Air Serbia has started up a new nonstop route linking Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN), in southern China.
This new service, launched on September 30, 2024, will operate twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, with flights departing Belgrade shortly after midnight. The return flight to Europe will depart Guangzhou on the same day at 22.10 local time.
This new development comes thanks to the arrival of a third Airbus A300-200 aircraft to Air Serbia’s fleet. Upon arrival in Belgrade, the aircraft, which had previously been operated by Air Belgium, received a special livery promoting Belgrade’s 2027 Expo.
A fourth aircraft of the same type, also from Air Belgium’s fleet, is expected to arrive in Q4 2024.
Although Air Belgium has been its latest operator, these two A330-200 aircraft were originally operated by Etihad Airways and have since retained that carrier’s original cabin configuration, featuring 262 seats in total, 22 in business and 240 in economy class.
Guangzhou is the second destination in China served by Air Serbia, after Tianjin Binhai International Airport (TSN).
However, the two additional wide-body aircraft will enable Air Serbia to launch additional long-haul services.
Talking to AeroTime in March 2024, Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek explained that the airline had also been considering serving other cities in China, such as Shanghai (PVG). China is a particularly appealing market for Air Serbia, since Chinese nationals do not need to apply for a visa to visit the Balkan country.