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Serbia’s aviation ambitions toward China have taken a fresh turn as XiamenAir and Serbian counterparts agreed to explore new flight connections, signaling another step in Belgrade’s push to become a key Central and Eastern European gateway for Chinese travelers and investment.
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Strategic Move Builds on Expanding Serbia China Air Links
Publicly available information shows that Serbia has spent the past two years rapidly deepening its air connectivity with China, aligning aviation policy with closer economic and political ties. Belgrade is already linked to several major Chinese cities, with Air Serbia operating direct routes to Beijing, Tianjin and Guangzhou, and a Shanghai service inaugurated in January 2025.([airserbia.com](https://www.airserbia.com/en/media-news/Air-Serbia-will-fly-to-Guangzhou-twice-a-week-starting-today~1856998?utm_source=openai))
The emerging cooperation framework with XiamenAir is widely viewed as the next phase of this strategy. Industry reports indicate that the two sides plan to examine options for scheduled connections between Belgrade and coastal China, including routes that could tap XiamenAir’s strong presence in Fujian and the wider Southeast China region. Xiamen, as a major hub on China’s southeast coast, is already connected to Belgrade via one-stop itineraries, but there is no nonstop flight yet.([flightconnections.com](https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-beg-to-xmn?utm_source=openai))
Any formalized agreement on new services would build on a broader political framework developed since 2023, including a free trade agreement and high-level visits that placed connectivity and tourism high on the bilateral agenda. Chinese and Serbian government publications highlight air transport as a critical tool for turning political alignment into measurable growth in trade, tourism and services.([mfa.gov.cn](https://www.mfa.gov.cn/gjhdq_676201/gj_676203/oz_678770/1206_679642/sbgx_679646/?utm_source=openai))
Potential Routes and Network Synergies Under Review
Current scheduling data shows that travelers already reach Xiamen from Belgrade through one-stop connections, typically via Beijing, Guangzhou, Amsterdam or other large hubs. These itineraries are operated by a mix of carriers, including Air Serbia, XiamenAir, China Southern and other partners, underscoring that the traffic base between the two cities is being tested through connecting services.([flightconnections.com](https://www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-beg-to-xmn?utm_source=openai))
A strategic cooperation deal would give XiamenAir and Serbian partners room to evaluate whether this connecting traffic justifies more structured coordination, such as optimized schedules, joint marketing or, in a later phase, nonstop operations. Aviation analysts following the region suggest that early steps are likely to focus on coordinated connections via Chinese hubs, using XiamenAir’s domestic network to feed passengers from Xiamen and neighboring cities onto existing Belgrade flights.
Guangzhou’s role is expected to be central. Air Serbia already offers a twice-weekly Belgrade Guangzhou service, with additional capacity provided by China Southern, which entered the route with its own twice-weekly operation in late 2024. From Guangzhou, travelers can connect onwards to Xiamen and other coastal cities, creating a natural platform for collaborative scheduling and shared promotion of Serbia as a European entry point.([srbija.gov.rs](https://www.srbija.gov.rs/vest/en/232348/direct-belgrade-guangzhou-flights-launched-amid-strengthening-economic-ties-with-china.php?utm_source=openai))
Tourism Growth and Visa-Free Access Support New Capacity
Tourism data released in late 2024 indicates that Chinese visitor numbers to Serbia have risen sharply, helped by visa free travel and the expansion of direct air links. One China Serbia tourism conference reported that Serbia received about 150,000 Chinese tourists in the first nine months of 2024, a year-on-year increase of more than 70 percent, with delegates pointing to new Guangzhou flights and the anticipated Shanghai connection as major factors.([moi.gov.mm](https://www.moi.gov.mm/nlm/file-download/download/public/3635?utm_source=openai))
For XiamenAir, this expanding tourism flow presents an opportunity to position Xiamen and other coastal cities as key origins for leisure and business travel to Southeast Europe and the Balkans. Belgrade’s growing role as a transfer point to regional destinations in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and beyond could make joint itineraries particularly attractive for group tours and organized travel from second tier Chinese cities.
On the Serbian side, tourism officials have emphasized in public statements that Chinese visitors tend to combine heritage tourism in Belgrade and Novi Sad with nature-focused trips to national parks and spa towns, stays that benefit a broad range of local operators. Improved connectivity via XiamenAir would give these travelers more options to access Serbia from China’s southeast coastal region, complementing the existing focus on Beijing and Shanghai.
Belgrade’s Bid to Become a Regional China Gateway
Belgrade’s airport strategy has increasingly centered on positioning the Serbian capital as a compact alternative to larger European hubs for China Europe traffic. The successive launch of direct flights to multiple Chinese cities since 2023 has been a core part of that plan, and capacity between Belgrade and China has risen in tandem with wider bilateral cooperation and major Chinese investments in Serbian infrastructure.([srbija.gov.rs](https://www.srbija.gov.rs/vest/en/235960/improving-cooperation-with-peoples-republic-of-china-in-economy-education-sports.php?utm_source=openai))
With Guangzhou and Shanghai now connected to Belgrade, and Beijing and Tianjin already on the map, Serbia effectively offers a north south east spread across the Chinese mainland. The prospective partnership with XiamenAir adds a southeast coastal dimension that could spread inbound traffic beyond China’s established mega cities, bringing in travelers from Fujian, neighboring provinces and the broader Greater Bay Area through carefully timed connections.
Regional observers note that this approach dovetails with broader initiatives to integrate Serbia more deeply into Chinese Belt and Road corridors, with aviation complementing existing investments in rail, road and energy infrastructure. If XiamenAir and Serbian partners move from exploratory talks to concrete scheduling decisions, the resulting network could further entrench Belgrade’s role as a China focused bridge between East Asia and Central and Eastern Europe.
Air Serbia Guangzhou route details
Belgrade Airport 2024 activity report