November growth for Belgrade
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has clocked up its 33rd month of consecutive passenger growth as it handled a total of 3.139.050 passengers by the end of November. Last month, the airport welcomed 220.938 passengers, an improvement of 2.7% compared to November 2011. The increase came despite a drop in the number of flights operating to and from Serbia’s busiest airport. A total of 3.255 flights were carried out, down from 3.300 a year ago. The airport is now poised to surpass its 1987 passenger record. In the first eleven months of this year, it managed to surpass its 2011 end of year result. Today, Wizz Air will launch flights from the Serbian capital to Basel.
During the week, Belgrade Airport announced that Shenzhen CIMC-TianDA Airport Support Company (CIMC) won the tender to install six new air bridges at Belgrade’s terminal one gates. The company is the first to manufacture air bridges for the Airbus A380 and is known worldwide for its airport equipment. The gates, which will be installed from next year, are worth 2.2 million euros. The airport notes that the investment is being financed entirely out of its own funds and that it did not take out a loan to pay for them. Manufacturers from Europe and North America also took part in the tender.
Meanwhile, Niš Constantine the Great Airport saw its numbers plunge for a second consecutive month. The airport welcomed 1.989 passengers through its doors this November, down 19% on last year when it saw 2.447 travellers. On the whole, the year is still looking up with 25.154 passengers handled in the first eleven months, some 2.000 more than last year, or an increase of 8%. On December 22, Darwin Airline will launch flights from Zurich and Geneva which will go towards boosting numbers.
Though I despise Wizz Air I am happy they are launching this flight because it will force airlines to further reduce their fares between Belgrade and Switzerland.
ReplyDeleteThe flights seem to be sold out because the fares are very high if you want to book now. I think BEG sshould be back with larger growth.
ReplyDeleteWizzair's flight from Basel to BEG operated by Skopje's based plane:
ReplyDeleteSKP-BSL-BEG-BSL-SKP. They should start Geneva too (easyjet or Wizzair, regardless) and then BEG would be linked to 4 Swiss airports :-)
Great Figures for BEG. Even though that INI is not brilliant, at least there is some traffic and some figures. Wizz should seriously consider 1-2 destinations from INI, that would be spot on, Basel or any German airport.
+1, GVA should be simpler than e.g. ZRH since they can fly to French part (like they do in Basel)... I'm sure there will is strong demand, especially if the flight is not so late. GVA flight operated from BEG base would be amazing, I'm all for 7pm departure from BEG and 9:15pm departure from GVA. Friday and Sunday - perfect for weekends :)
DeleteGreat news for BEG that pax numbers are rising, but how is the cargo figures going? I see from time to time the odd B744F, A330F, IL-76 will visit,would be nice for a more regular visit :)
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to see next year the impact Wizz's expansion will have on our market, both in air fares prices and in pax numbers.
Off topic, anyone knows what is with Jat B733 (YU-ANH)? How is their refurbishing the cabins going? How did talks with Airbus this week go along?
Cargo is down in 2012, in November it fell by 31%! I guess it is to be expected with the falling economic performance of Serbia.
DeleteLooking at the picture of Belgrade airport, it will look totally cool once the new glass air bridges are installed on the A section.
Hi,
DeleteAs far as I know YU-ANH isn't capable to fly any longer as so many parts have been taken from that plane in order to keep the fleet in the air.
But YU-ANJ and YU-ANF should be back...
Thanks anonymous. Havnt seen the a/c in a while. Wasnt YU-ANF flying this summer and that it was YU-ANV that has been grounded with NJ? I have noticed YU-ALS hasnt been flying much either.
Delete---
Regarding the airbridges, I think other problems could be resolved such as adding addition retain space in the terminal to enhance customer experience plus revenue at the airport (ie: renting commericial space etc). Some more food outlets would be nice. Duty free seems adequate. A smoking is definately a must, would be nice for a winston smoking room :) Reconstruction of the terminal should be more greater now during the winter months to take advantage of slower months at the airport, thus causing minimal disruptions. The terminal isnt that big after all. Arrivals DEFINATELY needs a MASSIVE make over, a depressing way to welcome people to Serbia!
Cargo figures are miserable at BEG. For compairason, BUD serves 107.000 tonnes of freight per year while BEG serves merely 7.000 - obiously the Hungarian economy isn't 15 times stronger than the Serbian one. It is a matter of connections, as BUD is the cheapest airport to land-in to good to the EU and then continue by road to Germany etc. Still, BEG cargo figures are a shame.
DeleteOn airliners.net i found pictures of B744 freighters visiting BEG of following airlines:
DeleteSilk Way Cargo from Azerbaijan,
Cargolux,
National Airlines(USA),
Air Bridge Cargo from Russia,
My Cargo Airlines(Turkey/PR China),
EL AL Cargo (Israel).
Recently, someone at the blog said Easyjet was requested the license for flights from Belgrade. Is that true, any news ? I think the destination in question was Milan. EXYU, do you hear or know something about that ? I mean, Easyjet will really be a bingo.
ReplyDeleteHmm I doubt we would see them launch the route now that there is both Jat Airways and Air One operating between the two cities.
DeleteSo they didn't apply for the license, it was not true ? I mean, they aren't stupid at all.
DeleteeasyJet would be a nice addition to BEG. Maybe from STN, MAN and GVA?
DeleteWould love to see OU increase flights to BEG from more Croatian cities, and SU add LED-BEG.
Would be nice for TAP (LIS), VY (BCN), AY (HEL), FB (SOF)...
Is it really so that Jat has to allow other airlines to fly to BEG?
DeleteIf this was true it would be scandalous...
I mean only demand should decide if a route is operating or not!
Also for me it is a mystery that BEG only has 3.4 mio pax per annum.
It easily could be five million and even that would not be that much.
Wasnt Pegasus also denied flying there at first?
How can BEG expand significantly to in between 5-10 mio pax per annum if this
is really a case?
It is not the case, don't worry. If it was the case, at the Belgrade airport there would be no place for Wizzair, Norwegian, GermanWings,...
DeleteBoth Jat and Airone flying to Milan does not mean that there is no more space for any other airline to join them.
DeleteThere should not be any restriction.
Only time tells if any route is profitable.
Easyjet would be a great alternative to the monopoly that Jat has on the routes to London-Heathrow/Gatwick, to Paris and to Amsterdam.
@last anon
DeleteCant agree more!
easy Jet can easily base one ac at BEG: LGW, CDG, VCE, BCN, LIS, GVA, LCA.
U2 are currently focusing on LGW and MAN. Don't think t.hat they will ever consider Serbia because they already do Kosovo.
DeleteDoes anybody know anything about today's JAT flight 680 to Tivat? It seems that it returned after 100 minutes and then canceled together with the later flight to Podgorica. It is an ATR aircraft.
ReplyDeleteBTW what is happening with those ATR? there are 4 in fleet but in last few months only 2 of them are flying...
They jetways are comming next week. The new glassy ones, state of the art.
ReplyDeleteWhen will they start installing them? Will they consider replacing the old ones, C gates?
DeleteSome reports are saying the start of january. That is the time when they will start working on building second floor for arriving passengers. I can not wait to see the second floor.
ReplyDeletedoes anyone know if the airbridges are being built in preparation for long-haul flights?
ReplyDelete