Air Serbia Completes Full Renewal of Regional Fleet

5 months ago Editor

Air Serbia completes its regional fleet renewal with the arrival of the tenth ATR 72-600, marking a significant upgrade in operational efficiency and passenger comfort.

Air Serbia has achieved a major milestone by fully modernizing its regional fleet with the arrival of its tenth ATR 72-600 aircraft, registered as YU-ASC, at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. This marks the culmination of an extensive fleet renewal initiative that began in January 2022. The airline has been progressively updating its fleet to enhance operational efficiency and passenger comfort.

The renewal journey commenced with the arrival of YU-ALY in January 2022, followed by subsequent aircraft deliveries throughout the years. YU-ALW landed in May 2022, YU-ALX in July 2022, and YU-ALZ joined the fleet in December 2022. The process continued into 2023 with YU-ASA and YU-ASB entering service in January and June, respectively. The seventh ATR, YU-ASD, joined in September 2023, followed by YU-ASF in April 2024, and YU-ASI in May 2024.

The latest addition, YU-ASC, is expected to be operational in the coming days after completing mandatory procedures. This aircraft, like its predecessors, is equipped with 72 Geven Prestige seats and advanced PW127M turboprop engines. It boasts a maximum cruising speed of 500 km/h and a range of 1,500 km, enhancing the airline’s regional connectivity.

Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, highlighted the strategic importance of this fleet upgrade. He emphasized that the renewal of the turbo-prop fleet was a key objective for the company. The previously used ATR 72-200 and ATR 72-500 aircraft have been gradually replaced by the more modern ATR 72-600 models. Despite challenging market conditions, Air Serbia managed to acquire ten aircraft of the same type, standardizing its fleet.

The average age of Air Serbia’s regional fleet is now nine years, making it the youngest in the broader Western Balkans region. This modernization effort has significantly improved the airline’s operational efficiency. Marek expressed his satisfaction with the choice of aircraft and the pace of their entry into service, noting that the new planes have met all expectations.

The ATR 72-600 aircraft that make up Air Serbia’s regional fleet operate flights on numerous routes. These include destinations from Belgrade to cities such as Bologna, Bari, Budapest, Krakow, Ljubljana, Prague, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Venice, Vienna, and Zagreb. Additionally, these aircraft serve routes from international airports in Niš and Kraljevo, enhancing the airline’s regional presence.

The latest addition to the Air Serbia fleet, the aircraft ATR 72-600 with registration mark YU-ASC, is 9 years old and has a configuration of 72 Geven Prestige seats, providing passengers with greater comfort and pleasure. It is equipped with two PW127M turboprop engines, is 27.17 meters long, and has a wingspan of 27.05 meters. The maximum cruising speed it can reach is around 500 km/h, while the maximum range at full capacity is about 1,500 km. The aircraft was painted in the livery of the Serbian national airline in Toulouse, and since 10 May, it has been undergoing handover and technical inspection procedures in France.