Serbia, India plan subsidised Belgrade - Delhi flights
The Presidents of Serbia and India have announced plans to initially provide subsidies to airlines for the introduction of nonstop flights between the two countries. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart, Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vučić, said, “Both privately-owned airlines in India , as well as our flag carrier, Air Serbia, will consider the support and subsidies that both countries will give to interested companies in order to establish nonstop flights between Belgrade and Delhi. After my visit to India and meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we talked about working in various fields and furthering our business relations. We are trying to start nonstop flights between India and Serbia as soon as possible. This will help a lot in terms of business and tourism in both countries”. India’s President, Draupadi Murmu, added, “It is very important for flights to be established. Enabling travel and people-to-people exchange will broaden our economic cooperation”.
Serbia saw a sharp rise in arrivals from India during 2021, when thousands of Indian nationals underwent quarantine in Belgrade during the coronavirus pandemic in order to be able reach their final destination in the United States, Canada and the Middle East. The likes of Qatar Airways, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi and Flydubai benefited from the increased demand. In addition, several charters were also operated between India and Serbia in 2021 by IndiGo. Aiding arrivals from India to Serbia over the past few years was visa-free entry into the country, however, on January 1, Serbia reintroduced visa requirements for Indian nationals. The only Indian carrier operating flights close to the region is the country’s largest carrier – IndiGo - which maintains services from both Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul.
Air Serbia recently said that demand for travel from India to Serbia has significantly softened since the end of the Covid pandemic, noting that its primary markets for long-haul growth were China, North America and Far East Asia. “There have been many questions about that [India], and Covid-driven demand should not be mistaken for natural tourist demand. The period in which Belgrade saw a significant number of Indian tourists using Serbia as a stopover for their trips to Europe, the US, and the Middle East has passed, and numbers have dropped significantly as a result of the latest change in travel restrictions”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said last month.
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