Air Serbia eyes Bangkok return after decades-long break
Serbia’s flagship carrier weighs risk of entering crowded Southeast Asia market
Thailand could soon welcome more Balkan tourists directly, as Air Serbia considers reviving long-haul winter flights to Bangkok, a destination not served from Belgrade since the collapse of Yugoslavia.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) confirmed it’s in talks with the airline as part of a push to boost direct air access from the Balkan region.
TAT’s marketing representative for Romania and the Balkans, Bogdan Gligor, told the Bangkok Post:
“With no nonstop flights from the region, most tourists connect via routes from the Middle East or Turkey. The office is working with more airlines in the region to seek opportunities for new direct flights, including Air Serbia, for which China is its only long-haul destination in Asia.”
Despite the cost of long-haul travel, Gligor said Thai tourism remains popular with Balkan visitors.
“Even if the airfare is expensive for tourists in this region, they remain eager to visit Thailand because of its tourism products and hospitality. We have 50% repeat guests, setting Thailand as an unbeatable market.”
Air Serbia has previously floated the idea of operating seasonal winter flights to leisure hotspots, but has hesitated over Bangkok, citing intense competition from Gulf carriers.
“We are looking into the leisure winter destinations, but rather at some niche because everybody is putting capacity into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi.”
Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News that same year, CEO Jiri Marek noted the difficulty in maintaining profitability:
“There is high demand for Bangkok during winter; however, due to overcapacity on the market, we might achieve full flights but not profitable ones due to low yield.”
Air Serbia already flies to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, yet Bangkok now tops the list of unserved Asian destinations from Serbia, according to OAG data.
Other high-potential destinations for Belgrade include Pattaya, Denpasar (Bali), Male (Maldives), and Zanzibar, reported EX-YU Aviation News.
Qatar Airways, Emirates/Flydubai, and Turkish Airlines currently carry most Serbian passengers to Thailand through stopovers.
Thailand last saw direct Belgrade flights in the 1990s, operated by Air Serbia’s predecessor, JAT Yugoslav Airlines.
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