Air Serbia restored flights to Munich and launched a direct route to Toronto
Within two days, Air Serbia reopened two important routes in its network: on 22 May 2026, direct flights between Belgrade and Munich were restored after an 18-year suspension, and on 23 May 2026, the route between Belgrade and Toronto was launched, re-establishing a direct air connection between Serbia and Canada after more than three decades. According to the company’s announcement, flights to Munich will operate daily, while flights to Toronto will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In this way, Serbia’s national airline is simultaneously strengthening its presence in the German market and expanding its intercontinental network toward North America.
Both routes have broader transport and economic significance because they rely on the strategy of developing Belgrade Airport as a transit hub. Munich is one of the most important business, trade fair and aviation centres in Europe, while Toronto is Canada’s largest city and one of the most important destinations for passengers travelling between Southeast Europe and Canada. In its announcements, Air Serbia emphasises that the new and restored routes are not merely individual network expansions, but part of a broader plan to connect Europe, North America and Asia via Belgrade.
Munich returns to the network after 18 years
According to Air Serbia’s statement, the first restored flight on the Belgrade – Munich route was operated on 22 May 2026 under flight number JU342/3. The company states that flights between the Serbian capital and the largest city of Bavaria will operate every day. Departures from Belgrade on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are scheduled for 7:10, with return flights from Munich at 9:30. On Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, flights from Belgrade will depart at 17:55, while returns from Munich are scheduled for 20:15. All times in the timetable are shown in local time, the company states on its flight schedule page.
Air Serbia CEO Jiří Marek stated, according to the company’s announcement, that the opening of the direct route between Belgrade and Munich further strengthens Air Serbia’s presence in the German market and improves Serbia’s connectivity with an important European transport and economic centre. Marek described Munich as a significant destination for both business travellers and tourists, noting that daily flights confirm the company’s intention to expand its network in line with market and passenger demand.
The German market holds a special place for Air Serbia because the company now, according to its own data, flies from Belgrade and Niš to a total of ten destinations in Germany. Alongside Munich, this network includes Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Hanover, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Frankfurt Hahn. Such coverage shows that Air Serbia does not rely only on major metropolises in the German market, but also on a broader network of regional and business centres, which is important for passengers travelling for work, family reasons, tourism or onward connections.
The connection with Bavaria is important for business travel and transfers
Munich is one of Europe’s most important economic centres, and the airport in that city is among the leading hubs in the German-speaking region. According to Munich Airport’s annual traffic report, 43.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2025, confirming its role as a major European aviation hub. In its announcement, Air Serbia also highlights the tourist importance of Munich, a city known for its history, architecture, museums, major trade fairs, cultural events and Oktoberfest.
The restoration of the route is also important because of transfers via Belgrade. Air Serbia states that passengers from Munich have connections via Belgrade to a range of destinations in the company’s network, including New York, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Istanbul, Athens, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Corfu, Heraklion, Mykonos, Santorini, Larnaca, Tbilisi, Izmir, Malaga, Naples, Palermo, Catania, Malta, Varna, Bucharest, Sofia, Budapest, Vienna, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana, Podgorica, Tivat, Mostar, Ohrid, Dubrovnik, Split, Rijeka, Pula, Zadar and Brač. This means the Munich route is viewed not only as a bilateral connection between Serbia and Bavaria, but also as part of a network connecting Central Europe, the Balkans, the Mediterranean, North America and Asia.
For passengers planning a business or tourist stay in Bavaria, the restoration of the daily route means more choice and simpler travel planning. In the context of tourism, Munich is also a starting point for touring Bavaria, the Alpine regions, lakes and castles in southern Germany. For this reason, interest is also expected in the restored route from passengers for whom short stays, trade fairs, cultural events or accommodation in Munich during travel are important.
Toronto directly connected with Belgrade again
The day after Munich returned to the network, Air Serbia launched a direct route between Belgrade and Toronto on 23 May 2026. According to the company’s announcement, this represents the re-establishment of an air connection between Serbia and Canada after more than thirty years. Flights will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft from Air Serbia’s fleet. Toronto has thus become Air Serbia’s third North American destination, alongside New York and Chicago.
According to the company’s announcement, the ceremonial send-off of the first flight from Belgrade was attended by representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Embassy of Canada in Serbia, Air Serbia, partners, associates and the media. Jiří Marek said that the new route represents an important symbolic and strategic step for the company because it further strengthens Air Serbia’s intercontinental presence and the development of Belgrade as a hub connecting Europe and North America. The company particularly highlights the importance of the route for the Serbian diaspora in Canada, especially for the large community of people of Serbian origin in the Toronto area.
The new route also has an economic dimension. Air Serbia states that the direct connection can encourage business and tourist flows, while also making it easier for passengers from Canada to continue their journeys to numerous destinations in the region and Europe via Belgrade. In the announcement, the company added that strong passenger interest and high cabin load factors confirm the importance of this decision. Although the specific commercial effects have yet to become visible over the season, the launch of the route clearly fits into the expansion of Air Serbia’s long-haul network.
Toronto as Air Serbia’s third North American point
Toronto is Canada’s largest city and one of the most multicultural urban centres in the world. In its promotional materials, Air Serbia describes it as a global business, technological, cultural and entertainment centre, emphasising that more than half of the city’s residents were born outside Canada. Such a destination profile is important for airlines because it combines several types of demand: family travel, visits to the diaspora, business arrivals, tourism and transfers to other Canadian and American cities.
According to Air Serbia’s announcement on new destinations for 2026, flights to Toronto will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 23 May 2026. Specialised aviation portals that followed the opening of sales stated that this is a seasonal route planned for the summer period, but in Air Serbia’s main announcement of 23 May 2026, the emphasis was placed on the start of operations itself, the flight frequency and the strategic importance of connectivity with Canada. Future passengers should therefore check schedules and ticket availability directly through the company’s official sales channels.
Toronto’s significance is further reflected in the traffic role of Toronto Pearson Airport. According to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s results for 2025, Toronto Pearson handled 47.3 million passengers and remained Canada’s busiest airport. For Air Serbia, entering such a market means access to a large passenger base, as well as additional visibility in North America. For passengers planning a stay in Canada, the new route can simplify arrival in the city and the search for accommodation in Toronto, especially during the summer season and major events.
Network expansion follows the company’s growth
The launch of the Toronto route and the restoration of Munich come during a period in which Air Serbia is recording growth in traffic and revenue. According to the financial and business results published by the company for 2025, total revenue amounted to 719.5 million euros, marking the second consecutive year in which Air Serbia exceeded 700 million euros in revenue. In the same period, it carried 4.57 million passengers, three percent more than the previous year, while the average passenger cabin load factor was 77.3 percent.
For the 2026 summer timetable, the company announced more than 100 destinations and a fleet of 30 aircraft. According to the announcement of 29 March 2026, the summer season brings a record number of destinations, new routes and frequency increases. Alongside Toronto and Munich, other new or strengthened destinations also appear in the network during 2026, including Santorini, Brač, Alicante, Baku, Seville, Tenerife, Tromsø and Nizhny Novgorod. Air Serbia is thus trying to balance tourist demand, business travel and long-haul connections.
An important factor in this strategy is Belgrade Airport. According to VINCI Airports data, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport received more than 8.91 million passengers in 2025, continuing its growth and strengthening its status as the largest and busiest airport in Serbia. The growth of the airport and the expansion of the national carrier’s network are interconnected: a larger number of routes increases Belgrade’s attractiveness as a hub, while stronger transfer traffic enables the maintenance of routes that do not rely solely on passengers from a single market.
Belgrade as a hub between the region, Europe and North America
In its announcements about Munich and Toronto, Air Serbia clearly emphasises the role of Belgrade as a transit centre. In the case of Munich, the emphasis is on connecting Bavaria with the Balkans, the Mediterranean, North America and Asia. In the case of Toronto, the emphasis is on connecting Canada with the region and European destinations via Belgrade. Such a strategy is common for airlines that want to build a network beyond the size of their own domestic market, relying on a combination of local passengers and transfer traffic.
For passengers in Southeast Europe, the new Canadian route may have practical significance because it opens up more direct access to Toronto without transfers at major Western European hubs. For passengers from Canada, especially those travelling to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Greece or other destinations in the company’s network, Belgrade may become a competitive transfer point. The success of such a strategy will depend on timetable reliability, prices, seasonal demand and the company’s ability to maintain a sufficient number of passengers on long-haul flights.
The restoration of Munich and the launch of Toronto can therefore be viewed as two different but connected moves. Munich strengthens the daily European network and brings access to a large business market, while Toronto expands intercontinental reach and restores a long-awaited connection with Canada. In both cases, Air Serbia is seeking to increase the value of its network via Belgrade, and the final effect of the new routes will be measured through aircraft load factors, schedule stability and the company’s ability to attract both local and transfer passengers.
Sources:
- Air Serbia – announcement on the launch of Belgrade – Toronto flights on 23 May 2026 (link)
- Air Serbia – announcement on the restoration of Belgrade – Munich flights on 22 May 2026 (link)
- Air Serbia – overview of new destinations and flight frequencies in 2026 (link)
- Air Serbia – 2026 summer timetable and network with more than 100 destinations (link)
- Air Serbia – business results for 2025 (link)
- VINCI Airports – traffic data for Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport in 2025 (link)
- Munich Airport – annual traffic report for 2025 (link)
- Greater Toronto Airports Authority – Toronto Pearson annual results for 2025 (link)