Following the statements that the CEO of Air Serbia made last year about the company’s expansion plans in North America, the Serbian ambassador to the United States, Marko Djurić, said that before the end of the year, the flights between Belgrade and Miami could be announced.
The information was revealed by the specialized media outlet Exyuaviation, quoting words spoken by the diplomat last week during a meeting he held with representatives of different government and business organizations from Miami-Dade County, where he also pointed out the possibility of opening a third Serbian consulate in Florida considering the large diaspora of that country in the state, which also serves to boost the demand for the route.
The president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, also stated in another interview that the flights to Miami would be launched soon.
See also: Etihad Airways and Air Serbia sign a code-sharing agreement
Currently, Air Serbia has a presence in North America with two weekly flights between Belgrade and New York/JFK; and two weekly flights between Belgrade and Chicago-O’Hare, service reintroduced in 2023 after 30 years. Both routes are operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft with a capacity for 268 passengers, totaling an offer of 1,072 seats per direction each week.
The flights of Air Serbia would open a new connection to Florida with Eastern Europe, a market only served by LOT with four weekly flights between Warsaw and Miami (although the inclusion of Poland in Eastern Europe varies depending on the source).
In 2023, Air Serbia transported 4.19 million passengers in its network (mostly focused on Europe) of 51 destinations in 34 countries. Passenger traffic grew by 53% compared to 2022, while the number of flights increased by 44% (~45,000). The company’s fleet consists of 7 ATR 72, 10 A319, 5 A320, 2 A330-200, one E190, and three E195.
Last year was also marked by the complete exit of Etihad Airways from the capital of Air Serbia, when the government acquired the 16.42% of the shares that were still owned by the company.
Etihad had managed to obtain up to a 49% stake in Air Serbia, which later dropped to 18% in 2020 and 16% in 2022, while the government advanced in a plan for modernization and financial sanitation of the airline. Throughout this time, Etihad was relegated to an investor role, but without participation in the management of Air Serbia.
See also: The Serbian government acquired full control of Air Serbia
