Officials from Dubrovnik and Split airports have said they are perplexed by Ryanair's recent announcement that it will launch flights to the two cities next year. The airline has avoided Croatia's two busiest coastal airports due to high costs. However, both said they have not held talks with Europe's largest airline. On Monday, Ryanair announced it would introduce four weekly flights from Dublin to both Dubrovnik and Split next June and has put tickets on sale for the two routes. The carrier noted "Ryanair is pleased to announce another two new summer routes from Dublin to Dubrovnik and Split, our newest airports, which will operate from June, as part of our expanded Dublin 2019 summer schedule".
The Deputy Director of Airport Operations in Dubrovnik, Josip Paljatak, said, "We are surprised by Ryanair's announcement that it will launch flights to Dubrovnik next year. We have not been given any formal notice of these flights and neither have we signed a slots agreement or handling agreement with them". The General Manager of Split Airport, Lukša Novak, noted, "Our representatives took part at the IATA Slot Conference in Madrid in mid-November but no contact was made with Ryanair. We did receive word that they have made some plans to fly to Split but none of them have been confirmed by the airport. Split Airport must approve all services".
Ryanair has not commented on these latest development and continues to sell tickets for the two routes. Last month, the carrier told EX-YU Aviation News, "Ryanair has held positive discussions with the Croatian Minister for Tourism regarding longer term traffic growth and route development at its existing Croatian airports as well as potential new airports like Zagreb and Split". Furthermore, it noted it was in discussion with the Croatian National Tourist Board. "Ryanair is currently in discussions with the Minister and the Croatian National Tourist Board to deliver traffic growth of c. 50% and introduce up to eight new routes to Zadar in summer 2019. These routes will operate from other Ryanair bases as its seasonal Zadar base will not reopen in summer 2019", the company said. It added, "Ryanair has already announced four of these routes (to Cologne, Hamburg, Nuremburg and Prague) and looks forward to announcing the remaining new routes once successful negotiations with the Minister and the Tourism board have been completed".
Well someone is obviously lying and I doubt an airline the size of Ryanair would randomly put tickets on sale if it has not secured rights.
ReplyDeleteAnd not just that, they went out of their way to announce the flights and released a joint press release with Dublin Airport.
DeleteI'm sure FR has secured the necessary rights. Some at Dubrovnik and Split airports were probably bypassed in the negotiating process.
DeleteThey only thing they haven't secured are slots. The airports can't afford to drag their feet for any of the aforementioned contracting. Pretty much a formality. FR being a bit arrogant? Sure. Not making sure they have secured contracts and slots months for a couple of routes 6+ months ahead of ops and slot deadlines when you operate 1,800+ routes? Pragmatic. Nothing newsworthy in any case.
Delete"slots months" = "slots"
DeleteWell airports are there for all the other airlines and they do not have to make mess with 2 routes more or less. It is not that they can't survive without FR.
DeleteFrom the other side FR is known as very tricky negotiator and I would not be surprised that it is nothing but one more of their tricks to achieve better price. After all DBV and SPU are the destinations where they can make good money and even if they get 2-3 eur price reductions because of this game it will turn to be significant amount of the money at the end of the day.
I doubt this is FR playing games. Just as Split and Dubrovnik can live without Ryanair, I can guarantee you Ryanair can live without Split and Dubrovnik.
DeleteHow can this even happen?
ReplyDeleteOdd
ReplyDeleteSo people who are buying tickets on Dublin - Dubrovnik/Split route, don't know if their flights will actually operate.
ReplyDeleteThey will operate for sure. This is just a breakdown in communication between different parts within the airport's managements.
DeleteAnyone know what's happening here?
ReplyDeleteWow :O
ReplyDeleteI laughed out lout
ReplyDeleteNot a good look for either the airline or the airports.
ReplyDeleteThe airline made an announcement, not the airports.
DeleteIt's not a good look for the airports either because they are making a fuss about 4 weekly flights each. And eventually they will allow these flights to go ahead.
DeleteMaybe a way to get DBV & SPU to cave in over fees?
ReplyDeleteDoubt it. Too big and too serious of a company to do that.
DeleteWhy isn't the government encouraging them to launch ZAG flights? They could start with EIN which is pefectly located between BRU and AMS? It's the perfect first destination. Second could be STN and then BVA.
ReplyDeleteThe government can pressure ZAIC into giving them a deal especially for unserved destinations.
Btw talking of Croatia, KL will reduce ZAG to five weekly until 01.03.2019.
Because ZAG is so fancy airport and, according to some comments here, ZAG does not need these "cheap and terrible" LCC.
DeleteOnly legacy carriers are good enough for ZAG!
LOL
Because the city does not offer as much as the coast? (tourist perspective)
DeleteBecause it is too expensive to fly to and would make ticket prices too high for the average diaspora? (gasto route perspective)
Because EIN is not suitable for BRU meetings? (administration/business perspective)
We heard some analyzing from Purger that during whole year ZAG is actually nr. 1 in Croatia regarding to the number of tourists.
DeleteWell, FRA for example is much more expensive than ZAG but you still have there FR, W6, U2 etc.
There is always CRL
Anonymous6 December 2018 at 09:43
DeleteBecause the city does not offer as much as the coast? (tourist perspective)
Really? I guess every other village Ryanair flies to offers enough, but not Zagreb.
Yeah and those villages charge 3€/pax for example and do not target incoming tourists.
DeleteI asked about what Zagreb can offer. I didn't mention the airport fees.
DeleteThose villages (especially on the poorer side of Europe) fall under category 2 and no 1 (gasto perspective). What is unclear to you?
DeleteMaybe Croatian government doesn't care much about ZAG, because there's a concessionaire (remember how tourism minister claimed that ZAG does not need additional flights but the other airports in Croatia do), maybe Croatian government sees airports in coastal cities not as independent entities but a tool to promote tourism and keeps charges intentionally low, maybe other city tourist boards enable sufficient funds to encourage new carriers/flights while Zagreb tourist board doesn't (because Croatia Airlines is based there and is a member of Zagreb tourist board), maybe HTZ (Croatian tourist board at national level) prefers to use its funds more for coastal cities, having still the archaic mentality of tourism = sea + sun?
DeleteWho knows?
Yes but if that's true then ZAG will be affected in long-term. Maybe it's time for the government to force the airport to introduce seasonal charges so that airlines don't reduce as many flights during the beginning of the year. This year several airlines reduced flights. Maybe if the government through tourist board helped it would be a better situation?
DeleteZAG growth is slowly slowing down, 5% in November.
DeleteComparing to expectations this is low, very low
DeleteWhat was the expectation?
DeleteIt was reported on here that the airport management hopes to have at least 10% growth.
DeleteFor the whole year that is, not just November. They started very well but they have been losing steam lately.
DeleteYeah. Because there were only few new routes.
DeleteWell this is a first. LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of airlines like Air Croatia or Dalmatian announcing flights to cities they have no rights to fly to.
Delete+1 last anon.
DeleteWhy has OU ignored this market for so long?! They should launch their own Ireland flights from the coast.
ReplyDeleteWith which planes?
DeleteIt would be interesting to see if would be more profitable for OU to fly Zagreb-Dublin in summer (as they do) or shift to Dubrovnik/Split - Dublin.
DeleteThey can lease Adria's SSJs.
DeleteWith what money?
DeleteI think this also means that those flights will not get subsidies from DBV and SPU.
ReplyDeleteProbably, that is a good way to express that all airlines at those airports are treated the same.
DeleteNope, FR will get the subsidies elsewhere. Also why they gave SPU and DBV the snub. They are pretty much irrelevant now.
DeleteHow do you mean they have snubbed DBV and SPU? They want to fly to both.
DeleteSnubbed = kept them out in the cold. Bypassed them for route launch announcements. Not bothered to finalize formalities with the airports prior to putting on sale.
DeleteTrue. But can they do that? I mean isn't the airport the one that gives them slots in the end?
DeleteYes, they can. Yes, they are.
DeleteSlots conference has passed so next deadline is Jan 15th for allocating slots based on requests so far. Then unused slots are returned / slots are renegotiated and the picture is a bit clearer. In case of no historic slots like in this case it doesn't matter if you would request them in September or December. Jan / Feb already makes some difference.
So, anyways. Airport can get cranky about slots and that's about all they can do.
Thanks for the explanation anon :)
DeleteNema dzaba.....
ReplyDeleteI've seen this happen many times over throughout the years, it's just not public. In this case it has come to your attention because it's kind of a novelty in this market.
ReplyDeleteJust shows how relevant airports are for opening new routes. All they can do is make fuss around slots.
* Just to clarify, the type of routes opened (FR -> SPU, DBV) is the attention grabbing novelty, not the practice of circumventing airports.
DeleteSo you these flights will go ahead?
DeletePretty much.
DeleteGood.
DeleteBravo Hrvatska?
ReplyDeleteAnd bravo Modrić!
DeleteMy God how cares! SPU will have 3,5 million Pax next year, DBV will be approaching 3 million..
ReplyDeleteYou mean who cares...
DeleteWell the passengers who already bought tickets between Dublin to Dubrovnil and Split certainly do.
DeleteTypical Balkan way. These things are quite common and happen everyday.
ReplyDeleteSerbia protects JU and avoids W6. Has serious issues with INI.
Croatia blocks FR by not decreasing airport taxes. Had issues with ZAD too.
BiH does the same for SJJ. Good moves for TZL and BNX.
Macedonia also now has new headache with bids.
Slovenia has organisational issues with JP and MBX.
Oddly enough, it seems that Montenegro has less headaches in general with legacy and LCC. Growing smoothly and YM best recovering amongst all ex-Yu carriers. Montengro for me personally is the best performer given its population size and market.
Where exactly is Croatia blocking FR? Why would one Split or Dubrovnik reduce their fees only for FR when they are packed to the fullest in the summer months?
DeleteBecause Croatia is known to be notorious for expensive airport fees. ZAG? Hello?
DeleteCroatia is still very expensive for ULCC especially.
Look at W6 in SPU.
And once again: why would overly busy Split and/or Dubrovnik reduce their fees for FR when they have bunch of other airlines that aren't throwing a hissy fit when they don't get it their way?
DeleteHello!
@frishki +1000
DeleteBecause dear frishki, Ryanair has 500 planes that sum up the entire number of airlines that sum up SPU and DBV.
DeleteCroatia needs FR and you know it.
Dear, Anon, you keep ignoring the fact that Split and Dubrovnik have an airline invasion during the summer season and they do NOT need to lower their fees so that one FR with their 500 planes can come and grace them with their presence. Split and Dubrovnik aren't Croatia. There are quite a few other airports in the country where they can fly.
DeleteDva leta nece niti spasiti niti unistiti ni DBV ni SPU a noto Hrvatsku.
DeleteTocka.
Nema dalje
Ok frishki, good argument then. Shake hands :)
DeleteGreets to Hrvatska.
Frishki je u pravu.
DeleteDa FR nudi cijelogodisnje linije, imalo bi smisla izaci im u susret.
No, kako to ne nude, ne vidim razloga zasto bi im se izlazilo u susret i riskirao odnos s ostalim kompanijama.
https://www.airport-dubrovnik.hr/index.php/hr/web-cam
ReplyDeleteCan aircraft still land at DBV?
Yes, part of the runway and taxiways is being overhauled during the slower winter months, but smaller planes (up to, and including, A319) can still land on the part of the runway which isn't under construction.
Deletelooks crazy that planes still can land there, if you look at the webcam...
DeleteSome heroes operating for Trade Air managed to land on the closed part in between the machinery.
DeleteThen, when they realised what they did, they told passengers that the reason they are waiting on the runway was because they were "a little early". Yes, a little early on the flare, LOL.
DeleteA little early just a year or so until the runway is rebuilt.
DeleteWell played Ryanair, well played.
ReplyDeleteWe'll see if they end up getting what they want. They pretty much committed to flying there now. If Airports call their bluff they will be paying the full price.
DeleteWhether we like it or not, Ryanair is much more powerful than Dubrovnik and Split airports. Even with our own government.
DeleteSo, what will they do? Force themselves into their slots?
DeleteNo but the airports will approve them the slots in the end.
DeleteThey will approve the slots after they reach the agreement that works for both sides, not because FR is "much more powerful than Dubrovnik and Split".
DeleteBut someone in Croatia obviously bypassed the airports or part of the management. There were talks last week between FR and the government.
Deletealso FR add SPU to STR
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteActually it's Laudamotion, not FR. And tickets have been on sale for some time already.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2018/10/laudamotion-to-launch-croatia.html
So Laudamotion is willing to pay fees, yet Ryanair isn't.
Deletelogic? where in the word doe it say that FR is NOT willing to pay the taxes ? WHERE?
DeleteLaudamotion probably gets some airport incentives on the basis that it is a new carrier flying to Dubrovnik for the first time.
DeleteProbably / Maybe/ Could be/ Perhaps /
DeleteIt's a pity Dubrovnik Airport knocked FR back last year when they proposed year round flights (yes with incentives) but it would have seen DBV's numbers skyrocket, especially in winter.
ReplyDeleteI agree this is a real shame. Dubrovnik could use more winter flights.
DeleteThey have attracted quite a few airlines during winter ops - Turkish, British, Vueling. Not bad for an airport that relies almost 95% on tourism.
DeleteIf they don't want to pay the fees each other airline pays then good riddance.
ReplyDeleteFR would be good for both Dubrovnik and Split, particularly if they can strike a deal for year-long flights, which FR is open to.
DeleteDon't trust Luksa Novak. He said how Split does not want long haul flights. Less than a year later Air Transat announces Toronto-Split.
ReplyDeleteTo on nije rekao.
DeleteKazao je kako im nije priorotet osiguranje takvih letova, a to su ipak 2 razlicita pojma.
Anyone know how many passengers Ryan handled this year to Croatia?
ReplyDeleteIn the end I feel people who have booked these flights will lose out. If there isn't an agreement FR will not fly and hence will probably not return the money to the passengers who booked with them.
ReplyDeleteLike hell they won't return the money.
DeleteExactly, they'll either give the money back, or they will fly to Split & Dubrovnik and will be paying full fees.
DeleteSPU and DBV will be connected to Leipzig in winter???
ReplyDeletehttps://www.leipzig-halle-airport.de/mediapool/flugplan_w_18-19_web.pdf?t=jjlh2y6rmi
See Page 18 with the map!!
Is this Ryanair or some other airline?
Malo dolje pise operated by A3, Aegean :D, i nije kroz cijelu zimu. Citaj raspored, str 25.
DeleteThis:
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2018/10/aegean-to-run-croatia-winter-charters.html
That is an Aegean charter, it was already discussed on here. It's only for 6 weeks in Nov and Dec.
DeleteAre we sure they meant SPU and DBV and not Split East and Dubrovnik North (in other words OMO)? LOL
ReplyDeleteComment would be funny if Ryanair didn't have 10+ aircraft based at FRA.
DeleteTimes have changed.
When I saw they set a day 6 (Saturdays) on the schedule, I smell something strange. No way that a new LCC secure flights to Split on that days.
ReplyDelete