Low cost carrier Ryanair and Mostar Airport have held another round of talks this week over the potential introduction of flights. The negotiations are said to be heading "in the right direction" with a "positive outcome" expected. Potential destinations from Mostar include Rome, Warsaw and Dublin. The two sides have already discussed potential routes at the carrier's headquarters in the Irish capital. Ryanair simillarly negotiated with Banja Luka Airport throughout the winter of 2017 and 2018 before announcing flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina's second largest city in late April of last year, which were eventually launched in October.
Ryanair and Mostar Airport have discussed possible services on several occasions since 2012. Previously it was proposed for the low cost airline to introduce flights from Charleroi, Frankfurt and Oslo. However, there is also strong potential for the carrier to cater for religious tourism on routes from Italy and Poland. Ryanair previously said, “We are the leading airline in Europe. We have developed many small and regional European airports and there is no obstacle for us to do the same in Mostar”. The company added that its only condition is for flights to the city to be profitable. The General Manager of Mostar Airport, Marin Raspudić, previously noted that low cost carriers would reverse the trend of declining passenger numbers. "Without budget airlines we will find it difficult to survive since we are surrounded by a number of high quality airports. There is always interest and we are at everyone's disposal. We are confident there is a significant number of people from our diaspora who would fly to Mostar". He added, "Our main objective is to see the return of those passengers who left us during the war and post-war period. They are now using Dubrovnik and Split for charters to Medjugorje and Sarajevo Airport for scheduled services".
Mostar Airport rolled out an incentives program late last year in a bid to attract carriers to launch flights to the city, after its passenger numbers tumbled 34% in 2018. "Mostar Airport is offering a number of incentives in the form of discounts to encourage airlines and tour operators to develop their services to Mostar, as well as to stimulate greater choice and greater benefits for all airline companies", the airport said. It added, "The incentives do not distort competition among airlines at the airport and are offered for a limited period of time on a non-discriminatory basis". Mostar Airport's incentives program includes discounts for handling and landing services, as well as the passenger tax, for a three-year period.
Fingers crossed
ReplyDeletehope for eindhoven or weeze
DeleteI hope it happens. It would be very good news for Mostar
ReplyDeleteThe reason they are loosing passengers is that more and more people are flying to Croatia instead and then going to Medjugorje. People prefer a scheduled service they can book for cheap over the internet. So I fully support Mostar trying to get some airlines to fly there.
ReplyDeleteI know people flying to Mostar mainly use SPU & SSJ, but do some people use TZL, or is it too far?
DeleteToo far, they are on the opposite sides of the country and roads are really bad. I think even BNX would be closer.
DeleteI've met several pax at TZL flights coming from Mostar and that area south of Sarajevo. Even some Dalmatians once in a while, but they being somewhat rare.
DeleteI actually also met a guy from Mostar on TZL when flying to Malmö. Mostar is not that far from Tuzla, I would say around 3,5 hours of drive.
DeleteI even know people from West Hercegovina flied from/to TZL ... its just about the destinations and price...
DeleteDoes Ryanair have a base somewhere in Poland?
ReplyDeleteYes. They have their own Polish airline - Ryanair Sun which is now rebranding to Buzz. Bases in Gdańsk, Katowice, Kraków, Poznan Airport, Warsaw Chopin, Warsaw Modlin and Wroclaw.
DeleteI think they closed their base in WAW, it's only Modlin now.
Deleteit's quite amazing that Bosnia will has 4 fully functioning airports with traffic considering its size.
ReplyDeleteIt is basically because it is a landlocked country without developed road and rail connections both within the country and to the rest of Europe and a very large diaspora.
DeleteThat does not have any sense whatsoever. So what if its a landlocked country? (and it isnt btw, Bosnia has 25km of Adriatic coast). And what has anything to do with the roads between Bosnian cities? Its not like someone is flying from Sarajevo to Mostar, or Banja Luka or Tuzla? So I dont really understand the argument? And lastly, I dont think Bosnian roads are that bad, there are highways and good regional roads. And it is much closer and faster from Bosnia to reach Europe via road than from some parts of Serbia, Kosovo, Maedonia, Montenegro, Albania, etc. So dont really get what do your arguments stated have to do with the fact that Bosnia has 4 fully functioning airports :i
Delete10:51 + 1000
DeleteHis argument about roads make sense. If there was a highway between Mostar or Tuzla with Sarajevo, it would be easier for people to reach SJJ so there would be less need for airline to launch flights to OMO or TZL since they could concentrate on a single airport. Look at Hungary or the Czech Republic or even Austria. Good land infrastructure kills flying from many secondary airports.
DeleteYeah but the cities aren't that far apart, it takes between 2h and 2:30h to reach BNX from TZL, SJJ from both OMO and TZL, around 3 hours to reach BNX from SJJ, it ain't much, the highways will only shorten those times by ~30%.
DeleteSay what you want but I left for SJJ from DUB via MUN at 5:30 am, arrived to SJJ little after 12pm. Took a taxi to the bus station. Boarded a bus for Mostar at 2:30 and arrived at Mostar bus station at 5pm. Entire journey 12 hrs. I could have been in Florida by than.
DeleteThis would probably generate around 100,000 passengers per year. Not bad.
ReplyDeleteGreat work Mostar. I am really optimistic that brighter days are ahead :)
ReplyDeleteLet's just hope they don't muck it up during the talks.
DeleteDublin?? Wow! That's a really nice addition! Putting the rest of the ex-Yu capitals to shame.
ReplyDeleteBiH is the box of surprises this year. Remarkable achievments indeed.
SJJ - new airline born
TZL - already a W6 base
BNX - new FR routes and Russia
OMO - presence of OU and now FR
Superb.
Just to let you know Ryan will start flights from Dublin both to Split and Dubrovnik. At the same time Croatia will start flights from Zagreb to Dublin.
DeleteI will believe it when I see it. Officials from the Balkans are known for boasting before striking the deal.
ReplyDeleteI think it will finally become a reality
DeleteIt would be good if they got Ryanair. Then you would have Wizz from Tuzla and Ryan from Mostar and Banja Luka.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if they got both not just one. Like Nis.
DeleteYes but even in Nis Wizz came first for about a year before Ryan came. One airline needs to show that there is a sustainable and growing market.
DeleteGreat news
ReplyDeleteBosnia becoming popular with LCCs :)
ReplyDeleteMostar should have gone for easyjet so we would have all the major LCCs in Bih :)
DeletePerfect scenario would be :D
DeleteMostar - EasyJet
Banja Luka - Ryanair
Tuzla - Wizz Air
EasyJet is not very keen on small and poor Eastern European destinations.
DeleteNo, Ryanair is taking Mostar. So now we can only hope that easy Jet will take Sarajevo :D
DeleteEasy jet to Paris, London, Amsterdam, Milan...etc. would be the best thing that could happen to Sarajevo.
DeleteUnfortunately, with the current fees and management, I doubt we will see any major LCC start flights to SJJ.
DeleteeasyJet to Paris, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin would be very usefull
DeleteIt's hard for SJJ to strike a LCC deal since every ticket includes a 10€ federal tax that helps sustain OMO and TZL. The federal government could possibly waive it as they did with Wizz
DeleteI'm already puzzled how FR would advertize it. Dubrovnik north, Sarajevo south or Split Southeast
ReplyDeletepristina north west
Deletelol
DeleteZagreb Southwest ... lol
DeleteArea around Mostar is really not populated like the area around Osijek. Why can't OSI make a deal with FR like this? Especially now when Wizz Air is cutting its only route from OSI to BSL. Last flight is on 14.06.
ReplyDeleteEven though W6 is the Eastern European specialist, FR still found clever ways of being innovative.
ReplyDeleteThey started opening bases in the West and connect the East.
Good examples are the new French bases and SXF for example.
It would be riskier to open a base in East due to lower demand and poorer market. Good examples:
SXF-INI
CRL-TGD
BTS-BOJ
SXF-BNX
DUB-ZAD and so on.
They are quietly invading the rest of BiH while W6 is focusing on TZL.
Situation is the same with Crna Gora.
The Irish is older than the Hungarian and has more experience since thr 80s...
OMO had almost 80,000 passengers in 2012. In 2018 28.000 :( hopefully Ryan comes.
ReplyDeleteThis is because of the loss of Italy charters.
DeleteTrue. Mistral Air ceased all passengers operations. Those flights were daily charters with full big aircraft.
DeleteCharter flights from southern Italy airports (Naples, Bari, Palermo, Lamezia, Catania) will be operated by Romanian charter carrier Aviro Air which has replaced Mistral Air.
DeleteI think a flights from Bergamo, Weeze and Warsaw would work great.
ReplyDeleteI see potential for Ryanair from Mostar not only to Charleroi, Frankfurtu and Oslo but Nurnberg, Dortmund, Hannover, Berlin, Dublin, Warsaw, and Rome as well. Germany for huge Herzegovina diaspora there, spread from South to the North and Italy, Poland and Ireland for 3 biggest European Catholic Medjugorje markets. I believe we will see all or almost all of these Ryan flights from OMO soon. Fingers crossed. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd agree with @An.11.10 about Bergamo.
DeleteThe good thing about Mostar is that they signed multi year contracts with Eurowings and Croatia Airlines so the airport will have traffic for at least a few years. By then other airlines should take notice. Hopefully Ryanair is the result.
ReplyDeleteYes but the contract was signed because those airlines get subventions.
DeleteI am certain Ryanair will be getting subsidies too and they probably signed a contract for a certain set period.
DeleteMacedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia also subsidize its flights, what's wrong with that?
DeleteCongratulations BiH. All four airports are finally going to have decent traffic.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to all the airports in BiH.
DeleteGood. Can't wait to finally see some serious airlines that can serve the local population.
ReplyDeleteGreat news for Bosnia :)
ReplyDeleteBig year ahead for OMO and BNX.
ReplyDeleteOverall I think it will be a good year for all airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
DeleteHow exactly will it be a good year for Tuzla? For several months now their numbers have been crashing and there are no new announcements coming soon.
DeleteTuzla and Wizz Air are renegotiating their agreement and new flights will probably be announced for winter 2019/2020.
DeleteThere is a saying which is very appropriate here: прво скочи па реци хоп.
DeleteDon't know the English equivalent.
in English it would be:
Deletefirst jump and then say hop ;)
VLG is looking possiblility to open flights to OMO
ReplyDelete