Starting on 30 September 2024, Air Serbia will launch direct flights between Belgrade and the city of Guangzhou (CAN) in the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, less than two years after launching scheduled flights between Belgrade and Tianjin, the Serbian national carrier continued to expand its operations in the Asian country. In the current summer season, which lasts until 26 October in the aviation industry, Air Serbia will fly between Belgrade and Guangzhou twice a week. Specifically, it will fly from Belgrade to Guangzhou on Mondays and Fridays at 00:50 AM local time, while flights from Guangzhou to Belgrade will be on Mondays and Fridays at 10:10 PM local time. During the 2024/2025 winter season, the Serbian national carrier will fly from Belgrade to Guangzhou on Mondays and Fridays at 00:50 AM, while flights from Guangzhou to Belgrade will be on Mondays and Fridays at 11:10 PM local time.
“When we established direct flights between the Republic of Serbia and the People’s Republic of China on 9 December 2022, after a hiatus of over two decades, we once again opened the doors of Asia to passengers from the wider Balkan region. The service significantly contributed to boosting cooperation and bilateral relations between Serbia and China, positively stimulating economic growth, trade relations, tourism and cultural exchange. The recently signed ‘Statement on deepening and raising the comprehensive strategic partnership and the building of a community between Serbia and China with a common future in the new era’ as the highest form of cooperation between our two countries, provided an additional impetus for launching direct flights to our second destination in People’s Republic of China. As of 30 September, you can fly directly between Belgrade and Guangzhou with Air Serbia,” said Jiri Marek, CEO of Air Serbia. He added that the Serbian national airline has ongoing negotiations with major Chinese airlines about potential cooperation, to offer its passengers good connectivity with other cities in the People’s Republic of China, numerous destinations in the Far East and Southeast Asia, as well as Australia.
Guangzhou is one of the largest cities and most important trade centres in the People’s Republic of China. Due to the city’s location, it is often called “China’s southern gate”. Guangzhou is a modern and dynamic city, with a rich cultural heritage. Old city quarters and Canton gardens make it attractive to tourists from all over the world. Among the numerous temples, the historic Temple of Six Banyan Trees especially stands out, providing visitors peace and tranquillity of a 1,500-year-old Buddhist shrine. Guangzhou is also known for its culinary heritage and authentic Canton cuisine with many exotic dishes.
The Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport is 28 kilometres away from the city centre and is located between the cities of Renhe, Baiyun District, and Xinhua, Huadu District. It spans approximately 18 square kilometres. Nearly 80 airlines from over 230 destinations all over the world fly to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. Guangzhou is an important air hub for China’s national
Belt and Road and the Air Silk Road initiatives and is also the main airport in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. The airport recorded its best results in 2019 when it handled over 73 million passengers and nearly 500,000 flights. During the coronavirus pandemic, with 43.77 million passengers, Guangzhou Baiyun Airport was the busiest in the world.
Air Serbia will deploy the Airbus A330-200 aircraft from its long-haul fleet on the Belgrade-Guangzhou route. The Serbian national carrier already has two aeroplanes of that type, while the third is expected to arrive soon. A330-200 with the code YU-ARB joined Air Serbia’s fleet in April 2021, while the other with the code YU-ARC joined the fleet in November 2022. Expansion of the wide-body fleet is one of the main prerequisites for further development of Air Serbia’s long-haul traffic.
The article Air Serbia to launch direct flights to Guangzhou on 30 September first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.