Serbian flag carrier Air Serbia saw the delivery of its seventh ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft, and the fourth from lessor German Operating Aircraft Leasing GmbH & Co. (GOAL) on September 1.
The 9.2 year-old ATR 72-600 series aircraft was originally inaugurated into service with Stobart Air in Ireland, back in 2014, when it operated on behalf of Aer Lingus Regional.
The aircraft was then returned from lease and stored at East Midlands Int’l Airport (EMA). It was subsequently repainted in the period between August 18 and August 27, 2023.
ATR Number Four – A Year for Turboprops
As previously mentioned, Air Serbia, the flag carrier of Serbia has officially taken delivery of the airline’s seventh ATR 76-200 turboprop airline.
Thus far, 2023 has been Air Serbia’s turboprop year, as the company took delivery of the other three earlier this year, also from German Operating Aircraft Leasing GmbH & Co. (GOAL).
The aircraft, which was registered as EI-FCZ under Stobart Air, started its life operating for Aer Lingus Regional in July of 2014, and with this transition it will be registered under the Serbian registration of YU-ASD.
[monsterinsights_popular_posts_inline]
The four aircraft delivered this year, registered YU-ASD, YU-ASC, YU-ASA and YU-ALZ, represents the significant commitment between German Operating Aircraft Leasing GmbH & Co. (GOAL), and Air Serbia themselves.
On the recent delivery, Jochen Baltes, Managing Director of GOAL, said: “We are very pleased to have the fourth ATR72-600 successfully delivered to Air Serbia and thereby enhancing our strong relationship with Air Serbia.”
Recent Codeshare with JetBlue
On August 5, AviationSource reported on Air Serbia’s new codeshare agreement with the rapidly European-expanding JetBlue.
Commenced as of July 26, 2023, JetBlue has strategically placed its recognizable “B6” airline code on Air Serbia-operated nonstop flights originating from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
These flights are directed towards the thriving Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) in Belgrade. The partnership doesn’t stop there—JetBlue also has plans to extend its “B6” code to encompass flights connecting Belgrade with various destinations across Europe in the near future.
On the other hand, the carrier is all set to imprint its “JU” airline code on a spectrum of 25 JetBlue network destinations.
Robin Hayes, the Chief Executive Officer of JetBlue, expressed the company’s commitment to broadening its collaboration horizons. He stated, “We continuously look to expand our partnerships to offer more options to our customers.”
“Air Serbia has been a successful interline partner since 2016 and we see great potential with this new codeshare.” Hayes warmly welcomed Air Serbia’s customers aboard JetBlue flights, emphasizing the chance to experience the airline’s hallmark low fares and exceptional service.
Jiri Marek, Chief Executive Officer of the airline, shared his thoughts regarding the future prospects of this partnership.
He emphasized, “We are very pleased with the future collaboration with JetBlue and believe that this significantly enhances the travel possibilities between the United States and destinations within the Air Serbia network, especially those in the broader Balkan region.”
Click the banner to subscribe to our weekly newsleter.
