Etihad Regional has launched flights from Belgrade to Banja Luka, operated on behalf of Air Serbia, as the two members of Etihad Airways’ equity alliance expand their partnership. Regional, which inaugurated services from Geneva to Belgrade in May, has a five hour layover in the Serbian capital prior to its return flight. As a result, the airline will use its spare time to operate a return service to Banja Luka on behalf of Air Serbia each Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Such an arrangement has, in turn, allowed the Serbian carrier to launch seasonal flights to Pula, freeing up its ATR72 used on services to Banja Luka.
As a result of the new arrangement, Etihad Regional’s Saab 2000 replaces Air Serbia’s ATR72 on the route three times per week.
The flights are marketed as Air Serbia’s and can only be purchased through the carrier, however, they are performed by Etihad Regional’s equipment and crew. The Saab turboprop features fifty leather seats and has less capacity then Air Serbia’s ATRs.
Several weeks ago the CEO of Etihad Regional, Maurizio Merlo, said the two airlines were exploring opportunities to strengthen their cooperation.
Air Serbia’s daily service to Banja Luka, lunched in December last year, got off to a slow start. However, passenger numbers have picked up in recent months. Last week, Banja Luka Airport announced it was abolishing airport tax surcharges on the route, resulting in lower ticket prices. “This proposal is a result of joint efforts to create conditions for this service to remain sustainable.
Banja Luka Airport has given its support to this proposal and has abolished airport taxes for all passengers flying on the route, and thus participated in reducing ticket prices”, the airport said in a statement. Currently, return tickets between Belgrade and Banja Luka hover at around 55 euros. “Ticket prices for this route are just a little above bus tickets between the two cities”, the airport concludes. The Serbian carrier will maintain daily flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second largest city according to its preliminary 2014/15 winter season timetable, which begins on October 26. Air Serbia’s flights to Banja Luka, both those operated by its own equipment and staff and those run by Etihad Regional, are codeshared by Etihad Airways itself.
Source Balkans
