TRIP REPROT: Air Serbia, Milan – Belgrade – Milan

TRIP REPORT

Written by Lazar Živanić

Although I checked how many non-EU flights were departing around the same time as mine, I decided to arrive at the airport a little over two hours before departure. Interestingly, there is a supermarket on the ground floor with decent prices. The walk from the train station to the terminal takes less than five minutes, as most of the time is spent on escalators passing through three floors. Security at Malpensa works quite well. Even though it was busy, I passed through in about fifteen minutes. I suppose the newest scanners and the removal of liquid restrictions help a lot, as passengers are not required to remove electronic devices and liquids, and there is no 100ml rule, which is now valid at all three airports serving Milan.

After passing security, I walked straight to passport control, which is located before the B area. It was not particularly busy, which was a change from the last time I was there in February, when I waited more than an hour to pass through. They have also opened a room with self-service kiosks which determine whether you can use the electronic passport control or whether you need to wait in line for a police officer. Serbian citizens can use this system, but as I have a residence permit, I was directed to the line for the booths. Fortunately, it took around fifteen minutes to pass through. It was the first time I saw the financial police stop a number of people and ask them about cash and purchases made in Italy.

I waited for a while in the area to see which gate I should go to, as this is the point where the B area splits into two piers that are not particularly close to each other. While waiting, I had an espresso at a bar (€1.50). Unfortunately, the selection of bars and shops after passport control is rather limited, with only two or three bars and two small duty-free shops.

At 19.10, the gate number was announced, and it took me about ten to fifteen minutes to reach gate B76. The pier was half empty, with only the Air Serbia flight and departures by British Airways and Uzbekistan Airways nearby. Boarding started at 20.10 with announcements in English, Italian and Russian. The whole process took less than twenty minutes. At the gate, they took my carry-on bag because, as they explained, there was not enough space for all luggage. Boarding was completed quickly and by 20.40 everyone was on board, when the captain informed us that due to restrictions at Malpensa we would push back in thirty minutes, which eventually became much longer.

The experience on board was very good. The cabin crew were friendly, and the pilot announced our route over Venice, Pula, Banja Luka and Šabac, while also warning of possible turbulence due to bad weather, which fortunately never materialised. The pilot spoke once more during the flight, providing information about the progress of the journey. About twenty minutes after takeoff, the service began with a small bottle of water and a choice between Plazma biscuits and salty sticks. I used the lavatory and found it exceptionally clean. I also had more than decent legroom in seat 27F, which was noticeably better than on the return flight, where I sat in seat 7C.

The load factor appeared to be around 90%. I was lucky that the middle seat next to me remained empty. There were three rows dedicated to business class, which were fully booked. I found the cabin very clean and well maintained. As I had a window seat overlooking the cargo door, I was surprised to see three baggage carts filled with cargo. Later, a friend who works in logistics told me that air cargo has become much cheaper over the past year and that the difference between air and road transport is only around €20-30 per container.

After a smooth landing and a five to ten-minute taxi, we parked at gate C4 and disembarked via an air bridge. Although the cabin crew kindly asked passengers to allow those with short transfer times to leave the aircraft first, I did not see this happen, as everyone rushed to stand up before the aircraft had even fully connected to the bridge.

It took me around ten to fifteen minutes to reach passport control. From my perspective, the arrivals layout, with its constant changes of floor and numerous stairs, was a mistake. Belgrade is the first airport with this structure that I have encountered, and I have visited more than thirty airports across Europe. It is not the walking itself that I criticise, but rather the design. Another small criticism is that the toilet cubicles are rather small if you have carry-on luggage, making it difficult to open and close the doors. They were clean, but there was an unpleasant smell throughout the toilet area. Passport control was busy, but with the e-gates I completed the process in ten minutes and headed to baggage claim, where my luggage arrived around thirty minutes after landing.

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport – Milan Malpensa Airport

Flight no. JU416

Aircraft registration: YU-APC

Date: 18/05/2026

Departure time: 06.40 / Actual departure: 06.59

Arrival time: 08.30 / Actual arrival: 08.24

Flight duration: 1h 25min

As my flight was in the morning and I only had carry-on luggage, while also checking in through the app, I arrived at the airport around 05.15. There was a traffic jam at the entrance to the Kiss & Fly zone, and it took around five minutes to get through. I headed straight to passport control and security, which together took around twenty-five minutes. There was one large line, but it moved constantly. The only thing I noticed was that they were preparing to open a coffee shop in the check-in area.

I find the duty-free shop at Belgrade Airport well equipped, and it is nice that it uses the same loyalty programme as the stores in Milan – Club Volta. However, I found some prices slightly higher than at other airports. For example, an espresso at one of the bars costs €3.10.

I find the new plaza after the duty-free area spacious and well organised. It will be even better once the food corner opens. The only thing I feel is missing are large departure screens on the walls of the square. Another thing I miss at Belgrade Airport is a greater number of vending machines.

At 05.50, the gate information was displayed and I did not have a long walk ahead of me, as my flight was departing from gate A04. What I did notice was the construction of a new Šljiva Bar between gates A05 and A06, which is more than welcome as Pier A lacks food and beverage options.

Boarding was conducted by rows and was completed by 06.25, with pushback taking place at 06.55. The pilot provided information on the flight duration, weather conditions and the expected route. The cabin was full, with a load factor of more than 90%, although two rows in business class remained empty. There were many transfer passengers on board. I noticed a significant number of Russian passports and, interestingly, a few Georgian passengers as well. The flight and onboard service proceeded smoothly and, once again, praise goes to the cabin crew.

After docking at the terminal via an air bridge and following a ten-minute walk, we arrived at passport control. Serbian citizens first use a self-service kiosk, which asks a few questions and scans the passport. Based on the result, passengers are directed either to the purple line for the automated passport gates or to the yellow line for manual control by a police officer. As I have a residence permit and the e-gates still do not work for permit holders, I waited around one hour and thirty minutes for passport control, even though the actual check took less than a minute.

Overall, I can say that Air Serbia maintains high standards and provides a good level of service, although there is always room for improvement. For example, it could introduce a choice between still water, sparkling water and apple juice, as well as the option to pre-order food during the check-in process.

The only area where I find Air Serbia somewhat expensive is seat selection, with the cheapest seat costing €10. On the other hand, I find the airline’s onboard food, beverage and duty-free prices quite reasonable, although I did not purchase anything during this flight.

The round-trip ticket was booked less than a month before departure and cost around €200, which I consider reasonable given the short booking window and the current fuel price situation.

When it comes to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, I hope the food corner opens soon, departure screens are added to the central plaza and the selection of coffee shops expands so that there is no longer a monopoly by a single brand. Overall, however, I found the airport to be in better shape than during my previous visit in October.

As for Malpensa Airport, it remains one of my favourites because of its location, connectivity, size and overall efficiency. My only hope is that passport control procedures for residence permit holders are improved. For Serbian visitors, however, I can already see noticeable progress, as those who are already in the system can complete passport control in less than ten minutes.