Spanish low cost airline Vueling is considering the launch of new routes to the former Yugoslavia while strengthening its existing operations in the region. The IAG group airline plans to introduce services from its hub in Barcelona to Podgorica and is considering potential flights to Ljubljana. Furthermore, it will boost operations to Serbia and Croatia this summer. The General Manager of Airports of Montenegro, Danilo Orlandić, said, "The opening up of the Spanish market is extremely important for Montenegro's airports. As I have said earlier, we have taken a proactive approach and are in contact with various airlines from markets that are not covered from Montenegro. One of those is the Iberian Peninsula and we are doing our utmost to secure flights between Podgorica and Barcelona". He added, "We have already held talks with Vueling and they are interested in launching flights. We will have another meeting again where I hope we will finalise the route, which, I am certain, will be extremely successful".
Vueling is also considering resuming flights to Ljubljana and has been in contact with the airport over the past year. Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport's General Manager, Zmago Skobir, previously noted that Fraport was looking to link the Slovenian capital with destinations in Spain, Germany and Scandinavia in order to boost passenger numbers. He noted that the airport should cover such “gray areas” in the coming future, primarily cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Oslo and Hannover. Prior to its privatisation, Adria Airways itself announced plans to return to the Spanish market. Ljubljana Airport recently noted, "We have introduced an updated and flexible tariff system which has improved competitiveness, as well as incentives available for attracting new airlines. The system will contribute to the introduction and expansion of new and existing flights, as well as to the engagement of new carriers".
Vueling will maintain its three weekly flights between Barcelona and Belgrade for the entire duration of the summer season, from March 25 until October 27. Previously the airline operated only during the height of the summer season but has been progressively adding flights to the Serbian capital, with extra departures during the Easter and Christmas holidays. Meanwhile, the airline will continue to strengthen its operations to Croatia. It will add two weekly services between Barcelona and Split, for a total of nine per week, and an extra flight between Rome and Split, totalling thirteen weekly operations. In addition, the seasonal services will be moved forward in order to resume earlier in the summer. The airline will also continue to maintain flights from Barcelona and Rome to Dubrovnik and Zadar, as well as from Florence to Split and Barcelona to Zagreb.
All of Vueling's flights are codeshared by Iberia, while Qatar Airways also has its codes on Vueling's operations to Croatia. Unlike the majority of other budget airlines, Vueling allows for passengers to purchase tickets for connecting flights via Barcelona.
LJU is seriously building itself as a regional lowcost base. With cheap flights to Barcelona they will attract many customers from Croatia as well.
ReplyDeleteYes right. You really think that I who live in Split would go to Ljubljana just to take a flight to BCN?
DeleteNo but someone eho lives in Umag or Porec(Istra) will go
DeleteGive him a break. When he said Croatians, he meant those living cloce to Slovenia.
DeleteIf they offer good prices I wouldn't mind driving from Zagreb. It's not that far.
DeleteeasyJet, Transavia, Wizz Air and now Vueling. Congrats to LJU for caring also thinking about its customers.
DeleteIf I had a chance to fly from LJU to BCN on Vueling I would prefer driving from ZAG to LJU to catch that flight.
DeleteLOL why on earth if you can already fly from Zagreb?
Delete@ 9.29
DeleteHold your horses, they said they were considering it, not that they are launching it.
Price. Duh.
DeleteI think LJU is quietly trying to upbeat ZAG and this happening as we can all see. Soon, the difference in traffic will not be big, we already saw this in January 2018.
DeleteHahaha, sure, Anon 10:05...
DeleteLJU is definitely smart as they are developing year-round flights in stead of ZAG which can mostly sustain seasonal ones. That's why LJU is catching up to ZAG during the slow months.
Delete@AnonymousFebruary 28, 2018 at 10:44 AM
DeleteYou on something?
Yes, I am high on statistics and facts. ;)
DeleteJP is also recording really strong growth and easyJet should help the airport grow even more.
DeleteTrue, ZAG is a highly seasonal airport. I think LJU with the help of Fraport is trying to sustain more year round destinations. Just look at the JAN figures.
DeleteObsjedanost Zagrebom nema granica ahahahahaha, podsjeca me na drugu obsjedanost. Balkan :D
DeleteObsession? It's facts my friend. Some here hate it when LJU soars.
DeleteLJU first needs to catch up to Pristina and Skopje.
DeleteLets see the figures in April following JP´s expansion ;)
Delete@An.12:08
Delete"Obsjedanost" (btw such a word doesn't exist in neither croatian or serbian variant of the common language) = Balkan = kompleksi = "izbrisani"
Some people on here can't get enough with the ZAG LJU "competition". You guys really need to get a life and/or get laid, pronto.
DeleteThey will open Vienna base as well. We'll see much more ex-Yu routes from there I guess.
ReplyDeleteThat would be great because it would break a lot monopoly/duopolies. Although Wizz Air beat them to it.
DeleteNo VIE base as they could not buy Niki.
DeleteWizz Air having another press conference in Vienna this Friday. Let's see what they announce. Maybe a 4th A320 and flights to BEG, ZAG or LJU.
DeleteVIE-TZL was already increased before flights even started. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes daily soon.
DeleteI think new possible VIE routes will be:
DeleteSKP
SOF
OTP
DBV
I have a feeling they might be also expanding in the West. Maybe VIE-MXP or BVA.
DeleteHopefully Wizz introduces Belgrade flights from Vienna. I think it would be a completely different story from Niki. Duopoly AS/Austrian will not have strength to crash wizz on the route.
Delete@Anon 9:22
DeleteVueling has plans to open base in Vienna, not buying Nikki was just set back. They will do it in near future.
True
Delete26FEB2018
The IAG International Airlines Group remains keen on the Austrian market despite having won and then lost ownership of Niki (HG, Vienna) earlier this year.
"The advantage for us is having seen what the market is like there and established a clearer understanding of present IAG," Walsh said during an FY2017 earnings call. "It's now looking to do something organically in Austria. We will decide which many of our brands we'll use to do that. But we see a market opportunity that we can pursue organically, and that's the beauty of it."
You snooze you loose Wizz Air.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteOnly place in ex-Yu they fly to Spain is Skopje.
They would have done well on Spain flights from Belgrade and Ljubljana. It will be interesting to see how Podgorica works out for Vueling.
DeleteI find the way Podgorica is attracting new airline quite impressive. Just in the last year Aegean, TUI, LOT, Pobeda, Flydubai...
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Podgorica is much better to open as destination than Tivat. Much more possibilities for year round travel. I am just puzzled why Montenegro is not developing/building larger hotels in the coast. That is needed to become year round destination.
Delete+1
DeleteInteresting that QR codeshares to Croatia on these flights.
ReplyDeleteWell QR owns shares in IAG so it's not that big of a surprise.
DeleteYes but they don't codeshare on other Vueling flights in the region.
Deletenot intersting. just shows demand for Croatia on QR
DeleteThis year they finally introduced year round flights to Croatia. They are flying from Barcelona and Rome Dubrovnik over the winter. Results are so and so. Around 60% average LF. I hope they keep them next winter too.
ReplyDelete60% LF does not seem great if fares are low. But it is just the first season they are flying during the winter so hopefully they improve over time. Barcelona metropolitan area is over 2 mil people so lots of potential to market Dubrovnik as a winter city break destination.
DeleteI agree. I hope they stick to it in W18/19.
DeleteVueling used to fly to Ljubljana?
ReplyDeleteYes MAD and BCN!
DeleteAdria has tried MAD and BCN as well. BCN gave them much better figures, even though MAD was running quite well the first year.
DeleteIf all of them failed already I don't see how things are going to be different this time around.
DeleteFinally. It's surprising how poorly linked ex-Yu is to Spain. Such a big European market yet you have to make a stop somewhere just to reach Spain.
ReplyDeleteNot from Croatia. There will be almost double daily flights from Zagreb to Madrid this summer.
DeleteIberia keeps increasing flights from ZAG, but I don't understand how they can't keep the route during winter, at least 2pw!
DeleteWell to be honest, I don't see any ethnic or huge economic ties with Spain from this region. Croatia is doing well but they have huge diaspora in South America.
Delete+ Vueling and Croatia to Barcelona (first one seasonal, second one all year)
DeleteIn same time Croatia flies to Lisbon all year.
Those Barca - Split operations, 9pw, are they seasonal or regular ? Also how come there is such a huge demand between the two ?
DeleteBCN-SPU is seasonal. All of their flights to Croatia are seasonal except to Dubrovnik. Lots of Spanish tourists visiting Croatia - young and old.
DeleteAlso lot of transfers from South America.
DeleteNot so many economic ties and very small diaspora in Spain as somebody already noted. However, tourist authorities from the region should work more with airlines to promote our countries to Spanish tourists. This is specially the case for Serbia.
Delete225 000 Spanish holidaymakers in Croatia in 2017, 255 000 expected this year.
DeleteI think Iberia should service Zagreb year round, not sure why they aren't.
If Ljubljana gets Vueling, that would be nice alternative to Zagreb, Vueling flies to Zagreb between May and October, and if price is significantly less than Zagreb - Barcelona, would be interesting to see.
However, I think it is only matter of time before Vueling also comes to Zadar and Pula, perhaps in 2019, it seems all major airports in Croatia will be at some point in near future, connected to Barcelona and Madrid.
265000 Spanish visitors in Croatia in 2017, just checked the data. 300 000 this year easy.
400 000 in 2020. Good times ahead.
Vueling does fly to Zadar :)
Delete"The airline will also continue to maintain flights from Barcelona and Rome to Dubrovnik and Zadar, as well as from Florence to Split and Barcelona to Zagreb."
It would be fantastic to finally get some scheduled flights from Slovenia to Spain again so I'm really hoping for Vueling.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think Spain and Scandinavia are underserved from Ljubljana and there is potential for these two markets.
DeleteSo they are finally going to fly to BEG for the entire season? Nice :) Would be good if they added a few departures to Madrid during high season. I think Wizz Air lost a golden opportunity here. I'm sure it would have worked just as well as their Skopje-Barcelona flights.
ReplyDeleteI actually have a few friends who went from Belgrade to Skopje by minibus so they could catch that Wizz flight to Barcelona! Turned out cheaper than going with Lufthansa from BEG or driving up to Budapest.
DeleteSame I know a few people who went to Zagreb by train to fly on Vueling's flight to Barcelona.
DeleteAlthough this was a couple of years ago when Vueling's presence in BEG was minimal :)
DeleteHuh? Your friends drove close to 500 km to catch a flight to BCN when Wizz Air flies from Timisoara which is just 180 km away.
DeleteYes, I guess it suited them better.
DeleteEven BUD is closer at 360 km. I guess SKP was the cheapest because of subventions and probably bad loads.
Delete"probably bad loads" LoL ..... hahahah dream on pupi !
DeleteSo you know the loads?
DeleteWizz Air keeps prices low until flights start to perform well. That's why some routes are more expensive than others. If BCN was that cheap to attract people from as far as BEG then it can only mean that it's not performing that well.
DeleteTGD, LJU and INI are working so hard lately compared to the rest. Opening so many new routes and developing their airports.
ReplyDeleteTGD will now be a million passenger airport connecting the world to it.
VY is a decent airline, yet have punctuality issues.
INI is solidly pushing to pass the 400.000 passenger mark which might happen next year.
DeleteYes, yes...crazy! It is now reaching ZAD and TZL. Somebody here said that it might even reach SKP by 2025.
DeleteINI is not a small city, it's administrative area has around 260.000 people. It has shown that it can sustain flights to Zurich and Berlin and flights to Vienna are scheduled to be operated by the A321. I think in 2018 they will have around 370.000 passengers.
DeleteIn January alone they added around 8.000 passengers.
Good to see ex-Yu cities getting connections to Spain.
ReplyDeleteBlablabla. All talk and nothing else. How many times has there been an article about an airline interested in launching flights from LJU and then nothing happened? All the time. Qatar, flydubai, norwegian, that airline from tubekistan, Iran and now this. Nothing will materialise from this. Like nothing ever does. It's too late to announce flights for summer anyway nd get good bookings imo.
ReplyDeleteNo one said it is happening this summer and this article isn't only about Ljubljana.
DeleteWould be nice if they reconsidered FCO-ZAG. They used to fly this route a couple of year ago.
ReplyDeleteAnd they failed even though OU flies via DBV and SPU to Rome. I would have thought Vueling would have the upperhand with the nonstop flight.
DeleteVery strange they failed with direct flights. Vueling is having daily departures from Rome to Dubrovnik during the season.
DeleteI took OU flight Rome-Dubrovnik last summer. It was with Dash and passengers continuing for Zagreb were asked to take all their belonging and go to passport and customs control before returning to the plane. That is basically as they were transferring in Dubrovnik. Very inconvenient.
It would be cool if VY flew to LJU from BCN and FCO. 2 p/w would be better than nothing
ReplyDeleteWorst airline ever!!!
ReplyDeleteWhy?
DeleteWill their BEG flights to Barcelona still be at 2AM in the morning this summer?
ReplyDeleteDepends on the day but mostly yes
DeleteFrom BEG, the departures are:
Tuesday: 21.40
Saturday: 02.15
Sunday: 03.30
-.-
Deletethanks
Actually the early morning flights are good for connections from Barcelona.
DeleteTerrible departure times, especially Saturday and Sunday. That is probably due to stretched fleet in peak summer months and possibility to land/take of from Belgrade between midnight and 6 AM.
DeleteThe times are perfect for tour operators. For example the 3.30 departure arrives at 6 in Barcelona. By the time people get to resorts along Costa Brava it is around 8/9am and tourists get the entire day, rather then being charged for the entire day even though you get there for example at 9 or 10 pm.
DeleteDo agencies use Vueling for package holidays from Serbia? I think it is mostly charters.
DeleteAnyhow, your example seems like a nightmare scenario. You depart your home in Belgrade around midnight to fly at 2/3AM, you arrive to the resort around 8/9 while rooms become available around 12-14. On the way back you have to leave the hotel room by 12 at the latest and than wait some 8h to depart for the airport.
That's why most of Aviolet's charter flights to Greece leave at around 05.00.
Delete@last anon
DeleteAviolet charters leave around the clock. Until recently they had four B737 at disposal for charters and did 3-4 rotations every day during the high season.
Well done Podgorica!
ReplyDeleteDid Spanair used to fly from Barcelona or Madrid to Belgrade a few years back while they were still around?
ReplyDeleteOne season from MAD and two seasons from BCN.
DeleteBoth I think.
DeleteOpps didn't see anon's response at 10.49.
DeleteThey should start year round to BEG and ZAG.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly their only year round route in Ex-Yu is Dubrovnik :D
DeleteBut again, they will tell you it´s a village with 42 thousand people! DBV is just the pearl of the Balkans.
DeleteMoje selo s 15 dusa jace od Hollywooda
DeleteDubrovnik is lovely year round. I remember spending weeks there during the winter when I was a child. It was much better than staying in cold and polluted Belgrade during winter months. However I also remember quite a few flight delays due to weather conditions, but that was in 80es.
DeleteAnd that is why Dubrovnik has 20.000 passengers in January, February and November. Bravo. That is 667 passengers per day. Impressive.
Delete