After Tbilisi, Air Serbia considering new lines to Caucasus and Central Asia

Air Serbia is considering further expansion eastward, as its recently launched route to Tbilisi is showing promising results. The national carrier, which launched flights to the Georgian capital last month, is monitoring the development of the route, which signals that its success could serve as a springboard for future network expansion to the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Speaking to Bloomberg Adria, Air Serbia CEO Jiri Marek said that they were very pleased with the initial bookings and data thus far.

– If this positive trend continues, it is only natural that we also consider Yerevan, Baku and other destinations in Central Asia – he said.

Talks about potential flights between Belgrade and Baku have been ongoing for more than a decade. In late June, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Aleksandra Sofronijevic spoke with Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Kamil Khasiyev and the two parties also discussed “cooperation between the two countries in the field of air transport.” On the other hand, Armenian carriers are currently on the European Union’s blacklist, meaning they are banned from flying in EU airspace for security reasons. The ban, which has been in effect since June 2020, was updated last month to include all airlines certified in the country.

Air Serbia recently announced plans to introduce five to six new destinations each year in the coming period. In Central Asia, which was last connected to Belgrade by regular air traffic more than twenty years ago, Kazakh airline SCAT announced plans to introduce flights between Astana and Belgrade by the end of the year. Based on indirect traffic flow, Almaty has the largest point-to-point traffic in Central Asia with Belgrade, however, any route in the region would be heavily dependent on transfer traffic.

Air Serbia ad Beograd

Ministarstvo građevinarstva, saobraćaja i infrastrukture Republike Srbije

Air Serbia

Ministry of Construction Transport and Infrastructure

Jiri Marek

Aleksandra Sofronijević

introduction of air lines toward Caucasus and Central Asia