Etihad considering Belgrade return through Air Arabia
Etihad Airways is considering restoring operations between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade through its joint venture with Sharjah-based low cost carrier Air Arabia called Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. As part of its fleet simplification and business transformation, Etihad plans to offload its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft to Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. The budget airline is then expected to take over a number of former and present Etihad routes operated by the single-aisle aircraft. Media reports claim Etihad will transfer crew to Air Arabia Abu Dhabi along with the A320 fleet. During its last full year of operations between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade, Etihad Airways handled 114.256 passengers on the route, with an average annual cabin load factor of over 90%.
Etihad Airways recently told EX-YU Aviation News it was evaluating the possibility of resuming flights between the two capital cities which were terminated as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in October 2020. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the Emirati national carrier said, “Serbia is not currently part of our operating network, but it remains an important market for Etihad Airways. We continually review the forward development of the network, and as part of this process will be regularly evaluating the potential to reinstate a connection between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade”. Since Etihad’s withdrawal from the route, another low cost carrier, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, commenced flights between the two cities with its Airbus A321 aircraft and currently maintains three weekly rotations.
Etihad heavily relied on transfer passengers on its Belgrade service, primarily to and from China and Australia. Its top five feeder routes on the Belgrade operation in 2019 were Shanghai, Beijing, Sydney, Hong Kong and Melbourne. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, which launched in July 2020, primarily serves the Gulf and the Indian subcontinent. However, it also maintains seasonal operations to Sarajevo. Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s parent company, the Sharjah-based Air Arabia, planned to launch four weekly flights to Belgrade in June 2019, but suspended ticket sales two months prior to the planned launch. Etihad continues to maintain an 18% stake in Air Serbia.
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