Air Serbia is set to enhance its fleet with the arrival of a second Embraer E195 aircraft today, marking a significant step as the carrier moves towards operating these Brazilian-manufactured planes internally. The jet, previously registered as OY-GDB, is expected to land in Belgrade this afternoon after its journey from Warsaw. This acquisition follows the grounding of Air Serbia’s first E195 (OY-GDA) in Belgrade, necessitated by an incident involving another E-jet operated by Marathon Airlines on behalf of Air Serbia during take-off.
The introduction of the first 118-seat E195 into service is tentatively scheduled for July 15, initially serving the Belgrade-Naples route followed by Belgrade-Milan. The second E195, expected to bear the Serbian registrations YU-ATA and YU-ATB, is planned to commence operations on August 1, with potential adjustments still under consideration.
In addition to these acquisitions, Air Serbia has secured two wet-leased Bulgaria Air E190 jets to complement its fleet restructuring strategy. The airline aims to gradually replace its current ten Airbus A319s with Embraer aircraft, anticipating a robust fleet of these Brazilian-made planes in the near future.
Jiri Marek, CEO of Air Serbia, highlighted the strategic fit of the E195 in bridging the operational gap between the larger A320 (with 180 seats) and the ATR72 (with 72 seats), especially with the phased retirement of the A319 due to its aging status. Marek emphasized, “The Embraer is a good choice to cover that gap.”
Scheduled routes for the E195s include major European destinations such as Amsterdam, Athens, Frankfurt, Sarajevo, Skopje, Thessaloniki, Rome, Podgorica, Tivat, Zurich, in addition to Naples and Milan.
Air Serbia plans to operate these E195s with its own crew, and Marek affirmed progress towards fleet integration and operational readiness, aiming for commercial flights to commence in July as planned. He stated, “We have already hired several pilots and are actively integrating the aircraft into our internal systems, from maintenance to flight operations.”
This expansion signifies Air Serbia’s commitment to enhancing its fleet capabilities and service offerings, positioning itself strategically within the competitive European aviation market.
