VINCI working on Belgrade's long haul network
Airport operator VINCI has said it is "committed to opening new medium and long haul routes from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport" in the near future. In a statement, the concessionaire said the development would ultimately enable the airport to serve fifteen million passengers per year. It is expected to handle some six million travellers in 2019. Commenting on future network expansion, VINCI Airports' President, Nicolas Notebaert, previously noted, "We are working on bringing new airlines to Belgrade. We need some more time to work on flights lasting for over seven hours. We are well aware that we make a living from airlines. They are the most valuable to us. However, there is no exclusivity because in the modern world, working with a single airline is not an effective way to help a country but Air Serbia is our primary partner and we trust that we will further build on our partnership. The goal of VINCI Airports is to make Belgrade the future hub in Southeast Europe".
Belgrade Airport currently has one nonstop long haul service, to New York. Speaking to China's "TTG" travel magazine, the head of Serbia's National Tourism Organisation, Marija Labović, said Chinese carriers are interested in launching nonstop flights to Belgrade from Beijing's new Daxing Airport, which will open on September 30. Ms Labović noted that a new state incentive policy aimed at providing support for tour operators bringing in large groups of Chinese tourists is bearing fruit and will aid future flights between the two countries. The policy also involves tour groups from South Korea, India, the United States, Russia and Turkey and must involve the group's arrival or departure at either Belgrade or Niš airports. The Canadian Ambassador to Serbia, Kati Csaba, recently said flights between Belgrade and Toronto will be launched in the near future. "A final decision will be made by Air Serbia, however, it takes between four to six months for the entire process to be completed upon receiving a permit. It is still possible for these flights to be launched in 2019, but 2020 is more realistic", Ms Csaba said.
South Korea's Jin Air, which recently confirmed it would not go ahead with plans to launch flights between Seoul and Belgrade in 2020 has since told the "Maeil Business Newspaper" it has not entirely given up on operating flights to Serbia. Jin Air has been under investigation by the South Korean Transport Ministry after it was discovered last year that Cho Hyun-min, the Korean Air heiress who is an American citizen, was on its board of directors from 2010 to 2016. Korean aviation law prohibits local carriers from having any foreign nationals on their boards for security reasons. Consequently, the ministry has banned Jin Air from expanding its route network and registering new aircraft until it determines the company has corrected its problems with selecting directors, a measure it has still not taken. As a result, the airline has said that for the time being "there is nothing we can do regarding services to Serbia".
South Korea's Jin Air, which recently confirmed it would not go ahead with plans to launch flights between Seoul and Belgrade in 2020 has since told the "Maeil Business Newspaper" it has not entirely given up on operating flights to Serbia. Jin Air has been under investigation by the South Korean Transport Ministry after it was discovered last year that Cho Hyun-min, the Korean Air heiress who is an American citizen, was on its board of directors from 2010 to 2016. Korean aviation law prohibits local carriers from having any foreign nationals on their boards for security reasons. Consequently, the ministry has banned Jin Air from expanding its route network and registering new aircraft until it determines the company has corrected its problems with selecting directors, a measure it has still not taken. As a result, the airline has said that for the time being "there is nothing we can do regarding services to Serbia".
This summer, full service carriers account for 77% of Belgrade Airport's traffic. Air Serbia is anticipated to hold a market share of 50.4% in 2019, while low cost carriers are expected to maintain a 13.8% share on an annual level. Prior to VINCI's takeover late last year, Belgrade Airport identified counterparts in Zagreb and Budapest as its main competitors in securing long haul services. At the time, it said, "Our aim is to become a gateway for long haul flights in Southeastern Europe to North America, China and Australia, as well as to introduce new routes to the Euro-Mediterranean region and strengthen our regional connectivity, which would, in turn, help increase loads on flights to the abovementioned markets. The main competitors in achieving these goals are first and foremost Zagreb and Budapest".
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