Podgorica Airport will place an emphasis on attracting new carriers and boosting connectivity to unserved markets in the coming period. The General Manager of Airports of Montenegro, the public operator of the country's two international airports, Danilo Orlandić, said, "We are currently in talks with a number of airlines because Montenegro must remain accessible to as many travellers as possible. One of our strategic goals is for Lufthansa to establish flights to the country. In addition, we are looking at strengthening links to Scandinavia, because this is a very important market for us". Apart from services to Podgorica, Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Tivat, as well as Austrian Airlines services from Vienna to Tivat, are being discussed.
Montenegro's airports are also targeting flights to Iran and China. This year saw Montenegro Airlines launch its first charter services from Podgorica to Tehran. "Together with our strategic partners, we are trying to significantly boost the number of passengers from Iran and China, particularly outside of the summer season when we can expect a large number of tourists from these markets", Mr Orlandić said. More closer to home, Podgorica is eyeing flights to Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Baltic states. "We have initiated talks with their respective carriers at the various conferences and meetings we attend. Today, Montenegro boasts a respectable network of destinations. In the past two years we have added thirty new routes", the General Manager said.
Montenegro's two airports handled a combined total of 737.005 passengers since the start of the year up until June 17, which is some 110.000 extra travellers compared to the same period in 2017. Podgorica Airport welcomed 434.817 passengers through its doors, while Tivat saw 302.180 travellers. To deal with the growth in numbers, Podgorica Airport will construct three additional areas spanning over 1.000 square metres. This will include a 220 square metre extension of the departures area on the northern side of the terminal building, which will feature additional toilet facilities, as well as a smoking room, while an extra 438 square metres will be added to the arrivals area, which would allow for additional passport control booths and customs control. A third structure, covering an area of 319 square metres, will be added to the VIP and general aviation gates.
Lufthansa must not miss this unique opportunity to open a base and capture the booming market.
ReplyDeleteA base???
DeleteCouple of flights per week from Frankfurt is more than enough.
DeleteWould be nice if they announced that LH is taking over Montenegro Airlines :D
DeleteEurowings base in Tivat or Podgorica might be an option as a successor to Montenegro Airlines.
DeleteEurowings to replace Montenegro Airlines? Is that from the same advisor that went to Montenegro to suggest the future of Montenegro Airlines?
DeleteThey were advised to lobby for that? Smart move!
DeleteIf they were advised it must be by some amateur fraud passing himself as a regional airline expert. Any impartial professional expert would suggest them to let Air Serbia cover their needs.
DeleteThat is another option. But would it be realistic for JU to operate from an additional small base in Podgorica plus seasonal base in Tivat. That would be way too complicated for them.
DeleteI'm very impressed with the way Podgorica has been developing on the passenger/airline front. Infrastructure is another story.
ReplyDeleteAgree about the infrastructure. TGD will need a new terminal soon, not these patch ups they are proposing.
DeleteThings are slowly improving on the infrastructure front. Same with the airports. Five years ago it was unthinkable that there would be so many airlines flying to Podgorica and Tivat including real LCCs.
Delete"In the past two years we have added thirty new routes", the General Manager said."
ReplyDeleteReally? I would like for the GM to list them for us.
There might be if you include seasonal flights from Podgorica and Tivat jointly.
DeleteAs any other airport they also count seasonal routes.
DeletePodgorica ia doing well. For its size, it has attracted a good number of legacies and low cost airlines.
ReplyDelete*is, sorry
DeleteHopefully with prospective developments of big tourist/hotel complexes in Bar and Ulcinj area, Podgorica will be very busy!
DeleteWhat is the busiest route from TGD?
ReplyDeleteProbably BEG
DeleteProbably? Most definitely BEG.
DeleteIt is BEG. Over 270,000 passengers on this route each year.
DeleteAnd LJU?
DeleteBelgrade, without a doubt. It's the only market that can have multiple daily flights on a year round basis. No other one, just Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteSo close yet so hard to reach by any other mean but the plane.
DeleteThis is a missed opportunity for OU. They would have become a major player in Montenegro. Shame.
ReplyDeleteOU should focus on routes used by Croats. TGD is not one of those.
DeleteMany people visiting Boka bay fly through Dubrovnik. Which leads us to OU missed opportunity to have a seasonal base there.
DeleteCould Lufthansa mainline really work year round from FRA and MUC to TIV like it is suggested and Austrian from Vienna? Eurowings to Podgorica I think is reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why not. If JU and MGX can sustain year round flights between Tivat and Belgrade so could Lufthansa to Tivat.
DeleteIn theory yes, especially to Tivat as it is covering more luxurious seaside destinations in the coast. However, they would still need to work hard to develop the destination off season.
DeleteLustica bay initiated talks with LH group and will cover part of airline(s) expenses.
DeleteWhy has Lufthansa mainline ignored Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Kosovo until now?
ReplyDeleteThey are smaller markets. They did fly to Skopje a long time ago.
DeleteI would really like to see more of Lufthansa mainline in the region.
DeleteEx-Yu is a very cost sensitive market. There is a greater chance of seeing Eurowings more in the region.
DeleteThere is a new EW service from STR to TIV this year
DeleteAlbania and Kosovo are served by Adria for LH, it is a concession they got for being the part of the alliance. Austrian is sufficient for Bosnia and Macedonia.
DeletePity OU didn't get the same concession.
DeleteCongratulations Podgorica and Tivat. Those are good results.
ReplyDeleteIt is like Podgorica was in a comma for years and just woke up. Great development
DeleteTivat might get up to 1.4-1.5 this year.
DeleteThey expect an extra 90,000 passengers in Podgorica just from TUI this year! That's great and shows how important the deal is. Hope we see Lufthansa next winter.
DeleteHad they opened the market up earlier, Podgorica could have be reaching well over one million passengers by now. Instead they were protecting MGX which was falsifying its business results at the time.
DeleteAt least they have opened up the market. That's most important now and effects are visible.
DeleteThey realized that the only way tourism can develop is by improving air connectivity which meant enforcing the EU free sky agreement.
DeleteWelcoming Ryanair and other airlines was both boost for Montenegrin tourism and huge advantage to locals. I have many Montenegrin friends who now travel more frequently.
DeleteGreat news for the country.
ReplyDeleteAny plans for Swiss to start flights to TGD?
ReplyDeleteThey flew through Edelweiss when Swiss started that disastrous EX-Yu expansion which failed miserably. Podgorica was discontinued along with all the other routes.
DeleteFlights from China to Podgorica? Yes, 14pw. Are they serious?
ReplyDeleteAnd Iran? Ok. it is possible but only seasonal
Iranians do travel year round, even more so off season. As for Chinese, I completely agree with you.
Delete14pw from a single Chinese city is excessive.
DeleteBut 14 flights a week TOTAL from various Chinese cities is far more logical.
I can think of Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou.
lol
DeleteAlthough it would be nice to know how many Chinese tourists visited Montenegro last year or so far this year.
That is way to much!
DeleteMontenegro is lacking hotel capacities for that kind of expansion. There is practically no new hotel larger than 100 rooms built in over 30 year. Everything is just renovated exYU time structures.
Crna Gora će ove godine dobiti 880 novih smještajnih jedinica kategorije četiri i pet zvjezdica...
Delete@anon2:53
DeleteIs there going to be NEW hotel larger than 100 rooms? Not renovation and not replacing demolished hotel which previously existed on the same piece of land.
Pa istrazi malo...
DeletePa znam da nema :)
DeleteI nije mi drago zbog toga.
Pa prijatelju ocigledno da ne znas,a i ne znam kakve veze ima da li je na istom mjestu postojao hotel. Npr. na mjestu hotela park u Bijeloj (nekada imao 50 soba) 2017 je sagradjen hotel sa 254 sobe...sledece godine se u kumboru gradi jos jedan hotel (200-220 soba a da nije one and only koji se gradi u porto novom), chedi (lustica bay) otvara 11 avgusta hotel sa 5 zvjezdica (111 soba)...hotel allure pallazi kotor (89 soba)...eto ti malo primjera a mozes jos istraziti slobodno :)
DeleteKonacno! 15+ godina od pocetka tranzicije zavrseno je samo sa gradnjom stanova, malih hotela i renoviranjem/prosirenjem/izgradnjom na mestu hotela iz 70tih i 80tih i preslo se na gradnju neceg novog. Zato raste i avio saobracaj.
DeleteAnonymousJune 30, 2018 at 6:39 PM
DeleteNije sporno da raste ali ambicije tipa let za Kinu su nerealne.
Podgorica airport yesterday:
ReplyDeletehttps://ibb.co/jD9dgd
https://ibb.co/hW0OEy
https://ibb.co/kn4pnJ
https://ibb.co/cqpYEy
https://ibb.co/fyih7J
Thanks for the photos. Any thoughts about the airport?
DeleteIt's actually good. There is no transportation to the airport unless you count the train which is 15 min. walk. It's very small and efficient. We were departing in rush hour and it was like 4-5 flights departing over two hours. Overall i'd recommend it. Views are nice on approach and take off, when departing to BEG you should sit on the left side.
Deletehttps://ibb.co/guVjMd
Cool, thanks. Do you think they need to expand the terminal?
DeleteIs there a city bus to the center or still just taxis?
DeleteI don't think so albeit for cosmetic reasons. Also, i am not sure how much my experience represents the situation in peak season and the real luggage and other handling capacities. However with only two planes departing at the same time there were no places to sit.
DeleteThere again, that is not unusual in 80% of airports around. Staff at gate is generally rude shouting for passengers long before the gate is set to close.
DeleteThere is no bus, only train which would include a 15 min. walk with luggage. I took the taxi which was fairly cheap, around 7 Euros.
That is if coming from the city center. From the airport minimum fare is 12 Euros i believe. There is also some airline-organized transfers to/from the airport but i didn't get hold of that.
Delete7 or 12 is still quite reasonable.
DeleteNo problem with taxi drivers ripping people off there?
There is a line of licenced taxis in front of the terminal, they should be ok. If you have time, you can also connect to the free airport wifi and order some of the taxis via Viber (e.g. City taxi +38269019711). It takes some 10min for them to arrive. And should charge some 6-8EUR to the city center.
DeleteMany thanks!
DeleteThey are trying to take all traffic from TIV airport to Podgorica but they cant!TIV is still better than Podgorica.If you are looking on daily flights there is between 10 or 15 flight more that in Podgorica.And Orlandic said that this summer Podgorica will have day with more aircraft than Tivat...he is one funny guy.Politician without any knowledge bout airport and aviation!About terminal development the will be no new thing as he said until someone buy both airports and that is for sure!You will see...by the end of this year Government of Montenegro will sell both in one package!
ReplyDeleteWell Podgorica serves the capital, the North of the country plus Bar/Ulcinj riviera.
DeleteTivat is convenient for Boka and Budva which are more popular and house much more hotels.
Tivat also covers parts of Croatia and Hercegovina/Srpska.
DeleteIndeed but the main airport there is Dubrovnik
DeleteJP reduced BWK to 1 weekly flight. They keep day 6
ReplyDeleteOuch. That's some bad news for BWK.
DeleteAnd they also moved KBP from night flight to day flight and they somehow dont fly 4 wave(PRN,SKP,TIA,TGD)
DeleteKBP was night flight?
DeleteI have also noticed that they now fly LJU-GVA-MXP-LJU instead of LJU-GVA-LJU. They have cancelled many of GVA flights until now.
DeleteHave a a huge crew shortage becuse of ACMI and they cancel some flights(today is morning ZRH and VIE)
DeleteBut now they got erj145 i hope it will get better
Delete