The Miami Dade Aviation Department has confirmed that Air Serbia plans to commence nonstop flights between Belgrade and Florida’s largest city. Emir Pineda, Director of Marketing and Air Service Development at the Miami Dade Aviation Department, which runs Miami Airport, told the “Miami Today” daily, “We are constantly in contact and in communications with carriers about air service development and air routes to Miami. Discussions with Air Serbia have taken place. Air Serbia will be flying to Belgrade, and we hope to hear from them on their startup scheduled sometime later this year, potentially early next year”.
In February, Serbia’s Ambassador to the United States, Marko Djurić, said Miami would become the airline’s next destination in the United States. “Miami is next in the US. Discussions about the new Miami service have been taking place since at least last year. Air Serbia is pretty far in talks with MIA [Miami International Airport]. I think it will happen this year”, Mr Djurić said. The Ambassador previously noted ticket sales for the new service could begin by the end of the year. For its part, Air Serbia noted in 2023 that its third destination in North America would be added in 2025, with either Miami or Toronto to be introduced, while 2024 would see the expansion of its China network.
Mr Djurić, who is expected to take on a new high-ranking post in government, added, “Air Serbia would start with two to three flights a week and then hopefully ramp up. MIA is doing a really good job in convincing people to come to Miami. They are really making sure airlines feel like they are welcome”. An estimated 50.000 Serbian – Americans live in Florida. However, the Ambassador said the airline anticipates catering for transfer passengers on the route as well, particularly the large Jewish community in the Sunshine State. Serbia will open a new consulate in the city later this year, with both diplomatic and trade representatives.
Some 12.000 people flew point to point between Belgrade and Miami in 2023 on a single ticket. This figure grows to 120.000 passengers if the markets in the former Yugoslavia are taken into account, along with Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece, while a further 26.000 flew indirectly between Moscow and Miami. However, as noted by the Ambassador himself, it is Israel which holds the biggest potential for transfer passengers, with over 200.000 travelling indirectly between the country and Miami last year. The absolute majority of the transfer traffic between Miami and the Balkans is currently handled by Turkish Airlines.
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