Norwegian considering new Belgrade service
Norwegian is considering introducing seasonal flights between Helsinki and Belgrade this coming summer. The low cost carrier has filed an inventory listing meaning it has indicated its intention to launch the route but is not necessarily certain it will go ahead at this point in time, thus ticket sales have not started yet. Based on the listing, the airline plans to operate flights between the Finnish and Serbian capitals once per week, each Saturday, starting June 5. The service would be operated by the Boeing 737-800 jet. Norwegian has scheduled and put on sale its flights from Oslo and Stockholm to Belgrade for next summer, with the latter to be restored after a year-long hiatus. It faces direct competition on both routes from Air Serbia.
If launched, the new service from Helsinki would replace Air Serbia, which launched year-round operations between Belgrade and Helsinki in the summer of 2019. The route was discontinued in March at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. During 2019, Air Serbia operated 164 flights (return service included) between the two and offered 18.992 seats. Despite its plans, Norwegian faces an uncertain future. The carrier went into the crisis as one of Europe’s weakest due to a high level of debt built up through an aggressive expansion plan, including low cost long haul flights.
The Norwegian state said last week it was ready to offer aid to Norwegian, after the ailing low cost airline presented a new plan to survive its Covid-induced crisis. Hit hard by the pandemic’s impact on travel, having already been in financial trouble before, the budget airline presented a series of proposals on January 14, including an end to its long haul flights in favour of a refocusing on Europe, and a massive debt reduction target coupled with raising new capital. The government was asked to support the plan and has now signalled its willingness. The company plans to reduce debt and put some fifty aircraft back into operation this year, followed by about seventy more in 2022. At this point, only six jets are being actively used.
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