Air Serbia expansion "not aimed against LCCs"
Niš Constantine the Great Airport has said the twelve new subsidised routes, which are to be progressively introduced by Air Serbia through July and August, are not aimed against low cost carriers (LCCs) Wizz Air and Ryanair that have been serving the city for several years. The Serbian national carrier will receive some five million euros per year for its Niš operations. On the other hand, the two budget airlines enjoy a low three euro fee for handling, landing and passenger services under their current contracts with the airport which run until 2021. "These low cost airlines won't be chased out. Traffic from Niš will continue to develop and there will be more demand and the need for more carriers", the General Manager of operator Airports of Serbia, Mihajlo Zdravković, said.
According to the airport operator, Niš is courting several carriers to launch flights to France, Spain, Turkey and Russia. "The introduction of twelve new routes next month is an important step, not just for Niš but for the whole of south-eastern Serbia and has the potential to aid the development of the local economy and tourism. This is not just an airport for Niš, but of all the citizens from southern and eastern Serbia", Mr Zdravković said. Previously, Wizz Air accused the Serbian government of protectionism. In December last year it said, "The Serbian government has taken steps towards protecting Air Serbia's business and they are trying to put some pressure on competitors like ourselves".
Niš Airport returned to growth in May following seven consecutive months of declining passenger figures. It handled 31.026 travellers, representing an increase of 3.7% on last year. During the January - May period, Constantine the Great Airport welcomed 135.826 passengers through its doors, down 6.4%.
| Month | PAX | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 25.221 | ▼ 11.4 |
| FEB | 23.651 | ▼ 15.6 |
| MAR | 26.448 | ▼ 9.1 |
| APR | 26.448 | ▼ 2.6 |
| MAY | 31.026 | ▲ 3.7 |
Air Serbia will initially introduce services from the south-east Serbian city to Nuremberg, Bologna, Tivat, Hanover, Gothenburg and Hahn in July, before launching operations to Budapest, Ljubljana, Salzburg, Rome, Baden Baden and Friedrichshafen in early August. All of them will run twice per week with exception to Tivat, which will initially operate two times per week before increasing to three weekly at the start of August. The airline's CEO, Duncan Naysmith, said, "Our aim is to enable the citizens of Niš to fly under the most favourable possible conditions to these twelve destinations on offer. The flights will be performed using an Airbus A319 aircraft in Air Serbia's livery. We will provide Serbian hospitality to our passengers at the best possible prices".
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