boost that instead
DeleteThe backlog for Airbuses, Emrbaers, even Boeings is massive, and there's a global pilot shortage rn
I think it makes sense. Why force a tour operator to book a whole plane when they can get a certain number of seats. It helps smaller agencies remain competitive. If they plan in advance they can secure good deals.
DeleteBRAC?
ReplyDeletethat they should open 3 weekly flights to Brac in the summer season. many workers from Serbia and Montenegro work on Brac,
Deleteevery year more and more tourists,
up to 40 percent of passengers would be connecting passengers via Belgrade,
connections should also be coordinated with flights to Russia, because many Russians have their own villas on the island, and they come several times a year in groups of 10 to 20 people, families plus people who look after their children, and take care of the villa....
they should definitely introduce Brac as soon as possible...
This is a very poor idea. Its is a far better use of their resources to consolidate and mature Split within the network, which with the winter flights they look like to be trying. Seasonal workers on Brač will not fill a 3 weekly flight, neither will 'Russian Villa owners' making it a very unlikely route -especially at three times weekly!
Deletemany people currently do not use air transport between Split and Belgrade and spend their summer in Brač, for the reason that it takes them twice as long to get from Split to Brač than from Belgrade to Split,
Deleteregular lines would also transport not only workers, but also tourists,
as well as connecting passengers from Europe and the world, who also do not use it for flights via Belgrade to Split....
air serbia should have a saran network, which means that it is better to add two to 3 weeks of flights for brac, than to go to 9 weeks for split....
therefore, passengers have a choice whether they want to go directly to Brac or to Split,
and in a short time we would see if the line is justified...
Air Serbia, like other airlines conduct serious and measured research into routes and the points you propose are both incorrect and poorly thought through and smack of wishful thinking.
DeleteWhilst Brač does have a lively tourist industry there is no evidence that it could sustain 3 weekly flights to Belgrade and the figures for the number of Serbian citizens who a registered on evisitor support this, with the largest numbers of non-Croat tourists during August being from Germany, Slovenia, Poland and Hungary.
Even flights to Zagreb are only twice weekly during the season - and that is for a reason.
Great news about Lisbon! That route has been performing well for years, so the frequency increase is overdue. Surprised Austrian couldn’t get anything for 2025, that really underlines how tough LIS slots are.
ReplyDeleteI understood that they will rise frequencies only in certain period of summer
DeleteHow did you understand that?
DeleteEasy, do the math
DeleteIt seems they will increase it to 4 weekly from mid-April or early May. Anyway it will go on sale tomorrow so we will see.
DeleteExactly. If they add one flight weekly, that means 5 and a half months. Summer season lasts 7 months
DeleteIbiza would be a perfect fit for Air Serbia’s summer leisure offering, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Slot issues at Spanish airports are getting worse every year. Another Greek island sounds more realistic.
ReplyDeleteJU is doing really well in Spain overall. Over 229k passengers already and still growing. Just a few years ago they only had Madrid and Barcelona. Amazing how much the network expanded.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see Ibiza finally happen. It’s a destination that Serbs actually travel to. Fingers crossed they get the slots this time.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happens with Ibiza, Lisbon going 4 or 5 weekly will be a major improvement. Portugal is becoming a very popular destination among Serbians
ReplyDeleteNot to mention it is not expensive
DeletePlus don't forget they also fly to Porto, they have Portugal covered.. at least in summer.
DeleteThey've just canceled Porto during winter season..
DeleteWhat baffles me is the lack of drive to open any destination within the Canaries (which are all year-round destination)!
ReplyDeleteThis has been discussed many times here.
DeleteHelp me out with a post reference and an informed answer rather than very useful statement as above…
Delete@BA888 nothing mean was meant by that, apologies.
DeleteThere was discussion here a few days ago:
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/11/ex-yu-markets-hit-spain-record-with.html
Essentially many people here regard the route as a possible one, and defiantly with potential but that due to the long rotation required it provides challenges. Personally it would be nice to see, but I think it might be a while before we see it.
That could be done with night flights, with Cairo, Tashkent, Marakesh and similar longer routes. Most of the planes are sitting on tarmac during the night. But that may require some extra crews and maintenance
DeleteA night flight to the Canary Islands doesnt sound practicable and would be a real outlier in terms of operations there. Cairo yes that would be a standard timing. Likewise, Marrakech (which i don't think is likely route) is unlikey to be a night operation. Unlike Cairo these are lesiure destinations for tourism.
DeleteIf JU or W6 are not interested in launching it, BEG should grow a pair and offer FR to launch this route in return for some benefits. Ryanair is cutting left and right so they will have spare capacity.
DeleteI agree totally, canary island flights would be most effiently operated by FR.
DeleteWell, Air Cairo flies night flights from Hurghada for years. And it’s the best to arrive to the vacation in the morning and have whole one day at the beach. Same for returning, you have while last day at the beach and travel early morning next day home. It is exhausting, but you get one day for free
DeleteYes but that is not the same as flights to the Canary islands from Europe, which is not standard within the industry.
DeletePretty interesting for an eighth destination in Greece. Greece seems to be working for JU!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, especially since Aegean has withdrawn from all markets with the exception of Athens.
DeleteWe will have to see what Wizz Air will do and if Sky Express will be hired by the Serbian tour operator again next summer (BEG-RHO).
Could it be Heraklion?
DeleteSky express could launch ATH-BEG from next summer. They expand in the area with markets close to Athens so BEG is one possible new destination for them!
Delete@21.16 they already operate scheduled flights to Heraklion since 2024.
DeleteIt is about Air Serbia thus the question should be how many airports they want to fly to on Ibiza Island...
ReplyDeleteThere is one airport on Ibiza...
Delete^ You obviously missed the point of the joke.
DeleteIf there was one meant its not very good.
Delete