Air Serbia reveals first plans for landmark 2027 celebrations

Air Serbia is preparing an extensive programme to mark 100 years of commercial aviation in 2027, with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator among the attractions planned for its dedicated Expo pavilion. The celebrations will also include special aircraft liveries, a documentary and a commemorative book, alongside further enhancements to the airline’s Elevate frequent flyer programme and onboard product. Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, the carrier’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said the centenary would provide an opportunity to celebrate its history while showcasing its future development.

"We will have a pavilion at Expo. We should receive the keys in the next couple of days. The pavilion will be dedicated to 100 years of aviation, with a lot of activities. We will have OEM weeks, where different aircraft manufacturers will have events", Mr Marek said.

One of the planned attractions will be developed in cooperation with Boeing. "What I can already disclose is that that for the opening of the pavilion, we will have a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator for a couple of days, together with Boeing. Boeing played a significant part in 100 years of our history".

The CEO also confirmed plans for two aircraft to carry special centenary liveries, although further details are being kept under wraps. "We will have two aircraft in special liveries for the centenary. We will have a documentary movie. We will have a book. There will be many things. I don't want to disclose too many now", he said.

Mr Marek emphasised that the celebrations would recognise the broader history of aviation in the region. "We are very well aware of our legacy. We are very well aware of the people throughout those 100 years and what they did in this region, and we are proud of it. We are paying attention not to prefer any particular period, but to really cover these 100 years of aviation in this part of Europe".

Meanwhile, the airline's Elevate frequent flyer programme is gaining members at a faster rate than initially anticipated. The carrier expects to surpass 200.000 this week, compared to its original forecast of 280,000 within the first twelve months.

"The dynamics are definitely much faster, which is very positive. It might be one of the reasons why we have had double-digit growth from July. Up to the end of June, we were growing 3%, and from July it has been more than 10%. That kind of corresponds with the launch of the frequent flyer programme", Mr Marek explained.

The airline intends to introduce further functionality, including dynamic redemption, family accounts and co-branded bank cards. "Soon we will introduce the so-called dynamic reward system. You will no longer need to call the call centre when you want to use your points. Either you have enough points to fully pay for the ticket, or you pay partly with points and partly with another form of payment".

He added, "One of the next important milestones for the Elevate program will be the introduction of a co-branded payment card in partnership with Banca Intesa. The card will provide members with additional opportunities to earn points through their everyday spending while further enhancing the overall value proposition of the program. We are working closely with our partner on the final implementation phases and look forward to introducing this new benefit to our members”.

Air Serbia also intends to expand the programme through partnerships with other airlines, although this remains a longer-term objective. "The airlines are contacting us. They are willing to start. But we need to first properly build all the phases that we have before allowing other airlines to participate. The difficulty is that the majority of systems are still mileage-based, not spend-based. But definitely, it's a direction we want to go".

The CEO believes Elevate could ultimately become an important source of revenue for the carrier. "That's the intention. That's also the reason why we introduced it as a kind of virtual currency. You can buy the last seat on the plane with points at that price. Basically, ours is a spend-based system. The more you spend, the more you get".

In parallel, the airline is continuing to improve its onboard catering, having recently introduced new meal cycles on short-haul flights. Air Serbia is also preparing to relocate to its new headquarters near Belgrade Airport ahead of Expo 2027. The development includes a hotel, which will be operated by an external hotel chain. "It's going pretty much according to plan. We are confident that we should be able to move in before Expo. The hotel has also received the construction permit recently, and construction is going according to plan", Mr Marek concluded.