With newfound competitiveness and the drive to become the leading airline in the Balkans, Air Serbia expects to add up to 30 routes from Belgrade this year. It launched 14 last year – most notably to Tianjin. It has been suggested that 20-30 routes could also start next year too, helped by adding five more aircraft.

20 routes have been announced for 2023

Some 20 of the up to 30 routes have already been disclosed and are on sale. Speculation is rife that Lisbon and possibly Tel Aviv are coming too, although that remains to be seen.

Fifteen routes will use the A319/A320. Air Serbia often switches between them, as demand dictates, helping to increase loads and performance on a specific flight. Four will deploy the ATR-72 and one the A330.

Notice that I didn't write 'new' routes. While 13 of the 20 are indeed new to Air Serbia (at least, not operated in the past 20 years), seven were served previously (including by JAT).

Image: GCMap.

Budapest begins first

The following table is organized by start date. Budapest is the first to launch – or to relaunch, to be strictly accurate. Just 188 miles (302 km) apart, it is the only route of the 20 to have more than a daily flight: there are between one and three daily. Yet obviously, Chicago is the most significant service. It is driven by the Serbian and wider Balkans diaspora in Chicago.

The first 10 to start

Half of the 10 routes in the table below are resumptions, some more recently served than others, while half have direct competition. Clearly, the most noteworthy route coming is Chicago, driven by the Serbian and wider Balkans diaspora in Chicago.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

The next 10 to start

You will see from the table that most of the routes haven't been served from Belgrade before, while only one has direct competition.

Where would you like Air Serbia to fly? Let us know in the comments.