EX-YU region set for record US connectivity in decades
Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina will all boast nonstop flights to the United States this summer season. Although Air Serbia has been operating year-long services between Belgrade and New York’s JFK Airport since mid-2016, Delta and United Airlines are set to enter the Croatian market with seasonal operations from JFK and Newark, respectively, to Dubrovnik. This is expected to be strengthened by start-up Pragusa.Ona which aims to commence flights from the coastal Croatian city to both Newark and Los Angeles next month. Elsewhere, Sarajevo Airport is in negotiations with US-based carrier Eastern Airlines over flights from Chicago.
Eastern Airlines initially scheduled and put on sale a one weekly seasonal service from Chicago to Sarajevo which was set to commence on May 28. However, the flights have been removed from sale. Sarajevo Airport’s General Manager, Alan Bajić, told EX-YU Aviation News last week that negotiations with the US carrier are ongoing over the Chicago service. If the flights go ahead, it will mark the first time Sarajevo has been linked with a scheduled nonstop air service to the United States. Based on its original schedule, Eastern Airlines planned to operate a total of fifteen flights each way with the Boeing 767-200ER aircraft.
Dubrovnik Airport will see Delta Air Lines run 54 flights from New York’s JFK Airport starting July 2 until October 3. The US carrier has a total of 24.408 seats on sale between the two cities, with all flights to be maintained by the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. Its rival, United, will launch services from Newark Airport to the Croatian coastal city from July 8, with the 38 flights running until October 3. A total of 16.264 seats have been put on sale by the airline, which will also maintain operations with the Boeing 767-300ER jet. United has indicated it is considering a second destination in Croatia in 2022. Meanwhile, start-up Pragusa.One has announced it will inaugurate seasonal flights from Dubrovnik to Newark and Los Angeles from June. According to the airline, three weekly operations to the Big Apple will commence on June 21 with a wet-leased Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The LA service will be inaugurated a day later, on June 22, and will be maintained three times per week with an A340 jet. Flights will be operated until the end of the 2021 summer season in late October. The company said it will offer a total of 15.700 seats between Dubrovnik and Newark, and a further 14.700 seats between the Croatian coastal city and Los Angeles. Ticket sales for the new routes are expected to commence next Friday.
Air Serbia is operating 121 flights from Belgrade to New York this summer, with 62.122 seats on sale. The airline recently launched a new on board product on its transatlantic service, which, according to the company’s CEO, has been one of its most profitable routes in both 2020 and so far in 2021. “Despite the pandemic, our transatlantic flight has continued to deliver positive results. We were one of the few airlines that have flown to New York throughout the pandemic. New York in 2020 and 2021 is one of our most profitable routes”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Duncan Naysmith said. Commenting on increased transatlantic competition in the region, he added, “In terms of competition to the region, we welcome it. What you have to bear in mind is that we actually have a regional connectivity network. Our consistency is there, and our product proposition is one of the best in class”.
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