Air Serbia Cargo

Airline overview and positioning

Air Serbia is the national flag carrier of the Republic of Serbia, founded in 2013 from the former JAT Airways, headquartered in Belgrade and operating from Nikola Tesla International Airport (BEG), with Niš (INI) and Kraljevo (KVO) as secondary airports. Air Serbia Cargo is the freight division, selling both passenger belly space and cargo capacity under one roof.

The IATA two-letter code is JU and the ICAO three-letter code is ASL. The official cargo website is cargo.airserbia.com. The company is owned by the Serbian government and carried more than 7,144 tonnes of cargo in 2024, up 25.14% year on year, the best cargo result since the airline was renamed.

The fleet consists of Airbus A319 (8), A320, A330-200 (4, including the newly delivered YU-ARE), ATR-72 (10), Embraer E95 (2) and A220-300 (2). The A330-200 flies the intercontinental routes from Belgrade to Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun, New York JFK and Chicago O'Hare, with belly payload of about 20,000 kilograms (60 cubic metres), and is the main capacity on the China to Serbia lane.

For Chinese shippers Air Serbia is one of the few Central and Eastern European flag carriers flying nonstop to China. The Belgrade to Shanghai Pudong nonstop opened on 11 January 2025, the Guangzhou nonstop followed, and A330-200 belly space gives Chinese exports to the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe a direct channel that avoids Western European hubs. The airline also runs Road Feeder Services in China, the United States and the Balkans, reaching more than 140 destinations from Chinese gateways.

Fleet and cargo capability

The Air Serbia fleet runs from regional turboprops to intercontinental widebodies; the China nonstop is flown by the A330-200 and European regional sectors connect on A319, A320, A220, E95 and ATR-72 aircraft.

The A330-200 is the main type on the China nonstop, with a main deck that takes PMC pallets and a maximum piece size of 304 x 230 x 160 centimetres, which suits larger industrial equipment and auto parts from China. A319 and A320 aircraft carry the onward sectors from Belgrade to European points. Actual schedules vary with the season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.

Contacts in China

Air Serbia already flies nonstop to China and has a cargo sales and Road Feeder Services network there. Chinese shippers can book through Air Serbia's China cargo sales channel or its nominated agent.

Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) can help Chinese shippers book Air Serbia nonstops and arrange domestic road feeder service to the Shanghai Pudong or Guangzhou Baiyun gateway. For further help, contact details are on the company website goodhope86.com.

Status of the China gateway service

Air Serbia already operates nonstop cargo flights from China on A330-200 widebodies, making it one of the few Central and Eastern European flag carriers flying direct to China.

The Shanghai to Belgrade route carried more than 20,000 passengers in its first six months with high load factors. On the Guangzhou route Air Serbia has a code-share with China Southern Airlines, which places its flight number on the Belgrade to Guangzhou service, while Air Serbia places the JU code on the Shanghai and Guangzhou sectors. Chinese shippers can choose the nearer of the two gateways and connect at BEG to onward European and Balkan points.

Air Serbia also runs Road Feeder Services in China: after delivery in a major Chinese city, cargo is consolidated by road to Shanghai Pudong or Guangzhou Baiyun and loaded on the nonstop to Belgrade. Chinese cities without an Air Serbia cargo terminal can all connect through that road feeder network.

Reach from Chinese gateways

After flying nonstop from Shanghai or Guangzhou to Belgrade, Chinese cargo can connect on the Air Serbia European network to the following directions.

Air Serbia flies nonstop from Belgrade to more than 60 destinations, extends to more than 140 through Road Feeder Services and reaches more than 230 through its global partner network. Chinese export cargo flying nonstop from Shanghai or Guangzhou to BEG can connect to European regional flights the same day. Actual schedules vary with the season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.

Freight value for Chinese exports to Europe and the Balkans

For shipments from China to Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, the Air Serbia nonstop offers the following advantages.

Route map: from China to Europe and the Balkans

The map shows Chinese export cargo flying nonstop from Shanghai Pudong or Guangzhou Baiyun to Belgrade and then distributing to Balkan and European points.

Value-added services and cargo products

Air Serbia Cargo offers the following products for cargo flying nonstop from China to Belgrade.

Nonstop belly cargo

The A330-200 flies nonstop from Shanghai Pudong and Guangzhou Baiyun to Belgrade, carrying Chinese manufactured goods, auto parts, bulky e-commerce cargo and high-value freight. With no Western European hub, transit is faster than on traditional routings.

Road Feeder Services in China

After delivery in a major Chinese city, the Air Serbia road feeder network consolidates cargo at the Shanghai or Guangzhou gateway for loading. The service suits exporters in inland China without a nonstop airport.

European regional connections

On arrival at BEG, cargo can connect on the Air Serbia A319, A320, A220, E95 and ATR-72 fleet to more than 60 points in the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe, and to 230 destinations through partner networks.

Dangerous goods and special cargo

Common dangerous goods are accepted under the IATA DGR rules. Note that the Air Serbia fleet is barred from carrying lithium metal batteries (Packing Instructions 968 to 970, Sections I, IA, IB and II), so Chinese shippers of lithium battery cargo must confirm in advance.

Actual schedules for these services vary with the season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs.

Booking path in China

Air Serbia has a cargo sales channel and road feeder network in China, and Chinese shippers can book through Goodhope Freight. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) offers the following path.

Commodity structure and points to note for Chinese exports to Europe and the Balkans

China and Serbia trade closely, and China is an important source of Serbian imports. Chinese exports carried on the Air Serbia nonstop fall mainly into the following groups.

Electromechanical products and industrial equipment

Chinese industrial machine tools, electronic components, telecom equipment and power equipment fly nonstop to BEG in A330 belly space, serving Serbian manufacturing and infrastructure projects. The A330 main deck carries 20,000 kilograms of payload, which suits bulk industrial cargo.

Auto parts and vehicle exports

Chinese automotive exports to Serbia are growing fast, and auto parts reach Balkan assembly and aftermarket networks after the nonstop to BEG. Larger parts can use the A330 hold's 304 x 230 x 160 centimetre piece limit.

E-commerce and retail cargo

Cross-border e-commerce parcels and retail goods from China to Central and Eastern Europe are distributed from BEG on the Air Serbia European network to Balkan capitals. The nonstop avoids Western European hubs and shortens the final leg.

Transit and distribution at Belgrade BEG

Belgrade Nikola Tesla International Airport (BEG) is the largest airport in Serbia and the Air Serbia hub. Chinese export cargo flying nonstop from Shanghai or Guangzhou to BEG can be cleared and distributed at the airport cargo terminal.

Cargo terminal and ground handler

The BEG cargo terminal is managed by Air Serbia Cargo together with an international ground agent. Chinese cargo is received there on arrival, broken down and stored under customs supervision. Serbia has a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, so cargo cleared at BEG can move freely to Balkan and Central European partner markets.

European regional onward network

After clearance at BEG, Chinese cargo can connect the same day on the Air Serbia A319, A320, A220 and E95 fleet to Balkan capitals and Central and Eastern European cities. For Western European destinations, connection is through partner code-share networks. The BEG hub reaches more than 60 points and the partner network more than 230 destinations.

Road Feeder Services in both directions

Beyond the China road feeder, Air Serbia also runs Road Feeder Services in the Balkans and the United States. After arrival at BEG, cargo bound for cities near Serbia without a direct air link can be delivered by road feeder, giving a combined air and road service.

Routing comparison for Chinese shippers

The traditional routing for Chinese exports to Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans transits a Western European hub. The Air Serbia nonstop has clear value in the following cases.

Time-critical cargo

When Chinese export cargo is an industrial order against a delivery date, auto parts or bulky e-commerce goods, the nonstop without a Western European hub shortens overall transit by one to two days. The A330 sector takes about twelve hours, and with domestic road feeder in China and clearance at BEG the total is usually three to five days.

Bulky and heavy cargo

The A330-200 main deck carries 20,000 kilograms of payload with a maximum piece size of 304 x 230 x 160 centimetres. Larger industrial equipment, electromechanical products and auto parts from China can use the widebody belly without breaking down onto smaller pallets.

Multi-point Balkan delivery

When the final destination spans several Balkan countries such as Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, BEG is a natural distribution hub. One booking to BEG lets the Air Serbia regional network distribute to several capitals.

Cost compared with Western European hub routings

Western European hub routings have dense frequencies but require two transits and two clearances. The Air Serbia nonstop removes the Western European transit, which makes it competitive on both cost and transit time for cargo bound for the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe.

Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited can plan the full chain of Chinese road feeder, A330 nonstop and European regional connection against the cargo parameters, weight, dimensions and final destination. Chinese shippers do not need to contact a Serbian agent themselves; Goodhope Freight handles the whole arrangement from a major Chinese city to the European consignee.

Market structure and commodity mix

Relations between China and Serbia are long-standing and stable, and bilateral trade keeps growing. Serbia is an important Chinese trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe, and Chinese exports cover electromechanical products, textiles, auto parts, telecom equipment and consumer goods.

Mechanical, electrical and telecom equipment

Chinese telecom base station equipment, consumer electronics, power equipment and industrial machine tools fly nonstop to BEG in A330 belly space and serve infrastructure construction in Serbia and the Balkans. Such cargo carries high value per shipment and requires reliable transit and stable space, which A330 widebody belly capacity provides for bulk dispatch.

Vehicles and parts

Chinese vehicle brands are gaining share in Serbia and the wider Balkan market year by year. Complete vehicle parts, tires, in-car electronics and aftermarket spares are cleared at BEG and distributed to dealer networks across the Balkans. Larger parts can use the A330 main deck size limit.

Cross-border e-commerce and retail

Cross-border e-commerce orders from China to Central and Eastern Europe keep growing. The nonstop to BEG avoids Western European hubs and shortens final delivery. Chinese e-commerce sellers can consolidate cargo in China through Air Serbia Road Feeder Services and dispatch it to BEG for distribution to Balkan consumers.

Connecting with Western European hub routings

For cargo bound for Western Europe, BEG is not the best starting point; but when a Chinese shipper has requirements in both the Balkans and Western Europe, cargo can fly nonstop to BEG and connect to Western Europe on partner networks, covering Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe in one booking. Goodhope Freight plans the best routing around the actual destinations.

Services and scope

Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited has long handled air freight from China to Central and Eastern Europe and offers the following services on the Air Serbia nonstop that Chinese shippers can use directly.

Road feeder connections in China

Shippers can deliver in a major Chinese city and Goodhope Freight arranges road feeder consolidation to Shanghai Pudong or Guangzhou Baiyun to connect with the Air Serbia nonstop. Exporters in inland China without a nonstop gateway do not need to arrange the domestic leg themselves.

Priority on widebody space

A330 space to BEG is tight in peak season. Goodhope Freight holds space against the shipper's annual dispatch plan and checks at booking whether the commodity meets Air Serbia's dangerous goods and lithium battery rules, so cargo is not turned back on arrival.

Arrival tracking and European distribution

After cargo flies nonstop from PVG or CAN to BEG, Goodhope Freight tracks waybill status throughout and helps arrange BEG clearance and the European regional connection. Where the final destination is a city near the Balkans, Goodhope Freight arranges direct delivery by Air Serbia road feeder.

Alternative routings

When Air Serbia nonstop space is tight, Goodhope Freight can switch to a Western European hub routing so the cargo still ships on schedule. The difference in transit time and cost between the two routings is explained at booking.

Export documents and handling notes

Cargo on the nonstop must travel with a commercial invoice, packing list and air waybill. Serbia is a member of the Central European Free Trade Agreement, so cargo cleared at BEG can move freely to several Balkan and Central and Eastern European markets. Chinese exporters should confirm import admission requirements in the final destination country before dispatch.

The Air Serbia fleet has explicit restrictions on lithium metal batteries, so Chinese exports of consumer electronics containing lithium batteries must use another compliant carrier or a compliant packing solution. Goodhope Freight rechecks the commodity and transport conditions before booking so cargo is not turned back on arrival.