Air Serbia vows to “keep fighting” amid Covid difficulties
Air Serbia has said it will not avoid making difficult decisions in order to navigate the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which will in turn improve its operations in the long-term. “Air Serbia is fighting as much as it can in dramatically changed circumstances. We were forced to reduce the scope of our operations due to travel restrictions. We are carefully monitoring all changes and adapting to them. We are working on rationalisation and more efficient organisation. We are doing our best to create revenue and save resources. We are not avoiding difficult decisions, because they will ensure that things become easier over time, that we can move forward even when we’re afraid of what awaits us, because courage is not an absence of fear, but the ability to keep going despite it”, the company said.
The carrier noted 2020 would have been its best year on record as it had plans to grow its fleet and significantly expand its route network. The carrier was to commence seven new routes this year and significantly boost frequencies. “We are nearing the end of a difficult and challenging year, with which we are parting in circumstances significantly different to those at the beginning of the year. Following major achievements in 2019 and excellent results posted in January and February, the start of the year was very promising for us as a company. We summarised our successes and records, planned further expansion and new destinations. The results achieved were our foundation for optimistic expectations that we would continue in this direction in the future”, the airline said. It added, “Unfortunately, after a strong upward trend, something completely unexpected happened. The coronavirus pandemic paralysed the whole world and had the worst impact on those of use whose lifeblood is flying. Instead of expanding, our imperative became - recovery”.
Air Serbia recently announced it plans to offer financial incentives to encourage employees to voluntarily resign, with the company seeking to reduce its headcount by some 300 staff members as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, some employees will endure temporary pay cuts, with wages for pilots and cabin crew to be reduced 20% as of this month until March, while staff from lower paygrades will see their monthly income slashed by 15%. Employees which are part of the two lowest paygrades will not have their wages reduced. “The entire aviation industry is going through a series of challenges, facing a significantly reduced scope of operations, and thus revenue too. Air Serbia, like all other companies, is suffering major consequences. We were forced to change our plans, adapt them or leave them for “better times”. We learned that some things are beyond our control, but that doesn’t mean that we need to surrender and passively allow circumstances to control us”.
Air Serbia plans to operate 956 flights this month, down 61.8% compared to December 2019. Seat capacity has been slashed by 61.4% to 108.768.
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