The low cost Pegasus Airlines intends to launch scheduled flights from Istanbul to Belgrade from October 2, pending government approval. The airline has requested to be issued a license and has been granted slot times at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The complex bilateral air procedures between Serbia and Turkey may delay the license grant, however, it is expected to be issued within the next two weeks.
Pegasus, which will operate flights from Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, will add heat on both Jat Airways and Turkish Airlines which operate flights to and from Istanbul’s main airport, Ataturk. Jat’s loads to Istanbul have been hit by Turkish Airlines’ double daily flights between the two cities over the current summer season. Furthermore, Turkish relies on a significant number of transit passengers on the route. Over the 2012/13 winter season, which begins on October 28, Belgrade will have 19 weekly flights to Turkey’s largest city.
Pegasus will operate four weekly flights between Istanbul and Belgrade with its Boeing 737-800. The flights will be inaugurated as part of the airline’s push into Eastern Europe with new flights to Kiev and Batumi in Georgia to be launched at the same time as Belgrade. Tickets will be on sale once the Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate issues a license to the no frills airline. Pegasus has been operating summer charters to Serbia over the past few years. Within the former Yugoslavia it maintains scheduled flights to both Skopje and Priština.
