Over the coming days, an Air Serbia delegation will visit the Pratt & Whitney engine manufacturer, as well the Airbus A220 production plant in Mirabel.

Water cannon salute

As per tradition, the aircraft was welcomed with a water cannon salute before pulling into the gate.

Touchdown

Following a generally smooth flight, Air Serbia JU508 has landed at Toronto Pearson Airport in almost winter-like conditions to the applause of passengers onboard. It will proceed to the gate at Terminal 3.

Takeoff

The first flight to Toronto, set to take nine hours and thirty minutes, has departed Belgrade. The flight is expected to be calm with some occasional turbulence over the Atlantic. Today, for the first time, also saw all four of Air Serbia's wide-body aircraft parked next to each other at the gates in Belgrade, with departures to New York and Shanghai also scheduled shortly after Toronto. Updates will resume upon the aircraft's arrival in Toronto.

Boarding completed

After 34 years, the doors have closed on the first aircraft bound for Toronto from Belgrade. Among passengers on the inaugural flight is a Serbian business delegation, which will take part in B2B meetings in Canada, however, the majority of travellers are those visiting their families in Canada.

Boarding

Boarding is set to begin shortly, with the departure time scheduled for 12:30.

Ribbon cutting ceremony completed

CEO: Strong passenger demand and healthy loads

Speaking at the ceremony, Air Serbia's CEO, Jiri Marek, said, “After more than three decades, we are once again introducing a direct route between Belgrade and Toronto, which represents both a significant symbolic and strategic step for our company. Toronto is our third destination in North America, alongside New York and Chicago, further strengthening our intercontinental presence and reinforcing Belgrade’s role as an important hub connecting Europe and North America. The new route carries particular importance for the Serbian diaspora, given the large Serbian community in Toronto, while demand for a direct air link between the two cities has existed for years. This route connects not only two countries, but also families, communities and cultures. At the same time, it enables stronger business and tourism flows, while offering passengers from Canada convenient onward connections to numerous destinations across the region and Europe via Belgrade. Strong passenger demand and healthy cabin loads on the flights underline that this is a well-considered and strategically important move, which is expected to further strengthen Serbia’s connectivity with North America".

Send off ceremony

A ceremony to mark the occasion will be held at gate 13 at 11:00. The media will be addressed by Air Serbia's CEO, Jiri Marek, Canada's Ambassador to Serbia, Michelle Cameron and Serbia's Minister for Trade, Adrijana Mesarović. It will be followed by the ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by the abovementioned, as well as the Serbian Minister for Transport and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Preparations for departure

Today's flight will be operated by the A330-200 jet registered YU-ARE, which was delivered to the airline in February last year. It is currently being refuelled and preparing for departure at gate C12 at Belgrade Airport

Check-in begins

Check-in procedures for today's Toronto flight have begun at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. Six check-in desks have been dedicated specifically for the Toronto service.