Air Serbia is looking to capitalise on shifting market dynamics and ongoing consolidation within the European aviation sector, with CEO Jiri Marek indicating that recent industry developments have already enabled the carrier to accelerate network expansion and strengthen its operational position. Speaking about current market conditions, Mr Marek said Air Serbia had added two destinations this year that were not originally included in its 2026 network plans: Brač and Munich.
According to the CEO, the decision to launch services to the Croatian island of Brač was driven by changing travel patterns following the slowdown in demand for certain long-haul leisure markets traditionally served via Middle Eastern hubs. "There is a shift in demand, which traditionally went to Southeast Asia through the Middle East hubs. That demand is now looking for leisure destinations in Europe", Mr Marek said, noting that Brač had already been identified as a potential future destination but was brought forward due to evolving market conditions.
The launch of flights to Munich, meanwhile, was linked to capacity reductions and restructuring efforts within the Lufthansa Group. "Following the capacity reduction and restructuring of the Lufthansa Group, the opportunity arose to launch Munich", Mr Marek explained. He added that Air Serbia expects further opportunities to emerge as airlines across Europe continue to face financial challenges. "I will not name names, but multiple airlines have already gone bankrupt and it is always unpleasant. Unfortunately, that is the reality", Mr Marek said, adding that there is widespread expectations that additional market disruption could occur during the peak summer season.
Mr Marek suggested that further network expansion opportunities could materialise once the summer season concludes. "I see the opportunities are always there, but you have to be flexible to take them", he said. "I strongly believe there will be some opportunities on the network side, but we will see after summer how that will play out". He added that long-haul development could include another destination in China, a seasonal winter service, Miami, Seoul and Tokyo in the coming years.
Air Serbia’s CEO noted that the industry is experiencing a significant shift in aircraft availability after several years of severe capacity shortages. "There is now a lot of aircraft available on the market, which last happened during Covid", he said. Following the pandemic, aircraft availability remained constrained due to supply chain disruptions and technical issues affecting new-generation engines, which pushed lease rates higher and limited capacity across the industry. However, Mr Marek said the situation has changed markedly in recent months. "Currently, you still have 30% to 40% of wet-lease capacity unsold for the summer", he said. The airline is set to add two Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet shortly.
According to the CEO, the increased availability of aircraft and crews is benefiting Air Serbia by lowering lease costs and improving access to additional capacity. "That for us is good because it brings prices down and the secondary market for aircraft has become available", Mr Marek noted. He added that the current market environment has also expanded the pool of available flight crew. "Due to this crisis, a lot of pilots have also become available. I won't say the exact figure, but in the last six months we hired dozens of new pilots", he concluded.
Is this additional route in China they keep mentioning Beijing or something else?
ReplyDeleteBeijing would make most sense
DeleteOther than Beijing, I really don't see what other destiantion could work in China
DeleteMaybe Hong Kong or Urumqi. For cargo mainly.
DeleteWho would fly to Urumqi?
DeleteChongqing is most interesting city in China right now. Grandiose and futuristic city, real magnet for European tourists
DeleteIt is but you can't launch flights based off an instagram trend.
DeleteAnother destination in China seems much more realistic than Tokyo or Miami in the short term.
DeleteBased on an article from this site from a couple of years ago (when there were no flights to China yet) these were the busiest unserved routes in China from/to Belgrade
Delete1. Shanghai
2. Beijing
3. Guangzhou
4. Hangzhou
5. Chengdu
I have never heard of Hangzhou
DeleteYou might not have but there seems to be a lot of cooperation between Hangzhou and Serbia
Deletehttps://knsrk.gov.rs/en/serbia-ready-to-further-deepen-cooperation-with-chinese-partners/
https://en.hangzhou.com.cn/News/content/2026-05/28/content_9230337.html
Hangzhou is the capital of Zhejiang province.
DeleteMost Chinese in Serbia hail from there.
Emitrates and Qatar also serve Hangzhou, with Etihad starting next year, but no direct flights to Europe currently. It used to be served by KLM
Delete@10:41
DeleteSure, but its province has more than 30 mil people. You can count on two way touristic traffic. which you can't be sure for other Chinese cities.
I read somewhere Air Serbia is looking to add more A330 is this true?
ReplyDeleteWhere did you read that?
DeleteDoubt it
Delete@9:04 this is the link https://seenews.com/news/air-serbia-expects-rise-in-passenger-numbers-to-5-mln-in-2026-1296613
DeleteNot sure if it is a reputable source
It is not correct. He didn't say that in the RTS interview they are quoting.
DeleteHe said they are adding 2 aircraft (meaning the A320s) he didn't utter the words A330. Jounralism these days....
DeleteI think Rts translator said wrongly 330 instead of 320
DeleteLost in translation. It is A320
DeleteGot it, thanks guys!
Deletemedia also wrongly reported from this interview saying how Marek said they will add another destination in Greece, when he said they are adding Brac. But that was not the translator's fault. For some reason Tanjug wrote Greece and then everyone just copied it. lol
DeleteI remember Marek saying a while ago that if a good opportunity for 330 arrises, they would consider replacing one of the planes that is in a worst condition. Either than that - all of their long haul plans seem to be mid and long termed so it sounds way to early for them to think about expansion. But, if they get a really good offer maybe they would move their plans forward. It wouldn't be their first time
DeleteCurrent fuel prices are not the best to start new long hauls. But like @Branko says, a good opportunity to replace some of the existing A330s may arise.
DeleteWell he announced possible winter leisure destination, probably Bangkok.
DeleteAlso, Miami, Tokyo, Seoul we will probably see next year as a charters first.
If they chase out Wizz they will certainly have a lot more opportunities....
ReplyDeleteOh please, lets not pretend Wizzair is a good and cheap airline. Im not flying it for years cause I can’t risk my flight being canceled and price to Cyprus was always higher than with Air Serbia.
DeleteI have flown Wizz in the last ten years a considerable number of times, and have never suffered a cancelation from BGD. And also, prices have always been lower than AS.
DeleteThe code for Belgrade is BEG not BGD and the code for Air Serbia is JU not AS.
Delete@ anon 10:18
DeleteI wouldn't agree that Wizz prices are always lower than JU. Most are, some aren't. There's also a JU promotional week in February with really great prices. Consider the better departure/arrival times (not in the middle of the night) to tourist destinations that JU has. Ultimately, JU and Wizz are both great choices for travelers from/to BEG.
Market conditions allows them to add 4 A321s, lol.
ReplyDeleteIf they push through with the base closure, I hope Wizz Air floods the market with capacity and chases them away.
Delete^ Yeah, does not look like they will based on their performance yesterday.
DeleteWhat gave you that impression? They said they will reduce their flying because not all routes can be operated as a W pattern (ALC, MAD...).
DeleteWizz Air did not specify which routes or operations would be affected, stating only that it would significantly scale back its presence if the base were to close.
DeleteBut @ampm 9.40 knows what they said lol
DeleteThat's a cool photo
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteYes, unusual angle
DeleteBravo Air Serbia🇷🇸🇷🇸🇷🇸
ReplyDeleteMake the government close W6 base so that their aircrews will be available for hire at lower salaries and benefits.
ReplyDeleteAnd also treat your own aircrews worse because they won't have a domestic base alternative to move to.
Welcome back to the 1990s! 🤪
Wizz is not letting crew go when they close the base, so no, this is NOT true.
DeleteBut since 20 days ago your agenda was that JU hasn't enough crews and that flights were canceled due to pilot shortages. Only in your imagination
DeleteIf they had enough pilots and crew they wouldn't have to get so many wetleases.
DeleteThey have already explained why the wet leases are useful for them at this stage. You are running out of arguments and you have had a busy morning fabricating passenger numbers below. Take a break.
DeleteWizz Air will not close its base in BEG. They are vulnerable right now for a number of reasons and everyone in the industry knows it. This is simply the perfect moment to put pressure on them in BEG, and that is exactly what the Serbian side is doing. Eventually, some kind of deal will be reached.
DeleteRooting for wizz!
Delete@Anonymous 09:25
DeleteNo, they tell their aircrews to move their family to a different country where they have a base.
For some getting fired and receiving severance would be better.
It's a part of the risk of working at Wizz Air. They have so far in their history closed 10 bases.
DeleteHow many passengers did JU carry so far in 2026?
ReplyDeleteThey are reporting quarterly results so you will get the next information next month.
Delete"The Serbian carrier handled 813.188 passengers between January and March, representing a 3.1% increase on 2025 figures"
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2026/04/air-serbia-delivers-record-q1-figures.html
I'm interested to see how Brac will perform.
ReplyDeletebrac was released only 3 months before the first flight,
Deleteand has relatively high prices..., I believe that the high price can affect the reduced demand...
or are the planes well full if the price of a one-way flight is 280 euros.
^ In translation "I have no clue but I would love to put as much of a negative spin as possible and would be happiest if the plane is empty". Insert "....." to look smart.
Delete^ a helpful comment indeed. Passive agression is provincial. Hopefully the route does do well.
DeleteYou are giddy with excitement that the route fails. That's the only provincial thing here.
Deleteno that's not true
Deleteand it's tragic if you think like that..
I'm just honestly saying that with extra high prices, the demand may be less...
for example, the price for the first flight until yesterday was 280 euros.
today it was reduced to 100 euros for tomorrow's flight...
while other destinations in Croatia had low prices until recently, and now their prices have been increased...
I'm just saying that maybe the route for Brac should have gone like that, like other destinations in Croatia, as far as the price is concerned...
I personally believe in the success of the route, and I personally bought several tickets on the mentioned line this summer...
so your comment is totally stupid...
Good strategy. Expand when others are retreating. That's exactly how smaller carriers can gain market share.
ReplyDeleteImagine how much they will be able to expand when Wizz Air leaves...
DeleteSo many added destinations , well over 90 with an average fleet of 36 airplanes winter and summer and yet they are struggling to reach 5 million passengers . For sure they are not gonna make it this year . While Sky express with just 27 european destinations and 29 airplanes they carried 5,5 millions in 2025 . Are they telling the truth about high load factors ?
ReplyDeleteSkyExpress offered 7.094.418 seats on scheduled services in 2025, excluding its sizeable charter operation. In comparison, Air Serbia offered 5.623.702 seats. Fleet size and network breadth alone are not the most meaningful metrics when comparing airlines. Capacity and flight volumes provide a clearer picture of operational scale. SkyExpress operates significantly more frequencies on considerably shorter sectors, which is reflected in the airlines' Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs). Despite offering more seats overall, SkyExpress generated 5.84 billion ASKs in 2025, compared with Air Serbia's 7.58 billion, which indicates its average sector length is substantially shorter.
DeleteWhy is MUC downgraded to ATR today
ReplyDeleteOperational reasons
DeleteNot enough jet aircraft capacity?
DeleteFlexibility is a sign of good business
DeleteFlexibility is the new marketing term for not enough demand for an Airbus?
DeleteIn management speak yep
DeleteLOL, so true!
DeleteYes, they are failing on the route! If that makes you happy, now go and celebrate! 🤮
Delete@12.21 They never shceduled an Airbus on this route. Shows how much you know.
DeleteI wonder why the ticket price on empty plane is 231€ (for the evening flight today)
DeleteCluj and Delhi and Addis fanboy has yet to enter the chat...
ReplyDeleteWhat about Cairo ?
DeleteSerbian PM said this week that regular flight between two capitals will open soon
^ A coupe of years ago the president himself had said that.
DeleteAnd usually tells it every time he visits a country that doesn't have a direct link to BEG.
Politicians and their promises...
Don't forget the Lagos :))
Delete16:09 Lagos make sense as stop over to South Africa, wouldn't be surprised if that happens
Delete16:09 If You meant Luanda, Angola, that also work as stop over 😜
Delete@16:44 good one lol
DeleteActually the president recently said they are working on flights to Luanda :D
Deletehttps://www.verangola.net/va/en/062026/Politics/49077/Serbia-wants-direct-flights-with-Angola-to-improve-business-connectivity.htm
Getting ready to take over Wizz Air first wave slots at BEG after they successfully push them out with the help of their dog on the leash (DCV).
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia has already started approaching (under the radar) Wizz Air pilots from BEG base, which is funny because up until recently this is exactly what Wizz Air was doing to Air Serbia pilots.
DeleteLets hope wizzair expand and give JU a real run for its money.
DeleteHope all you want, it doesn't look EU will side with Wizz. Wizz doesn't even bring most of the tourists to Serbia. Most tourists come from Turkey, other Ex Yu countries, Russia, China, Israel etc. None of them are served by Wizz from Belgrade, so let's get in touch with reality first.
DeleteThe biggest opportunity for them right now would be the bankruptcy of Tarom. They need to be ready for that 100%.
ReplyDeleteI think TAROM is definitely in its last stages of clinical life. Let's see what next winter will bring.
DeleteTarom is already negligible.
DeleteEven if it disappeared no body would have noticed.
Romanian market is covered by LHG and LCCs.
Speaking of TAROM, I found this interview from around two months ago. I find it funny how the CEO says they want to be the Balkan hub and how they will stregthen destinations like Belgrade. But they just suspended BEG for months lol. Not to mention he says that almost all their routes are unprofitable and that they currently have no value from being in Sky Team. Interesting read nontheless, not sure it reflects reality.
Deletehttps://www.voyages-d-affaires.com/en/bogdan-costas-pdg-tarom-interview
Tarom and JU have almost no overlap.
Delete@16.11 the claims made in that interview are pure dreams.
DeleteI don't buy that Alicante was planned for this year. I think they just launched it to go against Wizz.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean? Air Serbia announced it in January. Wizz was flying on this route for six months already by that point and almost a year had passend since Wizz Air announced the route. So I don't think they just randomly made a last minute decision to add it.
DeleteIt was Wizz announcing more lines AFTER Air Serbia announced them first, at least in the past couple of years.
DeleteThere goes another toxic thread of yours...
DeleteMiami, Seoul and Tokyo all sound exciting, but Air Serbia should focus on strengthening its existing long-haul network before adding more destinations.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely.
DeleteSeoul and tokyo are just dreams for now. So yeah making their already nice network stronger is a good path
DeleteI'm guessing next long haul will be Bangkok winter seasonal, then Chinese destination, then Miami and after that Seoul and Tokyo.
Delete