Serbia unveils twelve new Niš routes
The Serbian government has named twelve routes of public interest which will be launched from Niš Constantine the Great Airport this summer. The eleven year-round and one seasonal service will be subsidised to the tune of five million euros from July 1, 2019 until June 30, 2025. The destinations in question are: Baden Baden, Bologna, Budapest, Frankfurt Hahn, Friedrichshafen, Gothenburg, Hannover, Ljubljana, Nuremberg, Rome, Salzburg and Tivat. All routes will be maintained twice per week both in the summer and winter months, with exception to Tivat, which will be operated three times per week between May and October. Under Serbia's updated aviation law, if within "a short period of time" no airline shows interest for any of the abovementioned routes, an international tender will be launched to find an operating carrier, although the government reserves the right to enter into direct talks with airlines without a public call.
Mihajlo Zdravković, a member of the assembly of the City of Niš, said the twelve new routes will fuel people to people exchange, tourism and the development of the local economy. Furthermore, it was identified that although the services were not commercially viable, they are of importance to the residents of south-east Serbia and will not affect any existing routes currently maintained from Niš. "We expect that these destinations will complement our route network and significantly increase traffic at Constantine the Great Airport. These cities are well linked with others on the continent and beyond", Mr Zdravković said.
The General Manager of Niš Airport, Dušan Knežević noted, "Last year we handled some 350.000 passengers. This year and in the years to come, this figure will grow considerably. In 2020 we expect to welcome half a million travellers. We will have to expand the terminal building next year, but we are ready to welcome new flights". The Serbian government will also offer subsidies to tour operators who bring groups of Russian, Turkish, Chinese, South Korean, Indian and US tourists arriving or departing either through Belgrade or Niš airports. The government will grant up to thirty euros per visitor from Russia and Turkey and up to fifty euros for tourists arriving from the other four countries. The exact sum will depend on the length of stay. Tour operators must form a group of at least fifteen people to be eligible for the incentives. The measure is expected to boost both air travel and tourism.
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