Busier times ahead for Zagreb Airport
The CEO of Zagreb’s Pleso Airport, Tonči Peović, is in talks with Ryanair and easyJet who have expressed their wish to commence services from Zagreb. Both airlines operate flights to various Croatian cities but so far have avoided Zagreb for several reasons, including high handling costs and the government’s protectionist Croatia Airlines policy. “We have made some savings and realised that we could make our prices cheaper by up to 10%. In addition to the basic price list, we also offer additional incentives for companies that have never flown from Zagreb or are increasing traffic to Zagreb”, Peović told the “Vjesnik” newspaper. He also mentioned that the airport has slashed handling prices for international flights by up to 50%. Interestingly, none of the incentives apply to Croatia Airlines.Joining Wizz Air and Germanwings as the only 2 low cost airlines operating out of Zagreb, Norwegian Air Shuttle will commence services from Copenhagen this summer. easyJet is likely to open flights to 6 destinations from Zagreb during the 2010/2011 winter season.
Peović said that low cost airlines, on average, account for 35% of the total turnover at European airports, and only 18% at Zagreb. “We plan to increase this figure to at least 30%. These low-budget companies are exactly what our airports need”, Peović says.
Fine, but the question still remains: Does the Government (as the primary stakeholder in OU) believe it is still a valuable asset and will continue to have bums on seats by opening up their major airport? And what operators (apart from OU) will be at risk by this move?
ReplyDeleteFor mine, we will eventually see:
FR to HHN, BQN, CIA, NYO (+ London)
U2 to MXP, SXF, ORY (+ London)
I also assumed we would have seen W6 operating to MMX by now too...
I think that FR, EZY, U, W6 could do really well with another destinations, the ones which they do not alread exist from Zagreb or any other EX YU airport they are going to fly from/to. I shall just give examples, nothing written in the stone.....
ReplyDeleteNice, Marseille, Tenerife(or any other Canary island!!), Porto, RIX, MLA, DUB,VLC, KRK, etc..... These are great destinations to visit and most importantly nobody flies to these cities from Ex YU... And of course advertise Zagreb, Belgrade etc as great cities to visit too.... I hope we shall see as many colors as possible at Ex Yu airports! Pozdrav svima
can I ask Ex YU Admin, why on the list of the flights in future EZY flight from GVA to PRN (starting 19/06/2010) and BSL to PRN(starting 26/06/2010) are not listed?
ReplyDeleteThanks
What is that atrracted EZY to PRN and not to ZAG, BEG, SKP, OHD, OSI, BNX, INI, etc? Does anyone have opinion? Without politics please!!!!
Looks like this new Zagreb CEO means business! I wish Zagreb the best of luck and maybe we will finally see some earth moved soon for the new terminal!
ReplyDeleteWhile we are on the subject of Zagreb, I noticed Zagreb now has a webcam.
http://www.zagreb-airport.hr/hr/webcam/
Well great news for Zagreb i am not suprised really :)
ReplyDeleteabout that why Easy Jet chose PRN and not other airport within balkans it is intresting.
so it is either someone support this routes or just simply U2 see that it will be profitable beacuse lot's of passengers travel to Switzerland.
However fligths are already confirmed on U2 website.
good luck
Best regards
IATA's code for Swiss Easyjet is DT not U2 :-)
ReplyDeleteThese are the flights with Easy Jet to Pristina During
ReplyDeleteJune- September 2010
BSL - PRN - Flight U21187
2 X per week Thursday & Saturday
Dep 06:50
Arr 09:00
PRN - BSL Flight U21188
2 X per week Thursday & Saturday
Dep 20:30
Arr 22:40
GVA - PRN Flight U2 1483
2 X per week Wednesday & Saturday
Dep 13:20
Arr 15:30
PRN - GVA Flight U21484
2 X per week Wednesday & Saturday
Dep 16:10
Arr 18:20
Best Regards
I have seen that on their website nand I am confused with that code, why they have U" code if they are oprated by Easyjet Switzerland(which is registered as a different company!)
ReplyDeletewell i know there is code DS for EASYJET SWITZERLAND S.A.
ReplyDeletei do not see anywhere code DT yet :)
DT is for
DT DTA TAAG - ANGOLA AIRLINES
take care
@anonymous: PRN-BSL and PRN-GVA has great potential as there is a big Kosovar diaspora living in Switzerland.
ReplyDeleteSeveral daily flights exist already, however not cheap. And around holidays, these rates jump up like rockets.
And since this is Easy Switzerland and Switzerland and Kosovo have special relations, I m sure this played a role to grant them these rights.
Yes you are right it is DS, my mistake ;-( Blagodaram!
ReplyDeleteFair enough for a huge Kosovan diaspora in Switzerland, but there is more than plenty of other ex Yu republics diaspora in Switzerland...
I think that the main reason is as you said special relations between Switzerland and Kosovo!
@ Anonymous: They have been listed on the right hand side now. Sorry for the delay.
ReplyDeletecheers :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd to be added FR starts flying from ZAD to Bremen 02/06/2010! My God Zadar is going to be packed this summer! FR now has 10 destinations from/to ZAD! That's amazing! Well done!
ReplyDelete