Low cost carrier easyJet has announced the launch of new flights from Berlin Tegel Airport to Ljubljana and Belgrade. The carrier will introduce three weekly services between the German and Slovenian capitals, each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, starting August 9. Similarly, it will operate three weekly flights from Berlin to Belgrade commencing on August 10, each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, increasing to four per week from September. The budget airline opened a new base in the German capital this January as it seeks to capitalise on Air Berlin's demise. easyJet currently has twelve planes stationed at Tegel but plans to increase that figure to 25 within the next six months with aircraft purchased from Air Berlin, making it the low cost airline's second largest base after London Gatwick, where the company has 37 jets.
easyJet will face no competition on the Berlin - Ljubljana service. The route will become its third to the Slovenian capital following London Gatwick and Stansted. Adria Airways previously maintained flights to Berlin but suspended them last year due to low demand. On the other hand, easyJet will compete against Air Serbia's eight weekly flights between Berlin and Belgrade. As previously announced, the budget airline will also introduce services from Basel to the Serbian capital this summer. It currently maintains flights between Geneva and Belgrade, however, tickets are only available for purchase until the end February. Despite this, the airline has said the route will not be suspended with spokesperson Matteo Tadei noting, "We are not cancelling the route and it will be uploaded on the website shortly".
In addition to the abovementioned, the airline will introduce seasonal three weekly flights from Tegel to Pula on August 3, complementing its existing three weekly Schonefeld service, which will run until September 1. Late last year, easyJet announced the launch of several new routes from Croatia, including Pula.
Unlike its low cost rival Wizz Air, which has been a dominant player in the region, and the growing presence of Eurowings, easyJet’s role in the former Yugoslavia has been limited, with the majority of its routes operated only during the high season, primarily to the Croatian coast. However, the airline says it is unfazed by the competition. “easyJet is focused on its successful strategy to expand across Europe and operates in the best interests of the company and its customers, ensuring the attractiveness of its network. This means the airline concentrates its efforts on maintaining and developing routes which prove popular with passengers. We consider competition only in regards of tactic opportunities that can be complementary to our strategy”, the carrier said.
Great news for Belgrade and the wider region.
ReplyDeleteU2 will bring in tourists as well as gastarbeiters.
Bad news for JU though.
+1
DeleteJU has been ripping us off for far too long on its monopoly routes like Berlin.
DeleteI wont be crying for them.
+1
DeleteGo easy!
ReplyDeleteEndlich LJU.
ReplyDelete+1
Deletewhy berlin?... they should start barcelona
ReplyDeleteThey have been expanding out of Berlin since AB's demise.
DeleteIs it the first time that a LCC is flying on BEG - TXL route, including SXF?
DeleteFrom what I recall this will be the first time in a long time that anyone besides JU flew between Belgrade and Berlin.
DeleteI think Interflug used to fly to BEG but I don't know if anyone else did since then.
Finally, tnx God ! :)
DeleteI find it extremely interesting that it will be operated by an A320 and not A319.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I don't think JU has much to worry as it has incomparably better times and more flights.
Well, the return tickets start at 55-60 euros (50 GBP) while JU never priced them below 200 euros, correct me if I'm wrong.
DeleteAlso, the morning departure to TXL can be unsuitable if you live outside Belgrade, and you can only connect to it if you are coming from AUH or JFK.
I don't know much, but I think BEG - TXL is mostly p2p route, unlike the routes to MXP and FCO were?
I just checked JU's schedule for the summer and this is it:
Delete1--456- 07.10-09.00 / 09.45-11.25
--3---- 17.50-19.40 / 20.25-22.05
12----7 18.05-19.55 / 20.40-22.20
So you see, the schedule is not that bad especially since they have four morning flights and four afternoon ones. That's what I am talking about. I am sure their price will melt now to about €140 return.
Also, it's interesting how easyJet will depart from BEG at 13.00 which is also the rush-hour.
Despite the better schedule from JU I think they will struggle against easyjet. Also remember that with the Air Berlin collapse, JU has lost quite a lot of connecting pax on its Berlin route.
DeleteTrue, I agree with you but JU will be forced to reduce its fares which should stimulate demand. Charging more than 200 Euros for a fare with no luggage is not normal for a flight that's not even two hours.
DeleteI actually had a chance to fly with Jat to Berlin in April/May 2011 for around 130 RT.
DeleteShame they are suspending BEG-GVA. They would have three destinations now.
ReplyDeleteZAG still has none. Very odd.
ReplyDeleteThere is Eurowings from Berlin that's why they are staying away. Can't compete with them.
DeleteU2 will resume flights from Geneva to Belgrade as well. Just wait some two or three weeks.
ReplyDeleteI would like iut to happen, but I doubt.
DeleteMaybe they will annouce that they will be flying again from October on the route GVA-BEG but surely not in April 2018 as it is still not possible to purchase the ticket for the flight later than March 2018
WOW go LJU! They are really becoming a regional powerhouse for LCC flights! Like BEG it will get A320 as well!
ReplyDelete+1000
DeleteSkopje says Hi! :D
DeleteGreat news for LJU.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame it starts on August 9th. They could at least start it in the begging of July
ReplyDeleteThey don't have the necessary aircraft.
DeleteBEG Will further be well connected to Germany. W6 stopped 2 German cities so time to open more routes to Germany.
ReplyDeleteEurowings could add NUE as they seem to be expanding there.
DeleteWizz Air wasn't successful on NUE-BEG route. LF was below 90% which for them means route is cancelled.
DeleteYeah but EW is run by LH which is more competent at filling their planes.
DeleteLH more competent at filling seats than a low-cost carrier? The things I'll read on this forum...
DeleteAir Serbia's White Tariff to TXL is 28.623 Dinars for this July. Let's see how much it drops now.
ReplyDeleteYou should thanks the Indian squad in Abu Dhabi for that. They are the ones who want to rip people off.
DeleteThey used to fly Milan-Belgrade too. Maybe time to look into that route.
ReplyDeleteThey used to fly Rome too.
DeleteItaly has traditionally not worked for LCC between from Serbia. Wizz Air failed on Rome route too. Air One also failed on Milan route. Seems like Alitalia and Air Serbia will keep their duopoly on this route.
DeleteAnd on top of that, when Air Serbia/Alitalia had to give up some slots on flights to Rome because they had the same owner at the time, no other airline applied to fly the route.
DeleteSecam se da sam leteo Beograd-Rim, povatna karta za 58e sa Easyjetom.
DeleteAny reason why no LCC can make it work there?
DeleteWhile they all failed JU will offer 15 weekly flights to Italy this winter:
DeleteFCO 6x
MXP 6x
VCE 3x
Malo je gastosa a ekipa koja je glasna za lcc vole london i berlin nista mediteranske zemlje.
DeleteMalta I Kipar emigrirali u london I berlin?
DeleteI flew to both MXP and FCO with them. With double daily flights by AZ or JU, they didn't stand a chance.
DeleteMy tickets to FCO were around 80 euros, purchased a few weeks in advance in August, while I went to MXP for 42 euros return at the end of January.
I recall a lot of passengers to FCO were travelling to connect further to Spanish islands. I don't remember MXP that much, but I remember it was maybe 80%-ish full.
I don't know if Italy is p2p market for Serbia, and I highly doubt it is. After all, its position is between Serbia and Spain/Portugal/Northwest Africa. With codesharing, JU and AZ are surely attracting more pax to transfer through FCO or MXP.
Ja bih gledao gde ce AZ pa za njima. Ne verujem da ce ih LH kupiti nece oni da se hebavaju sa njihovim sindikatima.
Deleteuse to fly to MXP an further to RAK with easyJet
DeleteVueling is flying to around 45 destinations from Rome so BEG-FCO might work for them.
DeleteMy bet is that Ryan will open Belgrade - Milano (Bergamo) once they arrive in BEG.
Italians travel a lot and there is room to boost the number of visitors to Belgrade from Italy.
It's a good sign that Vueling is expanding its presence in BEG. The problem was that their FCO base was a disaster at first. The Italian DCA almost revoked their operating permit.
DeleteJust to add, I think there are more chances of seeing Rome-Belgrade on Ryanair as that's where they are offering connections.
DeleteIf FR comes to BEG I expect the first destination to be FRA-BEG!
Indeed, Ryan is offering connections from Rome so it might make sense for them as well. Plus they would definitely increase the number of direct passengers between the two cities.
Delete@Anonymous January 31, 2018 at 7:38 AM
why do you think FR would go for a destination which is already served by both LH and AS?
wow great news!
ReplyDeleteA bit of an odd question but does easyJet use airbridges in Belgrade and Ljubljana?
ReplyDeleteIn BEG they do. Don't know about Ljubljana.
DeleteIn BEG those that are sitting in the rear cabin use the stairs like with Wizz.
DeleteThey do in LJU as well...
Deletethey use it in LJU
DeleteI think they always use them if they can and it is more or less affordable.
DeleteHehe interesting they list BEG and LJU as having the same flight times.
ReplyDeleteThey probably have the same slot :)
DeleteI was eyeing Berlin from Belgrade this summer. Will wait to see fares with EasyJet.
ReplyDeleteWell you can see them on their website. ;)
DeleteExcellent so we will have them flying three routes each to BEG and LJU.
ReplyDeleteTwo from BEG: BSL and TXL.
DeleteIf you read the article they still plan to fly from Geneva and someone wrote just above that those tickets will be on sale in 2-3 weeks. They probably changed their mind after Air Serbia decided not to start Geneva after all.
DeleteI don't think they have much of a chance on the Basel route. Don't see what's the point of taking on Wizz Air on this route.
DeleteSo you imply that easyJet can only survive on routes where there is no competition?
DeleteIf you go to their website and try to book a ticket it says 40 people are currently looking at those flights and last booking 30 minutes ago. Nice.
ReplyDeleteThat's a ploy to get you to buy a ticket :D
DeleteFares are excellent. To both cities.
ReplyDeleteFinally new LCC route to Ljubljana after a year.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's good to see Easy adding something other than London to LJU :D
DeleteSo LJU is seasonal but BEG is year-round?
ReplyDeleteBoth will be year round but they don't start sales for winter until later.
DeleteIt doesn't matter as LJU is heading towards the 2 million mark this year, either or without U2.
DeleteHow do you know that both will be year round?
Deletebut will we reach it?
DeleteWell the 6 new routes from Adria will definitely help.
DeleteFinally low cost option to Berlin!
ReplyDeleteInteresting how they always group LJU and BEG together. Last year Transavia also announced them jointly.
ReplyDeleteHope Ryanair also groups them together and announces flights soon ;)
DeleteI think that's because those are the two ex-YU markets with the most potential for year-round flights. Large catchment area that can sustain and fill the flights at a decent price.
DeleteInterestingly both BEG and LJU were increased by Transavia.
transavia flights to LJU are always full... LF should be over 90%
DeleteWell KLM is also full out of ZAG. ;)
Deletewhich other german airport is missing out of belgrade?
ReplyDeleteCan't think of any. So far we have:
Delete1. TXL
2. HAM
3. HAJ
4. DTM
5. DUS
6. STR
7. Memmingen
8. MUC
9. FRA
So maybe someone to return to NUE and CGN.
Let's not forget FKB.
DeleteFDH didn't work for W6 unfortunately
HAM is missing to be year-round.
DeleteThe only two uncovered parts are Dresden/Leipzig and Bremen, but I'm not quite sure if they make sense.
Would be nice if we started getting some more frequencies to Germany. Right now only FRA, MUC and TXL have more than daily flights.
DeleteWhat a great year for BEG and Serbia.
ReplyDeleteOn top of the concession we will have:
1. Transavia 6x to AMS
2. Qatar daily to DOH
3. flydubai daily to DXB
4. LX increasing from 14 to 16
5. LO increasing from 9 to 11
6. JFK from 5 to 6
7. PEK on Hainan
8. easyJet with 7 new frequencies and 2 dest.
9. RO adding another flight
These are all the things we didn't have last summer. Congrats to BEG. Six million is within reach.
Let's not forget Iran Air...once they start :-)
DeleteBEG slipped one spot on the 2017 list of busiest airports in Europe. It dropped for the third year in a row.
DeleteQeshm as well plus a lot more charters than before. Vueling will also have more flights.
DeleteStill being in first 90 as the only one from Ex-Yu on that list.
DeleteAmong first 100 of the most busiest airports in Europe BEG's growth rate of 8,5% positioned ANT on 49. place, meaning that more than 50% of other airports from that list had lower growth rate than BEG.
Let's not forget also that BEG positioned itself as 15th the most busiest airport in Eastern Europe (in first 15 there are 6 only from Russia)
With all new flights announced for 2018 BEG will surely grow even more than in 2017
I wish it was ASL that increased flying out of BEG.
DeleteInstead with the planned reductions to its schedule and fleet it will lose a lot of marketshare.
@Anon 1:32
DeleteFully agree. BEG grows and JU reduced its operations.
And now they have 2 planes less in the fleet
Everyone normal would prefer it was JU but they will need time to recover.
DeleteAir Serbia had enough time to recover. They expanded rapidly in 2013 and 2014 but consolidated destinations, frequencies and operations in 2015, 2016 and 2017 (with exception of JFK project). They don't have the luxury of more time to recover.
DeleteI meant that they need time to recover from their previous CEO.
DeleteLJU is nicely becoming a LCC airport for ZAG. Maybe they should get Wizz to fly to DTM next?
ReplyDeleteI think they would have more success with a route from Spain actually. Germany is quite well served from Ljubljana.
DeleteEasyjet and Adria both flew to BER already, and both failed. So lets see how this develops.
DeleteEurowings has been serving Berlin from Zag for the last 15 years now. LJU failed both with Adria and EasyJet afetr only one season flying.
DeleteThe fact that easyJet is returning means that things have changed. Also no one is surprised a Lufthansa sister company flew to ZAG for so long. We know how hard the management worked to reduce competition there.
DeleteAnd the great thing is that it's from Berlin's main airport.
ReplyDeleteSo what are the fares like?
ReplyDelete€42 return from Belgrade.
DeleteI cant find anything under 80 years on the website for return ... With 15k luggage it is 140 euros.
DeleteI hope they will consider Skopje some time in the future :)
ReplyDeletethey will after the airport is named Kiro Gligorov
Deletethere is no other explanation why Stelios-owned Easy Jet is ignoring the macedonian market (from Switzerland in first place)
Nice to see both with A320 equipment.
ReplyDelete180 seats.
DeleteSince years U2 is reducing the A319s so no surprise.
DeleteLJU-TXL 64€ return for one, less if more fly on same reservation.
ReplyDeleteGood deal.
DeleteWhy is PULA not mentioned as a new route from TXL?
ReplyDeletePula is going to be daily with both flights from SXF and TXL!
DeletePula will have 5 weekly flights.
DeleteBecause it's seasonal and was reported in the past.
DeleteIt's in the article but I assume they highlighted the BEG and LJU flights in the title since its capital city ops. Understandable.
DeleteeasyJet:
Delete3 flights to SXF
3 flights to TXL
Eurowings:
3 flights to TXL
I am sorry but the biggest loser here is not Air Serbia, it's Wizz Air. They have missed out on a chance to capture a large market. I guess Baden Baden was more important for them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe easyJet launches ORY soon as well?
Would be fun to watch if they start attacking Wizz Air some more like they did in Basel. That was such a slap in the face.