Air Serbia Adds 118-Seat Embraer and Airbus A320
Air Serbia is adding two aircraft to its fleet. The smaller one, an Embraer with about 118 seats, shows how the airline builds its transfer traffic through Belgrade.
Air Serbia’s fleet is growing by two aircraft, one Airbus A320 and one Embraer, the company has confirmed. The smaller of the two, an Embraer with about 118 seats, explains the national carrier’s business model more precisely than any figure about network size.
The confirmation came from Human Resources Director Milica Netkovic.
“We can confirm we expect two new aircraft in the fleet, one Airbus A320 and one Embraer,” Netkovic said.
We reported on the airline passing 100 destinations and carrying more than two million passengers in the first half of the year on August 8. What was not visible then is how that network actually fills up.
Why the Embraer matters more than the Airbus
A 118 seat aircraft operating in a network of over 100 destinations comes with simple math: one connecting passenger from each route is enough to fill it. That is not a marketing point but a description of how the company makes money. About 40% of onward travelers transfer in Belgrade, so every new destination brings not just its own passengers but new combinations for every other route in the network.
The smaller aircraft is therefore a tool for frequency, not volume. It opens routes that a larger jet could not fill on its own, routes that are worth more inside the transfer system than they are by themselves.
Do ten new routes mean ten new planes?
No. During 2026 the company launched ten new direct routes and in doing so passed 100 destinations in its network, while the announced fleet increase is two aircraft. Network growth, in other words, is being covered by better use of existing aircraft and smarter scheduling, not by buying capacity route by route.
Part of the network grew outside the original plan. CEO Jiri Marek points to two destinations added in response to demand.
“On the one hand there is a long term development strategy, and on the other we make use of opportunities that come up and react to changes in the market. Munich and Brac, for example, were not destinations we originally planned, but we reacted to market shifts and adapted to passenger needs,” Marek explained.
Marek would not name specific target destinations for the coming period, saying he does not want to hand plans to competitors.
Revenue near 720 million euros, and what it means
The company’s consolidated revenue in 2025 was close to 720 million euros, up more than 18 million euros. On that base, the increase works out to about 2.6% compared with the previous year.
There is also a figure worth watching in future reports. Revenue is growing in single digits while the network gained ten new routes over the same period. If those two rates do not converge, average revenue per route falls and the pressure lands on margins. That is exactly why the aircraft choice is a financial question as much as a technical one: a 118 seat Embraer fills up more easily and tolerates thinner demand, while an Airbus A320 needs a denser market to fly without a loss.
Marek says growth in passenger and aircraft numbers is not a goal in itself.
“It’s not a race just for passenger numbers or aircraft numbers. It matters much more that the business stays healthy, that we are profitable and sustainable,” Marek said.
The company’s ambition, he says, extends beyond the former Yugoslav market to the wider Balkan region, with the goal of becoming the leading regional carrier.
Staffing as a line item in the plan
Alongside the fleet and the network, the third focus is staffing. Women hold about 40% of managerial and leadership positions at the company, and the number of female pilots is in the double digits.
“They need that wider context, because besides connecting our citizens through our route network, we also affect our country’s economic growth, our activities carry a socially responsible character,” Netkovic said, describing the obligations that come with the airline’s status as national carrier.
The next test of these announcements will not be a press release but the flight schedule. Once the Embraer joins the fleet, its routes will show which markets Air Serbia has actually chosen.
