Air Serbia record demand defined 2025 as a turning point for the national carrier. The airline closed the year by surpassing historic passenger numbers, expanding its international network, and strengthening its position as one of Southeast Europe’s fastest-growing airlines.
By the end of December, the Serbian national carrier had transported more than 4.57 million passengers, surpassing a record set in 1987 by JAT. The milestone is more than symbolic. It signals the maturation of an airline that, over the past decade, has transitioned from restructuring to resilience—and now to scale.
Operationally, the numbers tell a clear story. Air Serbia operated 48,925 flights in 2025, a 4% increase over the previous year, while achieving an average load factor of 78% on scheduled services—up 2.5 percentage points year over year. In an environment where capacity discipline is as critical as demand, these indicators suggest not just growth, but well-managed growth.
The airline’s fleet stood at 29 aircraft during the year, supporting a network of 103 routes—90 scheduled and 13 charter. From its Belgrade hub, Air Serbia connected passengers to 34 countries across four continents. Scheduled services spanned Europe, Asia, and North America, while charter operations extended its reach into Africa, reinforcing the carrier’s hybrid strength in both commercial and leisure-driven travel.
Network expansion remained a defining theme. Six new routes were introduced during 2025, with ticket sales launched in the final quarter of the year—an early signal of confidence in forward demand. This proactive approach underscores Air Serbia’s positioning as a regional carrier that competes not on scale alone, but on responsiveness and network intelligence.
Passenger preferences further illuminate the airline’s trajectory. The most frequently chosen destinations in 2025 blended business relevance with leisure appeal, reflecting broader shifts in travel behavior. Among the top fifteen routes were Tivat, Podgorica, Paris, Zurich, Istanbul, Larnaca, Athens, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Milan, London, Vienna, Rome, Amsterdam, and Ljubljana.
The mix is telling. European capitals dominate, but so do coastal and leisure markets, highlighting Air Serbia’s ability to serve both corporate travelers and tourism-driven demand—an increasingly valuable balance as airlines seek diversified revenue streams.
Perhaps most notably, these results were achieved without dramatic fleet overreach or speculative capacity growth. Instead, Air Serbia’s 2025 performance reflects a methodical expansion strategy, supported by improving operational metrics and a workforce positioned as a core asset rather than a cost center.
As European aviation continues to recalibrate in the post-pandemic era, Air Serbia’s 2025 results place it firmly among the region’s quiet outperformers. The airline enters the next phase not as a turnaround story, but as a case study in how mid-sized national carriers can scale sustainably—by aligning network ambition with operational discipline, and growth with reliability.