Host of Airlines Eye Routes to Belgrade Airport - Media

The airport is poised for bumper traffic growth in view of the likely easing of visa requirements for Serbian citizens travelling to the European Union from the beginning of 2010, b92 (www.b92.net) reported, quoting the airport's Assistant Director, Velimir Radosavljevic.

Romanian state-owned flag carrier TAROM and Hungary's Malev will launch flights to Belgrade in December while Russia's Moskovia Airlines and Sky Express have said they are also interested in opening routes to the Serbian capital, Radosavljevic said.

Spanish budget carrier Vueling and UK's easyJET have also been approached to start negotiations on flying to the Balkan country, the official said.

It is “up to us to do all that we can to finally ensure Belgrade has a direct route to Spain, that is, at least with Madrid and Barcelona. For comparison, Sofia has 20 weekly flights to Spain so it is logical that Belgrade has a direct line as well,” b92 quoted Radosavljevic as saying, adding that negotiations are also in progress with Hungarian no-frills carrier Wizz Air. 

Nikola Tesla Airport (www.airport-belgrade.co.yu), which has two terminals, processed 2,650,048 passengers in 2008, according to data from the company's website.

Serbia has granted temporary licences to Malev, Austrian low-cost airline FlyNiki and Montenegro Airlines to fly to and from any of its airports, the country's Civil Aviation Directorate (CAD) said last week.

Earlier, b92 quoted CAD Director Nebojsa Starcevic as saying that Serbia will grant licences to all EU-based airlines seeking to open routes to any of the Balkan state's airports.

Serbia’s tourism revenue, currently at some $1.0 billion (675.7 million euro) a year, will rise by at least a half when low-cost air carriers start flying in following the liberalisation of the visa regime with the EU expected to take effect next January, the head of Serbia’s national tourism board, Radisav Stankovic, has said.

The European Commission proposed earlier this month that short-stay (less than three months) visa requirements be waived for Serbian citizens as of January 2010.

($=0.6757 euro)