Air Serbia reaches historic milestone at end-December with more than 4.57 mln passengers carried

BELGRADE - At the end of December, Serbia's national airline Air Serbia reached a historic milestone by carrying more than 4.57 mln passengers, breaking a record set by the former airline JAT in 1987, the company said on Friday.

"The increased number of flights, improved operational indicators, and expansion of the destination network further confirm Air Serbia’s long-term strategy for growth and reliability," it said in a statement.

"Over the year, a total of 48,925 flights were operated, 4 pct more than in 2024, while the average load factor on scheduled flights reached 78 pct, an increase of 2.5 pct compared to the previous year.

The company fleet consisted of 29 aircraft in 2025, and the air traffic network consisted of a total of 103 routes – 90 scheduled and 13 charter routes. During the year, Air Serbia flew to destinations in 34 countries across four continents – Europe, Asia, and North America via scheduled flights, as well as Africa via charter flights. The company continues to expand its business and tourism opportunities during this year by introducing six new routes, for which ticket sales have already begun in Q4 of 2025, thus confirming its position as a reliable and innovative airline.

Over the past year, passengers most frequently chose destinations that combine business, tourism, and leisure. Among the fifteen most popular destinations in 2025 were: Tivat, Podgorica, Paris, Zurich, Istanbul, Larnaca, Athens, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Milan, London, Vienna, Rome, Amsterdam, and Ljubljana. These cities reflect passengers’ interest in European capitals and popular holiday spots, while the importance of long-haul and business destinations continues to grow.

The development of human resources remained the airline’s focus in 2025. Over the year, the airline employed 253 new colleagues, of which 139 were men, and 114 were women, with a total of 184 internal promotions. It is important to highlight that the majority of promotions were in operational positions within transportation, where men are predominantly represented due to the nature of the roles. Excluding these promotions, there were 119 internal promotions, with women comprising the majority - 73 compared to 46 men - demonstrating the company’s ongoing progress in promoting gender equality," it said.

"During 2025, Air Serbia received notable international recognition, further strengthening its position on the global aviation map. In the prestigious annual ranking of the world’s best airlines, the World Airline Awards, which has been organised for over 25 years now by the renowned UK portal Skytrax and based entirely on the ratings and experiences of passengers from around the world, Air Serbia was, for the first time, ranked among the top three regional airlines in Europe and within the top 100 worldwide. In addition, according to a survey conducted by Global Traveler, a US magazine specialising in the needs and habits of business travellers, Air Serbia was named the best airline in Eastern Europe, once again affirming the quality of its service and the growing recognition of its brand in the international market," it also said.