Air Serbia marked the first decade of operations between Belgrade and New York this week, during which the carrier handled more than 700.000 passengers. According to the United States Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the airline welcomed 660.234 travellers on the route between June 2016 and December 2025, with a further 11.144 passengers during the first quarter of this year. The carrier continues to carry a predominantly point-to-point passenger base between Serbia and New York, although it also generates a sizeable volume of transfer traffic. Among connecting markets, Podgorica is the airline's largest city pair to and from New York, followed by the likes of Tirana, Skopje, Moscow, Tivat, Athens, Thessaloniki, Zagreb and Ljubljana.
The airline marked the tenth anniversary of the route with an event in New York. “Ten years ago, we opened the door to a direct connection between Serbia and the United States, and today this route represents an important pillar of our international operations. The continued development of the service and stable demand demonstrate its significance both for our passengers and for our airline”, George Petković, Air Serbia's Vice President for the Americas, said. The launch of flights between Belgrade and New York marked the resumption of nonstop air services between the two cities after a hiatus of more than 24 years.
Air Serbia noted that New York has been “one of the most popular destinations in the national carrier’s network”. It added, “The route’s development has been further supported by the expansion of the long-haul fleet with Airbus A330-200 aircraft, as well as partnerships that provide passengers with onward connections to numerous destinations across the United States. In addition to New York, Air Serbia launched direct flights to Chicago in 2023 and further expanded its North American network this year with the introduction of services to Toronto”.
The carrier boasts an extensive codeshare partnership with JetBlue Airways and an interline agreement with American Airlines. Booking data shows that passengers travelling with Air Serbia and connecting beyond New York most frequently continued their journeys to and from Cleveland. Air Serbia is also set to become among the first airlines to relocate to the new Terminal One at JFK Airport, which is expected to open by the end of the year. The airline has also indicated it is considering launching a third destination in the United States, with Miami emerging as the leading candidate.
It's a shame they couldn't boost frequencies this year. I think more than daily flights are doable in July and August
ReplyDeleteBut it is not. Not any more. Demand to USA is weakening for years now
Delete^ if you bothered to only look at the table in the text, you would realize that what you are writing is not true.
DeleteWell if YOU bothered to read the table then you would know that they still haven't reached their 2023 numbers so it's not logical to have more frequencies than they had back then.
DeleteAlso in 2026 demand from the US is softer than the previous years.
They had fewer flights in 2024 and they also launched flights to Chicago which may impact numbers on New York route.
DeleteI don't think Chicago really affected their JFK operations. First B6 is extremely weak in ORD and connections from JU are very limited. Second, with AA they have an interline so connections via JFK are not as competitive as the options offered by LH, AF, KL... from BEG.
DeleteWell, you can think whatever you like. Still they have same JFK frequencies despite more than enough capacity available. And that tells a lot, to someone who knows to read
DeleteAnd you think having more aircraft is the only defining factor in increasing some route? Have you maybe thought about slot availability, staffing levels, costs etc.
DeleteOut of those mentioned, only slot availability is real constraint.
DeleteAll the rest can be overcome in case of demand.
Slots are not an issue at JFK
DeleteJetBlue is on apararima, expect slots available for small foreign carriers at JFK
DeleteI only read the comments on this blog, it's quite entertaining 😅
DeleteYou just proved opposite, which is even more entertaining 🤣
DeleteSlots not issue at JFK? OK, good to know
Delete@ anon 09:22
DeleteHell yeah, they had 35 fewer passengers in 2025 compared to 2023. Huge.
Congratulations to Air Serbia. Ten years ago many people said the route wouldn't survive.
ReplyDeleteAnaliticar said it would not last. It did, and this route became iconic example of airline's success. Congrats Air Serbia!
DeleteI still remember a chorus of people saying the first A330 won't arrive and that they will cancel New York within the year. Many of them are still writing comments, now saying how frequencies and passenger numbers are no good lol.
DeleteAir Serbia definitely found a niche in the market...seems they are very good at this since they have been serving jfk for many years now
DeleteCleveland being the biggest onward destination surprised me. I would have expected Los Angeles
ReplyDeleteCleveland makes sense because no one but JU offers one stop connections to BEG.
DeleteLAX is very well connected from BEG by well established airlines like Lufthansa.
JAT Yugoslav Airlines was the only european Airlines with scheduled traffic between Cleveland and Europe during yugo times. Very big Slovenian ans Croatian communities there, and significant communities from all other ex-yu countries. So this info on CLE as the first transfer destination is no surprise for me
DeleteIn the 80s, JAT flight to Chicago, I believe, stopped at Cleveland
DeleteAt the beginning, when CLE was just introduced, it started as BEG-CLE-ORD, in winter. Already next summer, it was separated, and it was BEG-ZAG-ORD, 2 weekly, and BEG-ZAG-CLE/DTW, weekly. Then, in winter it returned to BEG-CLE-ORD, and next summer again it was 2 weekly BEG-ZAG-ORD and weekly BEG-ZAG-CLE/DTW, with another weekly frequency added BEG-LJU-CLE/DTW. Later, BEG-ORD-LAX complemented 2 weekly BEG-ZAG-ORD, and another BEG-DBV-ORD was added, while BEG-LJU-CLE/DTW remained and BEG-ZAG-CLE/DTW was switched to BEG-ZAG-CLE/PIT
DeleteSeems that Croatia and Slovenia had a lot more long haul flights back then.
DeleteThe biggest success is that they managed to keep the service through Covid, when many airlines cut long-haul routes.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the biggest sucsess is that they managed to have almost no operational issues for 5 years while flying with a single A330.
Delete^ true
DeleteThey used substitute, stop repeating Analiticar's "knowledge".
DeleteWell actually they saw a boost during covid. From schengen country you could not enter the US if you first didn't spend 2 weeks somewhere that was considered "safe". Serbia was one of those countries and many people actually spent 2 weeks in Serbia and then used JU to go to the US (since you were not allowed to transfer via a Schengen country either).
DeleteThis route actually became profitable during Covid, according to the CEO.
DeleteI wonder how much transfer traffic has grown over the years. It seems Air Serbia has built a decent Balkan hub around the New York flights.
ReplyDeleteThe article say predominatlty point to point but with healthy transfer levels from key regional destinations.
DeleteThe next challenge should be increasing frequencies. During the summer there are weeks when flights are completely full. I looked at flights in July and August a month ago and many flights were already sold out.
ReplyDeleteDaily isn't always enough in the summer.
DeleteI mean, at that point delay travel or go with a connection with another airline or fly private jet
DeleteWith 66% LF (according to DoT), it's not that impressive.
ReplyDeleteThe airline did not have a 66% load factor according to DoT, if you are reffering to 2025.
DeleteWhat was it?
Delete78.3%.
DeleteOd 01 marta 2025 do 28 februara 2026 je popunjenost 67%. Sumnjam da DoT laze.
DeleteAdmin, what was LF per year since launching?
DeleteBetween March 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, the load factor stood at 72.2%. However, these figures should be interpreted with some caution. The US Department of Transportation regularly revises previously published data, sometimes for up to three months after its initial release. Furthermore, the database is not without errors. For example, despite being informed otherwise, the US DoT still does not recognise Air Serbia's Belgrade - Chicago service and continues to report that no flights operate between the two cities. As a result, the most accurate traffic figures are ultimately those published by the airline itself.
DeleteSad how some people are bending over backwards to prove somehow how this route is unsuccessful. The important metric is profitability and load factor often is not linked to it.
DeleteChicago and Toronto were logical additions. If Miami happens, Air Serbia will have built quite a respectable North American network for an airline of its size.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! After that LAX should follow
DeleteMiami sounds exciting, but I'd rather see Los Angeles first. Southern California also has a sizeable Serbian community.
DeleteRespectable network but pathetic number of frequencies.
DeleteIts been litigated many times why Los Angeles is unlikely.
DeleteAnd JU does not have a plane capable of flying (without restrictions) to the West Coast. Doesn't make sense to procure a plane just for that service.
DeleteNonsense. A330/200 with typical load has a range of 13,500km, while distance between two airports is less than 10.500 km, which is more than enough
DeleteAlthough as has been stated many times this is a route JU would struggle ever to make profitable.
DeleteAircraft performance features and technical characteristics is one thing, profitability completsly other story and the two shouldn't be mixed up
DeleteWe are not talking about profitability, but technical constraints that some people or probably one person keeps repeating all the time. Profitability depends on ticket prices, LF, cargo and expenses, of course. All long haul routes struggle to keep profitability, especially during winter time table. Nothing new
DeleteExactly my point. A330-200 in JU configuration is capable of operating BEG-LAX. Would it be profitable, is the other story
DeleteI think New York is now an essential part of Air Serbia's network. It would be difficult to imagine the airline without it.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know how HiSky services are (if they are) impacting the load factor?
ReplyDeleteWhy would they? Its a shoddy operation btw.
DeleteDidn't they discontinue New York? In any case Bucharest does not appear in the top transfer markets for Air Serbia's US flights.
DeleteI believe they still operate. However as frequent flyer in Romania i have had lots of issues. Their website is also glitchy and i wouldnt use them to NY for love nor money.
DeleteLast summer, I flown with them for the first time, I usually take ZAG-BEG-JFK, but at that time the price was twice lower so I did ZAG-BEG-OTP-JFK, the flight was 30-40% full so not sure why they were even flying it
DeleteWould make a nice TR mate :)
DeleteCongratulations Air Serbia on the tenth anniversary of flying to New York!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely should JU give a try of doing 9 or 10 weekly flights to JFK next summer.
ReplyDeleteShould be mentioned that they carry a lot of cargo on this route too.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAnyone know when this move to new T1 is expected?
ReplyDeleteCurrent opening date is November. It was supposed to be ready for the World Cup so who knows really
DeleteThanks
DeleteI hope the move to the new JFK terminal also means a better lounge experience for Air Serbia passengers.
DeleteOne question noone is addressing: is JU planing to change their flight schedules to JFK? When they introduced them, they had one plane only - so they split the schedule to avoid delays/disruptions --> if the plane gets delayed in the first half of the week, the split schedule prevented the delays from accumulating till the end of the week.
ReplyDeleteNow, with 4 planes, they can consolidate the schedules (+ potentially introduce additional frequencies, as was hinted by the CEO last year).
Its a pity connections from the Croatian coast to NY are not easier. That would be a natural market i would assume. But they cant do everything. Great that a Balkan airline has managed to profitably do this given the big boys over the Atlantic.
DeleteIt's not about the aircraft. It's about available slots at one of the world's most congested airports
Deletewhy are their return ticket prices for Brac in the light tariff 570 euros?
ReplyDeleteBecause the flights are full.
DeleteFlights to Split are also very very expensive in July. Just another reason why OU is so dam useless. There should be competition on that route.
DeleteAre the flights to Brac really that full? How come they don't extend the season until at least the end of 9 months?
Deletemaybe next year there will be additional flights and they will depart earlier?
No it's all made up and the passengers are paid actors. You should know by now that no Air Serbia route is sucsesfull. It's impossible that Air Serbia has a high load factor on any route and all its figures are fabricated. Hope you feel better now.
DeleteI like how people think any route can just be extended without issue and that there are no other factors impacting if a route can be extended from fleet, to staffing levels to the question of if there is demand past mid September. Some route can be full in July and August and empty in second half of September. They are adding 10 new routes this year. 10. They can't do everything.
DeletePrices are expensive because tour operators have bought out much of the planes.
DeleteI heard that tour operators do not have reserved seats on the route to Brac this year.
DeleteDo you know any tour operators who have reserved seats on that flight? If so, which tour operator offers arrangements for Brac, I would like to see the offer..
Well what you heard is not true. I saw an ad this morning for BWK.
Deletehttps://forzatravel.rs/mesto/dalmacija-brac
Clearly the prices reflect something of the sort. There is little way supply and demand could achieve that normally, with all due respect to both Serbia and Croatia. Aint worth that much to fly that route lol
DeleteAirline tickets are expensive and prices are high. Prices can't be expensive, only products/services can be.
DeleteI dont understand that comment
DeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteThe real achievement isn't just the passenger number but maintaining the route continuously for ten years despite all the challenges
DeleteI'd be interested to know how much cargo this route has carried over the past decade. That's an important part of the business too.
ReplyDeleteThe success of New York proves that small hub airlines can compete on long-haul routes if they build the right network around them.
ReplyDeleteYou are totally wrong. Ask Jasmin, he knows better, Minken and Vrankvurt for peanuts is the way to go!!!! (Initially I planned to put crying smiles here, but it's too sad situation for it.....
DeleteNext milestone: one million passengers. At the current pace, that shouldn't be too far away.
ReplyDeleteBased on those figures and growth rate post pandemic that will be achieved during 2029.
DeleteThey still lack partnerships beyond New York compared to larger European airlines.
ReplyDeleteThey have codeshare with JetBlue and interline with American Airlines and Westjet. Reasonable and functional for three destinations in North America.
DeleteCongratulations. I'd still like to see Wi-Fi introduced and a cabin refresh on the A330 fleet before further expansion. It's the 21st century and ticket on this route are not cheap.
ReplyDeleteCustomers are asking for non-stop flights and prices reflect demand for that convenience. No doubt everyone (except analiticar) would like to see Air Serbia widebody cabins with suites and privacy doors, 4K screens and Starlink, but not at the cost of making transatlantic operations unprofitable. We have all seen examples of airlines ordering newest planes and cabins, resulting in airlines buckle under the burden of high cost of such investments.
DeleteI have been flying this route almost every year since its' inception and I can honestly say that it has been a godsend because transferring through Western European countries is a hassle.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Air Serbia. Looking forward to Miami!
+1
DeleteIdemo dalje...
ReplyDelete