Air Serbia returns to Canadian market with Toronto-Belgrade flights

Air Serbia resumed twice weekly Belgrade-Toronto service on May 23, restoring an air connection between Serbia and Canada, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft, for the first time in more than thirty years.

Belgrade Airport reportedly held a ceremony marking the departure of Air Serbia's first Belgrade–Toronto flight.

"Canada, an important destination on the North American continent, is moving closer to Serbia,” stated Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric.

“This opens new doors to the world for Serbia. This flight restores air links between Serbia and Canada. I am very happy and proud that our national airline is resuming flights to Toronto after 34 years.”

"This connects Serbia not only with one of the world's largest economies, but also with two important branches of our people. Let us not forget that thousands of people of Serbian origin, as well as representatives of various nations from this region, live in Canada, and they will now be closer to their homeland.”

Flights between Belgrade and Toronto operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

A “strategic step”

In a press release issued late last year, Air Serbia CEO Jiří Marek said the route represents a “strategic step” for the carrier, describing it as “the beginning of a new chapter in the history of our company and a continuation of Serbia’s economic, commercial and cultural development.”

He said the airline had sought to meet demand from the large Serbian diaspora in Canada, concentrated around Toronto and southern Ontario.

"Toronto is known as one of the world’s most important destinations with a large Serbian diaspora, so the significance of this direct service "goes beyond economic and commercial considerations,” Marek said previously. “For years, the Serbian diaspora has been advocating for the establishment of a direct air link between Belgrade and Toronto.”

Air Serbia’s expansion also aligns with its goal of strengthening Belgrade’s role as a key transit hub linking North America with Southeast Europe.

From Toronto, travellers will have convenient one-stop connections to over 20 regional destinations.

“Establishing a strong presence in the North American market is accomplishing our vision for Belgrade to become a transit hub, linking Europe and North America,” Marek said. “We will strive to continue developing our network of destinations and intercontinental presence in the future, so that we remain at the forefront of companies in the region in terms of air transport, making Serbia a desirable and more accessible destination for further investment and business opportunities.”

Air Serbia will provide passengers with connections from Toronto, via Belgrade, to numerous cities within its network, such as Athens, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Heraklion, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Bucharest, Prague, Sarajevo, Thessaloniki, Skopje, Sofia, Split, Podgorica, Tirana, Tivat, Vienna, Zagreb, and Zurich.

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