Prince Aviation

Prince Aviation is a Serbian private charter airline and air-taxi operator based at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The company traces its origins to 1989, when it was established as Prince Air, and is described as Serbia's oldest private airline. It completed its first commercial flight in 1991 and operated its first aircraft from Belgrade on New Year's Eve in 1993, using a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle. The company is associated with the development of VIP and business aviation in the Balkans and has been described as the region's first VIP airline. Rather than operating a conventional scheduled passenger network, Prince Aviation focuses on on-demand aviation. Its air-taxi service can arrange flights throughout Europe, with selected destinations in Northern Africa and Asia available on request. This model allows the company to serve private clients, corporate travelers, groups, and other customers requiring flexible routing and scheduling. The business is therefore positioned around private aviation access, convenience, and customized travel rather than mass-market airline service. Prince Aviation's activities extend beyond charter flying. The company operates a flight academy and provides aviation training, making instruction an important part of its business scope. It also has a Part 145 maintenance center, primarily supporting the maintenance of its own aircraft. This combination of charter operations, pilot training, and aircraft maintenance gives the company an integrated aviation-services profile. The fleet associated with the company has included aircraft from the Cessna Citation, Cessna Golden Eagle, and Piper Seneca families. Former aircraft listed in reference material include one Cessna 421 Golden Eagle, one Cessna 500 Citation I, one Cessna 550 Citation II, and one Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II. The Cessna 421, nicknamed “Old Betsy,” is particularly connected with the company's early operating history. Prince Aviation's history also includes a serious 2010 landing incident involving a Cessna 550 Citation II at Bol Airport. The aircraft overran the runway after an approach that investigators found to have been too fast and too steep. It passed through the aerodrome fence and entered rocky terrain; the right landing gear collapsed and the right wing caught fire. Three crew members and two passengers escaped without serious injury, although the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The incident is an operational safety event rather than evidence of a scandal or intentional wrongdoing. The available reference material does not identify the company's current executives, ownership structure, financial performance, exact current fleet, or a definitive official website address. Its public profile is principally that of a Serbian business-aviation provider with charter, training, and maintenance capabilities.

Prince Aviation originated in Serbia in 1989 under the name Prince Air. It is identified as the oldest private airline in Serbia and later became known as Prince Aviation. The company completed its first commercial flight in 1991. Its early operational history reached a notable point on New Year's Eve in 1993, when its first flight from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport was performed with a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle. That aircraft, known by the nickname “Old Betsy,” became associated with the company's formative period. The company developed in the context of the emerging private and business-aviation market in the Balkans. Its principal activity was not scheduled airline transportation but private charter and air-taxi flying. Prince Aviation came to be recognized as an early VIP aviation provider in the region and has been described as the first VIP airline in the Balkans. Its service concept centered on arranging flights according to customer requirements, including destinations and schedules that are not served by regular airline networks. Its stated operating reach covers destinations throughout Europe, while flights to selected points in Northern Africa and Asia may be arranged upon request. This destination model reflects the company's role as an on-demand operator rather than a carrier with a fixed timetable and published route map. The Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport serves as its hub and operational base. Prince Aviation expanded its aviation role beyond charter operations through a flight academy and a Part 145 maintenance center. The academy provides aviation training, while the maintenance organization primarily supports the company's own aircraft. These activities provide a degree of vertical integration, combining aircraft operation, pilot development, and technical support within the same aviation business. Aircraft associated with the company's former fleet include the Cessna 421 Golden Eagle, Cessna 500 Citation I, Cessna 550 Citation II, and Piper PA-34-200T Seneca II. The presence of Citation aircraft reflects the company's emphasis on business and VIP travel, while the Cessna 421 and Piper Seneca represent smaller general-aviation and training-oriented capabilities. The available material does not establish the exact current fleet or the dates on which individual aircraft entered or left service. On 15 July 2010, a Prince Aviation Cessna 550 Citation II, registered as YU-BSG, was involved in a runway-overrun accident while landing at Bol Airport. The investigation concluded that the approach was excessively fast and steep. The aircraft touched down beyond the intended touchdown zone and could not stop before the runway end. It broke through the aerodrome fence and came to rest in a rocky area. Contact with the terrain caused the right landing gear to collapse, and the right wing caught fire. Three crew members and two passengers escaped serious injury, but the aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair. The reference material available for this dossier does not provide verified information about current ownership, corporate structure, named executives, revenue, fleet size, or later strategic developments. Prince Aviation is nevertheless documented as a Serbian private charter and air-taxi brand whose scope includes flight training and Part 145 maintenance.

• 2010

  Bol Airport runway overrun

  [1]Prince Aviationen.wikipedia.org

  A Prince Aviation Cessna 550 Citation II overran the runway during landing at Bol Airport. All five occupants avoided serious injury, but the aircraft was written off.

• 1993

  First Belgrade-based flight

  [1]Prince Aviationen.wikipedia.org

  On New Year's Eve, the company operated its first flight from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport using a Cessna 421 Golden Eagle.

• 1991

  First commercial flight

  [1]Prince Aviationen.wikipedia.org

  Prince Air completed its first commercial flight, beginning its private-airline operating history.

• 1989

  Established as Prince Air

  [1]Prince Aviationen.wikipedia.org

  The company was founded in Serbia under the name Prince Air, establishing the business that later became Prince Aviation.

A Serbian business-aviation provider focused on private charter, air-taxi flexibility, pilot training, and integrated aircraft maintenance.

• Business aviation

  Air taxi and private charter

  Prince Aviation provides on-demand charter and air-taxi transportation rather than a conventional scheduled passenger network. Flights can be arranged to destinations across Europe, with selected destinations in Northern Africa and Asia available on request. The service is oriented toward flexible routing, private travel, and VIP or corporate customers.

• Aviation training

  Flight academy

  The company's flight academy is a documented part of its aviation-services portfolio. It provides flight-training capabilities alongside the charter business, although the available reference material does not specify the training programs, certifications, fleet, or current enrollment.

• Aircraft maintenance

  Part 145 maintenance center

  Prince Aviation operates a Part 145 maintenance center. The facility primarily services the company's own aircraft, adding technical-support capability to its charter and training operations. Specific approved aircraft types and the extent of third-party maintenance work are not identified in the available material.

1. 1Prince Aviationen.wikipedia.org