WORLD ROUTES: Belavia Links Budapest to Belarus and Serbia with Capital Connection

Belarusian carrier Belavia has devised an interesting flight schedule to introduce new air services between the country’s capital Minsk and the Hungarian capital, Budapest but at the same time supporting demand for flights from Budapest to the Serbian capital, Belgrade.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) carrier launched a twice weekly scheduled link that connects the three European capital cities for the first time on September 19, 2013. The year-round service operates on a Minsk – Budapest – Belgrade – Budapest – Minsk routing every Monday and Thursday and is operated by a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200LR.

“Budapest Airport is delighted to welcome the two new connections from Budapest with the introduction of Belavia on the Minsk and Belgrade routes. It offers yet more international travel options from Budapest Airport and we are confident that the new routes will prove popular,” said Kam Jandu chief commercial officer, Budapest Airport.

This new route has been supported an innovative incentive scheme for thin routes that was launched by Budapest Airport at this year’s Routes Europe forum in May 2013. The incentives are available to airlines serving routes that are not currently offered from Budapest with a frequency of two to four flights a week.

“This one of a kind unique flight will connect the three European capitals and we expect it to be popular with both business and tourist passengers,” added Igor Tcherginets, deputy director general marketing & international, Belavia. “I’m sure that this flight will attract interest from Belarusian, Serbian and Hungarian tourist agencies. The new route will definitely increase the number of transit passengers travelling via Minsk.”

Belavia is embarking on a network expansion this year and as we exclusively revealed at Routes Europe (click here to view our story and video interview) will also be introducing flights between Minsk and Geneva, in Switzerland before the end of the year. The three times weekly link will be launched on December 15, 2013 and will be supported by the Belarusian carrier’s entire fleet with one rotation due to be flown by a CRJ200, one by an Embraer 175 and one using a Boeing 737-500.