Air Serbia plans 2019 network expansion
Air Serbia plans to expand its network during the upcoming 2019 summer season, which will see the carrier launch new routes after two years. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, new destinations will span across three continents - Europe, North America and Asia - however, its long haul operations will largely depend on securing necessary permits and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles on time. Air Serbia's minority shareholder, Etihad Airways, will play a significant role in the expansion, in terms of providing necessary equipment. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier is looking to transfer surplus aircraft to its partner airlines as its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets continue to arrive and replace older wide-bodies. In Europe, Air Serbia plans to grow its network in both the west and within the region.
Last year, Air Serbia said it was "seriously considering expanding" its destination network with long haul flights. In the past, the airline earmarked Chicago and Toronto as points of interest, as well as China. "We have already considered flights to Chicago and Toronto and these services could be introduced in two to three years", the company said in 2016. It also noted, "The Far East is also a potential market for us if you consider relations between Serbia and the People's Republic of China". Of its Europe netowrk, the airline previously commented, "There’s probably half-a-dozen to a dozen points that we could cover that we haven’t started flying to yet".
Air Serbia last introduced a new scheduled service to Venice during the summer of 2017. This year, the airline announced new flights to Geneva, only to shelve its launch less than a month after putting tickets on sale in order to "transfer capacities for charter flights". The future operator of Belgrade Airport, VINCI, has said it will fully support Air Serbia's network growth. "As concessionaire, VINCI Airports will aim at improving airport operating conditions to enable Air Serbia to offer new long haul routes as part of its hub strategy. We will work to help Air Serbia introduce new long haul routes", the company's Chairman, Nicolas Notebaert, said.
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