Air Serbia still undecided over third destination in North America

Air Serbia plans to expand its long-haul network and has made no secrete it will next launch flights to either Shanghai or Guangzhou in China, depending on where it secures better landing and departure slots, once it manages to find a suitable Airbus A330-200 aircraft for lease on the market. However, further down the line, the carrier plans to commence flights to its third destination in North America, following the launch of Chicago earlier this year and New York JFK back in 2016. Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, says a decision between Toronto and Miami has still not been made, noting that both have a similar chance of turning a profit”.

Commenting on the matter, Mr Marek said, “Toronto has a large diaspora, but also high seasonality. Miami, on the other hand, is a year-round destination. Our partner, American Airlines, has a large hub at Miami Airport. Both destinations are similar in terms of profitability, but we have not made a final decision yet”. He added, “We have been flying to New York since 2016. The route has matured and planes to the Big Apple are flying at full capacity. The diaspora living in the United States benefits from these connections. This is also why we launched a nonstop service to Chicago. The US diaspora is still price sensitive, which is why we initially delayed the acquisition of a second wide-body aircraft. During the pandemic, there was an opportunity to fly to China. We did not hesitate to use it. Operating to China and Tianjin guarantees profitability”.’

Mr Marek has reiterated the carrier’s commitment to expanding its long-haul network in the near future. In late December of last year, the CEO said that sourcing a third A330-200 jet might take “nine or more months”. However, the airline entered into talks with a lessor this spring, but the deal ultimately fell through. “As soon as we take delivery of the third Airbus A330, we will focus on expanding the Chinese market. We have already received permits for Guangzhou and Shanghai. We will decide later between Miami or Toronto as our third destination in North America”, Mr Marek said. This coming winter season, which begins on October 29, Air Serbia plans to operate two weekly flights to Tianjin, which is one more than last winter, two weekly flights to Chicago, increasing to three weekly between December 18, 2023 and January 1, 2024, and three weekly rotations to New York JFK, increasing to five weekly between December 22, 2023 and January 7, 2024.