Air Serbia announces increase in the price of airplane tickets

Photo: Salinger Igor

Air Serbia Director of Commercial and Strategy Bosko Rupic said today that because of the sudden increase in the price of kerosene, the ticket prices will increase as well, but that passengers who have already bought them will not pay additional fuel tax.

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"There are fuel surcharges, but those who have already bought tickets will not pay extra. We have sold more than a million tickets for this year, we advise customers to make use of promotions, buy tickets in time to avoid additional costs," Rupic said.

He explained that the extra charges for return tickets are mostly double-digit, 20-30 euros, but on long haul flights such as to the US or China, these go up to 100 euros.

European companies are introducing emergency measures - canceling less profitable flights, withdrawing older, less efficient aircraft from service, raising ticket prices and charging additional fuel taxes.

Photo: Tanjug

Rupic also stated that Air Serbia has not made any extreme moves, but emphasized that ticket prices will go up.

According to him, the company is profitable and there are reserves to compensate for the current situation.

"Companies cannot shift all the burden to the passengers, we have reserves from previous years, last year we operated with a profit of 45 million. So, there are reserves, but there is no point in spending them in the short term," Rupic explained.

Air Serbia is supplied with kerosene produced at the Pancevo Refinery.

"When it comes to the fuel supply in Belgrade, there are no problems, there are also reserves. If everything were to stop, we would have reserves in Serbia for a month and a half, but we also fill up fuel at all destinations we fly to. In principle, the situation is stable," Rupic said.

Photo: Tanjug/Zoran Zestic

Rupic explained that traffic has been optimized, but also stressed that existing routes will not be cancelled.

What could happen is a reduction in the number of flights to certain destinations, he said.

Rupic also stated that in March, Air Serbia had 80 percent seat occupancy, while in April that number was almost 81 percent, which shows that the demand is not decreasing.

"With the closure of traffic to Dubai and Doha and the countries in the Gulf, there were certain movements, but some passengers also started flying with us," Rupic said.

Lufthansa shut down Lufthansa CityLine, which flew seven times a week from Munich to Belgrade, so Air Serbia decided to launch flights to Munich from May 22.

"We look at all these events as also an opportunity, but it's a risk, too," Rupic said.

The company is introducing more new routes- from April 30 to Santorini, from May 3 to Baku, while direct flights to Toronto are also coming. Starting in September, Air Serbia will fly to Tenerife and Seville.

(Telegraf Biznis/Tanjug)