• Turboprop ATR Getty
    ATR
    Business Type:
    Planemaker
    Date Founded:
    1981-00-00
    CEO:
    Stefano Bortoli
    Headquarters Location:
    Toulouse, France

Air Serbia is considering adding more ATR turboprops to its fleet, including possible passenger-to-freighter conversions for its aging ATR 72-200 aircraft.

Air Serbia, the national carrier of Serbia, recently added two ATR 72-600 aircraft to its fleet, sitting alongside its existing three ATR 72-200s and two ATR 72-500s. Data from ch-aviation.com shows the airline also has 10 Airbus A319-100s and one each of the A320-200 and A330-200 types. Air Serbia also has four wet-leased aircraft, an Airbus A319-100 and a Boeing B737-300, B737-400 and B737-700. The B737-700, registration SX-LWC, arrived in May and is leased from Greek ACMI and charter operator Lumiwings.

Fleet renewal means adding more ATR 72-600s

ATR-72-600-JU-ALW---2-2
Air Serbia is renewing its fleet and the ATR 72-600 is its aircraft of choice for turboprop services. Photo: Air Serbia

The airline is part way through a fleet renewal program, which is unsurprising given the average of its fleet is more than 20 years. A third ATR 72-600 is due to arrive this month to replace the sole active ATR 72-500. The ATR 72-200s are nearly 32 years old, and Air Serbia says it will phase those aircraft out when suitable ATR 72-600s are available to replace them. According to exyuaviation.com, Air Serbia is looking to add another two ATR 72-600s by the end of the year, bringing its fleet of -600s to five. The report quotes Air Serbia CEO Jiri Marek saying:

"The optimal size of the [ATR72 fleet], I would say is ten because then you can start benefiting from economies of scale."

When the ATR72-200s are finally taken out of passenger service, Air Serbia believes they could have a new life as freighters. The three aircraft are owned by Air Serbia, and the airline says it is difficult to find dedicated cargo aircraft that it can use to enter the cargo segment. Marek said that the airline is "looking into that option" and studying the possibility of entering the freighter market, using the aircraft for cargo flights.

Cargo looks attractive to Air Serbia partly due to its success on the Belgrade to New York route using its Airbus A330-200. In 2021, the service from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (BEG) to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) carried 3,900 tonnes of cargo and 61,700 passengers on its only long-haul route.

Will New York's success spur a P2F conversion at Air Serbia?

AirSERBIA (Serbia Creates Livery) Airbus A330-202 YU-ARA
The Airbus A330 has been successful for Air Serbia on the Belgrade-New York route for both passneger and cargo traffic. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

In April, ATR released its External Upgrades catalog, which has four passenger-to-freight (P2F) options in addition to its in-house conversions. Conversions from third-party suppliers cover four basic situations, ranging from using netting on seats or floors to a complete P2F conversion. The full conversion, available on all ATR42 and ATR 72 models, includes a large cargo door to the forward fuselage, enabling LD3 containers to be loaded.

The P2F conversion removes all of the passenger interior and adds reinforced cargo floor panels, an integrated auxiliary door for crew access on a loaded aircraft and Class E-safety systems. It is available from the French company PMV Engineering at the cost of $1.65 million and a four-five month lead time. Intermediate options range from $40,000 to $295,000 and can be completed in less than ten weeks.

Air Serbia announced extra summer frequencies in June on key routes, including Belgrade to Athens, Dubrovnik, Larnaca, Oslo, Split and Thessaloniki. Its busiest markets in July will be Montegenro with 65 weekly flights, Germany with 29, and 25 weekly operations to Italy and Croatia. The airline will exceed pre-pandemic levels to various destinations, including Barcelona, Tirana, Zurich, Dusseldorf and Larnaca.

Air Serbia is set for a busy summer with a network encompassing more than 52 destinations and 27 countries. Let us know if you fly with them and what you thought of it.

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Source: exuyaviation.com