Xiamen Airlines’ Chairman, Zhao Dong, has held talks with Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Adrijana Mesarović, to explore the launch of flights to Belgrade, strengthen tourism cooperation and deepen broader commercial ties. The meeting builds on initial discussions held late last year, after which the airline began a feasibility study into establishing a nonstop service between Xiamen and the Serbian capital.
“We engaged in detailed discussions on the potential of introducing nonstop flights between Fujian Province and Serbia, examining operational considerations, passenger demand and cargo opportunities at Belgrade Airport”, the carrier said. It added, “Both sides expressed a shared commitment to boosting the presence of premium Serbian agricultural products in the Chinese market through Xiamen Airlines’ flight network and affiliated hotel channels, further advancing bilateral economic and trade relations”.
A member of the SkyTeam alliance and China’s fifth-largest airline by available seat capacity this year, Xiamen Airlines is partially owned by China Southern Airlines, which already serves Belgrade from Guangzhou. In addition to its hub in the coastal city of Xiamen, the carrier also maintains a base in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. Fuzhou is home to mining giants Zijin Mining and Zijin Copper, Serbia’s two largest exporting companies, which operate significant mining assets in the country.
Air Serbia, China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines handled a combined total of 90.142 passengers on flights between Belgrade and China during the first half of the year. Guangzhou had the most passengers, with four weekly flights operated by two carriers - Air Serbia and China Southern Airlines. Together they handled 44.694 travellers between the two cities. Hainan Airlines welcomed 23.722 travellers on its flights between Beijing and Belgrade, while Air Serbia’s two weekly service to Shanghai, launched in January, saw 21.726 passengers during the first half of the year.
JU said recently it was working on bringing partner airlines to BEG. Wonder if this is one of them.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a nice addition.
ReplyDeleteFuzhou is happening, just makes too much sense for it not to
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense purely based on the fact that Zijin HQ is there, let alone anything else.
DeleteConsidering it's a Chinese carrier I would not be surprised if flights start next summer season.
ReplyDeleteThey did have a feasibility study last year for BEG. It seems that the route has potential, since they are talking to the ministers. Though as far as I know, this route would require changing the bilateral?
ReplyDeleteI think if they get government approval they don't need to change it but I'm not sure.
DeleteCan someone explain to me what this means?
ReplyDelete“Both sides expressed a shared commitment to boosting the presence of premium Serbian agricultural products in the Chinese market through Xiamen Airlines’ flight network and affiliated hotel channels, further advancing bilateral economic and trade relations”.
It means rakija 🥃
DeleteAnd štapići, with peanuts inside.
Deletewine vision
DeleteSmoki.
DeleteThere is a huge demand for high-quality fresh fruit and meat in China. I would assume they are looking at the cargo demand for those products
DeleteHope for a positive outcome.
ReplyDeleteIf they do start operations, would it be with B787?
ReplyDeleteYes, they only have B787-8s and 9s for widebodies.
DeleteInteresting their -8 version has a first class cabin too.
DeleteThey actually use the 787-8 on their Europe and North America flights. First class is a small cabin with one row and 4 suites.
DeleteThis would be exciting. I think fares to Far East Asia and southeast Asia would plummet with another option
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteNice. Flew with them in 2017 from AMS to NRT, via XMN. It was cheap and excellent quality! Would love to see them in BEG.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking at some options and they have fantastic fares.
DeleteThese Chinese subsidiaries dump fares so much. I recently purchased a ticket from Athens to Australia with Sichuan Airlines. It was very cheap.
DeleteChina Southern also has pretty good fares from BEG on some routes.
DeleteIf they launch flights they would be the fourth wide body operator from BEG right?
ReplyDeleteYes. After Air Serbia, Hainan and China Southern.
DeleteYes go China. We just need Aeroflot to come back with their nice A330.
DeleteNow they need Chongqing and Urumqi...
ReplyDeleteWhy Urumqi exactly?
DeleteLiterally. Why? lol
DeleteWe already have Urumqi cargo flights
Delete^ to both Belgrade and Nis
DeleteThis would be impressive and respectable.
ReplyDeleteAnother Chinese route to BEG would be fantastic. The demand clearly exists and Serbia needs more long-haul connectivity.
ReplyDeleteCargo will likely drive this more than tourists.
DeleteExactly. Cargo, cargo, cargo. That’s the real reason behind all this. Passenger numbers are nice but freight drives the business here.
DeleteWith so many Chinese workers in Serbia, these flights probably won't be empty
DeleteLet’s be real. This is also political. But politics is what brings new routes nowadays
DeleteDefiantly in our neck of the woods it clearly shapes things.
DeleteCan I ask how is it political? You need to know more about Chinese mining operations in Serbia before you comment. These companies have brought in thousands of Chinese workers to work in the mines and all accompanying companies. They don't hire locals. Everything is done by Chinese companies. Same as with infrastructure projects. If a Chinese company gets to build something everything is done by the Chinese. They bring in their own construction workers even.
DeleteI think you answer your own question here.
DeleteAnd keep their wages below the minimum wage limit, confiscate their passports, give them rooms of 4-6 people to live in, surround the property with fencing, and force them to work under illegal conditions that break their host country's laws.
DeleteXiamen? I had to Google it… but if there’s cargo demand and business ties, why not. More options for travellers is always good.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a really interesting place based on photos.
DeleteI have a friend who went on a business trip there. Xiamen is a big deal for domestic Chinese seaside tourism. Routes like this might also bring more Western tourists to Xiamen
DeleteXiamen isn't much smaller than Serbia itself in terms of population. Interesting city and really a nice place to visit.
DeleteXiamen 5 million, Fuzhou 5 million, total Fujian province 40 million people
Delete^ Scat Airlines is operating Prague - Sanya. Obviously there are people that do. In 2000 I went to the Chinese seaside for a holiday. It was the only country we didn't need a visa for. I had a great time and it was cheaper than Belgrade at the time. Flew with JAT's DC10 to Beijing too :)
DeleteThe Prague - Sanya flight must rank as one of the weirdest (and uncomfortable) in Europe, but wonderfully exotic. Not a huge number of Europeans go at present to China for its coast, but it is certain to increase over the decades and given the size and diversity of the place it has massive growth potential in many fields.
DeleteThis is actually a very logical move. Mining companies are huge players in Serbia and Fujian–Serbia cargo flows make sense.
ReplyDeleteDo they transport mining equipment or mined materials by air cargo???
DeleteYes. Mining machinery, spare parts, drills etc are transported via air cargo. Also considering the mining operations by these Chinese companies in Serbia have only Chinese workers they are also flown in, rotated etc. Zijin pretty much owns and operates the town of Bor. They have built apartment blocks, Chinese companies are operating there. The number of registered cars in the city has jumped from 6,000 to 24,000 after the Chinese came which shows you how many people they have brought in.
DeleteThat must have done wonders for that towns air quality.
DeleteNo, but they did wonders for town’s and Serbian economy
DeleteWonders is a very relative statement however.
DeleteIndeed, as they fill their plane cargos with precious metals and other valuable minerals, plus food products, all found or grown in Serbia. I'm sure all these ravaged, polluted towns are thrilled to be part this enterprise.
DeleteThis would be a great addition to BEG.
ReplyDeleteWhere do they fly to in Europe?
ReplyDeleteOnly Amsterdam and Paris.
DeleteThank you
DeleteMakes sense since they are Sky Team.
DeleteSuch an odd airline to be in Sky team
DeleteIt would be fantastic to have a Sky Team connection from BEG to Far East.
DeleteI read some recent reviews about Xiamen Air from Amsterdam and all were very positive.
Delete@anon 09:50
DeleteSpoted this morning at CDG ;-). Xiamen.
If Xiamen launches Belgrade, we’ll have more Chinese routes than most EU capitals.
ReplyDeleteOf course. Politics.
DeleteIndeed, but that is how business works, and gosh do we know how politics and business in Serbia are intimately connected. Whilst Serbia's foreign policy might be a bit confused at least in aviation terms it has some concrete results with connectivity which are welcome.
DeleteI would love to see Air China launch flights.
ReplyDeleteAgree. This is the Chinese airline that is truly missing and would complement China Southern and Hainan Airlines.
DeleteI’ll believe it when I see tickets on sale
ReplyDeleteBelieve what? It says they are exploring the route, not they are launching it.
DeleteIn my experience, whenever there is continued talk about a particular airline planning BEG flights it materialises. Same story was with Hainan, Scat, RJ...
Delete+1 last anon
DeleteAren't Guangzhou and Xiamen close to each other?
ReplyDeleteThey are over 650 kilometres apart. Xiamen is right across Taiwan.
DeleteDoes anyone know what the PDEW is for BEG and Xiamen?
ReplyDeletePDEW?
DeletePassengers Daily Each Way.
DeleteIt is how the measure how much demand exists daily between two airports.
Current PDEW is around 20
DeleteThank you!
DeleteWe need flights to Chengdu too
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteNice opportunity for JU.
Would be great to have another Chinese carrier.
ReplyDeleteExcellent news
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I remember Xiamen Air operate 2-3 charters to BEG over the years, I believe for construction workers. Would be nice to see Xiamen added to BEG's route network alongside Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
ReplyDeleteYes they did
Deletethey sent the Dreamliner once
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/02/five-airlines-to-deploy-wide-body-jets.html
not many Sky Team operators in BEG.
ReplyDeleteI believe KLM and TAROM are the only two.
DeleteCrazy there is no AF, especially at a French run airport.
DeleteThey've tried, and if and when they can make it work financially I'm sure they'll be back. Airlines are in the game of making profit many people sometimes forget.
DeleteIt's not that people forget, it just seems a little odd that AF can't make a go of it in BEG.
DeleteIts not odd, its just clearly financially not worth their while at the moment. Airlines have to prioritise resources efficiently.
DeleteIt seems very odd that LJU and ZAG can be profitable for AF but not BEG.
DeleteIn LJU there is no other airline and they have more than halved flights there in the last 2 years. They have also steadily decreased ZAG where they compete against Star Alliance OU while they codeshare with JU.
Delete@19:51 BG has JU which cover the route to Paris in cooperation with Air France. There is limited need to utilise their own aircraft which could be making more money on a higher yielding destination. If and when they believe its profitable to return I'm sure they will.
DeleteI hope the market does not get over-saturated.
ReplyDelete