Xiamen Airlines’ Chairman, Zhao Dong, has held talks with Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Adrijana Mesarović, to explore the launch of flights to Belgrade, strengthen tourism cooperation and deepen broader commercial ties. The meeting builds on initial discussions held late last year, after which the airline began a feasibility study into establishing a nonstop service between Xiamen and the Serbian capital.
“We engaged in detailed discussions on the potential of introducing nonstop flights between Fujian Province and Serbia, examining operational considerations, passenger demand and cargo opportunities at Belgrade Airport”, the carrier said. It added, “Both sides expressed a shared commitment to boosting the presence of premium Serbian agricultural products in the Chinese market through Xiamen Airlines’ flight network and affiliated hotel channels, further advancing bilateral economic and trade relations”.
A member of the SkyTeam alliance and China’s fifth-largest airline by available seat capacity this year, Xiamen Airlines is partially owned by China Southern Airlines, which already serves Belgrade from Guangzhou. In addition to its hub in the coastal city of Xiamen, the carrier also maintains a base in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province. Fuzhou is home to mining giants Zijin Mining and Zijin Copper, Serbia’s two largest exporting companies, which operate significant mining assets in the country.
Air Serbia, China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines handled a combined total of 90.142 passengers on flights between Belgrade and China during the first half of the year. Guangzhou had the most passengers, with four weekly flights operated by two carriers – Air Serbia and China Southern Airlines. Together they handled 44.694 travellers between the two cities. Hainan Airlines welcomed 23.722 travellers on its flights between Beijing and Belgrade, while Air Serbia’s two weekly service to Shanghai, launched in January, saw 21.726 passengers during the first half of the year.
