State considering aircraft acquisition for Air Serbia
The Serbian government is in talks with Air Serbia over the acquisition of new aircraft for the airline. The country’s Finance Minister, Siniša Mali, who previously served as the company’s Chairman, said, “We will help Air Serbia. We are currently in discussions with the management and drafting a business plan. We might use this opportunity to acquire another aircraft which could be used to fill the void on the market left by the number of airlines going into bankruptcy, which Air Serbia won’t. Therefore, we will examine how we can even better position the carrier following this crisis. However, without a doubt, we will help Air Serbia”. Earlier this week, the Serbian Ministry for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, outlined a range of potential state aid measures which could be utilised to assist the airline.
Mr Mali noted that Air Serbia will now begin rebuilding its network. The airline operated its last commercial service on March 19, as a result of the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. “We have announced the reopening of Belgrade Airport for May 18. Air Serbia is ready to take off to destinations where the airports are open. We will resume operations city by city, flight by flight”, Mr Mali said. He added, “We have drafted conservative projections for Air Serbia’s business. The load factors will certainly be low, but our aim is for the airline to be operating at a larger capacity as soon as possible, although this does not solely depend on us”.
Air Serbia yesterday announced a new round of repatriation services. Unlike those operated through March and April, which were free of charge, the one-way repatriation flights to Belgrade running from May 11 until May 15 will cost between 155 and 295 euros, depending on the point of origin. Flights will operate from Paris (May 11), Frankfurt (May 12 and 14), Vienna (May 13) and Zurich (May 15). Those interested must apply through the airline’s website. The reopening of Belgrade Airport for commercial operations, although planned for May 18, is still uncertain and could be prolonged until the start of June.
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