NEWS FLASH
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport handled its millionth passenger of the year yesterday, the earliest it has done so. It welcomed just under a million travellers during the first three months of the year, recording its strongest first quarter on record. During the month of March, the airport handled 366.099 travellers, up 6.5% on 2017. The figure was accompanied by a 0.4% increase in the number of operated flights, which totalled 4.355. As a result, during the first quarter of the year, Belgrade Airport saw 997.518 passengers pass through its doors, an improvement of 4.3% compared to the same period in 2017. The airport added 41.530 passengers on last year's result. The amount of processed cargo grew 21% during the same period. On March 30, Belgrade Airport registered its busiest 24 hours for the Q1 period, handling 15.846 travellers.
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport handled its millionth passenger of the year yesterday, the earliest it has done so. It welcomed just under a million travellers during the first three months of the year, recording its strongest first quarter on record. During the month of March, the airport handled 366.099 travellers, up 6.5% on 2017. The figure was accompanied by a 0.4% increase in the number of operated flights, which totalled 4.355. As a result, during the first quarter of the year, Belgrade Airport saw 997.518 passengers pass through its doors, an improvement of 4.3% compared to the same period in 2017. The airport added 41.530 passengers on last year's result. The amount of processed cargo grew 21% during the same period. On March 30, Belgrade Airport registered its busiest 24 hours for the Q1 period, handling 15.846 travellers.
| Month | PAX | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 333.989 | ▲ 1.3 |
| FEB | 297.430 | ▲ 5.3 |
| MAR | 366.099 | ▲ 6.5 |
Fantastic news for Belgrade especially since JU stagnated during March. April should be even stronger.
ReplyDeleteThe JU stagnation was compensated by the Iran and China flights. We will see if it will grow to a double digit growth in summer.
DeletePlus more flights on Transavia and Wizz Air. Lot too.
DeleteGreat, this summer it should be around 10%.
ReplyDeleteSo BEG saw larger aircraft in March. That makes me happy.
ReplyDeleteI actually think all those Iran flights will show a double digit growth in April.
ReplyDelete5.9 miliona ove gldine lagano, mozda i 6
ReplyDeleteSummer months should be really good with more flights than ever, especially charters. easyJet will have six more weekly flights than they had last year.
DeleteDa, baš lagano...
DeleteЗашто не би било лагано када се раст повећава из месеца у месец?
DeleteThese results are not surprising. Serbia has invested a lot in promoting itself and it's starting to pay off.
ReplyDeleteThe government released tourist numbers for February and they are not bad.
February foreign visitors: 77.627 (18%)
First two months: 159.069 (+17%)
Large increases:
- Turkey: 3.382 (23%) (7.251 so far)
- Iran: 637 (1.290)
- India: 214 (524)
- China: 4.835 (402%) (7.467)
- Bulgaria: 5.520 (25%) (12.071)
- Greece: 4.698 (27%) (7.705)
- Hungary: 2.182 (61%) (3.961)
- Poland: 1.056 (28%) (1.965)
- Romania: 4.734 (42%) (10.800)
- France: 1.609 (25%) (2.830)
- The Netherlands: 1.290 (43%) (1.996)
Seems like growth in Dutch tourists had to do with Transavia doubling its flights in February.
Number of Chinese tourists is impressive and it really goes to show what potential there is. If we see Shanghai flights happen this year then we could have 15.000 Chinese tourists every month!
I was in Netherlands for two weeks from March, 19th until March 30th and first time I was flying with Transavia. On outbound flight from Belgrade on 19th structure of passengers was mixed half Serbian half foreign, but on return flight on 30th most of passengers were foreign citizens. At least 80% my estimation. I was really surprised to see that. Before I was always flying with AirSerbia on this route and on their flights majority of passengers are Serbians and at least half of them are transfer passengers that uses Amsterdam for flights to North America.
DeleteLF on outbound flight was at least 85% and on return flight over 90%. I was very happy to see almost full plane and I hope that Transavia will continue to fly this route and also increase number of flights again in near future.
So, Bulgarians are the biggest tourist group in Serbia?
Delete12071 Bulgarians in February?? Wow, that's a lot! I think travel is made by car, couch or train as the distance is quite near.
DeleteMost of them are from around Sofia and they come by car to Dimitrovgrad, Pirot and Niš, mostly to enjoy good food.
DeleteAccording to the official Bulgarian NSI, a total of 462953 Bulgarians have visited Serbia and only 32129 visited Croatia.
Delete396450 - Macedonia
36854 - Slovenia
No official data for Kosova, BiH and Montenegro.
Turks were number one last year.
DeleteNumber of Chinese is truly impressive.
DeleteThere would even more Turks if TK could send its A330 to BEG.
DeleteI wonder how many Polish came on LO.
DeleteGreat job Serbia!
INI grew by 28% in Q1 this year as it handled 84.894 passengers, up from 66.220 last year.
ReplyDeleteIn March the airport welcomed 29.088 passengers.
In April the airport should have more than 100.000 passengers.
Simply unbelievable ! Go tiger go!
DeleteThey also said that they are planning on making INI a 24 hour airport. I wonder if that means an airline is planning night time flights?
DeleteI think when April numbers are included IN will have over 110.000 pax so far this year.
DeleteSouthern Serbia had 43% more tourists in February.
DeleteNis on its own had 2.747 tourists or 19% more than last February. In the first two months it had 5.253 or 12% more.
Do you know where the tourist influx is from? Is it because of the new LCC routes or neighbouring countries? Or Iranians/Chinese?
DeleteThe south is partly because of LCCs and because of Bulgarians and Macedonians that are coming in greater numbers.
DeleteAs for Belgrade and the rest of Serbia it's because of a larger number of LCCs but also because of new flights from China and Iran.
Serbia is investing a lot of money in promoting itself and it's working.
I personally have never been to INI but I heard that it's very cheap + offering excellent food and accommodation. Also maybe the explanation of the Bulgarians and Macedonians is the increase in salaries. South Bulgaria is generally richer compared to the North. Can you see any Chinese in INI similar to BEG?
DeleteTarom (RO) has revised its BEG operations so in stead of previously announced 8 flights they will operate 9.
ReplyDeleteLO also increased BEG from 11 to 12 weekly.
March 30 is a Friday. Is that when Mahan and Qeshm arrive on the same day?
ReplyDelete