Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam Requests Air Serbia to Reduce Number of Seats

Air Serbia received a unilateral request from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam (AMS) to reduce the number of seats on offer on flights from Amsterdam to Belgrade from Thursday, July 7, until the end of July. The Schiphol Airport justifies that request by the fact that due to the staff shortage, primarily at security control, it cannot organize a work process that would enable the aircraft to be handled on time with the existing volume of traffic, the press release says.

Air Serbia currently flies nine times a week to Amsterdam.

– The Serbian national airline, as well as all other airlines operating from this airport, were provided with quotas that regulate the maximum number of available seats on outgoing flights from Amsterdam. On the other hand, there are no such restrictions on incoming flights to Amsterdam – it is said and added:

– Air Serbia believes that, by imposing the mentioned type of restrictions and limiting the number of passengers per flight, it is causing great financial and reputational damage, primarily due to the number of passengers with purchased tickets who will be denied boarding in case the aircraft is overbooked already over given quota on certain days, despite seats will remain available on the given flights, but also due to the company's reputation in the general public. Air Serbia also believes that such a move is not based on a relationship of mutual respect and appreciation, bearing in mind that the Serbian national company has been flying continuously on that route for over 50 years and that it was the only carrier that maintained traffic between Belgrade and Amsterdam for a long period during the coronavirus pandemic. The company will send a letter to Schiphol Airport with a request to reconsider the demand and to give it up, and legal possibilities are currently being examined to request compensation for the damage caused to Air Serbia by that unilateral decision.

In addition, when it comes to another airline, which relatively recently, after a thirty-year hiatus, established flights and which at the moment also flies between Belgrade and Amsterdam but twice a day, it will have an advantage, bearing in mind that it is Schiphol Airport’s hub carrier and that it therefore has various options available to adapt the reduction in the number of seats to its needs.

– We believe that this seriously violates the principles of competitiveness of the two airlines that fly on that route – it is pointed out.

In the end, the Serbian national airline, like all other companies, was obliged to plan and operate all flights to Amsterdam airport according to historical slots, without the possibility of reducing the volume of traffic, and in accordance with the policy of retaining historical slots adopted by the competent EU institutions.

– Paradoxically, a new regulation was passed which now requires airlines to reduce capacity and cancel flights, which have since sold out due to increased demand for travel this summer – it is concluded.

Air Serbia ad Beograd

Air Serbia

Schiphol Airport

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Amsterdam Belgrade flight

aircraft handling

seat number reduction