Air Serbia carrier marks first anniversary

Air Serbia carrier marks first anniversary

BELGRADE -- The national airline Air Serbia marked on Saturday evening one year since its foundation.

The carrier now flies to over 39 destinations from the Nikola Tesla Airport offering passenger and freight transport services, said Tanjug.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić congratulated the Air Serbia workforce in his own name and on behalf of the Serbian government at the celebration in the Belgrade City Hall.

"You represent Serbia in the best possible way and in just a year you managed to turn a near bankrupt company into a firm that we take pride in," Vučić said.

In August 2013, Etihad Airways and the Serbian government signed a strategic partnership agreement on the formation of a new national airline as the successor of the public enterprise Jat Airways.

Vučić said that he also sees the progress that Air Serbia made in the fact that Belgrade Airport is today two-three times more expensive than it was just a year ago, and that world companies are competing to win a concession for it.

Air Serbia CEO Dane Kondic said that Serbia's national air carrier is on the right track to become a profitable company by the end of the year.

"The business results for the third quarter are truly impressive. In August, we had record results so far," Kondić said.

This is a special day as it also marks 87 years since the foundation of the Jat airline, he said.

Kondić noted that Air Serbia now flies to 39 destinations in 29 countries, and that there are 20 additional destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Australia that are realized with partners.

With the latest delivery of Airbus A319 in September,...