Niš Constantine the Great Airport plans for sustained passenger growth this year as its focus shifts towards infrastructure development so as to create necessary conditions for budget airlines to station an aircraft in the city. General Manager, Vladica Djurdjanović, previously said the airport lacks the capacity to act as a base, however, this is set to change with the completion of several ongoing projects. “There is interest from airlines to set up a base but we have to finish a few things first. I am hopeful that the planned investments will be completed and that an airline will then station an aircraft in Niš", Mr Djurdjanović said.
The airport, which saw triple digit passenger growth for a second year in a row in 2017, will begin trialling a new instrument landing system (ILS) later this month, which provides guidance to aircraft approaching and landing on a runway during low ceilings or reduced visibility due to fog, rain or snow. The possession of such equipment is one of the main preconditions for any airline to open a base. Its usage will result in Niš being classified as a Category I airport by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. This will be followed up with the construction of a new 27-metre control tower, with work on the ten million euro project to commence once matters relating to property rights are resolved. The final two projects the airport has set out to complete is the installation of approach lights, as well as a 3.5 million euro expansion of the terminal building, which will begin later this year and is scheduled for completion in 2019. Last week, the Serbian government said it had allocated 7.5 million euros for the development of Constantine the Great Airport this year.
Niš Airport started the year off strongly by handling 28.459 passengers in January, representing an increase of 37.5% on 2017. It anticipates welcoming 450.000 travellers this year and has projected strong growth over the coming period, with up to 650.000 travellers expected in 2021. The airport is now served by Wizz Air, Ryanair and Swiss International Air Lines on a year-round basis after lowering its fees to three euros for handling, landing and passenger services. It intends on becoming self-sustainable by year's end. Wizz Air has so far announced plans to launch new flights between Vienna and Niš this November, while Swiss will add an extra weekly service from Zurich for a total of three per week. The airport is seeking flights to several European cities including Paris, Oslo, Geneva, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Moscow.
I think it would make most sense for Wizz Air to base a plane. Same way they did in Tuzla.
ReplyDeleteHow many flights do they have from INI weekly?
DeleteOnce EIN is discontinued they will have:
DeleteVIE 4x
BSL 3x
DTM 2x
FMM 2x
So 11 in total.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteFinally ILS!
ReplyDeleteI think it will be very hard for INI to develop as a base. Within a radius of 250 km there a lot of major airports - BEG, SOF, SKP and PRN.
ReplyDeleteDespite those they have successfully attracted two major LCCs and even a legacy airline which has failed on many markets in ex-Yu.
DeleteI don't get how Tuzla managed to become a base airport if they also don't have approach lights and have even a smaller terminal than in INI.
ReplyDeleteBut they have CAT1. Like it says in the text, it's the main precondition of many airlines. I'm certain once they start using it several new airlines which have been holding off will start flights to Nis.
DeleteAh ok, didn't know that. Odd INI didn't have ILS before.
DeleteAnd JU still sees no potential in Nis. Sad.
ReplyDeleteMaybe things change now with the new management.
DeleteNo chance, it would only increase their costs.
DeleteThey could always fly say BEG-VIE-INI-VIE-BEG.
DeleteThe only way JU could profitably serve the airport is by launching BEG-INI flights and it's still early for that.
DeleteJU barely has enough aircraft for their BEG operations. Why would they embark on a risky adventure?
Anon 09.21
DeleteAnd what good would that bring if they would lose all transfer passengers from Vienna?
Esxactly what Nemjee said. If they flew the proposed routing by anon 9.21 then that aircraft would be utilised on this one routing for more than half the day. If you haven't noticed they are moving around flights so they can operate them all with the fleet they have.
DeleteI still think JU is underestimating INI in a very harmful way. This destination can even generate more revenue to them compared to GVA, LED, AUH and those destinations that never worked out. A country needs DOMESTIC traffic - this is extremely important, come on.
DeleteI think LED is working well for JU sunmer seasonal.
DeleteThat should say *summer
DeleteJU doesn't fly to GVA and AUH so I don't see how INI will bring more revenue. Also why do you need a domestic flight to INI when you can be there is 2.5 hours on a highway?
DeleteJU could base an ATR in INI and serve VIE, ATH, GVA.
DeleteIf its costs are so much high that it can not do it then is in very deep structural trouble as a company.
Opening a focus city operation is quite pricey and I doubt JU could afford it at the moment.
DeleteAlso, why should they launch VIE on the Atr at the moment when FR and W6 will battle for the market. JU only stands to lose a lot of money.
The only way JU could make INI work is by launching Aviolet charters from holiday destinations such as BEG-HER-INI-HER-BEG
Yes, you can be there in 2.5 hours strictly speaking. However, I'm not sure if there are buses going from Nis to BEG. Perhaps vans.
DeleteJU could oddly provide PSO on INI-BEG.
There is one problem that nobody consider when talking about BEG-INI flights. BEG airport currently can't handle domestic flights because all passengers on the airport currently must go thru passport control. Doing expensive changes in the airport infrastructure to enable access to the gates without passport control for just 50-100 passengers per day is not cost effective thing to do. Maybe in the future...
Deleteko uopste govori o putnicima koji bi koristili avion za nis beogrda
Deletekao opciju za prevoz. samo se o presedanju radi. U Beogradu si za manje od 2 sata autoputem. kad u drugoj polovini veka udjemo u sengen onda mozda ja cu da vam masem sa bezanijskog.
Treba više od dva sata od centra Niša do BEG. Skoro tri, da ne govorim zimi ili kad je neki udes na putu. So there.!
DeleteIf someone from INI is reading this - please renovate the toilets ASAP. It's the smallest possible investment, yet one which leaves a big impression on passengers. And currently they are scary, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise - GO INI!
+1000
DeleteIs it true that the government will cap Nis' passenger numbers at 1 million after it signs concession agreement for Belgrade Airport with Vinci?
ReplyDeleteNo. The minister said no such caps were negotiated with Vinci. But anyway it will be a looong time before Nis even comes close to 1 million passengers.
DeleteWell, how can they restrict it? First of all thanks to the Open Skies Agreement they can't forbid airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air from adding flights.
DeleteSecond of all, restricting INI's growth will be political suicide in the area.
Third of all the airport will become self-sustaining by the end of 2018 meaning that by activating it they managed to reduce the city's budget deficit.
While they wont be putting a cap to its growth they could just stop investing in expanding it and just leave it with a capacity of serving about 600.000 pax.
DeleteIf they don't invest more in expanding the apron and the terminal they would essentially have a cap in all but a name and thus "protect" BEG from local competition.
just my 2cents
The government will invest €7.5 million in INI to expand it.
Delete@Anonymous at 11:25 AM
DeleteTo just expand it to 650.000 passengers. Further investment is needed for more traffic than that.
Ok, thanks. I see now. I am sure they will keep on expanding more and more. In the end they might give the airport to Vinci
DeleteI'm having a feeling Ryanair will end Bratislava at the end of summer since Wizz Air will launch Vienna. It just makes no sense for them to continue this route.
ReplyDeleteDon't think so it will hurt their pride. W6 will fly A321 on the route!
DeleteI know, that goes to show that advanced bookings are doing well. They first planned to fly the route with the A320 but quickly upgraded it.
DeleteBut it will really hurt Ryan's Bratislava route in my oppinion. Hope I'm wrong and that both can be sustained.
I think FR will be destroyed once they start flights. There is a large Serbian community in Slovakia but I don't think they are from the south.
DeleteI am sure FR will not just walk away.
An. 9:28
DeleteThis comment shows state of mind of great deal of followers/posters of this blog, who still don't understand that times of "pride" in civil aviation are long gone history (unfortunately everywhere but ex-yu). Bottomline: same second FR starts losing money on Nis-Bratislava, or any other route, anywhere, the route will be cut. No emotions, no feelings, no pride, no respect, no explanation - you may like it or not, but it's reality. And I'm not saying that FR would cut it, but if the route remains, it would definitelly not be because of the "pride" but because it still has pax and/or brings money
I disagree. I think they will not simply cut it. It's a battle of who can sustain losses for a longer period of time and we all know that's FR.
DeleteThey are both fighting for the Balkans and neither will give up that easily.
As passanger on route BTS-INI I doubt that there will be a lot of changes here. The ticket prices from BTS usually 9 eur, we are 4 family members of our family that usually traveling and that means we pay 36eur for 4 of us. Wizz is generally more expensive and tickets on this route what I've been looking at so far are much more expensive. I know many people who will continue to fly Ryanair just cus they are much cheaper!
DeleteNis needs to work on getting a seasonal link with Crete like they had some years ago with Jat.
ReplyDeleteEllinair is coming back to Belgrade on June 6th with two weekly flights thanks to Mouzenidis' office in the city. I am sure they could also sell enough holidays packages in the south to justify a one weekly flight.
As for the airport, it's still early, I am sure more flights will be added in the coming weeks.
+1
Delete450000 this year? WOW!!!!! This means that INI is not only competing with neighbouring SKP but is also now on track with TZL.
ReplyDeleteI think LX can launch daily ZRH with no problem and W6 opening a base to: BCN, MLA, GVA, TLV, FCO, CPH.
There is still way too much potential for this precious airport.
I think Swiss has a problem with slots. That is why they have three flights and three different times. They will also fly the A320 this summer!
DeleteI would love for FR to open base there.
Thanks for the info, didn´t realise LX had an issue with slots.
DeleteDo you really think FR can open a base over there? Remember they stationed 3 aircraft in SOF? I think W6 or EW have a bigger chance.
Yes but W6 also has a base in SOF. FR could open it to hurt Wizz which trying to push them out. Just look at VIE INI, that's like spitting in FRs face
DeleteGood decision for Nis Airport.
ReplyDeleteNice. Congrats INI
ReplyDeleteGreat news! Happy for Niš. Greets from SLO!
ReplyDeleteI hope that these developments bring a new airline to INI. Seeing as easy jet is expanding in the country I think they would be a great addition.
ReplyDeleteFlights to Paris are desperately needed. Unserved route with most potential. I hope Wizz are Ryan start it soon.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Transavia?
DeleteIf they become self sustaining this year after just three years of actual flights then hats off, well done. Hopefully Tuzla will become profitable this year too.
ReplyDeleteI think ancillary revenue helped push the airport closer to profitability. They have a restaurant, a duty free shop, parking...
DeleteAlso INI has already been reconstructed and more updates will be added in the future. Seems like the management there is more proactive than TZL and that is why in a few years INI will overtake them.
Issue with Tuzla is politics. One political party blocks a decision to install approach lights to get back at the other party running the airport and so it takes 3 years to install (and still not completed)
DeleteAre there any ski charters to INI this winter?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately no. Last time they had those was in 2006/7 I think. TUI used to operate them from London.
Deletei think there is a lot of potential, not only for the airport but also for the region...
DeleteWhat ever happened with Pobeda?
ReplyDeleteINI - huge success story meaning less dependence on BEG. Slowly competing with SKP.
ReplyDeleteSKP - great success story. Room for more flights to Germany.
SOF - will most likely continue growth in 2018. Increased frequencies + capacity e.g. FR, W6, LH, TK, A3.
The trio is doing great.
All this are bad news for Belgrade Airlines.
How is it bad for 'Belgrade Airlines?'
DeleteThey have their market and they are focusing on it. INI expansion will primarily hurt SOF and SKP and the airlines that fly there. They are much closer than BEG.
JU's market is continuously being eroded by the neighboring airports expansion.
DeleteINI's vast majority of its expected 450.000 passengers this year would have otherwise used BEG to fly and to a lesser extent SKP and SOF.
So with transfer traffic being reduced
JU depends more and more on Belgrade's O&D traffic. And that is not going well either since it is losing a lot of marketshare in BEG to foreign airlines.
BEG's January growth is mostly thanks to local demand which can only show that INI has not affected it to such an extent.
DeleteINI primarily created a whole new class of travellers for whom flying from BEG was expensive. Not to mention that most of them flew from neighbouring aiports like SKP or SOF.
However on this blog there is a tendency to always present doom and gloom scenarios for BEG and how everything affects it.
You mean those 1.31% growth?
DeleteSOF grew by 6.6% this January. Their explosive growth is coming to its end. Now they'll grow like the rest of us. BEG can take them over in the next few years especially if Bulgaria Air goes belly up.
DeleteYes, I mean the 1.31% growth at a time when JU experienced big passenger drop. It means local demand was so strong that it filled all those seats on foreign airlines.
DeleteYou forgot to mention all the additions by foreign airlines this year! Starting with Transavia which already doubled flights to BEG.
DeleteThe only market where INI is hurting BEG is Zurich. A lot of passengers on this route before was flying over BEG. But demand on Zurich route is big enough and there is increase of traffic on both airports.
DeleteI live in Belgrade and I flew two times from INI last year. I choose INI for two reasons. First reason is I was able to buy really cheap tickets with promotional fares and go to short and affordable city break trips from INI. Second reason I wanted to experience flying from INI. After I had that experience twice third time I decided to go from BEG because trip to INI is too long.
One thing that I noticed on all flights from/to INI that majority of passengers are not frequent flyers. Every time when plane was landed there was a applause typical for people that rarely fly.
Ne letis ti dovoljno. Dolaze iz nemackih zemalja gde ljudi tapsu kad sleti avion. Smesno, ali to rade Nemci pa i oni oponasaju.
Delete@Anon 1:40 Last year I flew only 18 times :-). Not sure are you considering that as enough. People are applauding on all four flights from/to INI and only on two from BEG and that was charter to/from Rhodes where again majority of passengers wasn't frequent flyers.
DeleteI seriously doubt that BEG will be coming anywhere near SOF when it is growing 5 times slower!
DeleteBulgaria being in the EU helps them a lot.
Also just look at OTP. They had almost 13 million passengers last year, this is insane growth!
Reason why SOF is ahead of BEG is bigger presence of LCC in SOF. They don't have domestic airline to protect and I hope that will end in BEG also when Vinci takes over airport management. Until then SOF is going to grow more than BEG. Also when Bulgaria become part of Schengen area they will grow even more.
DeleteOTP is different story. Much bigger market than all other markets on the Balkans. Also Romanian economy is the fastest growing economy in the Balkans.
So SOF has 6.6% despite the temporary winter reduction of FR? Correct me if I am wrong but FR reduced by 1 plane for the winter due to pilot shortage..? This plane is coming back in the sping
DeleteBEG can overtake SOF if AS expands the hub model. Only with O&D it will be extremely hard
OTP is another world...in 2006 both OTP and BBU (now closed) had 4 million passengers!! 11 years later 13 m, that is insane. Romania's economy is also growing like crazy, they must have done something very right...
Puno ce vode Dunavom proteci prije nego pojedinac bude u stanju zbrojiti 2 i 2 pa pomnoziti a 2 i dobiti tocan rezultat.
DeleteSo many myopic people here. Sofia has been in the EU for a decade now but this growth only started two years ago when Ryanair moved in and melted the average fare.
DeleteAt some point the situation will have to normalize and that's when things will change.
Also don't forget that Bulgaria Air is on the verge of bankruptcy. If they go belly up the airport will lose some 1.5 million passengers.
Bulgaria Air going bunkrupt doesn't mean that the airport will lose 1.5 million passengers. It means that other, healthier airlines will take all that traffic.
DeleteHistory shows us that when an old style carrier closes traffic actually increases in its main hub by all the others moving in.
See BUD, LCA, ATH after the demise of Malev, Cyprus Airways and Olympic Airways.
zar nismo zakljucili vec, da ako kompanija smanji obim operacija ili poklekne, kako je uvijek netko drugi tu kako bi popunio prazninu? ili se to samo na BEG odnosi?
DeleteГенерално то јесте правило али не и у случају Софије јер је потражња већ вештачки стимулисана битком Виерза и Рајанера за тржиште.
DeleteДа сутра пропадне Ер Србија, ЧСА или Лот... део путника би се компензовало као што је то био случај у Будимпешти.
Као што рекох, Софија је посебан случај.
po cemu poseban?
Deletesto, tamo ljudi ne znaju za druge kompanije?
ne znaju koristiti internet?
po cemu je to poseban slucaj?
cuj ovo, umjetna potraznja????
Deletei jos navede slucaj 2 operatera koji nemaju veze s 3. o kome se pise.
Поједноставићу ти пошто очито ниси схватио.
DeleteТренутни раст у Софији не представља органски раст већ вештачки који је подстакнут напрасним ширењем Рајанера на том аеродрому. Како се тренутно одвија битка за тржиште цене карата су нагло пале у поређењу са оним где су биле до пре две године.
Како су цене карата нереално ниске оне ће кад-тад морати поново да скачу те ће потражња за путовањима опасти.
Погледајмо раст Софије у протеклих десет година:
2011: 5.4%
2012: -0.2%
2013: 1.1%
2014: 8.9%
2015: 7.2%
2016: 21.8%
2017: 30.3%
Мени се ипак чини да раст у протекле две године није органски већ, као што сам раније написао, вештачки.
Бугарска није ушла у ЕУ, није постала чланица Шенген зоне, нити је доживели економски прображај у протекле две године па да се овај раст може њима прописати.
sta pricas ti?
Deletezar neki neorganski organizmi lete na tim linijama pod prisilom?
ne znam, meni se cini kako su to ipak ziva bica koja svojom voljom odlucuju gdje ce i kada ce i pod kojim uvijetima.
no, vratimo se mi na problematiku propasti Bugarskog prijevoznika.
njegovo mjesto ce jako brzo popuniti vec netko drugi, tu razgovora nema.
osobno, s aspekta putnika pozdravljam LCC, s aspekta realna gospodarstvenika ga ne podrzavam.
Sofija, a i Bugarska je nasla svoj interes u njima u svrhu privlacenja putnika. ja u tome ne vidim nista 'neorgansko' (tko li smisli taj izraz da mi je samo znati).
trend je takav kakav je, misao vodilja je jasna, sto vise u jedinici vremana na sto dulje.
ajmo se ne lagati. BEG nikad nece prestici SOF, kao sto nijedan exyu aerodrom nece dostici BEG.
BEG je velik, ali samo u okruziju exyu drzava jer je srbija najmnogoljudnija drzava a BG najmnogoljudniji grad.
BEG ce i dalje rasti, kao i svi ostali. neki brze, neki sporije a neki nikako.
danas jesi, sutra nisi. praznine ce se brzo popuniti sve dok drustvo, ne aerodrom, bude imalo sto za ponuditi putniku namjerniku.
Вратимо се на термин ,неоргански раст'.
DeleteТо је израз који описује раст који одскаче од нормалних трендова. Из тог разлога сам дао пример трендова у Софији кроз протеклу деценију где се примећује нагли раст од како је Рајанер почео да се шири у Бугарској.
Свако ко се бави бизнисом зна да постоје такозване уводне, промотивне тарфие, које се користе све док се одређени производ не консолидује на тржишту. То се исто односи и на авио-компаније које нуде знатно ниже цене својих карата док не створе клијентелу.
Рајанер је почео да нуди нереално ниске цене како би одвукао део путника од Визера што је делимично и успео да уради. Ако се добро сећам Визер је смањио или укинуо Софију-Келн.
Како време пролази неко ће морати први да попусти, то обично ради онај са мањим капиталним резервама а у овом случају то је Визер.
Када губици Визера постану превелики почеће да се повлачи са одређених тржишта. Како се то дешава Рајанер ће имати мање конкуренције а самим тим ће бити у могућности да повећа своје цене карата. Како карте постају све скупље то се тржиште смањује јер су ниске цене створиле нове путнике за које је летење постало по први пут доступно. Са повећаним ценама ова група ће или ређе летети или ће се вратити аутобуском саобраћају.
Погледајмо још детаљнију ситуацију у Софију кроз бројке за јануар:
2015: 291.169
2016: 328.056 (+13%)
2017: 468.968 (+43%)
2018: 499.688 (+6%)
Овде се тачно види то о чему причам. Ниједан аеродром типа и величине Софије не повећа свој број путника за 43% преко ноћи. Пад са 42 на 6 представља озбиљну осцилацију и неку врсту повратка у равнотежу као што је био случај са Београдом када је додао 1.1 милион путника за годину дана.
На крају, не видим одакле такво самопоуздање када тврдиш да Београд неће престићи Софију када је он до пре две године био испред. Мислим да је мудрије да сачекамо расплет ситуације пре него што објављујемо такве закључке.
Anon at 4:37 great post!
Deletecekaj malo, ako je taj 'neorganski' boom prisutan, dakle avioni su puni.
Deletee sad, ako su puni, onda se zaradjuje.
ako se zaradjuje, od kud gubitci?
gledajuci te brojke, izgledaju stabilno.
rast od 6% je kud i kamo veci od onoga od 1.31%?
Пун авион не значи да је профитабилан лет. Идеалан пример тог феномена је Ер Србијин лет за Њујорк.
DeleteТај раст од 6% је знатно нижи од оног из претходне две године.
i ova se godina uvelike razlikuje od prosle.....
Deletetako je BEG sa 16/17 narastao za 30 000 dok je sa 17/18 narastao na za 4000.....
sto nam to govori?
Usporava ili nesto drugo?
Covek vam je gore objasnio. Sam je tvrdio da je Beograd usporio jer je naglo dodao 1.1 milion pre neku godinu.
Deleteu cemu je onda problem sa Sofijom?
DeleteOsnovni problem je u tome sto ne citas sta je napisano. Sve je gore lepo sroceno.
Deletedon't forget that W6 are adding an additional metal this March at SOF.
DeleteFrom October FR will fly from SOF to Aqaba in Jordan which will bring a lot of passengers from Serbia who wants to go to the sea side during the winter.
DeleteI wonder would Tivat work from Nis in summer? And who would operate it?
ReplyDeleteATR would be ideal and yes, I think it would be very successful.
DeleteIt's impressive how LX operates the whole year and is expanding while they failed or are struggling in many larger markets like ZAG, LJU, SKP, TGD...
ReplyDeleteNot having any competitors helps a lot, especial a full service airline with LX's costbase.
DeleteAn. 12:01
DeleteGoing from Ljubljana, Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula, Koper to Switzerland, takes 4-5-6 hours by car, via smal part of Italy or Austria, on good roads, distance/proximity being the main reason why BEG has more traffic from/to not only Switzerland, but Austria and Italy as well, compared to LJU/ZAG. In case of Croatia, of course the 2nd reason are direct links from ZRH, and other swiss airports to croatian coastal airports, similar why INI-ZRH flights are the reason BEG lost some passengers to Zurich originating from INI. And about TGD and SKP, I have no clue.
I would not agree it lost passengers to INI because both Swiss and Air Serbia are increasing Zurich-Belgrade flights this summer, while Swiss is also increasing Nis. Over 30 weekly flights in total from BEG to ZRH this summer.
DeleteBEG lost some passengers to Zurich but it compensate with its own since there are going to be 5 more frequencies this summer!
DeleteFlights to the Croatian coast have little effect on ZAG, especially when you take PUY or DBV as an example.
The drive from BEG to ZAG, LJU or even VIE takes less than six hours by car and yet there are air links between these cities, all with more than daily flights.
So your arguments on INI don't really stand. I mean what's the excuse for LX failing in SKP?
ZAG should have been able to make LX work year-round.
BNX lost its link to ZRH and it seems ZAG did not make the most of it. I guess most of them moved to W6 in TZL and their BSL flights.
DeleteOT: During August Iberia increases ZAG to 13 weeky flights to Madrid, 3 daily flights on Wednesdays!
ReplyDeleteAnd DBV up to 16 weekly flights
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete