Hainan Airlines and Serbian officials have opened discussions on deepening cooperation as travel between the two countries continues to grow and Belgrade prepares to host EXPO 2027, potentially paving the way for a broader role for the Chinese carrier in the Serbian market. The Serbian Ambassador to China, Maja Stefanović, has held talks with Hainan Airlines’ CEO, Yu Chaojie, at the Serbian Embassy in Beijing to discuss the expansion of the company’s presence in the Serbian market. The two sides assessed cooperation between Serbia and Hainan Airlines as highly successful and agreed that there is considerable scope for further strengthening the partnership. The talks also covered the possibility of Hainan Airlines participating in the EXPO 2027 specialised exhibition, which will be held in Belgrade from May 15 until August 15 next year.
Hainan Airlines maintains two weekly flights between Beijing and Belgrade with its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Records from the Civil Aviation Administration of China show that in 2024 Hainan Airlines applied for and received rights to increase frequencies on the route from two to four weekly, however, this never materialised in practice.
The meeting follows a tourism promotion event in Haikou this April, organised as part of efforts to deepen cooperation between Serbia and China’s Hainan Province. Hainan Airlines was among the companies participating in the event and presented tourism and aviation products tailored to the Serbian market. Discussions between Serbian and Chinese representatives covered tourism product development, marketing, market expansion and greater cooperation between companies, with both sides signalling an intention to establish more regular cooperation. Serbia also used the event to promote EXPO 2027 and encourage additional travel from China. Hainan Province has itself stepped up its presence in Serbia, having established a tourism promotion office in Belgrade last year as part of efforts to develop the European market.
