Alitalia suspends Belgrade and Podgorica flights
Italian national carrier Alitalia has temporarily suspended services from Rome to Belgrade and Podgorica as a result of fledgling demand caused by the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak. The Italian carrier will not be operating flights to its only two scheduled year-round destinations in the former Yugoslavia until the start of the 2020 summer season on March 29. The airline is cancelling flights to 38 national and international destinations. During March, the company will cancel some 100 flights per day. Furthermore, Alitalia noted its load factors on some domestic routes have dropped to as low as 38%, while they previously hovered around 66%.
Air Serbia and Montenegro Airlines will continue to operate flights to Rome. In addition, the Serbian carrier will maintain its services to Milan, Venice and Bologna, the latter being operated from Niš. However, Air Serbia will reduce its number of flights to Italy’s second largest city of Milan from six weekly operations to five. It has also reversed a decision to increase its overall operations to Milan to eight per week during the summer season. “In the coming weeks, Air Serbia will continue to monitor the situation and adjust its schedule accordingly”, the airline said. It added, “The company is taking all necessary precautionary measures and is upholding procedures required in these kinds of situations. Therefore, passengers have no need for concern. As always, the safety of our passengers and crew is our priority”. Alitalia codeshares on Air Serbia's flights to and from Rome.
There are fears Alitalia will be unable to withstand the current downturn in the aviation industry being caused by the virus and could cease operations as a result. The airline has been in “extraordinary administration” since May 2017. Last week, the European Commission announced an in-depth investigation into whether the December 2019 government loan for Alitalia breached European Union state aid rules. The newest inquiry is the second looking into Italy’s help for its struggling flag carrier. Meanwhile, Montenegro Airlines itself has warned the virus poses a “significant risk” on its business in the coming period. “The company’s operational and commercial departments have dedicated their full attention to this problem, primarily to the wellbeing of our passengers and crew but also to protecting the company’s business from the spread of the virus”, Montenegro Airlines said.
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