Uzbekistan and Serbia have held discussions over improving economic cooperation, including the introduction of flights. Officials from Uzbekistan held talks with Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, as well as the Serbian Minister for Finance, Siniša Mali, and the Serbian Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Aleksandra Sofronijecić last week. This was followed by the Serbia - Uzbekistan business forum in Tashkent last Friday, marking the third high-level economic discussion between the two countries since the start of the year. The Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, leading a large business delegation, is expected to visit Serbia shortly.
Air Serbia recently said there is interest from carriers in Central Asia to launch flights to Belgrade. “You can now see airlines in Central Asia beginning to view Belgrade differently and recognising its potential. For us, any carrier from that region that wants to fly to Belgrade will have our support and full access to our network. These are routes where capacity is already fully utilised on a single daily rotation due to long block times. We have many other markets we would like to open but lack the capacity, so we would prefer someone else to operate them. These markets are predominantly connecting rather than strong point-to-point”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said.
Uzbekistan’s Air Samarkand has expressed interest in launching services to Belgrade, with airline officials holding talks in Serbia on the matter last December. Belgrade was last linked to Uzbekistan by a scheduled air service in 2004, when Uzbekistan Airways operated flights between Tashkent, Belgrade and New York using Boeing 767 aircraft. In late October last year, Serbian officials said Air Serbia was conducting feasibility studies into launching services, in partnership with another carrier, to either Tashkent or Samarkand. Belgrade Airport’s incentive scheme, introduced in 2024, also targets routes from the Central Asia region.
Uzbekistan Airways would be better than this Air Samarkand start up. They could potentially bring some transfer passengers to JU.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be tourism potential too.
DeleteSerbian Kontiki offers package tours to Uzbekistan
https://kontiki.rs/sr/tour/uzbekistan-27-05-2026-
Of course with Turkish via Istanbul.
Deletewow had no idea about this.
DeleteThey went a bit overboard with that price. 3.980 euros!
DeleteWell it's a seven day tour and includes ground transportation, hotels, airline tickets, food and tours.
DeleteIt's sold out so I guess there were takers, even for that price.
DeleteManga and Jungle also offer Uzbekistan in their portfolio. Its more expensive than Zanzibar o Cuba :) Wonder why, cause Uzbek is affordable and nearby, tickets with Turkish are somewhat around 400-500EUR sometimes even below 350 EUR. It is great country, where Serbian passport holders do not need visa, neither prior departure nor upon arrival.
DeleteIt is well covered with buses and marshrutkas.
3.980 EUR is actually a very good price. That price is for 2 person and 8 night trip including airline tickets. So it's basically 1.990 EUR per person which is very good.
DeleteI did not realize it was for 2 people, I thought it was per person.
DeleteWhat's with this sudden surge in targeting flights to central Asia? Not that I'm complaining.
ReplyDeleteIt's an emerging market and Air Serbia seems to have a strategy to get more airlines into BEG that can feed its network without actually being any sort of competition. Which is smart.
DeleteCentral Asia is becoming more outward-looking economically, so the timing might actually be right.
DeleteWhen will they get a codeshare with SCAT airlines on their flights to Kazakhstan and Morocco?
DeleteRussians, of course
Delete@9.04 SCAT does not fly to Morocco and I'm quite sure you are aware of that. They announced their intention of flying to Morocco via Belgrade in November 2025 and said they first need to get permissions. Getting permissions (from all governments involved) takes some time. I'm sure you knew that.
DeleteAir Serbia and SCAT have an interline agreement in place and people can already buy tickets to other destinations via Belgrade in cooperation between SCAT and Air Serbia.
Kazakhstan and Morocco have open sky agreement, so technically there is not a lot of work and permissions there.
DeleteOf course Serbia / Morocco relations is a different story.
SCAT airlines has interline with JU but unfortunately they do not sell JU tickets and connections via BEG online.
^ Yes I am sure the CEO of SCAT Airlines was making things up when he said they need permissions from all sides and that you know better than him on this matter.
DeleteI am sorry anon @9.16 but fifth freedom between Kazakhstan and Morocco has literally nothing to do with them operating flights between Belgrade and Morocco. They certainly need to be given permits from Morocco, Serbia and Kazakhstan as well to do something like that. And neither of the three countries are known for their express bureaucracy.
DeleteRussians and politics are what are driving these routes to be launched.
DeleteWhere is this fabulous interline? I Googled online flights via BEG and there was no option with SCAT and JU.
DeleteMarek promised codshares with SCAT and China Southern, where are they?
Googling has nothing to do with interlines. There is an interline. It is visible in GDS.
DeleteGoogle shows flights, interlines as well. There are no flights on sale so the interline is not there.
DeleteShow me flights if you say they are there.
Meanwhile on SCAT's website there is a big banner advertising their interline with Air Serbia. And like the anon above said, whether you can or can not book something online does not mean it does not exist.
DeleteAnd also, I don't know who you think you are to be ordering people to show you something. You are more than welcome to live in your ignorance. I really could not care less what you think.
https://ibb.co/XrMsXRTG
Delete^ 10:19 i wouldnt get so stressed over a very minor airline flying a very niche route during the dead of night. Its either that big a deal or important a connection.
DeleteJU still can't find an airline to codeshare in the US or China years after it commenced flights, I wouldn't hold my breath for SCAT either.
Delete@10:51 hahah good pun also
Delete@10.36 Not stressing, just proving a disgruntled member here that there is no need to spread disinformation, simply because he is disgruntled.
DeleteAnd have you tried booking flights to those destinations with the interline? Of course not.
DeleteLike Anon 10.51 brilliantly put it, JU failed so many times that this is nothing new. Same old same old.
Sir, the interline is visible in Amadeus and can be booked to several points via Belgrade. I don’t know what your problem is or why that is a problem for you but it is the case.
DeleteFrom what i see Astana doesnt even show as a destination on JU's website. Btw as anyone see the prices SCAT charge for a return. Laughable
DeleteSir there are no flights anywhere for passengers to book. You are the only one who can see them lolz
DeleteYou can book it by picking up the phone and making the booking through the airline or any tour agency with access to GDS which is the majority.
DeleteWelcome to 1985 I guess. No wonder that route is reduced.
DeleteThe route goes back to 2 weekly in a few weeks.
Delete@anon 09:21
DeleteDoes CEO know also that there is no possibility to purchase online interline ticket with JU?
If launched, this route would likely rely heavily on transfer traffic to Western Europe. The question is whether that can compete with established hubs like Istanbul.
ReplyDeleteGiven how strong Turkish Airlines and Gulf carriers are in the region, any new entrant will need competitive pricing and good onward connections to survive.
DeleteDoes Uzbekistan Airways still fly to Montenegro?
ReplyDeleteYes, to Podgorica summer seasonal.
DeleteNo they don’t fly to Podgorica
DeleteThey used to fly to Tivat, not Podgorica. But they don't have any flights scheduled for this year.
DeleteThanks. Pity they stopped flights.
DeleteNice. Hope to see both Tashkent and Samarkand materialize. Both airlines could have one route. :)
ReplyDeleteThere was similar momentum before flights from Kazakhstan were launched. So I have a feeling these will start too sooner or later.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAfter that, Turkmenistan or Tajikistan :D
DeleteYou forgot Kyrgyzstan
DeleteIts not same. As For Kazakh, they fly to God forbid Astana and not to Almaty. If Almaty was chosen, story would be different.
DeleteI believe there is a sizable number of people from Uzbekistan working in Serbia. Mainly as food delivery.
ReplyDeleteTrue. But a profitable route that does not make
DeleteAir Samarkand reduced their fleet to just 2 and is in deep trouble
ReplyDeleteThey have parked their other 2 planes according to planespotters
DeleteCan a JU A320 fly this route?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteThe block time alone makes aircraft utilisation challenging. A rotation to Tashkent would likely take up an entire day for one aircraft.
DeleteA319 would be more fit because it's lighter, but there's almost no more Ceo aircraft flying such long rotations, that's where Neo comes in handy with less fuel burn.
DeleteIf JU is really serious about medium haul flights, they must lease A320neo asap.
Why would a rotation to Tashkent take 24 hours? What am I missing?
DeleteIt would not take 24 hours but around 14 hours if the turnaround time in Tashkent was 2 hours for example.
Delete^ More like 12 hours. Flight duration is about 5 hours.
DeleteEven if it is 12 hours. It is a very long time for the aircraft to be out of service for a very thin route.
DeleteJU may deploy A220 then
DeleteWith Kazakhstan flights to BEG struggling I don't see how these would work out.
ReplyDeleteHow are the two markets related?
DeleteAs for Kazakhstan struggling. I wouldn't say so. Flights have been reduced by one per week in dead season. Route was launched in November of all times and the flights are simply there as a placeholder until they get permits to operate fifth freedom from Belgrade.
This feels like a strategic long-term play rather than a quick win. Central Asia is not an obvious volume market, but it could diversify Belgrade’s network nicely.
DeleteAir Astana is the only player that can sustain these flights not some odd SCAT Airlines.
DeleteYet here we are and SCAT Airlines is operating the route.
DeleteScat should have been flying out of Shymkent.
DeleteNeither them or Air Astana have a real hub in NQZ.
Well lets see how well they perform in summer. I am not an optimist.
Delete"For us, any carrier from that region that wants to fly to Belgrade will have our support and full access to our network" yeah, we can see how that works in reality with that Kazahstan carrier
ReplyDeleteYes we can see it. The two airlines have an interline agreement and passengers can transfer via Belgrade onto Air Serbia. Why are you so irritated and angry?
DeleteThere is no interline just like there is no codeshare with them or with China Southern or Royal Jordanian. Yet Marek keeps on saying how airlines are coming to BEG because of cooperation with JU.
DeleteYou can keep repeating that but I can literally see the interline listed in GDS. Some of you are so stubborn but so misinformed.
DeleteNot sure in what first comment is wrong. Terrible flight times in the middle of the night, long connections time, not suitable for the fast transfers. At the same time SCAT downgraded service to one weekly, so obviously not so high demand
DeleteIt goes back to two weekly in 3 weeks.
Delete@10.16 It's just angry Nemjee. Let him be.
Delete@10:19 +1
Delete10:55 +100
DeleteDo citizens from Uzbekistan need visa to enter Serbia?
ReplyDeleteYes they do
DeleteWould be interesting to see whether Tashkent or Samarkand is chosen. Tashkent makes more sense economically, but Samarkand has tourism appeal.
ReplyDeleteWe probably won’t see anything before 2027 realistically.
ReplyDeleteYes, most likely they're targeting the market just ahead of Expo
DeleteCould these flight be categorised as long haul? How long did Tashkent - Belgrade take when Uzbekistan Airways was flying it with the B767?
ReplyDeleteIf anyone has the schedule I would love to see it too.
DeleteI remember they were 2x weekly, Thursdays and Sundays but I can't remember the schedule.
DeleteI vaguely remember them arriving around 08.00 and leaving around 10.00
DeleteI might be wrong.
Cargo shouldn’t be underestimated here. Uzbekistan has a growing export base
ReplyDeleteAir Samarkand is still relatively young. Launching a long, thin route like BEG right away could be risky unless heavily incentivised.
ReplyDeleteDo we have any idea what is the LF on Astana flights?
ReplyDeleteUnnecessary route
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone is forcing it. The two sides are just discussing it. Nothing more.
DeleteRealistically, this is about transfer passengers between Central Asia and the Balkans/Adriatic. Pure Serbia–Uzbekistan demand alone is close to zero.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely isn't close to zero. You would be surprised.
DeleteBut its not enough alone on p2p
DeleteIf it’s Adriatic, there are no less than 8 airports at the very coast and BEG wouldn’t be counted. So, it’s not Adriatic
DeleteThey should put more focus on Middle East rather than Central Asia.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteNo one is stopping any Middle Eastern carrier from coming to BEG and as far as I can see Flydubai and Qatar already serve BEG.
DeleteYou obviously can't see well enough. Air Cairo is increasing BEG and Royal Jordanian is launching AMM. So there is growing demand from MENA and JU isn't there to profit from it.
DeleteJU could be present in that market and also feed its regional network.
DeleteInstead it just feeds TK in IST.
^ you seem to believe there is fast demand between the region and central asia? What small demand there is Turkish and Pegasus cover well.
DeleteWhy are people so sceptical? It definitely isn't an easy route but it doesn't mean it would be a failure. Tbilisi turned out to be very successful, Baku will likely be the same. These routes in central Asia are simmilar.
ReplyDeleteThis is a market for Uzbekistan Airways. Travel to the east will be even easier with their wide network to India, China, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia etc. While Uzbekistan Airways can partner with Air Serbia for better access in Europe.
ReplyDeleteUzbekistan's economy is growing rapidly recently and a direct flight to Tashkent will be popular
Yes the route would work better for Uzbekistan airways than JU for sure. With smooth transfers and low prices they really make it work.
Delete