Montenegro Airlines remains Niš’s only customer for now
Niš Constantine the Great Airport is still looking for airlines to commence services to the East Serbian city as the 2011 summer season ticks away. The Mayor of Niš, Miloš Simonović, has said that local authorities have secured almost 2 million Euros to subsidise airlines to fly to Serbia’s third largest city. He added that talks have been finalised with one airline, which will commence flights to Niš next summer, but failed to mention the airline’s name. Simonović said that city authorities are negotiating with another two airlines but no concrete agreements have been made yet. Last year, Niš forked out 1.1 million Euros to the low cost Italian Airline Wind Jet for its 69 flights from Forli. The service ultimately ended as the authorities could no longer support the financial subsidies.Montenegro Airlines is currently the only airline offering flights to the struggling airport where 40 seats are pre-booked on each flight by the local governance. The airport still hasn’t signed a new agreement with the Montenegrin carrier, which would see it continue flying to Niš, but is expected to do so soon. The subsidies in the new agreement are expected to amount to 1.4 million Euros, which is less than in previous contracts with the same airline.
Some sources state Niš Airport has held talks with Carpatair from Romania, Adria Airways and Atlasjet from Turkey while interest has also been shown on behalf of Belavia, the national carrier of Belarus.
if the local authorities manage to secuare 2 million euros within a year than couldnt they within a couple of years secuare enough to start up their own airline?
ReplyDeletePerhaps a better title would be 'NO interest' rather than Low...
ReplyDeleteThere has to be seriously something wrong if the airport cannot sustain regular commercial flights. Can anyone explain a business model, or if there are any business passengers who would prefer to use the airport?
Ideally, even a low-frequency (2/3 weekly) to a hub airport *somewhere* in central Europe should be viable. But then wasn't that the argument for BNX, OMO, TZL etc??
I agree with Anonymous. They should start up a small regional airline, which could have aircraft up to 50 seats, and get flights to destinations such as Vienna, Frankfurt, Zurich, Milan .. is the only way they can make money not thrown by the wind.
ReplyDeleteIn this way the money would stay in Nis and also it would make airport sustainable.
Do u really think it's enough to open an airline with 2 mil , I don't think so. There r so many hidden fees .
ReplyDelete@Dreamliner
ReplyDeleteRead my comment properly. It never said to start up an airline with 2 million euros but to gather up money over a couple of years until it has reached enough to lease an aircraft and commence some flights to the more popular destinations as the other anonymous commenter said.
Well, ACMI leasing of 50 seat airliner is around 800 eur per flying hours. That means that 2 hour flight cost 1600eur+fuel+ control and airport fees is around say 3500
ReplyDelete50 seats sold at 100 euros is 5000 per flight. Which means that benefit is 1500 per flight. With 2 flights per day that ´regional airline´ could make around 2.190.000 eur benefit a year.
Nis airport is unable to offer any advanced passenger service, currency exchange and other normal services.
ReplyDeleteThey charge a fee (airport tax) for the full amount as every other (big) airport! Think about that?!
If it were so easy and simple, everyone would have their airlines. This is an expensive toy and full of risk.
"Nis Airlines" would fail in a month if he should run as far as the airport operates. HA HA
Air trafics is not the bus trafics.
Btw about Belavia, i was wondering why they didn't make a connection between Belgrade and Minsk, since I've heard that few years ago there was such an attemp, but failed cause of state interference...
ReplyDeleteAnd about Nis - Minsk, I guess it would be a winter charter cuz of the Belorussians coming to Kopaonik (as you know Lukashenko and his 150 people entourage were regular guests in Kopaonik during the winter) :)
Nis has absolutely no perspective!!
ReplyDeleteIn few months Skopje is going to get the new multi million terminal and more and more low costs and other airlines are going to commence flights from SKP, like Wizz,Niki,AirBerlin..So it is to expect that SKP will capture the potential pax from Southern Serbia.
Nis will be used only when Belgade Airport goes under refurbishment-like Maribor did last year:-)
I mean really, we dont need airports like Nis,Trebinje,Mostar,Tuzla,Osijek,Mali Losnj,Maribor in the ex yu.
Totally agree with Anonymous @ May 3, 2011 2:58 PM. Within a radius of 200km most major cities have access to numerous airports. With the current economic situation the region doesn't need an airport in every town. Eventually when things start moving, MAYBE the airports will be of some use, but currently they're useless!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you don't need it, but 2.000.000 people lives around INI absolutely need it. I also agree with one of those anonymous that running the airlines is not easy job and full of risk. But I do think that ´national career´must run smaller airplanes to connect INI and future small airport of Morava with destinations around Europe.
ReplyDeleteSo instead taking Airbus planes, they should buy few dash 8-300 or 400 and expend their regional routes. Cheers
I personally would really like it if jat would begin flights to and from nis at laest a couple of times a week and they could all go via belgrade, just as long as they have a broader range of destinations.
ReplyDeleteFor now Montenegro Airlines doing best job. They link Airport NIs with many major european cities, via Podgorica.
ReplyDeleteAnd that is for now in economic crisis.
Later Nis will bring direct flight with Montenegro Airlines and other good airlines.
Thanks Montenegro Air...
I am waiting so badly to see Adria on INI as there is much more flights from Ljubljana then Podgorica :)
ReplyDeleteflights might begin from Azberijan to Serbia... their PM is visiting Serbia
ReplyDeletehttp://en.apa.az/news.php?id=146280
AleksUSA: I love Azberijan! ;))) Azberijan iz my fav country of course, as i presume yours.... But i think the flight are from Azerbaijan :)
ReplyDeleteFor Anonymus (Adria):
ReplyDeleteMaybe , flight via Ljubljana has more destinations then Podgorica, but they has more cost for ticket for their flights.
See theirs flights from Prishtina via Ljubljana.
Adria's Tickets cost 300 euros an up, and Montenegro has tickets for 200 euros from Nis to most importans cities.
And very very good plane (new Embraer 195).
Cost is VERY Important THING, right?!
how long do JU,JP etc already exist? Don t u believe that if INI would be such a financially popular destination, they would not have started flights there yet?
ReplyDeleteby the way, I flew last Friday with QR to MEL. Referring to the various discussions on this forum regarding JU to start long hauls again. It s a complete waste of time. considering todays reality with gulf carriers operating 1-3 daily flights to some Australian cities, with brand new aircrafts, great service and soon in DOH and AUH new airport terminals, JAT has not the hint of a chance to start to compete with them and if not a complete miracle happens in BEG, this situation wont change for the next century.
I had the pleasure to travel in Business Class on their 77L and I m not sure how many carriers worldwide are able to compete with them with this kind of a product.
at least quite a number of ex workers from ex YU carriers are working in the Gulf and can make you feel home flying down under. I had the pleasure to meet a former colleague of YM serving on this flight
greetins from MEL
Belavia very intresting, odd that Belgrade doesn't see Minsk as a destination yet they are intrested in serving Nis, I guess the services will be operated by their CRJ's. I would assume Adria just wants to serve nearly every possible airport in the the ex-yu hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI don't quite understand why JAT doesn't utilise the airport, although they would need a few additions to the fleet. With the right aircraft, right advertising and prices of tickets would attract enough intrest for JAT out of Nis.
@JU 520 BEGLAX
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, 3 weeks ago I was on QR 30 DOH-MEL , even I don't think EK and EY can compete with them, such a briliant service and aircraft . I have been on all of them , but QR exceed my expectations . I am looking forward to see them in SYD , but wont happen cos syd airport is not 24 hours airport, might be soon BNE or PER.
Welcome at DownUnder and enjoy your stay.
who the hell gonna fly to minsk? We need some regional routes on INI. Zrh,vie,fra,ams..
ReplyDelete@dreamliner
ReplyDeletethank you. yep QR 030 was the flight and i know EY from a previous flight, but can confirm I felt better on QR.
I ll be in SYD 08 to 15may. down under is great, I m enjoying it very much.
today i was on the afc champions league game melbourne victory - gamba osaka and who did i met? people from ex yu....hahaha
they are really everywhere...
have a good night. ciao
@Dreamliner
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree any more than that, QR is just a step above EK and EY. I guess that is why QR is a 5 star carrier and the others are not
@air koryo tu-204:
ReplyDeletein doh they pick up biz and f class passengers from the aircraft with limo buses and transfer them to the premium terminal v.v.
the flight zrh-doh was average, the seating on the 332 even no lie flat. but on doh-mel i was surprised how well they served us. there is a free choice of food from an a la carte menu list and they serve u individually at any time of the flight. so u choose it all. u get pyjamas, nice duvet, i think a range of 190 movies, live TV etc. etc
there is definitely nothing anymore what would need to be added. u can t have it better anymore, except matched.
so if these will be the future standards to match, other airlines will have to really sweat..
and considering that for example an airline like EK flies 3 dailies to MEL, I really don t know now how to compete this...
@JU520 BEGLAX
ReplyDeleteI have flown QR from DME to MEL last year with A330-300 and 777-200LR, I flew economy but the service was top notch. The 777-200LR was just that little bit more than the A330-300 as it had the newer interior and was less crampt.
aviation is a risky investment /gambling only risky investors lets say casino owner´s in monaco ,a huge group of investor can try to invest in nis. all what you have written all of these things have jat tried before and jat have now empty pockets , they cant risk anymore to waste money
ReplyDelete