Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, has ruled out the carrier joining one of the global airline alliances in the short term, stating that the current alliance framework would require significant restructuring to ensure a more balanced and mutually beneficial partnership. Speaking at the recent ERA conference in Belgrade, Mr Marek noted, “As things stand today, the alliance environment would require significant restructuring, particularly in terms of how smaller carriers are treated and valued. As long as an airline is contributing more than it is receiving in return, there is little justification for joining”. Air Serbia has previously noted that due to its size, membership within an alliance would hinder its independence.
Mr Marek believes that Air Serbia would bring benefits to some of the global alliances. “In our case, we bring clear strategic value, with strong leverage and access to the Balkan region. This summer, we will serve seventeen destinations across the former Yugoslavia, which is a meaningful contribution to any network”, the CEO said. He added, “However, many alliances operate with a tiered structure – an inner circle, often linked to joint ventures, and outer layers of smaller airlines that primarily feed traffic without receiving proportional benefits. For Air Serbia, participation would only make sense if the relationship is balanced and delivers tangible value to all parties involved”.
The three global airline alliance – Star, SkyTeam, oneworld – have mixed presence in Belgrade. Star Alliance is by far the largest. During the 2026 summer season, the six Star Alliance members serving Belgrade Airport account for just over one million seats. This represents a 14.4% share of total capacity this summer. It is followed by two SkyTeam members – KLM and TAROM – with just over 125.000 seats or a 1.7% share. Finally, onewrold is the least represented of the three alliances at Belgrade Airport. Its only member serving the city, Qatar Airways, has temporarily suspended operations to the Serbian capital due to the conflict in the Middle East but is due to return from June 16. It will be joined by a another oneworld member, Royal Jordanian Airlines, in late September.
