Low cost carrier Ryanair is considering introducing two new routes to Banja Luka next year, after it commences operations to the city at the end of October. The Prime Minister of the Entity of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željka Cvijanović, said, "We are discussing with them the introduction of two more routes next year. These are to markets in Austria and Switzerland". The low cost airline maintains services to Basel in Switzerland, as well as Salzburg and Linz in Austria. Furthermore, it owns a majority stake in the newly established Austrian carrier Laudamotion. Ryanair will commence flights to Banja Luka from Memmingen, Stockholm Skavsta and Charleroi from October 30.
General Manager Duško Kovačević noted that the airport is in talks with a further two well-established carriers but refused to reveal their names as the negotiating process was ongoing. Furthermore, the airport is in talks with Air Serbia over the introduction of charter flights to Thessaloniki next year following the success of this summer's one weekly charter service to Antalya. "Next year we will certainly have charters to Turkey again, while Greece is being seriously considered, although I woud like Tivat to be added as well. In any case, we will even suggest to our partners at Ryanair to look into introducing flights to either Thessaloniki or Athens", Mr Kovačević said.
Banja Luka Airport, which has struggled to attract both airlines and passengers over the past few years, anticipates welcoming 23.000 travellers by year's end, which would represent an increase of just over 10% on 2017. The airport expects to handle over 100.000 passengers in 2019. During the January - July period it saw 11.944 travellers pass through its doors, down 1.5% on last year. Apart from Ryanair's new routes, the city will continue to be served by Air Serbia from Belgrade, which plans to maintain two weekly flights to Banja Luka for most of the winter season, with an additional weekly service to run between mid-December and mid-January.
Fantastic news for Banja Luka. I see Laudamotion as possibly starting flights from Vienna, otherwise we might get Ryan from Bratislava.
ReplyDeleteLaudamotion from Vienna please.
DeleteI think Austrian Airlines used to fly to Banja Luka. Would be nice to see flights to Vienna resumed after so many years.
DeleteWonder which the two other airlones could be? Wizz and Easyjet?
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought that BNX could become a low cost battle ground :D
DeleteEurowings could also be interested.
DeleteAny flights from UK to banja luka
DeleteWhat a transformation for the airport after it changed its management. Well done!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThis is a big turnaround. I'm very happy for Banja Luka.
DeleteIf they keep growing traffic they will have to expand that tiny terminal soon.
DeleteSwiss should consider Zurich!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. It is brilliant what they did in Nis.
DeleteIf not Swiss then Edelweiss.
DeleteIt's amazing how in this part of the world politicians just love blabbing about confidential airline negotiations
ReplyDeleteThey are getting public subsidies so it should not be completely confidential.
DeleteI think Ryan and other airlines are used to it by now.
Delete@10.02 In that case we should also know the value of the subsidies.
DeleteGasto routes but still nice development for BNX.
ReplyDeleteVienna would be an excellent choice.
ReplyDeleteNice to see that more charters will be added too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they are getting their act together. Good to hear about the charters too.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they are not looking into Sweden. Huge diaspora there.
ReplyDeleteGothenburg in particular.
DeleteBy opening the highway to Doboj in October BNX will become even more attractive than Tuzla for many passengers. Let‘s see the impact of that.
DeleteGreat news from Bosnia lately! :)
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteSrpska definitely needs more air connectivity to improve the region's economy. No doubt all of these routes will be successful. What's great is that they got Ryanair so Wizz Air in Tuzla will get some serious competition.
ReplyDeleteAnd if they are talking to two other airlines it will also mean BNX won't become dependent on Ryan which is a good thing.
DeleteAbsolutely, seems like they will do the same thing INI did. Nice to see both airport avoid monopoly as it won't just benefit Serbs but all others living the airports' catchment area.
DeleteRyan will soon connect BEG with number of destinations in western europe.
ReplyDeleteStay tunned.
No they won't, the market is saturated, you see that Wizz is already struggling.
DeleteMarket is not saturated with all the countries of west Europe.
DeleteGermany might be saturated but even in that case if FR open FRA-BEG for example a lot of passengers already flying with LH or JU will move to FR.
Ryanair official representatives always updating us with information here
DeleteIf Ryanair can't make it in Zagrab where there is no ultra lowcost competition, they shall not think about Belgrad where competition is much stronger.
DeleteYou can't compare the two markets, especially since Zagreb is more expensive to fly to than Belgrade and very LCC unfriendly. The only LCC airline flying there this winter will be Eurowings - of course Lufthansa owned.
DeleteChallenge for O'Leary: make it LCC friendly.
DeleteEven Eurowings complained about fees at ZAG. I think they even did it during the inauguration ceremony.
DeleteI was expecting Sweden before Austria and Switzerland bu these two make sense as well.
ReplyDeleteWhich part of Stockholm is not Sweden?
Delete@Tanja
DeleteSweden is pretty big country. Gothenborg and Malmo are far away from Stockholm. Both big cities with big exyu diaspora. No BNX CPH flights in case of Malmo. Not to mention northern parts which are very far away from Stockholm. By your logic, every country is supposed to have just one airport, right?
There now all of B&Hs airport have decent traffic and airlines.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Finally all Bosnian airports now have regular scheduled flights. Well done! Looking forward to more flights from Banja Luka, hopefully they will be as successful as Tuzla :)
DeleteShould be noted that Banja Luka has had scheduled flights for the last 5 years.
DeleteYes, Air Serbia has been flying since 2013.
DeleteSeems like BNX will have a similar success story as Tuzla.
ReplyDeleteVIE is a no brainier considering the enormous ex-YU community there.
ReplyDeleteIt was impossible to launch this route before Ryanair bought into Laudamotion since they don't fly from Vienna. But Lauda to BNX seems logical. Looking forward to it.
DeleteThey could have launched Bratislava.
DeleteOnly European countries left that Ryanair doesn't serve now are Slovenia, Albania, Macedonia, Iceland, Russia, Belarus and Moldova.
ReplyDelete😃
DeleteAnd only EU country left is Slovenia. Crazy. I don't understand why Fraport doesn't do something and attract them to Ljubljana, especially now when they are flying out of Frankfurt's main airport.
DeleteFinally some low cost options to Banja Luka. I thought the day would never come.
ReplyDeleteBanja Luka Airport FINALLY come to its senses. It took them just 5 years and for everyone else to get flights.
DeleteYay! Welcome FR.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of surprised about Brussels. Is there a big diaspora there?
ReplyDelete100,000 in 2019 would be an amazing figure for an airport handling barely 20,000 pax. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteDo we know how much Ryanair will get for these flights?
ReplyDeleteIs there a Ryanair base in BNX? If there is not, than it is a terrible mistake bringing them and letting them to operate from there with subsidies and money from the people!!!
ReplyDelete0 Work places created, "cheap" tickets + you pay for the air you inhale in the cabin. S***iest company ever, cancer to aviation!
How are 0 work places created? Those that have a job at Banja Luka Airport will have something to do and more staff will be needed to handle the flights, there will be more tourism, Ryanair is already promoting Banja Luka on its social media pages. More tourism = more revenue etc.
DeleteRoutes are gasto, not tourist, and served by foreign crew, not by domestic like in Wizz from TZL ( 1 a/c based is creating more than 30 work places in company, in this case ryan creates 0 )
Deleteyes, i agree that they are promoting BNX, but who benefits from that? OFC Ryan, because they get money from the subsidies and they have money from the tickets! Still 0 costs and 0 money for the Airport ( excluding tax per passenger and fuel sometimes( its cheaper in EU countries, than in exyu))
If you have traveled with them you should know that they are not even paying for front stairs at any airport!
+info read some articles about ryan and what is happening in that shit company at the moment
Everyone here seems to forget that it's election year.. ; )
ReplyDeleteIn Frankfurt (Main) and the Cities around, living about 300.000 - 400.000 People form the Region around Banja Luka. I don't understand why there still istn't any fligt form Frankfurt to Banja Luka
ReplyDeleteI dont understand why they dont focus on Eindhoven..
ReplyDeleteVery, very high potential.
They are 11 yrs late!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I have introduced my idea and plans, they said it won't work.
Can you imagine what would be like that they have at least try to do it back then.
They are bragging about it now, what would they do if it was up and running for all this time???
Bravo for wasting time, and more welcoming and cheering for the person who remembered what I was talking about...