AnadoluJet to launch Belgrade flights
Turkish Airlines’ regional brand AnadoluJet will commence a two weekly service between Ankara and Belgrade this December, the Serbian Ambassador to Turkey, Zoran Marković, has announced. Ticket sales are expected to commence soon. "This is a significant milestone, not only from a commercial standpoint and for a further increase in the already vibrant and ever-growing exchange in tourists, but also for relations between our two nations and deeper interaction between our people", Mr Marković said. He added, “We hope the initial two weekly rotations will grow in the coming period with more frequencies. The new route will open fresh opportunities for both Turkish and Serbian citizens to appreciate the kinship and common historical and social links that go back centuries”. The Ambassador noted the two countries are in discussions over the introduction of passport-free travel.
During the pre-pandemic 2019, a total of 10.787 passengers flew indirectly between Ankara and Belgrade on a single itinerary. It was Belgrade Airport’s twelfth busiest unserved route that year. In the pandemic-stricken 2020, a further 4.078 travellers flew between the two capital cities. Of those, Turkish Airlines handled 52% via its hub in Istanbul. Air Serbia codeshares on its Turkish counterpart’s flights between Istanbul and Ankara. AnadoluJet operates a fleet of 52 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which have the capacity to seat 180 passengers. Visitors from Turkey are among the most common amongst tourists in Serbia.
The Turkish capital has not been served from Belgrade up until now. At one point, Qatar Airways maintained its flights from Doha to Belgrade via Ankara, however, it did not have fifth freedom rights to sell tickets between the two cities, despite attempting to do so. Turkish Airlines filed for slots at Belgrade Airport to launch a two weekly service between the two capital cities this summer, however, in the end decided against introducing the service. AnadoluJet planned to launch seasonal operations between Antalya and Belgrade this summer but was not issued a permit by the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate due to a stringent bilateral air service agreement in place between the two countries. However, Ambassador Marković noted that the two nations reached a joint agreement for the new AnadoluJet service to be launched.
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