Ural Airlines plans five new Belgrade routes
Ural Airlines is set to become the fourth Russian carrier to serve Belgrade after it applied and received permits from the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency to launch flights from Moscow, St Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Kazan to the Serbian capital this summer. The airline is not obligated to launch the flights despite receiving permit approval and tickets are yet to be put on sale. Ural plans to serve Belgrade from Moscow three times per week, from St Petersburg twice per week, and from Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Kazan once per week each. Services between Russia and Serbia are currently capped at two per week per airline, with flights between Moscow and Belgrade the only ones permitted, although these restrictions are expected to be eased by the start of the 2021 summer season in late March.
If Ural Airlines goes ahead with its plans it will become the fifth carrier to operate flights between Moscow and Belgrade, joining Aeroflot, Air Serbia, Red Wings Airlines and Nordwind Airlines, the latter inaugurating services to the Serbian capital just two weeks ago. Ural had previously flown from Domodedovo Airport to Belgrade in 2016 but terminated the service after nine months due to strong competition. St Petersburg is served seasonally by Air Serbia, with the route expected to be restored in 2021 following last year’s absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rostov-on-Don, Samara and Kazan will be three new routes previously unserved out of Belgrade. Air Serbia intended on introducing services to Rostov in 2020 as part of its network expansion but shelved those plans due to the global health emergency. Based on 2019 data, 1.436 people flew indirectly between Rostov and Belgrade of which 86% did so with Aeroflot via Moscow, 11% with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and the rest with Belavia via Minsk. On the other hand, in 2019, 2.177 passengers flew indirectly between Samara and Belgrade with Aeroflot being the main feeder carrier accounting for 83% of all passengers carried. It was followed by Turkish Airlines which transported some 17% of travellers via Istanbul, while the rest was handled by Red Wings Airlines through the Russian capital. A total of 1.816 passengers flew between Kazan and Belgrade in 2019. Aeroflot was once again the dominant carrier with an 88% market share, followed by Turkish Airlines with 9% of passengers handled and Belavia with 2%.
Ural Airlines carried over nine million passengers in 2019 and boasts a fleet of 51 Airbus aircraft including the A320neo.
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