Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News

    Subscribe for Updates

    Get the latest local airport and aviation news delivered right into your inbox each week!

    News Updates

    The First American Woman in Space: Unveiling of Sculpture Honors Dr. Sally Ride

    June 18, 2022

    Our Lady of the Skies 2022 Annual Luncheon

    June 17, 2022

    Life-sized Lego Commercial Pilot Unveiled at JFK Terminal 4 Lego Store

    June 16, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News
    • Latest News
      • Publisher’s Message
      • On Duty
      • Fast Five
      • Airport News
      • Air Cargo
      • Airline News
      • Aviation News
      • Airport Safety & Security
      • Airport Community
      • Airport Employment News
      • Airport Company Spotlight
      • Ground Services
      • Intermodal
      • New York Aviation History
      • Non-Rev Traveler
    • Airport & Aviation Events
    • Airport Employment
    • Latest Issue
    • Contact Us
    Metropolitan Airport NewsMetropolitan Airport News
    Home»Airline News»From Belgrade To The Big Apple: Air Serbia Makes History As First New York Service Takes Off
    Airline News

    From Belgrade To The Big Apple: Air Serbia Makes History As First New York Service Takes Off

    Metropolitan Airport NewsBy Metropolitan Airport NewsJune 24, 2016No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Air Serbia's inaugural service from Belgrade to New York, flight JU 500, is welcomed to JFK International Airport with a water-cannon salute. (Air Serbia)

    Air Serbia, the national airline of the Republic of Serbia, made history this morning as it launched a five-per-week transatlantic service between Belgrade and New York.

    The long-awaited first flight – JU500 – was met with great fanfare as it touched down in New York at 12:00 p.m., reconnecting Serbia and the United States with a non-stop Serbian-operated air service after a break of 24 years.

    The Airbus A330 aircraft, with the airline’s bold colours and iconic double-headed eagle painted on its tailfin, was welcomed to John F. Kennedy International Airport by a traditional water cannon salute after the 11-hour flight.

    Onboard the aircraft was a group of senior airline and government officials, headed by Zorana Mihajlović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure in the Government of Serbia.

    Guests flying on the service were presented with certificates as well as a unique jigsaw piece for a puzzle of the distinctive New York skyline to commemorate their role in the historic occasion.

    Prime Minister Vučić said: “Today is a very proud and happy day for Air Serbia and the country and people of Serbia. It feels great to be back in New York.

    “This is the first flight operated by a Serbian carrier to the United States since 1992, and it shows the huge steps we have taken to develop our economy and reposition our country and capital Belgrade on the world map.

    “Re-establishing this air bridge will give an enormous push to the flow of tourism and trade between Serbia, the wider Balkans region and the United States, and is, unequivocally, the start of a bright new chapter for our national airline and Serbia.”

    Siniša Mali, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Air Serbia and Mayor of Belgrade, said: “Landing at JFK Airport today is a major step forward for Air Serbia as it is the first long-haul route and wide-body operation for the airline.

    “Air Serbia has progressed in leaps and bounds since it was launched in 2013, and we enter the United States market with a fantastic product and service offering that we are confident will appeal to travellers.

    “Added to this, Serbia is becoming a popular holiday destination for American leisure travellers, who are enticed by its many attractions, from the famous nightlife of Belgrade to the ski resorts of Kapaonik and spa towns of Vrnjačka Banja.”

    James Hogan, Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Air Serbia and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Air Serbia’s introduction of non-stop services between Belgrade and the Big Apple is significant as it shows the airline’s progress and the strength of its business strategy.

    “It also demonstrates the benefits of Etihad Airways Partners, whose member airlines provided support every step of the way, with Air Serbia pilots undergoing training in Rome with Alitalia, the cabin crew completing service and safety training in Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways, and the A330 being leased from Jet Airways.

    “We are delighted to see an Air Serbia aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport serving guests travelling between Belgrade and New York.”

    Dane Kondić, Chief Executive Officer of Air Serbia, said: “The commencement of our Belgrade – New York service is the culmination of months of hard work and the realization of our vision to be the best airline in the region.

    “With five flights a week on our Airbus A330, this route will have more than 133,000 return seats per year, representing a great opportunity to grow tourism and business at both ends of the Atlantic.

    “We expect strong demand for this route, especially from ‘Visiting Friends and Relatives’, as estimates indicate there are upwards of 200,000 people of Serbian descent in the United States, with thousands more when other Balkan diasporas are taken into account.

    “This service has been conveniently scheduled to provide our long-haul customers with easy onward connections over Belgrade to cities across Europe, and on the other side, we are working with American Airlines and airlines of Etihad Airways Partners to increase our network reach from New York to cities such as Chicago, an important Serbian population centre.”

    The flight is operated on a modern Airbus A330-200 aircraft configured with 254 seats, fully lie-flat seats and inflight entertainment systems at every seat with the latest films, music and TV shows in English and Serbian.

    With Serbian and American flags flying high, Air Serbia's first flight JU 500 from Belgrade to New York taxis to a stop at JFK International Airport. (PRNewsFoto/Air Serbia)
    (From left) Gert-Jan de Graaf, President and Chief Executive Officer of JFK IAT, LLC; Dane Kondić, Chief Executive Officer of Air Serbia; Zorana Mihajlovic, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia and the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure; Siniša Mali, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Air Serbia and the Mayor of Belgrade and Djerdj Matkovic, Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States, mark the arrival of Air Serbia's inaugural flight from Belgrade to New York with a ribbon cutting. (PRNewsFoto/Air Serbia)
    Gert-Jan de Graaf, President and Chief Executive Officer of JFK IAT, LLC presents Dane Kondić, Chief Executive Officer of Air Serbia with a commemorative glass apple to celebrate the start of Air Serbia's non-stop service from Belgrade to New York. (PRNewsFoto/Air Serbia)
    Air Serbia's inaugural service from Belgrade to New York, flight JU 500, is welcomed to JFK International Airport with a water-cannon salute. (Air Serbia)
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Metropolitan Airport News
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    Produced by a team of aviation professionals, and enthusiasts our mission is to inform and update the more than 68,000 employees who work on the metropolitan New York airport properties, as well as the many others that provide goods and services in the surrounding communities.

    RELATED NEWS & UPDATES

    PLAY Reintroducing International Flights at New York Stewart International Airport

    June 10, 2022

    Interview With David Neeleman

    June 9, 2022

    Hawaiian Airlines and Par Hawaii Announce Plan to Jointly Explore Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Hawaiʻi

    June 8, 2022

    Ferrovial Agrees to Acquire a Stake In JFK Airport New Terminal One Consortium

    June 6, 2022

    US World War II Veterans Return to Normandy to Mark 78th Anniversary of D-Day

    June 6, 2022

    Gov. Hochul, PANYNJ, and Delta Air Lines Announce Opening of New Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport

    June 2, 2022
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    UPCOMING AIRPORT EVENTS
    The Semantics and Friends 36th Annual Fishing Trip
    June 25, 2022
    7:00 AM
    Freeport Boatmen's Association
    New York
    Civil Air Patrol Falcon Squadron Meeting
    June 27, 2022
    7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
    • John F. Kennedy International Airport-(JFK)
    Jamaica, New York
    Civil Rights, Race, & Gender Equity: Pan Am's Diversity in Flight
    June 27, 2022
    1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
    • Cradle of Aviation Museum
    Garden City, New York
    • >> More Airport & Aviation Industry Events
    RELATED NEWS

    The First American Woman in Space: Unveiling of Sculpture Honors Dr. Sally Ride

    By Julia Lauria-BlumJune 18, 2022

    Today a monumental sculpture was publicly unveiled and dedicated to the late astronaut Dr. Sally…

    Life-sized Lego Commercial Pilot Unveiled at JFK Terminal 4 Lego Store

    June 16, 2022

    SAF Has Been Delivered to New York Using Existing Petroleum Pipelines

    June 15, 2022

    PLAY Reintroducing International Flights at New York Stewart International Airport

    June 10, 2022

    Subscribe for Updates

    Get the latest local airport and aviation news delivered right into your inbox each week!

    Metropolitan Airport News provides timely news, information and updates for both Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees and businesses that provide services at, and around the major New York airports (JFK, LGA, EWR).

    John F. Kennedy International Airport
    PO Box 300877
    Jamaica, NY 11430 USA
    Phone: (347) 396-0904
    Email Us

    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Flickr
    JUNE 2022 ISSUE
    Metropolitan Airport News - June-2022
    LATEST COMMENTS
    • Dayna Harap  - Fast Five on The JFK Air Cargo Association Names New President
    • Ryan on Cockpit Jumpseating: The Best Seat in the House
    • Roberta Bassin on Finding Charlie
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Charitable Giving Program
    • Back Issue Archive
    • Contact Us
    © 2022 Airport Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.