Air Serbia handled 1.272.831 passengers during the January – May period, its strongest since launching operations under its new name in 2013. In May alone, the carrier welcomed 335.363 travellers on board its aircraft, up 83% on last year and an increase of 66% on its previous best result set during the pre-pandemic 2019. The figure also marks the first time the airline handled over 300.000 passengers in May. During the month, the carrier operated a total of 3.708 flights, up 69% on last year and 48% on 2019. The airline welcomed its millionth passenger of the year on May 8, the earliest it has done so since its relaunch. Air Serbia achieved this milestone on July 8 last year and on June 25 in 2019.
Commenting on its passenger performance, CEO Jiri Marek, said, “Our company achieved a new historic milestone in May. For eleven consecutive months, since July 2022, we have been breaking our own records in terms of the number of passengers carried and flights operated. During these months, we have even eclipsed 2019 figures. Furthermore, in May, we launched nine new routes, including Chicago, our second destination in North America and our third long-haul destination. This is of major significance for us, our passengers, and the entire Western Balkans region. We will strive to continue the trend of growth and improvement of our network in the upcoming period”.
According to Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vučić, Air Serbia registered over nine million euros in profit during the first four months of the year, although the Serbian carrier only publishes its annual financial reports. He further stated this week that the carrier has a record 200 million euros on its accounts, noting the company is choosing to invest its funds wisely in case of another downturn in the industry. Air Serbia reported earlier that it was profitable during the first quarter, a rarity among European carriers, noting its accounts were in the black without any state subsidies. The airline expects to handle up to 3.5 million passengers this year. So far in 2023 it launched eighteen new routes with a further three to commence this month.
