Air Serbia plans to launch all nine of its new routes this year, despite global uncertainty and rising fuel prices. The carrier also intends to introduce several new product enhancements aimed at improving the overall customer experience. Speaking to the media recently, Air Serbia’s General Manager, Commercial and Strategy, Boško Rupić, said, “Our plans for the launch of new routes remain unchanged. Bookings for these destinations continue to perform well, and we do not currently see any cause for concern. As such, we do not expect any significant changes in demand. At the same time, we are in ongoing contact with tour operators regarding leisure operations from the Serbian market. We are closely monitoring booking trends to assess whether adjustments to certain charter flights may be required. Should the need arise, any changes will be made in coordination with our partners. However, at this stage, no major adjustments are anticipated”.
Commenting on the airline’s upcoming new routes, Mr Rupić noted, “Within our three- to five-year strategy, we are placing a strong focus on the Caucasus region. Last year, we launched Tbilisi with three weekly flights, and this year we are increasing frequencies to four per week. The level of demand has exceeded our initial expectations, confirming that this was the right decision”. He added, “Baku represents our next step in expanding our presence in the region. Azerbaijan is an important country from both a geopolitical and energy perspective, and it is also gaining prominence as a tourism destination. We have already held discussions with tour operators, who view it as a strong new opportunity to develop and promote travel demand”.
Mr Rupić confirmed that Air Serbia will operate its upcoming seasonal service between Belgrade and Toronto over its initially planned four-month period, from May 23 to September 26. In December 2025, the carrier said it would decide by May 2026 whether to extend the service beyond September. “It will be a seasonal summer route, allowing us to gauge market demand and monitor how it develops. We will also explore the possibility of extending operations next year to include the Easter period [falling between late March and early May in 2027 across the two calendars]. We are confident that this year will be very successful, particularly given the added demand generated by the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins this June”, Mr Rupić said.
The Serbian carrier will launch its seventh route to Croatia this summer with the introduction of flights to Brač. Its General Manager, Commercial and Strategy said, “A large number of passengers travel with us to Split, but on Saturdays, for example, we are unable to secure slots at Split Airport due to heavy congestion. As a result, we decided to explore Brač, as many travellers were previously flying into Split and then continuing onwards to the island via Jadrolinija ferries”.
Air Serbia has recently reinstated self-check-in at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport after several years, with the new system offering passengers more check-in options than before. In addition, the airline has expanded its onboard duty-free offering this week to include all routes longer than one and a half hours, having previously limited the service to select flights. Mr Rupić noted that the airline plans to launch its stand-alone frequent flyer programme in early June and aims to open its new Premium Lounge at Belgrade Airport by the end of the year. The facility will be more than double the size of the existing lounge. As previously reported by EX-YU Aviation News, construction has been delayed due to permitting issues at the airport, which have also affected the opening of several retail and food and beverage outlets. Mr Rupić added that the airline is also planning to refresh its catering on flights to China, introducing more locally inspired flavours tailored to Chinese passengers.
Considering what was said about Caucuses, Yerevan must be next on the list. Maybe next year?
ReplyDeleteBaku will be a tougher to sell than Tbilisi.
DeleteArmenia is quite poor, their (more recent) diaspora is almost all in Russia hence no demand to Western destinations for which they'd transit in Belgrade. Finally, while people, food and landscapes are great, it's miles behind in tourism behind Georgia hence not much inbound tourism
DeleteBaku makes sense geopolitically but tourism wise it’s still developing.
DeleteBaku will do well
DeleteBaku will depend heavily on pricing stimulation. Without aggressive fares, I don’t see strong point-to-point demand from Belgrade.
DeleteOnly Russians will be enough
DeleteIf Tbilisi exceeded expectations, it suggests there is untapped demand in secondary Eastern markets.
DeleteTbilisi performing well shows that smaller, less obvious destinations can deliver strong results if timed right.
DeleteYerevan will be handling huge demand to/from Iran in the short to medium term.
Delete@09:06 - Armenia would be a hit with Serbian tourists. An Eastern and more traditional version of Serbia itself. Armenia has a huge diaspora in France and Greece, Germany, America. So stop talking nonsense.
DeleteActually Armenian per capita GDP is higher than Azerbaijan's.
DeleteAND it has a lot of diaspora in the US, could provide nice feed to the network.
I'm sure EVN will be in the next round of expansion in 2027.
DeleteAir Serbia's network today, with few exceptions, is a copy of what i was posting here in 2014 and often being called crazy and 'megalomaniac'.
DeleteThe notable differences are:
- Complete absence from the Middle East
- Huge presence in Croatia
- Presence in Spain larger than expected (back then proposed only BCN, MAD, MLG)
- Absence in LWO, ODS due to war in Ukraine
- Still complete absence in secondary Romanian airports for reasons i don't understand (in the meanwhile HUGE emphasis on Croatia)
- Absence in Chisinau, Kosice, Lublin
- Flights to Tromso
- I repeatedly wrote about establishing regional lines to Italy with ATR
- No cooperation established with Ethiopian or any other African carrier
- No proper cargo division (was supposed to get converted from Aviolet)
- No flights to EVN and MRV otherwise Caucasus covered
Aэrologic
Delete+1
@13:23
DeleteAgree, they should really look into expanding into Romania. Cluj is a destination that should be considered. Growing travel and trade between the countries and potential for transfers.
You make some good points, but easier said than done. Every time JU makes progress to Africa or the Middle East the EU steps in and threatens to cut visa free travel. There is huge potential for cargo but JU is really poor at promoting (and running) this part of the business.
DeleteThat is why they should have used a dedicated entity.
DeleteBUD has managed to suck in 80% of the cargo going to the region, just look at Flight radar at night and you;ll get sick.
@17:28
DeleteEU countries have hundreds of weekly flights to the Middle East and Africa. Serbia doesn't have visa free regime with most of MENA countries, except Israel. I don't see how would that concern or affect the EU in any single way, unless it's dirty competition.
@17:28 - you guessed right - it's dirty competition. Legacy carriers lobby Berlin/Paris etc to put pressure on Belgrade (and even Zagreb) to back off. JU and OS (and Adria/Montenegro) had wide open doors based upon their excellent ties with the non-aligned movement. Those markets are worth a lot of money/market share and it only takes a few phone calls from the legacy carriers to ensure that they keep the Ex-Yu carriers at bay. I know it sounds awful, but it is a bitter reality of how the EU does business.
DeleteOh Cluj fans entered the chat.
Delete@18:00 well said hahah
Delete@17:28 what rubbish mate
DeleteA four month seasonal window for Toronto is quite short to properly assess demand. They’ll need strong loads from day one.
ReplyDeleteWell they are operating during the 4 strongest months of the year.
DeleteThe promotion of the YYZ direct flights has been very poor. Other than social media posts, there is very little that JU has done to promote this flight. I heard of diaspora groups in Canada that reached offering spots for JU to sponsor/promo at their events but JU turned them down.
DeleteBetter marketing effort and promotion would help. Reverse phone search for number 416-920-4222 Air Serbia listed as Toronto contact in Elevate magazine returns either Jat Airways or Yugoslav Airlines depending on a website used. Time to move on 34 years later.
DeleteThe product improvements sound long overdue. Self check-in and expanded duty free are basic things most airlines already have.
ReplyDeleteI actually think the World Cup effect is being overstated here. Serbia isn’t even participating, so I’m not sure how much spillover demand they can realistically expect.
ReplyDeleteConnecting flights surely will work. Bosnia and Croatia then connecting through BEG
DeleteExactly. There will be increased feed from connecting flights.
DeleteExactly. There will be increased feed from connecting flights.
DeleteBravo Luca Modric!
DeleteGood to see them adapting catering for Chinese routes. Small details like that can make a big difference in long-haul markets.
ReplyDeleteThat's great news for everyone..Catering on chinese routes, european or chinese dishes doesn't matter, was really bad..This doesn',t cost too much money, but can make a big difference in overall experience of passenger onboard..
Delete
DeleteAnonymous13:09 They do not have an incentive to actually improve, China Southern for example has the most mid catering imaginable. So if load factors are good for JU and people are using the line frequently they are there for the convenience of a direct flight not what they will eat on it.
DeleteAnonymous13:09 They do not have an incentive to actually improve, China Southern for example has the most mid catering imaginable. So if load factors are good for JU and people are using the line frequently they are there for the convenience of a direct flight not what they will eat on it.
I have a genuine question. How will the World Cup generate extra demand if Serbia isn't playing
ReplyDeleteAre we still acting like AirSerbia only serves Serbian pax?
DeleteBecause Air Serbia flies to over 90 European destinations and has built up a hub system in Balgrade where flights connect to one another and feed each other.
DeleteTransfer passengers.
DeleteWell it might some some uplift but lets be real its going to be that dramatic an increase given the vast competition JU faces from the big boys over the Atlantic.
DeleteYou asked a good question and since we are all experts 😉 it just will. Trbas malo mislit pa ce sve kliknit
DeleteBravo Air Serbia 🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDeleteFrequent flyer programme is overdue. The current setup is not competitive, especially for business travellers.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAnd they keep delaying it every couple of months. Still no word on who the partner banks will be for cobranded credit cards, which is why I'm delaying applying for a new one myself. Complete disaster when it comes to FF.
DeleteLaunching Toronto seasonally is sensible. Year-round would have been too big a gamble in the current environment.
ReplyDeleteWith connections to Greece, Albania, Israel and especially Lebanon it would have worked great. Much better than ORD.
DeleteBrač could end up being one of their smarter niche routes if marketed correctly. Direct island access is always attractive.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the realistic lf for the first year of flying to Bwk?
DeleteI'm looking at flights in the night wave. Thursday to Friday only LCA, ATH and IST. Ok, there's also CAN. Friday to Saturday goes without OTP, TIA and SKP.
ReplyDeleteIt was reported last week. Go and read the article.
DeleteInteresting to see such a strong commitment to expansion in the current climate. Many airlines are scaling back, while they seem to be doing the opposite.
ReplyDeleteIf fuel prices continue rising, it will be challenging to maintain margins across such an expanded network.
DeleteTrue. The overall strategy feels ambitious but also somewhat exposed to external shocks.
Delete^ All airlines are exposed to external shocks. What are you on about?
DeleteThe improvements on the ground and onboard are welcome, although most of these are things passengers already expect in 2026.
ReplyDeleteThey also expect inflight Wi-Fi in 2026.
DeleteThey had it and no one used it. It's nice to cry about certain things but if 90% of your passenger structure would never pay 10 euros to connect onto the internet during what is an average of 2 hours flight time on 90% of your network then there is really no point to waste money.
DeleteHe know that very well, he's just trying his trolling on every thread, unsuccessful of course. Same clown with FF program, stale sandwiches, lacking crews, business lounge etc.
DeleteI agree that wifi is not necessary on the narrow body fleet but they really should introduce it on the 4 A330s. It would definitely help elevate the passenger experience and I'm sure that more people would be willing to pay for it on such long flights. I also don't think the cost would be so huge to upkeep it on 4 planes.
Delete@11:39 the cost to install isnt cheap and those birds are not in the first flush of youth further making it a poor investment. I dont think it would pay off for JU at all.
DeleteIf something was not used in 2016, it doesn’t mean is would not be used in 2026.
DeleteLong haul fleet is now significantly bigger than back then and JU should really improve its product when it comes to these planes.
Free access to inflight Wi-Fi for the members of the new FF program will be a strong selling point for it.
DeleteIt will also make JU a much more desirable choice for the type of passengers in our region who are currently flying through an LHG hub.
Just my2cents
I dont think i flight wifi will attract passengers in any great number. Price bre, its all about price.
DeleteThere is a large portion out there that's not chasing the lowest fare
DeleteGood news
ReplyDeleteHope that Chicago will not get same fate as Toronto for next winter season
ReplyDeleteToronto was announced as seasonal from the very beginning. And the airline said multiple times it is highly seasonal and demand unidirectional.
DeleteIt won't
DeletePostponing Frequent Flyer is not okay. Air Serbia should then allow passengers to retroactively enter flown flights info from now on, once FF app is launched. Simple gesture to show respect for passengers.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia is already using FF program.
DeleteWhy should it let you retroactively add flights when you can use those flights to get points on their existing FF program shared with Etihad?
DeleteThere is no guarantee current Etihad miles will be automatically rolled over to future Air Serbia FF miles.
DeleteStart points/miles accrual now or May 1. Once FF app is ready, enter boarding passes flown since May 1 and recognize status, allow redemption etc. Passengers are not at fault for FF delays.
DeleteBut why? They have an existing FF program. In any case, FF programs usually allow you to credit flights taken in the past 6 months.
DeleteUsually, but no commitment from Air Serbia.
DeleteGood luck for the summer.
ReplyDeleteI still find it pretty impressive that they are launching 9 new routes! That's a lot.
ReplyDeleteThere will likely be 1 or 2 more this year.
DeleteSuch as?
DeleteSuch as Ibiza soon and Miami in the end of this year, or maybe Beijing.
Delete^Such as the 9 new routes they are launching this year that seem unsatisfactory to you. Airlines that don't react and adapt to changing market conditions become OU.
Delete^Such as the 9 new routes they are launching this year that seem unsatisfactory to you. Airlines that don't react and adapt to changing market conditions become OU.
Delete^ Im surprised Cluj guy hasnt commented yet
DeleteMaybe MUC!
DeleteGood. I saw yesterday that they painted that white E195 they had in the fleet. It's in full JU livery now.
ReplyDeleteYes! YU-ATC
DeleteVery nice.
DeleteStrange still no sign of new A320s, although summer schedule started. Not even MSN numbers for now.
Delete^ It was already written they will arrive this month but won't be in service until June.
DeleteI'm actually very interested to see how Tromso performs this year. It's such a niche route. The real question is will tour operators be able to sell it.
ReplyDeleteNot convinced it will work out but hoping for the best.
DeleteAgreed. This seems very bold. If it works good on them. If not, well its a good try at a really 'exotic' destination
DeleteWhat happened to the loyalty program
ReplyDeleteand co branded card?
Reading the article would be a good start.
DeleteInteresting strategy by AirSERBIA, but it is one of the few that works only or mainly on profitable routes.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t seen the A319 fly to Niš more than 5 times in the past year.
With Croatia Airlines, however, they fly to Split with the A319. If they had the option, they would most likely also fly with a larger aircraft. (The goal of the comparison is also profitability, correct use of aircraft, and more)
Idemo dalje...
ReplyDeleteSa odlaganjima FF programa?
DeleteOpsano smaras. FF program postoji, a ti ga prvi ne koristis
DeleteJel najavljen novi FF ili nije?
DeleteJel odložen već 2. ili 3. put?
Šta je onda sporno?