SkyWork plans Bern - Niš flights
SkyWork Airlines will begin flights to Niš Constantine the Great Airport in the summer of 2012 if a common ground is found between the airport and the Swiss based airline, its Chief Commercial Officer says. Niš Airport, which has so far this year seen a 30% increase in passenger numbers, is served by a daily flight to Podgorica operated by Montenegro Airlines. The service is subsidised by the local authorities. Similarly, future SkyWork flights would also be subsidised with negations under way between the two sides. Last year, the Italian low cost airline Wind Jet suspended services to Serbia’s third largest city after the money used to subsidise the flights dried up. Several years ago, Jat Airways operated two weekly flights from Niš to Zurich with a Boeing 737-300. However, the airline suspended the route citing poor passenger figures.SkyWork recently launched two weekly flights from Bern to Belgrade. According to its Chief Commercial Officer, Rolf Hartleb, the new route is a hit. “Ticket sales are going extremely well. From the start of next year we will progressively increase our frequencies. Flights will operate every other day after which daily flights will be introduced”, Hartleb states. Since the start of 2011, Jat Airways and Swiss International Airlines have carried over 200.000 passengers both ways between Belgrade and Zurich.
SkyWork Airlines operates a fleet of five regional aircraft including the Dash 8 and Dornier 328. The airline’s fleet is set to expand next year. The airline has already announced that it will be launching seasonal summer flights from Bern to Split on May 5, 2012. By the end of October Niš Airport handled 20.748 passengers.
Recently, in Nis region came with the investments Benetton, Michlen, Leoni, Yura, Daitech. I am more than sure that there is demand for such an air service, especially if it is operated with 31-seats D328.
ReplyDeleteFor such an aircraft I doubt there will be need for subsidies, and I believe that airlines with such a fleet is a model for all ex-yu to cooperate with.
Hopefully, this will come true
So does anyone know when the talks will be finalised?
ReplyDeleteHopefully Nis get these flights though. It's a perfect opertunity. The airline has small aircrafts, decent ticket prices and also a decent amount of dispora from Nis live within Switzerland. If only they could fly to Zurich, however, I'm sure flights to Bern would be just as good :)
Pozdrav iz Australija
I personally believe Nis will be the next small airport to reach 100,000 pax figures. They definetly have the potentical over the other small airports.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to both Belgrade and SkyWork.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if something like GVA-BEG-INI-BEG-GVA could work?
However if their bookings between Belgrade and Geneva are that good doubt that they will have the capacity.
I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be even more exciting for Belgrade with Norwegian from Copenhagen, Qatar from Doha and additional flights on flydubai and SkyWork!
Good luck to Nis, hopefully SX flights will go through and more airlines starts flying to INI during next summer season. That airport has potential, just need to try to attract right airlines for that market. I am sure there is a demand for twice weekly to Vienna, wonder why they dont try to negotiate with HG...I guess that could work out for Nis.
ReplyDeleteGreat news! I hope it pulls through!
ReplyDeleteAmazing news! I have also heard that flights to rijeka will also start next year! However whats happening with Adria airways to Ljubljana?
ReplyDeleteThe key route will be Vienna for those investments. Podgorica and Bern have no connecting flights.
ReplyDeleteNorwegian CPH-BEG route info. Service will be only year around and the first flight is to be commenced on 4 may.
ReplyDeleteDY3300 CPH1000 - 1210BEG 733 15
DY3301 BEG1240 - 1505CPH 733 15
You can catch a train from Bern to any part of Switzerland. The price from GVA airport to ZRH airport by train is about 80euros one way. And yes, that is expensive. But given the fact that BRN is in the middle of all the cities, train price would be less costly of course.
ReplyDeleteGVA-BEG is much needed! I wonder why LX wont introduce this service...DS would be the next possibility I think...
Does anybody know the routing and frequency of potential Skywork-flights to INI?
ReplyDelete+1 for GVA-BEG
ReplyDeleteIf LX doesn't start it, hopefully EasyJet will (no matter how much I dislike them...)
I do not see U2 starting GVA-BEG simply because the market is still new and underdevelopped. Dont forget that SkyWork uses their 74 seat Dash-8
ReplyDeleteHow do passengers in BEG react
ReplyDeletewhen they book flights with NIKI,
but then get flights ,crews and service of Air Berlin?
I do not have any experience
with Air Berlin...are they a good airline?
Thank you all for a decent answer!
Niki is partially owned by Air Berlin and they were the ones who helped Niki found his airline after he was forced out by OS managment.
ReplyDeleteThe service is exactly the same so I do not think they mind.
Niki is since 8 November 2011 owned by Air Berlin.
ReplyDeleteThank you guys for response.
ReplyDeleteI know that NIKI is owned by Air Berlin.
I only want to know how people think about Air Berlin...I always flew NIKI but never AB...and a lot of people say AB is in every way less quality than NIKI!?
Also why dont they change their
name to Air Berlin?
Is it possible they want to trick people?
Because NIKI in fact is no more flying to BEG!
"The price from GVA airport to ZRH airport by train is about 80euros one way"
ReplyDeleteThat's the absolute highest price.
If you buy a month in advance or have a 1/2 price fare card, or catch one of their many specials, you can find it for 35.
@Malbjaerd,
ReplyDeleteYou are totally right about Air Berlins service less good than Niki !
Reason is that Air Berlin is without doubt LCC !
Although Niki was officially low cost ,its service was equally to that of other "better" airlines .
To go daily on Belgrade, Niki would need to have smaller aircraft -
which it not has .
It would be really more accurate if they would advertise those flights as Air Berlin .Calling them Niki is indeed misleading !
good. I hove very best for Nis, and any airport from ex-Yu, but best aircraft for these flight in between ex-Yu cities is Embraer 120
ReplyDeleteWell, haven't flown with Air Berlin yet, but having in mind that they are entering Oneworld in 2012, meaning many service standards would have to be in line with British Airways, Iberia, etc. presumably they cannot be that bad.
ReplyDeleteAir Berlin only operates Niki's flights and does not put its own code most probably due to the traffic rights, permissions, etc.
I think Niš - Treviso (Italy)
ReplyDeletecan work.
Air Berlin will probably replace FlyNiki not for long time ...maybe only for Winter.
ReplyDeleteIt is right what someone said..to go double daily they had to fly smnaller aircraft which has only partner Air- berlin .
As this route is targeting business people ..double daily is all the
way !
If demand is high,i can imagine
upgrading aircraft to A320 in summer...A320 of Flyniki !
I still think the best solution for Nis would be to be linked daily with a major hub: either one of these VIE/ZRH/MUC/FRA or similar from where people can catch up connections Europewide.
ReplyDeleteOT: Montenegro Airlines has surprisingly good prices between Belgrade, Nis and Zurich. They're cheaper than any of the other airlines these days. Have to travel in a V through Podgorica, but if don't mind taking a bit of a different route, prices are great.
ReplyDeleteI've been frequently searching flights these days and skywork just doesn't compete with any of the other airlines price-wise.
ReplyDeleteToo bad. Their promo prices were good.