Belgrade’s airport is celebrating the opening of a route connecting it with Lyon. The new link, the first between the two airports, is a response to passenger demand and reflects the Serbian capital’s booming economy. Close-up on Serbia’s premier airport twelve months after VINCI Airports took over operations.

Milos almost turns right towards Switzerland. It can be hard to break a habit. Previously, this young Serb, who lives in Lyon, would have headed to Geneva airport if he wanted to fly to visit his family in Belgrade. But his regular trips have become a lot simpler since 15 June 2019, when Hungarian carrier Wizz opened its direct flights between Lyon and Belgrade. Milos ignores the temptation to head towards Geneva and stays on the motorway that whisks him to Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport. He’ll take off from Lyon in a few minutes.

The new route had been long awaited by the people who live and work in the Lyon region. Lyon is home to France’s second-largest Serbian population after Paris, and Serbia is a booming tourist destination. Since the summer, the twice-weekly Wizz flights have carried over 10,000 passengers between the two cities.

The Lyon-Belgrade route reflects continuing growth at Lyon Saint-Exupéry, where traffic has seen a 30% rise in four years. In 2018, the airport broke through the 11-million-passenger barrier.

This spectacular growth is the result of an enormous amount of background work by VINCI Airports. “We’re constantly analysing various opportunities,” explains Pierre Grosmaire, commercial director for Aéroports de Lyon.

“We do this by looking at a very wide range of factors so we can assess the potential of different destinations.”

The VINCI Airports teams assemble a large among of data during their investigations. “We examine, in particular, how many passengers transit via another airport before reaching their destination; for example, with routes such as Lyon-Frankfurt-Belgrade. This is a crucial indicator in determining whether we can deliver a new service that passengers will appreciate. We also look closely at how many people take off from other airports, such as Geneva.”

The data is then cross-referenced and compared with trade data between the two countries and cities to further strengthen the business case. “We work hand-in-hand with local and national government to highlight the attractiveness of various regions,” says Pierre Grosmaire. Opening a new route is a major driver of economic growth in cities: 54% international tourists arrive at their destination by plane.

Air France returned to Serbia this April after a six-year absence, with daily Paris-Belgrade flights during the summer 2019 season. The new route — a perfect illustration of VINCI Airports’ successful cooperation with carriers and of its close partnership with Air France — will also help to boost Belgrade as an attractive tourist destination in Europe.