Serbian airline Air Serbia is also focusing on growth in 2025 and plans to increase its passenger numbers by around 6% compared to the previous year. This would result in the airline carrying more than 4,7 million passengers next year. Air Serbia's General Manager for Commercial Affairs and Strategy, Boško Rupić, told public broadcaster RTS that the airline will not only expand its fleet and route network, but also wants to increase frequencies on existing connections during the summer season. "We expect similar growth to that in 2024 compared to 2023," Rupić continued.
In 2024, Air Serbia had already carried 4,44 million passengers, an increase of 6% over the previous year. The airline is also focusing on a strategic expansion of its offerings in 2025 to further promote growth and meet the needs of its customers.
New destinations and increased frequencies in summer 2025
For the summer months of 2025, Air Serbia plans to launch new routes from Belgrade to Florence, Alghero and Mykonos. The airline originally also intended to launch flights to Ibiza, but has not yet been able to secure suitable slots for this route. At the same time, the company will increase frequencies on existing routes to popular destinations such as Athens, Vienna, Barcelona, Brussels, Larnaca, Madrid, Pula, Stuttgart and Valencia compared to last year. However, it should be noted that these plans are subject to change as the airline continues to adapt its route networks to market conditions.
What is particularly noteworthy is that Air Serbia will maintain the routes to Guangzhou and Nice, launched in September 2024, throughout the summer season. In addition, the newly launched connection to Shanghai will also be included in the summer schedule for the first time. These expansions and the increase in frequencies reflect the airline's ambition to expand its market presence and meet the changing needs of international air traffic.
Successful ticket campaign with record bookings
In February 2025, Air Serbia set a new record for ticket bookings. After launching its largest ticket promotion ever, which included over 70 destinations, the airline recorded 43.447 bookings on the first day of the promotion - a figure significantly higher than the usual daily average of 13.000-14.000 bookings. "This number was a big surprise for us," explained Rupić. During the entire promotional week, 168.000 tickets were sold, an increase of 81,1% compared to the previous year's record. Destinations such as Larnaca, Barcelona, Paris, Istanbul and Zurich were particularly in demand.
These impressive figures demonstrate the continued interest in Air Serbia and its diverse offerings. The success of the ticket campaign shows that the airline not only wants to benefit from the growing passenger numbers in 2025, but is also able to attract new customer groups and increase demand through targeted marketing strategies.
Growth and record numbers in 2024
Air Serbia delivered an impressive performance in 2024. Compared to the previous year, the airline carried 2,4% more passengers, laying a solid foundation for further growth in 2025. In January 2025, the airline recorded 276.198 passengers, an increase of 2,4% compared to the same month last year. The company also reduced its capacity, which continued to produce positive results given the increased demand.
Air Serbia continued its expansion strategy and launched a fourth long-haul route to Shanghai, while flights to Sochi and Kazan were temporarily suspended. In January 2025, the airline focused on connections to Moscow, Podgorica, Paris, Istanbul, Zurich and Milan. The largest capacities were planned for the long-haul routes to New York and Guangzhou. In addition, the airline is expected to increase its capacities by 2025% in February 5,2, which underlines the airline's continuous expansion.
Stable finances and the acquisition of new aircraft
Air Serbia has achieved a new financial high in 2024 with revenues of over EUR 700 million and expects a net profit of around EUR 41,3 million - an increase compared to the previous year. These strong financial results have enabled the airline to further expand its fleet. Three previously leased Airbus A319s have been purchased by Air Serbia, helping the airline to reduce future financial obligations and further increase stability.
As part of the fleet expansion, three new ATR2024-72s and an Airbus A600-330 for long-haul flights and an Embraer E200 were also added in 195. The expansion of the fleet is an integral part of the airline's growth strategy, which not only expands its existing routes but also expands its long-haul offerings.
Air Serbia plans to surpass the company's record passenger traffic in 2025, set in 1987, when its predecessor airline JAT Jugoslovenski Aerotransport achieved the best result in its history with 4,53 million passengers. Air Serbia expects to break this record in the near future and sees many opportunities for further growth in 2025. Jiri Marek, CEO of Air Serbia, reiterated that the airline is able to respond quickly to market changes and adapt to new trends, which is evident from the increased cabin occupancy rate.