Air Serbia says it is on track to achieve another record year in terms of passenger numbers, although it does not expect to surpass the five-million-passenger mark in 2026. “I think it is still too early to say exactly how many passengers we will handle, but a new record will certainly be set. We will be able to make more accurate projections after the summer season, which is always the main driver of passenger traffic. There are also a number of factors still to play out, including geopolitical developments and last-minute booking trends”, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said. He added, “At the moment, we are seeing weaker demand for charter flights, particularly to Egypt and Turkey. However, we believe this will be offset by strong demand for our Mediterranean destinations, such as Italy, Spain and Greece. Therefore, I would say we should have a much clearer picture and more concrete figures by the end of September”.
The CEO noted he would be satisfied if Air Serbia achieved passenger growth of 3% this year, although the airline’s target is closer to 5%. “So, we will not exceed five million passengers this year, but we believe we can come close to that figure”, Mr Marek said. The airline has introduced five new routes so far this year, with the sixth, to Alicante, to be inaugurated this afternoon. A further four will follow up until December.
Last Friday, Air Serbia welcomed its millionth passenger on long-haul flights since launching wide-body operations under its current brand. The airline inaugurated its first long-haul service, between Belgrade and New York, on June 23, 2016. “Reaching the one millionth passenger on long-haul flights is an important moment for our airline and confirms the trust that our passengers have given us for nearly a decade. We are immensely pleased that we are marking this milestone during a period of expansion of our network – just a few days ago, we re-established direct Belgrade – Toronto flights, after a 34-year hiatus, and we will also soon mark the tenth anniversary of the New York service. The new Toronto service is especially important, considering the numerous diasporas, as well as the demand for a direct connection that has existed for a long time. Such network development offers passengers better connectivity with crucial destinations around the world”, Mr Marek concluded.
