"Air Serbia"

Air Serbia, the national carrier of Serbia, has achieved a significant milestone with the arrival of its tenth ATR 72-600 aircraft at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.

June 14 saw the arrival of the new ATR 72-600 regional twin turboprop with registration number YU-ASC.

This latest addition marks the successful culmination of a regional fleet modernization initiative. The airline originally began its renewal program in January 2022.

About Air Serbia

Established in 2013, Air Serbia has quickly grown to become a prominent airline in Southeast Europe.

It operates a hub-and-spoke network centered at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, connecting passengers to destinations across Europe and beyond.

The airline boasts a modern fleet consisting of Airbus A319, A320, A330, and now, a fully modernized regional fleet of ATR 72-600s.

Air Serbia is committed to providing passengers with a comfortable and efficient travel experience. The airline has also played an instrumental role in promoting Serbia as a tourist and business destination.

ATR 72-600: Modern Addition to Air Serbia Fleet

The decision to replace Air Serbia’s older ATR 72-200 and ATR 72-500 models with the ATR 72-600 reflects the airline’s commitment to continuous improvement.

This advanced turboprop aircraft offers several advantages:

• Enhanced Passenger Comfort: The ATR 72-600 features a 72-seat Geven Prestige configuration, designed to provide passengers with a more spacious and comfortable cabin experience.
• Improved Operational Efficiency: The aircraft is equipped with two PW127M turboprop engines, known for their fuel efficiency and reliability. This translates to cost savings for the airline and a more environmentally friendly operation.
• Modern Technology: The ATR 72-600 incorporates cutting-edge avionics and navigation systems, ensuring smooth and safe flight operations.
• Standardized Fleet: The acquisition of ten identical ATR 72-600s allows Air Serbia to streamline maintenance procedures and crew training, further enhancing operational efficiency.

A Commitment to Modernization

Jiri Marek, CEO of Air Serbia, expressed his satisfaction with the project’s completion. “The renewal of the turbo-prop fleet was a key objective for our company.”

“We’re proud to have acquired ten ATR 72-600s, standardizing our fleet and boasting the youngest regional aircraft in the Western Balkans with an average age of just nine years.”

The meticulous acquisition schedule throughout 2022, 2023, and 2024 demonstrates Air Serbia’s dedication to this initiative.

Each aircraft underwent a rigorous handover and technical inspection process in Toulouse, France, before joining the active fleet.

Enhanced Connectivity and Passenger Experience

The arrival of the ATR 72-600 fleet significantly expands Air Serbia’s regional network. These aircraft operate on various routes throughout Europe, connecting Belgrade to destinations like Bologna, Bari, Budapest, Krakow, Ljubljana, and many more.

They also play a vital role in serving international routes from Niš and Kraljevo, offering passengers increased connectivity to key cities within the region.

Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Air Serbia

The completion of the regional fleet modernization program signifies a significant step forward for Air Serbia.

With a young and efficient fleet, the airline is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory, offering passengers a more comfortable and sustainable travel experience.

This investment also strengthens Air Serbia’s role as a key player in the aviation industry of Southeast Europe. It will further support the development of regional tourism and business opportunities.

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Fly2Sky Airlines furthers its European presence as a charter solutions provider through a new ACMI agreement with Air Serbia.

The agreement centers around an ACMI lease. Fly2Sky will provide Air Serbia with an Airbus A320 (registration LZ-FSB) for operations throughout Europe and the Balkans.

The aircraft will be deployed during the peak summer season, starting in May and running until the end of October 2024.

The A320 will be stationed strategically in Belgrade, Serbia, allowing Air Serbia to conveniently connect passengers to various European and Balkan destinations.

“This partnership with Air Serbia fills us with excitement,” shared Aleksandrs Gusevs, CCO of Fly2Sky Airlines.

“It presents a fantastic opportunity to expand our European footprint while upholding our commitment to delivering reliable and efficient air travel solutions.”

Understanding ACMI Charter Operations

ACMI, standing for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance, signifies a specific type of aircraft lease agreement within the aviation industry.

Under an ACMI arrangement, a lessor airline (Fly2Sky in this case) provides a lessee airline (Air Serbia) with a fully operational aircraft. This includes:

• The aircraft itself: Fly2Sky supplies the Airbus A320, a popular single-aisle jet known for its efficiency and range.
• A qualified flight crew: Fly2Sky ensures a team of pilots and other crew members are trained and certified to operate the Airbus A320 safely and efficiently.
• Comprehensive maintenance: Fly2Sky takes full responsibility for maintaining the aircraft to the highest safety standards. This ensures smooth operation throughout the lease period.
• Insurance coverage: Fly2Sky provides all necessary insurance for the aircraft, crew, and passengers during the lease.

Benefits of ACMI Operations

ACMI arrangements offer several advantages for airlines:

• Flexibility: Airlines can quickly expand or adjust their capacity based on seasonal demands. It covers unforeseen circumstances, without the significant investment of purchasing new aircraft.
• Reduced Risk: The lessor assumes responsibility for maintenance and insurance, minimizing risks for the lessee.
• Faster Deployment: ACMI allows airlines to deploy additional aircraft rapidly, minimizing disruptions to their flight schedules.

Air Serbia: A Leading Balkan Carrier

Air Serbia, established in 2013, is the national flag carrier of Serbia. Headquartered in Belgrade, the airline operates a network of passenger and cargo services across Europe and beyond.

With a modern fleet of Airbus and ATR aircraft, Air Serbia connects passengers to over 60 destinations in 34 countries.

Air Serbia plays a crucial role in connecting Serbia to the rest of the world, fostering tourism and economic growth.

The carrier commits to providing a comfortable and reliable travel experience, with a focus on Serbian hospitality and efficiency.

Summary

The short-term partnership between Fly2Sky and Air Serbia represents a strategic move for both airlines.

Fly2Sky gains valuable exposure in the European market, while Air Serbia benefits from the additional capacity and flexibility offered by the ACMI lease.

This collaboration ultimately benefits passengers by providing more flight options and enhanced connectivity across Europe and the Balkans during the peak summer travel season.

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Air Serbia recently welcomed its eighth ATR72-600 aircraft, further strengthening its regional fleet.

The new regional commuter aircraft touched down at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport on 17 April 2024. It is now expected to begin commercial operations after completing standard procedures.

ATR72-600 YU-ASF

This nine-year-old aircraft, sporting the registration code YU-ASF, received its Air Serbia livery in Toulouse, France.

Since March 10th, it has been undergoing handover processes and technical inspections to ensure smooth integration into the airline’s operations.

“The arrival of our eighth ATR72-600 marks a significant step in our ongoing commitment to enhancing our regional fleet and expanding our network,” said Milan Malović, Chief Operations Officer at Air Serbia.

“By introducing this new aircraft, we aim to improve connectivity across the Western Balkans region, offering passengers more options for swift and comfortable travel.”

Previous Fleet Additions

This addition follows the successful integration of seven previous ATR 72-600s. The first, YU-ALY, arrived in January 2022, followed by YU-ALW in May 2022 and YU-ALX in July 2022.

YU-ALZ joined the fleet in December 2022, while YU-ASA and YU-ASB came on board in January and June 2023, respectively.

The most recent addition to the regional fleet before YU-ASF was YU-ASD in September 2023.

Air Serbia’s entire ATR fleet prioritizes passenger comfort, featuring configurations of 70 to 72 “Geven Prestige” and “Acro” seats.

These turboprop aircraft boast two PW127M engines, with a length of 27.17 meters and a wingspan of 27.05 meters.

They can achieve a cruising speed of approximately 500 km/h and have a maximum range of roughly 1,500 km at full capacity.

Air Serbia: Connecting the Balkans

Air Serbia, Serbia’s national carrier, plays a key role in connecting passengers across the Balkans region and beyond.

With a focus on providing a comfortable and convenient travel experience, Air Serbia operates a modern fleet of aircraft, including eight ATR 72-600 turboprop planes for regional routes.

The airline is committed to continuously improving its network and fleet, offering passengers more options for travel within the Western Balkans and beyond.

Air Serbia’s central hub is located at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, making it a convenient gateway for exploring the region.

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Air Serbia has this week revealed that it has axed it’s cooperation deal with Marathon Airlines following the accident in Belgrade last weekend.

The Serbian carrier has taken a hard-line stance, putting safety at their highest priority in the aftermath of this event.

Without further ado, let’s get into it…

Air Serbia JU324 – Belgrade-Dusseldorf Accident…

Air Serbia flight JU324 is a routine scheduled flight between Belgrade and Dusseldorf, with the affected rotation being operated by OY-GDC.

As per data from Planespotters.net, OY-GDC is a 15.7 year old Embraer E190 that was delivered to Marathon Airlines back in September 2023.

By October of that year, the aircraft was assigned to the Serbian carrier, with the Greek airline operating the aircraft on their behalf.

Air Serbia flight JU324 departed Belgrade at 1737 local time on February 18, having overran the runway during departure, as per reporting from The Aviation Herald.

It is understood that the aircraft had collided with the high precision approach lights of Runway 12R, which was around 500 meters after the end of the runway itself.

From there, the aircraft entered a series of loops whilst they got the aircraft under control and landed back into Belgrade at 1840 local time, over an hour after departure.

Damage, which you will see below, shows the extent of the overall collision with the approach lights after departure from the Serbian airport.

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Termination of the Deal with Marathon Airlines…

In a very detailed statement, Air Serbia said the following on the accident in Belgrade, which happened on February 18:

“In reference to flight JU 324 between Belgrade and Dusseldorf, operating on Sunday evening, 18 February 2024, when the Embraer E195 of partner Greek airline, Marathon Airlines, was damaged, Air Serbia immediately contacted the competent government authorities – the Civil Aviation Directorate (DCV) of the Republic of Serbia and the Center for Investigation of Accidents in Transport (CINS).”

“Passenger and crew safety is of the utmost priority for Air Serbia and the Serbian national airline is in full cooperation with the aforementioned authorities in the ongoing cooperation. Greek aviation authorities will conduct their own investigation.”

“Regardless of the results of the aforementioned investigation, Air Serbia informed Marathon Airlines today that it is terminating cooperation with that company and, as of tomorrow, 21 February 2024, no Air Serbia flight will be operated by the said Greek company’s aircraft.”

“Flights that should have been operated by Marathon Airlines will now be operated by other aircraft in the fleet to maintain traffic continuity.”

“Marathon Airlines is a carrier based in Greece, operating fully in compliance with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards, and is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).”

“Air Serbia has been cooperating with Marathon Airlines since June 2023 based on the short-term wet-lease business model.”

“This business model has been applied by many large European and world companies for years and became particularly widespread during the period of recovery of air traffic following the coronavirus pandemic, which saw a significant increase in market demand.”

“In cooperation based on a short-term wet lease, the partner airlines bear full responsibility for the selection and training of all flight and cabin crew members of their aircraft.”

“Air Serbia would like to apologize again to all passengers of flight JU324 of 18 February 2024 for any inconvenience they experienced.”

“Even though the flight was operated by partner airline Marathon Airlines, the fact that the plane safely landed and that no passengers or crew members were injured, as a responsible company, Air Serbia would like to point out that it is fully aware of the passengers’ feelings during the flight and deeply regrets the discomfort they faced.”

“By regulations, all passengers onboard flight JU324 of 18 February 2024 are entitled to standard compensation and to any other compensation for costs incurred due to the flight being delayed one day.”

“Passengers can exercise their right by completing the special form provided on the Air Serbia website (https://www.airserbia.com/en/feedback) and their requests will have priority.”

“Furthermore, given the said circumstances, the airline has decided to grant all the passengers a full refund of the tickets purchased for that flight.”

“This decision also applies to the 91 passengers, out of the initial 106, who travelled to Dusseldorf from Belgrade on yesterday’s (19 February) postponed flight.”

“Air Serbia has not and will not make any announcements regarding the details of flight JU 324 of 18 February while the investigation is in progress.”

“However, the Serbian national airline would like to emphasise once again that it understands the inconvenience the passengers experienced on that occasion.”

“Accordingly, Air Serbia has decided to take all the measures within its control mentioned above immediately.”

“It will consider taking further steps in the coming period so that the recent event does not affect the trust of its passengers earned by the Serbian airline over several decades.”

All eyes will be on what the overall investigation holds moving forward.

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Air Serbia, in partnership with Mostar Airport, will operate scheduled passenger flights between Belgrade and Mostar from April to October 2024.

As well as strengthening its regional presence and connectivity, Air Serbia’s new route addition follows its successful bid in response to Mostar Airport’s call for new scheduled services in 2024.

“At the end of 2023, Air Serbia responded to the Public Call for the establishment of scheduled flights for 2024, announced by Mostar Airport, in connection with the introduction of a direct service between Belgrade and Mostar.”

“In the first days of January, the decision was made to accept our offer. Once technical details and contract signing are finalized, fares will be published presumably in the coming weeks,” said Boško Rupić, General Manager Commercial and Strategy at Air Serbia.

Operations with Embraer E175

Operating three times weekly on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays, these convenient flights will utilize Embraer E175 aircraft, offering comfortable and efficient travel.

Fares will be published shortly following finalization of technical details and contract signing.

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“This new route underscores Air Serbia’s dedication to enhancing economic and cultural ties within the region,” remarked Boško Rupić.

“Beyond connecting Belgrade and Mostar, it opens up excellent onward connections from Mostar, via Belgrade, to numerous destinations in Western and Northern Europe and the United States.”

As a popular tourist destination renowned for its UNESCO-listed Old Bridge and charming Old City, Mostar is a welcome addition to Air Serbia’s network.

With this launch, the airline expands its reach to 17 destinations across the former Yugoslavia, solidifying its position as a leading regional carrier.

The carrier now hopes to foster stronger business, cultural, and leisure travel within the Mostar region.

About Air Serbia

Air Serbia is the national airline of Serbia, headquartered in Belgrade. It was founded in 2013, taking over the operations of the former Jat Airways.

The flag carrier operates scheduled passenger services to over 60 destinations in Europe, Asia, and North America, with its main hub at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.

Air Serbia is a member of Etihad Airways Partners, which allows passengers to earn and redeem miles on flights across both airlines’ networks.

The airline has also codeshare agreements with several other airlines, including Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, and Turkish Airlines.

In 2019, the carrier was serving over 1.7 million passengers, and has been praised for its modern fleet, friendly service, and competitive fares.

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GetJet Airlines and Air Serbia have this week signed a new partnership for an agreed fleet extension for the Serbian flag carrier.

This article will cover the details surrounding this new partnership between GetJet Airlines and Air Serbia, as well as what this entails over the coming two years.

GetJet & Air Serbia Sign Long-Term Partnership

On November 14, 2023, Lithuanian ACMI and charter operator, GetJet Airlines and the Republic of Serbia’s flag carrier, Air Serbia, signed a new long-term two-year partnership to expand Air Serbia’s fleet to ultimately support the flag carrier’s growth goals as well as GetJet’s too.

This new agreement will GetJet to wet-lease two of its Airbus A320s to Air Serbia during the next two winter seasons, with a further two for a total of four Airbus A320s being wet-leased during the summer season.

These leased aircraft will be based out of Air Serbia’s home base in Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) and will be operated on services to various European destinations, such as Larnaca, Heraklion, Rhodes, Catania, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Antalya and Hurghada.

The addition of up to four additional aircraft will allow Air Serbia to achieve its goals of further expanding and densifying its route network throughout Europe.

Executive Comments

Commenting on their new partnership with Air Serbia, GetJet Airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Rūta Kulvinskaitė, says, “We proudly announce our new long-term partnership with the flag carrier of Serbia that allows us to use our experience and expertise carrying passengers across the European network. We believe that additional capacity and our full support will contribute to the development goals of Air Serbia and will bring the most popular European destinations closer to passengers from Serbia.”

“These past years proved the importance of ACMI operations in supporting the airlines during the surge of travellers and we are glad that we earned the trust of major air carriers across Europe and beyond.”

Adding to Kulvinskaitė’s comments, Air Serbia’s General Manager of Commercial and Strategy, Boško Rupić, says, “We are very happy to establish a long-term cooperation with a reliable ACMI provider such as GetJet Airlines. One very interesting specific of this cooperation is the fact that on flights operated by GetJet Airlines aircraft business class service will be provided, which is currently not available with our other ACMI partners.”

“With the continuous expansion of our fleet, both with aircraft in our livery and aircraft of ACMI partners, we are getting closer to the number of four million carried passengers in 2023, which will be a significant and important achievement for the Serbian national airline.”

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This week saw Menzies Aviation sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Air Serbia to provide passenger and ramp services at their base in Belgrade.

It is understood that this deal will begin from February 2024, and represents the biggest deal in Eastern Europe made by the company.

Without further ado, let’s get into it…

Menzies Aviation Signs Deal with Air Serbia in Belgrade…

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Under this agreement, staff at Menzies Aviation will manage more than 22,000 turnarounds in the first year at Belgrade with Air Serbia.

The Serbian carrier has signed this deal in response to the continued growth and expansion that they have had in recent months, with their market share increasing to 50%.

Commenting on the deal was Philipp Joeinig, the CEO of Menzies Aviation:

“We are extremely excited by the opportunity to work with Air Serbia, helping the airline achieve further domestic and international growth.”

“Strategically, as the number one service provider in the world, and number one provider in the region, this venture represents a major step for Menzies, supporting our ambitions to expand our presence in the Balkans and support emerging aviation markets.”

“We are looking forward to delivering market leading, high quality aviation services in the Balkans with the fast-growing Air Serbia, and increasing our market share at Belgrade Airport.”

Adding to this was Jiri Marek, the CEO of Belgrade-based Air Serbia:

“We are extremely pleased about the upcoming cooperation with such a renowned aviation services provider as Menzies Aviation.”

“During this year’s summer season, Air Serbia recorded unprecedented growth, but at the same time faced certain challenges in the field of ground handling.”

“I want to apologize once again to all passengers affected by the situation at our hub this summer. Even during the season, we reacted quickly to that situation by hiring additional personnel in record time.”

“Now we are taking the next step because in 2024 we want to provide the best possible service for our passengers and a reliable partner for the further growth of the company.”

Overall, this is a big deal for Menzies Aviation, and will no doubt help Air Serbia address any issues going into the future with ground handling.

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Not long before the weekend, Air Serbia announced that they will be launching services between Belgrade and Porto.

It is understood that services will commence on November 10, on a twice-weekly basis, operating on Mondays and Fridays.

Without further ado, let’s get into it…

Air Serbia To Launch Belgrade-Porto Route…

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The scheduling for the new service between Belgrade and Porto is as follows:

Commenting on this route was Boško Rupić, General Manager Commercial and Strategy at Air Serbia:

“Our destination network was expanded this year with over 20 new cities, including Lisbon.”

“Flights between Belgrade and Portugal’s capital have been quite popular since the beginning, as evidenced by the continuously high load factor”

“However, in Europe’s westernmost country, there are other charming cities that always attract visitors, and one of them is Porto.”

“You will be able to go on tourist or business trips to that city starting from 10 November via Air Serbia’s direct service”.

It is understood also that with this route between Belgrade & Porto, there will be good connections to other destinations such as:

• Athens
• Budapest
• Copenhagen
• Ankara
• Istanbul
• Larnaca
• Ljubljana
• Oslo
• Bucharest
• Prague
• Thessaloniki
• Skopje
• Sofia
• Podgorica
• Vienna
• Zagreb

With that in mind, all eyes are on Air Serbia to see how this new service performs, and whether there is scope for expansion going into the future.

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Air Serbia has set a soaring trajectory in 2023, shattering previous records and surpassing all expectations. As of the end of August, the airline has already carried a remarkable 2.76 million passengers, a number that surpasses the total passenger count for the entire year of 2022.

Even more impressively, it is anticipated that Air Serbia will exceed its 2019 record of 2.81 million passengers in the first week of September this year.

H1 2023 Performance

Record-Breaking Passenger Numbers

In the first two quarters of 2023, Air Serbia transported approximately 1.7 million passengers. This achievement represents an impressive 87 percent increase compared to the previous year and a remarkable 59 percent surge compared to the record-setting pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Incredibly, when looking at the total number of passengers passing through Belgrade airport, it becomes evident that Air Serbia carried a significant share, accounting for about 50 percent of all passengers.

The market share of Air Serbia passengers at Belgrade airport in June alone reached an impressive 55 percent.

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Flight Operations

During this period, Air Serbia operated an astounding total of 19,181 flights. This marks a 63 percent increase compared to the same period last year and a substantial 38 percent surge compared to the first six months of 2019.

This increased flight frequency has undoubtedly contributed to the airline’s remarkable success in 2023.

Financial Performance

Preliminary financial reports reveal that Air Serbia recorded a staggering profit of 22.4 million euros in the first half of the year. This achievement is nearly on par with the profit earned for the entire year of 2022, showcasing the airline’s exceptional financial stability and growth.

Air Serbia CEO Comments

In the face of numerous challenges, including adverse weather conditions, refueling bans, staffing shortages at airports, a global scarcity of spare parts, and other unfavorable circumstances, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, shared his perspective on the airline’s performance.

“The current summer season will be remembered for numerous challenges,” said Marek. “Despite it all, during July and August, we carried over a million passengers to more than 80 destinations worldwide, thus breaking our records set even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The most intensive month was July, during which we carried 27 percent more passengers compared to July 2022, and 39 percent more compared to the same month in 2019.”

“Good results were also recorded in August, which was our 14th consecutive record-breaking month. At this moment, we are already intensively preparing for the upcoming winter season, which is expected to be very dynamic,” he concluded.

Popular Destinations

During July and August 2023, Air Serbia’s most popular regional destinations included Tivat and Podgorica.

In Western Europe, passengers flocked to Zurich, Paris, and Amsterdam, while in the wider Euro-Mediterranean zone, popular destinations included Istanbul, Larnaca, Athens, and Barcelona.

Impressively, among the long-haul destinations, New York ranks among the top ten destinations in terms of passenger numbers during these two summer months, showcasing the airline’s global reach.

Giving Back to the Republic of Serbia

In light of its impressive financial results, Air Serbia has taken a significant step by complying with domestic laws and the legislative framework of the European Union.

The airline has decided to pay 20 million euros to the Republic of Serbia this year, as a repayment for the funds received through the recapitalization process.

Air Serbia expressed its gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Serbia for its unwavering support and emphasized its commitment to fulfilling all obligations under the Recapitalization Agreement.

The Republic of Serbia initiated the recapitalization of its national airline in December 2020 and September 2022, aligning with European and domestic regulations.

This strategic move aimed to eliminate business disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021, and it has clearly contributed to Air Serbia’s remarkable success in 2023.

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