Air Serbia adds over 30 new routes from Belgrade in two years including services to China, Russia and USA

Air Serbia is the ninth largest airline serving Central and Eastern Europe in winter 2022, according to Cirium schedules information data. It has 1.4 million seats this season, a 12% increase against the previous record. It is the result of its newfound competitiveness, which has seen 32 scheduled routes added from its Belgrade hub, some in 2022 and the rest in 2023.

The vast majority are brand new. It is part of its drive to become the market leader in the wider Balkans, which has seen its Belgrade dominance rise to almost 50%, the highest since winter 2016. And with five more aircraft coming in 2023, expect more route announcements.

14 Air Serbia Belgrade routes launched in 2022

Of the 14 routes mentioned below, six have had Belgrade flights in the past 20 years. JAT, the predecessor of Air Serbia, served Nis (until 2004) and Trieste (2011). Meanwhile, Belgrade’s second biggest airline, Wizz Air, previously had Nuremberg (until 2017), Lyon (2019), Hannover (2021) and Salzburg (2021). The figures in the following brackets denote weekly flights:

• 6 January: Nis (4)
• 21 April: Valencia (2)
• 2 June: Trieste (since ended)
• 3 June: Hannover (2 to 3)
• 3 June: Lyon (2)
• 5 June: Bari (3)
• 6 June: Bologna (3 to 4)
• 6 June: Nuremberg (2)
• 7 June: Salzburg (2 to 3)
• 11 June: Palma (2)
• 12 June: Sochi (2)
• 19 September: Kazan (2)
• 9 December: Tianjin (1)
• 18 December: Malaga (2)

18 more Belgrade routes are coming in 2023

They include the return of Air Serbia to Gothenburg (last served in 2013), Varna (2016), Ohrid (2017) and Hamburg (2019). It will face Wizz Air to Gothenburg and Hamburg, which inaugurated them in the aftermath of Air Serbia ending them.

• 28 March: Ankara (4)
• 14 April: Catania (2)
• 15 April: Izmir (2)
• 28 April: Heraklion (4)
• 15 May: Hamburg (3)
• 17 May: Chicago (2 to 3)
• 18 May: Cologne (3)
• 18 May: Gothenburg (3)
• 19 May: Naples (2)
• 20 May: Marseille (2)
• 20 May: Florence (2)
• 4 June: Chania (3)
• 4 June: Krakow (4)
• 5 June: Rhodes (4)
• 5 June: Ohrid (4)
• 5 June: Varna (4)
• 9 June: Corfu (2)
• 14 June: Palermo (2)

The Serbian flag carrier will be the only airline on 13 of the 18 routes. They include Belgrade-Chicago, last served by JAT in 1991. The route, Air Serbia’s second to the USA, is happening because the Illinois city has many Serbians and those of Serbian heritage, together with many people from the wider Balkans – all prime targets for the carrier.