Air Serbia is preparing for its first Embraer E195 aircraft to enter revenue service between Belgrade and Milan in the approaching weeks. The aircraft will join an E190 that the airline reportedly took delivery of last month.
The E195 is the primary of 4 aircraft that the flag carrier of Serbia plans so as to add to its fleet, as of estimates from June. In response to the airline’s CEO, the move is to bridge the gap between its smaller turboprop planes and bigger Airbus aircraft.
Operating many routes
EX-YU Aviation News reported on Saturday that the E195, registered as N361AZ, is scheduled to enter service on July twenty eighth. The plane will fly between Belgrade and Milan after which between Naples and Hamburg, but considering the airline remains to be at first stages with the aircraft, the present flight schedule is subject to alter.
In the long run, the aircraft will reportedly serve several routes, with select flights to Athens, Bologna, Bucharest, Brussels, Cologne, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Lyon, Marseille, Naples, Nuremberg, Prague, Rome, Skopje, Stuttgart, and Tirana. Nonetheless, given the present scheduling, it seems that N361AZ can be deployed totally on service to Hamburg, Naples, and Prague.
Wet lease strategy
When the aircraft enters service, it is going to be operated by Greece-based Marathon Airlines on behalf of Air Serbia. In response to EX-YU Aviation News, the flag carrier took delivery of an E190 last month, which can also be wet-leased from Marathon. In an announcement, the airline said it’s honored to work alongside Air Serbia.
“We’re honoured to be chosen to partner with Air Serbia in operating our E190 and E195 to attach destinations and create unforgettable travel experiences for his or her passengers.”
The E195 and E190 have slight differences, but probably the most noticeable is the extra seats that the E195 accommodates. In Air Serbia’s configuration, the E190 seats 100 passengers, while the E195 can fit 118 onboard. The airline plans to convert the wet leases into dry leases in order that it could bridge the gap between its regional turboprop fleet of 72-seat ATR72s and its narrowbody Airbus fleet, which might accommodate between 142 and 180 passengers, in response to EX-YU Aviation News.
Photo: Air Serbia
Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, said the Embraer aircraft being wet-leased is a component of a lower-risk strategy, allowing the airline to watch how the plane or segments perform before diving into the complexities of adding the aircraft to its fleet, which might require additional licenses, training, and engineering.
More E195s to return?
In response to EX-YU Aviation News, N361AZ is a thirteen-year-old E195 that formerly flew for Brazil-based Azul Airlines. The jet is anticipated to wear Air Serbia’s full livery despite the E190 featuring a white fuselage and billboard titles.
Photo: Air Serbia
Last month, it was estimated that the carrier would take delivery of a further E195 this month and two more in August, but now, sources indicate that Marathon is currently sourcing a second E195, which is more likely to arrive in September.
Marek said the goal is for Air Serbia to proceed its growth and supply more travel options to its passengers from Serbia and the region. Moreover, the CEO goals for the airline to turn into a number one carrier with profitable growth, allowing it to be financially self-sufficient.