Charting the resurgence of air transport in markets around the word, Routes looks at the easing of travel restrictions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Central and Eastern European ULCC Wizz Air this week plans to restart selected routes from London Luton and Vienna, subject to no further government restrictions being put in place.
The aircraft, which is configured with 86 seats and will be leased between the busy summer months of June and September 2016, will allow Air Serbia to expand its flight network with non-stop flights to Hamburg in Germany and Kiev in Ukraine being introduced from its Belgrade base. In addition, the aircraft will be deployed on the carrier’s existing Belgrade – Sofia route.
The new non-stop link between Doha and Yerevan will commence from May 15, 2016 with a four times weekly service being flown using an Airbus A320 configured in a two-class arrangement with 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy Class. The new route is understood have been facilitated by Qatar Airways’ network expansion across the US, a market which has strong links back into Armenia, but with limited current connectivity.
The five times weekly Belgrade - New York JFK link will be operated using a leased two-class Airbus A330-200 and Air Serbia is currently considering lease options with Etihad Airways Partner airlines as well as with other external companies. The airline currently operates a fleet of 14 narrow-bodied and six turboprop aircraft.
The new ‘Pharma Express’ route will see an Airbus A330-200F operate between Brussels and Basel and then on to Doha on a twice weekly basis from January 28, 2015 with flights every Wednesday and Saturday.
The route enjoys a long history with flights first being introduced between the two cities by Aeroput in February 1928 and latterly by JAT Airways from April 1947. However, the former Yugoslavian flag carrier closed the route in August 1991 as the first of the ethinic conflicts that lead to the breakup of the country began.
The total traffic for the four days is an increase of 36 per cent over the same period at the end of Eid Al Fitr in 2013, when 133,007 passengers took an Etihad Airways flight.
According to a study by Oxford Economics, Air Serbia is making a significant contribution to the Serbian economy. The combined direct, indirect and induced economic contribution to the Serbian economy is expected to be more than US$700 million in 2014.
Air Serbia, the national airline of Serbia, has reported positive developments for the five months since its launch in October 2013, outlining network and fleet growth and the creation of new jobs in Serbia.
