Air Serbia’s CEO, Jiri Marek, has ruled out the launch of Miami flights for the 2026 summer season, noting that the carrier will instead focus on consolidating its newly announced Toronto service. While Miami remains on the airline’s radar, Mr Marek told EX-YU Aviation News the route currently carries too many uncertainties. “We explained several times that for next summer we decided to go only with Toronto. First, it’s better to pursue stable growth rather than overly rapid expansion, as we don’t want to overstretch the long-haul fleet”, the CEO said. Mr Marek described Toronto as “a no-brainer” for the airline’s 2026 strategy. “It should be profitable in the summer. We will see how it goes and whether we will extend it into the winter”, he noted.
Asked about Miami, Mr Marek said the route remains appealing but currently does not offer a sufficiently strong business case. “Miami is a difficult decision because it’s a very thin business case. You are relying on multiple business segments. It’s not only diaspora, which is very small”. He also pointed to challenges within the partnership and revenue ecosystem that would underpin such a route. “You have connectivity with American Airlines, where the question is not only that you sign the cooperation, but whether you have access to their availability so you can sell it. You have cargo, which, with current tariffs, can go up and down. So, if you take all this into consideration, it’s a high-risk decision”, Mr Marek explained.
The CEO added that market conditions today differ significantly from the post-pandemic surge in long-haul demand. “If you were in a very clean, pent-up demand market like after Covid, then for sure we would already be flying to Miami. Now you are in a situation where you need to see where the market will develop, because everybody speaks about 2026 as a year of the unknown”, Mr Marek said.
Air Serbia’s CEO stressed that long-haul expansion carries major financial consequences – positive or negative. “Long haul is a big investment. You’re dealing with potential outcomes that can amount to several million euros in either direction. So, I would approach it with a great deal of caution. However, aviation is highly dynamic, and we have demonstrated our agility. If we see positive trends emerge, things can certainly change”, Mr Marek said. He noted that global US demand indicators remain slightly below pre-pandemic levels.