Factors of the Evolution of Air Passenger Segmentation: The Case of the Serbian Air Travel Market

Abstract

The paper investigates the evolution of air passenger profiles in terms of regulatory environment, competitive landscape, socio-economic and demographic trends. The research is supported by passenger surveys carried out since 2001. The surveys have been designed to provide objective and in-depth insights into the preferences and behaviors of air passengers in the Serbian market. The resulting passenger segments are categorized based on socioeconomic and travel purpose criteria, but the surveys conducted at Serbian airports reveal that competition triggered the service quality to become a major issue in the Serbian market, after the entrance of low-cost carriers. The research of future projections of air passengers in Serbia is based on the Delphi method for two-time horizons (2025 and 2035) and three future scenarios are proposed.