Tender procedures for airlines interested in opening a base at Mostar Airport in 2025 in return for subsidies have been launched. Interested carriers have until September 17 to submit their bids. It is speculated that the public call is aimed at the Italian airline SkyAlps, which began flying to Mostar from Rome, Munich, and Verona earlier this summer. Mostar Airport's CEO, Mark Djuzel, previously announced that the regional carrier plans to base an aircraft in the city in 2025 and launch services to Stuttgart, Vienna, Naples, Palermo, and Catania. SkyAlps, which started operations in June 2021 as a virtual airline, secured its Air Operator's Certificate in January 2023. It aims to expand its Dash 8 fleet to fourteen aircraft within the next year, positioning itself for further growth.
Mostar Airport handled 20.927 passengers during the January - July period. It anticipates welcoming a total of 40.000 travellers this year, with the figure projected to grow to 60.000 in 2025. Currently, the airport is served by Croatia Airlines, Air Serbia, and SkyAlps, the latter operating only seasonally during the summer. Additionally, Mostar is negotiating with Pegasus Airlines over the introduction of flights from Istanbul. “I believe that soon we will be able to confirm another four new routes so that next year we will have a total of ten”, Mr Djuzel said recently.
During the week, Croatia Airlines put tickets on sale for its Zagreb - Mostar service for the upcoming winter season, while Air Serbia inked an agreement to serve the city from Belgrade until at least October 2025. Both carriers are subsidised on their respective flights. Air Serbia’s General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Boško Rupić, said, “In the first three months of the route’s operations, we had very good cabin occupancy, with over 6.000 passengers flying between the two cities. July saw the highest volume of passengers on this route, with a very high load factor. This indicates that nonstop flights between Belgrade and Mostar are of exceptional importance to our passengers. We look forward to continuing our cooperation in maintaining scheduled flights on this route”.
Loving these pre-arranged tenders 😂
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much money they will get
ReplyDeleteIt seems they have unlimited source of money. They pay to SkyAlps, they pay to OU , they pay to JU, now they want to pay for a base...
DeleteOtherwise no airline would fly there.
Bosnia desperately needs a national carrier.
DeleteJU would be an excellent partner, much better than sky alps. Passengers will have a flight crew that can speak to them in their language.
DeleteMaybe OU decides to set up base in Mostar with 1 A220 :D
ReplyDeleteNo chance. It is for Sky Alps as mentioned
DeleteExcellent news
ReplyDeleteInteresting. So foreign airline that will have bases in ex-Yu are Ryanair, Wizz Air and Sky Alps.
ReplyDeleteWhat year was Mostar Airport's passenger record?
ReplyDelete2012
Delete2023 - 20,544 Increase +91.8%
Delete2022 - 10,711 Increase +693.2%
2021 - 1,942 Increase +41.34%
2020 - 1,374 Decrease -95.81%
2019 - 32,866 Increase +15.46%
2018 - 28,463 Decrease -33.9%
2017 - 43,118 Decrease -19.5%
2016 - 53,618 Decrease -28.5%
2015 - 75,024 Increase+10.3%
2014 - 67,980 Decrease-1.3%
2013 - 68,939 Decrease−13.2%
2012 - 78,055 Increase +212.0%
2011 - 36,807 Increase+206.0%
Thos percentage swings are wild.
Delete^ because the base number is low.
DeleteIt's really good Mostar (and region) will have a new base. Wonder how much money they are giving...
ReplyDeleteIt might not be much, but you have to start somewhere
ReplyDeleteSo this basically means all these planned Sky Alps routes are targeted for gasto people? They will be summer only?
ReplyDeleteCould someone please make a calculation what the ratio is of incentives/subventions vs. number of pax?
ReplyDeleteI will do of you pay to me.
DeleteNext summer with the opening of a Marriott (if it finally opens) and I believe I read Hilton that should also help draw in tourists and the airport.
ReplyDeleteMarriott will never open
DeleteHow easy is it to reach Mostar from Sarajevo? I am asking because that is the closest airport to the city with a decent year-round offer of flights.
DeleteNo one knows what demand in Europe will look like this winter. KLM already in summer complained about softer demand to the US. Lufthansa on the other hand is already boosting capacity and reducing frequencies from MUC due to softer advance bookings.
European economy isn't doing all too well and it will no doubt impact civil aviation. Eurozone GDP growth was revised from 0.3% to just 0.2%.
@Nemjee Sarajevo-Mostar road is part of Paneuropean Corridor Vc. But this doesn't tell much because the Corridor is under construction in both parts of BIH for decades. The motorway between the two cities is in a good condition and if there are no traffic congestions, you need a bit over 2 hours to cross the distance. Experienced locals, such as my niece and brother in law, do it in a little bit less than 2 hours. Another option, is a train - the railroad is one of the most stunning in Europe in terms of scenery. It is in a relatively good condition, it also takes 2 hours... BUT ŽFBIH has only 2 trains a day!
DeleteSo it's a regular road with one lane in each direction? I guess for Mostar the best solution would be to encourage JU to keep on adding flights in order to make the city and the region more accessible. Them keeping winter flights is a step in the right direction.
Delete@Nemjee Exactly. One lane in each direction. There is a relatively short section of Vc highway in full operation when you exit Sarajevo. Also from Počitelj to Croatian border. The only two cities in Federation connected with highway at the moment are Zenica and Sarajevo. And there is a toll to be paid as well.
DeleteAll towns in Bosnia are connected by highways, only between Sarajevo and Zenica there's a motorway (British English), or expressway (AE - it is no freeway, being a tollway) :)
DeleteThank you both!
DeleteHappy Mostar Airport is finally waking up
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering who has more pax, OU or JU. I have heard JU is full of transfers on this route.
ReplyDeleteI've done a couple return flights on OMO-BEG and both times the cabin was full. I think the schedules on the JU flights fit transfers much better, not to mention the network out of BEG too.
DeleteNot only that but BEG-OMO is a short flight so it connects onto everything and anything. Also flights arrive and depart quite comfortably so there is a buffer when it comes to connecting passenger delays.
DeleteEX-YU Subsidy Aviation
ReplyDeleteLiterally. Everyone just subsidising flights.
DeleteToo many airports in short proximity. They cannibalize each other.
DeleteLjubljana - see and learn
ReplyDeleteReally?
DeleteI am positive on this. SkyAlps is exactly what INI and KVO need. Unfortunately, they are in JU's shadow, sentenced for its peanuts...
ReplyDeleteYeah, SkyAlps would compete well against Ryan and Wizz at Niš...
DeleteDo we know how much they are giving?
ReplyDeleteWell we now Croatian government just recently gave Mostar Airport almost a million euros
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2024/03/croatia-grants-900000-for-mostar-flights.html
When will Pegasus start flights?
ReplyDeleteNext summer most probably.
DeleteAny chance for Eurowings to return to Mostar?
DeleteEW only came to Mostar in the first place because their main route manager was from Mostar and they managed to persuade the local government to give them money. But even during their first year of flights (are should I say only year), they downgraded the routes from year round to seasonal, downgraded the aircraft type and reduced frequencies.
DeleteHow many lies in one sentence!!
DeleteActually everything is true
DeleteRoutes Manager was form Croatia. They started as sesonal route and agreement was sesonal route. First year aircraft was Dash and second year A320 and A319. LF was 90 -95%. Ew received only discount without sebven...
DeleteThis is just what Mostar needs
ReplyDeleteHaven't heard of this airline before
ReplyDeleteThey are big - 10 Dashes
DeleteThey fly a lot of odd routes.
DeleteIs this the airline that wanted to launch flights to Maribor but in the end gave up because there was no demand?
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteWizz Air/Ryanair should be the target, to generate demand.
ReplyDeleteFor now they do not want to fly to Mostar. Reasons are operational!
DeleteAirplanes, airlines and air bases bring guests to the city. For Mostar, it makes a lot of sense to invest here. These are smart people and decisions. It is better to bring guests to the city and promote revenue for the local economy than to distribute the money directly.
ReplyDelete