Mali: We want Air Serbia to be flying to 100 destinations in 2027

BELGRADE - Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said on Monday his government wanted Air Serbia to be flying to 100 destinations on scheduled and charter flights in 2027, when the flagship carrier celebrates its 100th anniversary and when Serbia will be hosting EXPO 2027.

Mali said the number of Air Serbia flights and flight destinations was rising year by year.

"Air Serbia is one of the biggest success stories we have been telling in the past several years, to the pride of all citizens of Serbia. EXPO is an extremely important event for all of us, an event that should contribute also to further growth and development of our economy and to further positioning of our country as a regional leader," Mali told reporters at the Ministry of Finance.

He said the EXPO went hand in hand together with further construction of motorways and high-speed rail lines and further advancement of Air Serbia operations.

"We are doing all this to raise the living standards of Serbian citizens in terms of wage and pension increases but, in general, our entire infrastructure is developing. We have done a lot over the past ten years and a lot of work is still ahead of us, but the EXPO is a proof and a symbol of progress," Mali said after announcing Serbia would on Monday complete the paperwork required to acquire Etihad Airways' stake in Air Serbia.