Air Serbia

Not to be confused with Air Srpska.

Air Serbia
IATA ICAO Callsign
JU ASL AIR SERBIA
Founded 17 June 1927
(as Aeroput)
29 February 1992 (1992-02-29)
Belgrade, Serbia
Commenced operations 26 October 2013 (2013-10-26)
(as Air Serbia)
Hubs Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
Frequent-flyer program Etihad Guest[1]
Subsidiaries
  • Air Serbia Ground Services[2]
  • Air Serbia Catering [3]
Fleet size 21[4]
Destinations 44[5]
Company slogan
  • The New Wings of Europe
Parent company Government of Serbia (51%)[6]
Headquarters Belgrade, Serbia
Key people
  • Dane Kondić (CEO)[7]
  • Branislav Malović
    (Chief Government Affairs and Relations Officer)
  • Davor Mišeljić
    (COO)
Revenue Increase €305 million (2015)[8]
Net income Increase €3.9 million (2015)[9]
Total assets Increase €304.97 million (2013)[10]
Total equity Steady €0 (2013)[10]
Employees 2,450 across the Air Serbia group (2015)[11]
Website airserbia.com

Air Serbia (stylized as AirSERBIA; Serbian: Ер Србија / Er Srbija) is the flag carrier and largest airline of Serbia. The airline was formerly known as Jat Airways until it was renamed in 2013. Air Serbia commenced operations under its new name on 26 October 2013.[12][13] The airline has its hub at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.[7]

History

See also: Aeroput and Jat Airways

Air Serbia draws its heritage, including the airline code JU, from flag carriers of former Yugoslavia: Aeroput was established in Belgrade in 1927, and was replaced by Jugoslovenski Aerotransport (JAT) in 1948 as the national airline of Yugoslavia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1990s, JAT became a flag carrier of Serbia and Montenegro (FR Yugoslavia) and was renamed Jat Airways in 2003. However, the aging fleet and lack of investments caused the company to record financial losses year after year, and several Serbian governments were looking for a strategic partner for the company.[14]

On 1 August 2013, Jat Airways and Etihad Airways entered into an agreement of strategic partnership. Under the agreement, Etihad acquired a 49% stake in Jat Airways and management rights for a period of five years.[15] The Republic of Serbia would retain the remaining 51% and hold five of nine monitoring committee seats in the company.[16] Jat Airways was reorganized and renamed Air Serbia in October 2013 and launched its inaugural flight under its new name on 26 October 2013, from Belgrade to Abu Dhabi.[12]

Air Serbia's logo is a stylized double-headed eagle inspired by the Serbian coat-of-arms.[17] The airline's branding was based on work undertaken by Tamara Maksimović, a 25-year-old graphic designer from Novi Sad.[18]

Serbian tennis player Novak Đoković gave his name to the first Airbus A319, and will be part of the series titled Living legends of Serbia which will appear on the new fleet of the airline.[19] Serbian professional basketball player Vlade Divac gave his name to the first Airbus A320.[20] The airline phased in its first long-haul aircraft, an Airbus A330, in May 2016..[21]

Corporate Affairs

Structure

Air Serbia is jointly owned by the Republic of Serbia, which holds a 51 per cent stake, and Etihad Airways, which has a 49 per cent share.

Business trends

The key trends for Air Serbia are shown below (as at years ending 31 December):

2014 2015
Total revenue (€m) 262 305
Profits (€m) 2.7 3.9
Number of passengers (m) 2.3 2.55
Passenger load factor (%) 67 71
Number of aircraft (at year end) 19 20
Cargo carried (000s tonnes) 2.7 3.8
Notes/sources [22] [23][24]

Destinations

The first flight under the new Air Serbia brand operated for promotional purposes on 26 October 2013, initiating the service to Abu Dhabi,[25] with the first revenue service taking place the following day on the return flight from Abu Dhabi to Belgrade.

As of June 2016,[5] the airline operates flights to 44 destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North America.

Codeshare agreements

Air Serbia codeshares with the following airlines:[26]

Long-haul flights

On 23 June 2016, Air Serbia begun operating non-stop flights between Belgrade and New York using an Airbus A330-200 leased from another Etihad partner, Jet Airways.

The transatlantic service became the first non-stop flight operated by a Serbian carrier between Serbia and the United States since 1992, when the majority of long-haul flights were discontinued.[27]

Turkish Airlines conflict

On 27 October 2013, Air Serbia had to switch its operations from Istanbul Atatürk Airport to Sabiha Gökçen Airport after being given unfavourable slot timings at Atatürk Airport.[28] Seeing it as a protectionist move by the Turkish government,[29] the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate responded in early 2014 by issuing Turkish carriers permits that were valid for only two months, putting them at risk of having their flying rights to Belgrade revoked in the middle of the summer season unless a compromise was found.[30] The row came to end in June 2014, when an agreement was reached that saw Air Serbia switch its operations back to Atatürk Airport in August 2014 and Turkish Airlines limit the number of its Belgrade flights from seventeen to fourteen weekly.[31]

Fleet

As of June 2016, the Air Serbia fleet comprises the following aircraft:[32]

Air Serbia fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
J Y Total
Airbus A319-100 8 — 8 120 128
Airbus A320-200 2 — 8 147 155
Airbus A320neo — 10[33] – – TBA To be delivered between 2018 and 2020.[34]
Airbus A330-200 1 – 18 236 254[35] Leased from Jet Airways[36][37][38]
ATR 72-200 3 — 0 66 66
ATR 72-500 3 — 0 70 70
Boeing 737-300 4 — 0 144 144 Operated as part of the charter brand Aviolet[39]
Total 21 10

Subsidiaries

Air Serbia Ground Services

Renamed from SU-Port and shortened as ASGS, Air Serbia Ground Services was the first officially certified supplier of ground handling services in the Republic of Serbia, which has obtained a ground handling certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Directorate. ASGS has been certified to provide ground handling operations which include handling of passengers, baggage, aircraft, cargo and mail. Since its foundation in 2002 and up to the present day, Air Serbia Ground Services annually provided ground handling services to more than 1 million passengers, on 8500 flights, on behalf of the national air carrier – Air Serbia and other companies.[40]

Air Serbia Catering

Air Serbia Catering (ASC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Air Serbia. Located in the industrial zone of Nikola Tesla Airport, the company prepares inflight meals for Air Serbia, as well as other carriers operating to Belgrade. Originally founded in 1967 as part of JAT, ASC started operating as an independent company in 2005, and in early 2014 it became part of Air Serbia.[41]

Charter operations

An Aviolet Boeing 737-300 at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport in 2014.

In May 2014 Air Serbia launched a new charter brand called Aviolet,[42] (Serbian Cyrillic: Авиолет) which uses Air Serbia's rebranded Boeing 737-300 fleet[43] under Air Serbia's JU flight code, with a four digit flight number.

The majority of Aviolet flights are operated during the peak of the summer season, in the period between June 15 and September 15. The first-ever Aviolet-branded flight took of from Belgrade to Antalya on 4 May 2014.[39]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Air Serbia Etihad Guest". Archived from the original on 10 April 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "AirSERBIA Ground Services". Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Catering - about us". airserbia.com. Retrieved 12 September 2016. In early 2014, (Air Serbia Catering) became a subsidiary company of the airline company Air Serbia and part of Etihad Airways Partner Group.
  4. ↑ http://www.airserbia.com/sr-RS/nasa-flota
  5. 1 2 "Air Serbia targets more US traffic as profit soars". The National. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016. From its Nikola Tesla International Airport hub in Belgrade, Air Serbia flies to 44 passenger and cargo destinations in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North America.
  6. ↑ Dron, Alan (3 March 2015). "Air Serbia records first full-year profit in 2014". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. 
  7. 1 2 "Belgrade Airport, with resurgent Air Serbia, challenges the hub order in Central/Southeast Europe". CAPA Centre for Aviation. 18 March 2015. Archived 21 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ↑ "Air Serbia reports EUR3.9m net profit in second full year operation". centreforaviation.com. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016. Revenue increased 16% to EUR305 million, driven by "significant growth" in passenger numbers.
  9. ↑ Dron, Alan (5 May 2016). "Air Serbia's 2015 net profit up 44%". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. 
  10. 1 2 Подаци о обвезнику. apr.gov.rs (in Serbian). Агенција за привредне регистре. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Air Serbia posts record profit for 2015". exyuaviation.com. During 2015, Air Serbia employed an additional 400 staff members, growing the combined workforce of the Air Serbia Group, including its subsidiaries, Air Serbia Catering and Air Serbia Ground Services, to 2,450 people.
  12. 1 2 "Air Serbia: A New Dawn for Serbia as Revitalised National Airline Takes to the Skies". Centre for Aviation. 28 October 2013. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014.
  13. ↑ "Air Serbia: New Route Network Gives Best Ever Choice for Serbian Travellers". Centre for Aviation. 28 October 2013. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014.
  14. ↑ "History". Air Serbia. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Etihad Airways and Government of Serbia unveil strategic partnership to secure future of Serbian National Airline". Etihad Airways. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Jat Airways to be renamed to Air Serbia in August". B92. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  17. ↑ "Air Serbia - Bruce Drum (airlinersgallery)". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  18. ↑ "New name and new look revealed for Serbia's National Airline". Etihad Airways. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  19. ↑ Novak Djokovic accepted that Air Serbia’s aircraft bears his name at inserbia.info, 25 October 2013, retrieved 30 December 2013
  20. ↑ MONDO/Tanjug. "Avion Er Srbije nosiće ime Vlade Divac - Mondo Portal". Mondo Portal. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  21. ↑ Moores, Victoria (12 May 2016). "Air Serbia receives first long-haul aircraft". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016.
  22. ↑ "Air Serbia records profitability in first full year of operation". airserbia.com. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  23. ↑ "Air Serbia records strong passenger and cargo growth in 2015". airserbia.com. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  24. ↑ "Air Serbia reports net profit of EUR 3.9 million - second successive year of profitablity". airserbia.com. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  25. ↑ "Special Offers". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  26. ↑ "Profile on Air Serbia". CAPA. Centre for Aviation. Archived from the original on 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  27. ↑ "From Belgrade To The Big Apple: Air Serbia Makes History As First New York Service Takes Off" (in Serbian). Radio Television of Serbia. 9 November 2015.
  28. ↑ "Aviokarta.net - Air Serbia menja aerodrom u Istanbulu od kraja oktobra". Aviokarta.net. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  29. ↑ "EX-YU Aviation News: Air Serbia demands return to Ataturk". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "Putovanja - Gde æemo i sa kim leteti ovog leta? - B92 Putovanja". B92. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  31. ↑ "Serbia-Turkey aviation row comes to an end". Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  32. ↑ "Our Fleet". airserbia.com. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
  33. ↑ "AIR SERBIA ANNOUNCES TEN AIRBUS A320NEO AIRCRAFT FOR ITS FLEET FROM 2018" (Press release). Air Serbia. 19 November 2013. Archived from the original on 29 June 2014.
  34. ↑ "Dubai 2013: Šta novo donosi Airbus A320 NEO?". Tangosix.rs. 4 December 2013.
  35. ↑ "Air Serbia launches JFK ticket sales". Ex Yu Aviation. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  36. ↑ "Stiže iz Indije A 330 za SAD a uzećemo još jedan" [An A330 arrives from India for USA flights, and we will take another]. B92. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  37. ↑ "Mali: Avion za letove za SAD stiže u maju". Tanjug. 23 January 2016.
  38. ↑ "Air Serbia to use "infrastructure of other airlines" for New York service". Balkans news. 14 December 2015.
  39. 1 2 "Aviolet - novi brend Air Serbije za čarter letove". Aviokarta.net (in Serbian). 23 May 2014.
  40. ↑ "Air Serbia official website - airserbia.com". Air Serbia official website - airserbia.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  41. ↑ "Air Serbia Catering". airserbia.com. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  42. ↑ Air Serbia’s charter brand takes off
  43. ↑ Aviolet official website, retrieved 8-12-2014

Further reading

External links

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