Pupin was fixed and now is fine. There were trip reports saying that

The product is outdated. Compare it to China Southern.

@15:18

Not entirely. There is only so much that can be done with that cabin. The fact is the product is underwhelming, especially when compared to what the competition provides.

A major issue is that Chinese people from China, especially tourists going on holiday with tour operators, which is what most do in China, prefer to fly with Chibeee airlines.

@13:50 It's okay to call cabin outdated, but describing it as falling apart is malicious and deceiving.

@15:48 A fair amount of tape is being used to hold things into place...

Cabin in Pupin is now fixed, its ok,I flew in May and all screens were working, also seats are fixed and better..The biggest problem is horrible meal, and service from crew is not on good level..They tend to treat chinese passengers in not so nice manor..Also toilets were dirty, that needs to be addressed on such a long flight..They need to improve food much much more, because China Southern food is like Sheraton comparing to JU..Also they need to give more training to crew how to be more polite with pax..

This was done because of the competition recently

https://www.exyuaviation.com/2026/06/air-serbia-upgrades-china-route-catering.html?m=1

The cabin may be fixed but the reputational damage is done

It's a positive step forward in improving the product but they're very late in making that step.

If things aren't turned around relatively quickly I see JU next summer with no flights whatsoever to CAN.
Maybe they would have more success launching PEK.

@18:52 CaN is full during autumn, winter and spring months, summer is their low season...I don't see why JU would cut CAN...mayble drop it to 1 during summer, but during later winter and spring they can increase it even up to 3x

CAN is not full outside the summer months it's problematic because of China Southern. What happened to the codeshare Marek announced? Is CZ selling JU flights to CAN?

BTW they maybe fixed the screens but the interface is outdated.

@19:33 Its pretty full, I fly throughout the year on that route, with China Southern as well, but off course always try to fly with my national airlines, if possible regarding schedule...There is code share with China Southern on connecting routes, like Tokyo, Singapore, Saigon, Phuket, Sydney etc..There was never code share on for CAN itself, since China Southern is also flying there, why would they do that? also no code share for BKK, don`t know why, they should try to negotiate with CZ, its the most popular destination from Serbia in that region..

I am flying at least 2 times a month. When i get a ticket from my company to fly with Air Serbia i always ask for a diffrent ticket. I know people here will attack me. But i personaly have horrible expirience with them. They lost my luggage, 5 times i missed the connecting flight due to delay from Air Serbia. Currently i fly to china for a year. Diffrence between China southern, Hainan, Air China, Sichuan airlines(flight from Istanbul with them) and Air Serbia is unthinkable... Very sad thing is service in Air Serbia especialy on long flights(nothing better on short ones). Why am i saying this is because i am not the only one who has this bad of an expirience with Air Serbia, and its not a surprise for me that China Southern is pushing them out.

@18:52 "If things aren't turned around relatively quickly I see JU next summer with no flights whatsoever to CAN. "

Some people predicted A330 would never arrive to join Air Serbia fleet, and A319 before that.

What I see is some people not being able to think straight when it comes to Air Serbia.

Last Anon, no need to get emotional. This is not the first time JU has reduced CAN. Didn't they also cut it last winter?

Obviously China Southern is killing them and that's no surprise to anyone.

Air Serbia temporarily cutting seven flights is "killing" only in zamalitičar fantasy world.

Not entirely. This is more of a result in launching a route without proper investment and expecting passengers to show up.

2 pw doesn't attract high yielding customers who have daily or multiple daily one stop options elsewhere. JU's schedule is fantastic for connections across Europe but the same can be said for TK, QR and EK.

Add to that a subpar product and service and you're chasing a low yield segment that isn't leaving alot of room for profit.

Sector length, especially on a full A330, probably doesn't allow for alot of cargo either and Guangzhou should be a cargo heavy destination which JU can't adequately accommodate.

Fuel prices isn't the main issue as evident in January.

Great analysis, thank you so much! You are awesome!

I really appreciate those who follow developments on a daily basis with understanding of minutia and are capable of connecting the dots based on that info.

JU should cut CAN and boost PVG to 4x

@19:34 CAN has better LF most of the year comparing to PVG

@20:32

That isn't true. This is evident by the fact that JU isn't downgrading PVG but CAN. During the anniversaries of both routes, pax numbers and CLF was given for PVG but not for CAN. Lastly, PVG was for years in the top 5 unserved routes from BEG and not CAN.

PVG is a richer and bigger market, they should focus on it.

I fly to CAN and PVG frequently, and plane is always fuller on CAN route...CAN is hub for entire southeast Asia, and Australia, and most of Chinese expats in Serbia and Serbian expats in China live in Canton region and around..Shanghai has better LF on in summer months, since its not a season for CAN..Whey they cut Chinese flights this january, they cut both routes...that was 3-4 weeks prior to Chinese Lunar New Year...

JU should work on more frequencies rather than adding more destinations at 2 pw. PVG can definitely go for 1-2 more flights pw.

TSN was great while it was the only direct route to China. It isn't where the market wants to travel to, which is what we saw the moment other routes were launched.

OMG, the frequency guy strikes again. Can't you realise that for this demand frequencies are pointless without smaller plane?? It would just bring more loss

I mean its quite a niche route for a European airline as things stand. Better they trim operations and then return for the autumn than waste money.

@14:42 Other airline from ExYu region made significant cuts also not the first time, but you failed to call them "very unreliable, discourages booking" with them.

Croatia Airlines is known to be unreliable and generally very poor. Does Air Serbia not want to be better?

It is vastly better.

Airlines cut frequencies all the time. That agility is an advantage. For example Qatar is reducing A380 ops by over 50%. Does that make QR unreliable and discourages booking long haul with them?

18:26 you do realize you are comparing apples and oranges, right?

QR is in the middle of a war zone and bombs were falling in them until a month ago

QR also announced reduction of SFO ops in Dec 2025, this was just an example how responsible, agile airlines make adjustments. If cuts are benefitting the bottom line, they will and should do it.

And how many flights to SFO did QR have after they cut it? One weekly or more? Thanks in advance

Air Serbia is reducing one flight weekly for a total of 6-7 weeks. That's nothing.

ME crisis should have made a positive impact for JU and not the other way around.

Indeed there was an initial high rate of bookings, simply because the main ME hubs were isolated from the rest of the world.
Now, the interest in traveling from Asia to Europe and vice versa has slightly dropped because of the obvious reasons. It will take some time until the market is recovered.

Maybe JU missed its chance, they should have added a 3rd weekly flight when the war was ongoing

^
True dat! PVG too.

Personally i think this is a good route for JU which will take a long time to consolidate. I've not flown them longhaul but i think there is significant potential for them in China goong forward so lets hope they weather it out.

With EXPO approaching I wouldn't cut a major hub for Chinese industry such as CAN.
Maybe even add NRT and or another North American destination.

Because of Expo they should focus on Shanghai and the government should allow CZ to add a third weekly flight

@19:11 you realise JU's a330s to Japan would be deeply uncompetative both in hard product and soft. I dont see that route working until a version of JU 2.0 in the 2030s. Japanese customers demand high service standards.

^ JU service standards. are more than fine.
Besides it is consistenly awarded as one of the best airlines in Eastern Europe by SKYTRAX.

^ fine but not fine enough for a competative route such as Tokyo. Flying an aged a330 really cant compete with any greatness.

@19:11 "With EXPO approaching I wouldn't cut a major hub for Chinese industry such as CAN"

Start by reading the article. It says Air Serbia will restore frequency on Aug 24, while EXPO starts next May.

A few weeks ago I flew BEG-MUC-PEK on Lufthansa's A350 in economy and the product is great.
Lufthansa has really stepped up its game and JU should do the same.

People who flew on JU long haul know what I'm talking about. It also doesn't help that Arabs are dumping fares to bring back customers.

I recently flew Toronto Belgrade after suffering Lufthansa and friends via Frankfurt for years, and nonstop is vastly superior to anything LH can offer.

Don’t know about Lufthansa, but I know about their group. Air Serbia is for Austrian Airlines like Marriot in service and friendliness. That whole group lives from old glory.

Australia people?

ex-YU ppl living in Australia using Guangzhou to reach Belgrade. Some of them, have no idea about others, so what’s my point, if they can somehow use it to take more Australia ppl via Guangzhou to Belgrade. Some person did it and some ideas just popped up instantly. Thx for reading this.

It's much cheaper thru Istanbul, plus times tend to be better. China adds about five hours more with good connection times.

No, they actually fly to Singapore with Scoot and then to Guangzhou for some 150-200 euros, to get onboard Air Serbia.
Air Serbia doesn’t fly to Singapore, but there is easy to get with Scoot cheap.

Most passengers find flights via skyscanner. The average passenger doesn't give a crap about Expo