Europe’s largest carrier, Ryanair, will launch a new service from Gothenburg to Banja Luka this coming winter season and inaugurate operations between Vienna and Pula in the summer of 2021. Flights between the second largest cities of Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina will commence on October 25 and operate twice per week, each Thursday and Sunday. As previously reported, the Ryanair group is also introducing operations from Vienna and Bergamo to Banja Luka at the end of October, complementing existing services from Charleroi, Memmingen, Hahn and Berlin. However, operations to Hahn will be discontinued from November 30 after the carrier decided to shut its base there over a pay dispute with pilots, while service to Berlin will not resume until next summer season, in March.
Ryanair previously served Banja Luka from Sweden with flights from Skavsta. However, the route was discontinued following the closure of the company’s base in the Swedish city. Banja Luka Airport recently said it was negotiating with airlines over the introduction of new routes. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the airport said it was targeting three new routes in 2020 and 35% passenger growth. In 2019, Banja Luka Airport handled 149.966 travellers and registered year-on-year growth of 314%. Currently, Banja Luka is served by Ryanair from Charleroi and Hahn, Air Serbia from Belgrade, as well as Freebird Airlines from Antalya which is running summer charters.
Ryanair will become the only airline to serve Pula from Vienna. Services will run on a seasonal summer basis and operate twice per week, each Wednesday and Sunday, starting March 28. Flights will be operated by Ryanair’s new offshoot Lauda Europe with its Airbus A320 aircraft. Ryanair maintains seasonal operations from Charleroi, Stansted and Berlin to Pula. However, flights from Germany’s capital will end this October and are not expected to resume from Berlin’s new Brandenburg Airport next year.
Flights details for the new Gothenburg – Banja Luka service can be found here, while additional information for the Vienna – Pula route can be read here.
Ryanair base: now you see it, now you don't.
ReplyDeletelol true. Just in this article two bases listed as closed.
DeleteGreat news
ReplyDeletein this day and age it's always good to read about new routes being launched.
ReplyDeleteBNX-GOT will be a cash cow for them especially since there are no winter flights from ZAG to anywhere in Sweden.
ReplyDeleteAlso huge Bosnian diaspora in Sweden. Especially GOT.
DeleteSo by next spring, BNX might reach 20 weekly FR flights, which is an amazing result! Time to label it as Zagreb South Airport (ZSA).
ReplyDeleteSMFH
DeleteThis is really really not bad for a small airport.
DeleteWith almost three daily departures we are getting close to sustaining a one plane base of FR. Let's see if Wizz in Tuzla responds to this.
ReplyDeleteThey haven't responded to Ryanair launching flights from Banja Luka in the first place.
DeleteBut they should !
DeleteThe golden route Basel - Banja Luka is still unserved, they should reap it like the fresh fruit .
The base in Hahn is shutting down.
ReplyDeleteThe next destination for Germany could be Cologne / Bonn, Karlsruhe / Baden-Baden or Weeze
Just shows what would happen with HHN-INI if it had been launched
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteBanja Luka - Memmingen is decreased to one weekly in winter
ReplyDeleteNext destination from BNX - BADEN BADEN
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed.
DeleteI'm surprised Austrian didn't fly Vienna-Pula.
ReplyDeleteOr OU.
DeleteWell done
ReplyDeleteI just wait in vain for a Swiss BNX connection 😩
ReplyDeleteThat would be fantastic. A few years ago Edelweiss scheduled flights to Banja Luka, started selling tickets, but then cancelled it. But I'm not sure if the airport sabotaged it at the time since back then they were happy having no flights at all.
DeleteAt the same time Endelweiss also planned to start Podgorica and they started sales too but cancelled it before it started.
DeleteSales probably were not good for either route.
DeleteWell I guess BNX reached its goal of 3 new destinations.
ReplyDeleteYes but it lost 2 routes. Skavsta and Hahn.
DeleteAn 10:02
DeleteThey have lost everything (like everybody), now every line we can consider as new
GOT will perform well for Ryanair to Banja Luka considering the size of the diaspora. Vienna-Pula I assume will be filled by tourists.
ReplyDeleteSlow and steady growth, that's good. No need to force anything.
ReplyDeleteBNX has the potential from its catchment area to grow a lot.
DeleteGOT-BNX will be competition for Wizz's GOT-TZL.
ReplyDeleteThere is enough room for both.
DeleteGood, now Banja Luka needs STR and DTM.
ReplyDeleteGreat job BNX. It's really nice to see them grow, even in this situation.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they are getting their act together. It took them only 20 years.
Delete+1
DeleteWhich other routes from Ryanair network could work from Banja Luka?
ReplyDeleteKöln / Bonn, Karlsruhe / Baden-Baden, Weeze, Eindhoven, Billund, Thessaloniki..
DeleteHow about WAW or BUD and INI?
DeleteBNX-INI or BNX-BUD with 189 seats?
DeleteINI-LJU worked just fine on JU and BNX-INI makes more sense.
DeleteAnd JU was flying the route for profit without state aid?
DeleteTheir tickets on this route were around €50 which is something FR can cope with so it can work.
DeleteOnce FR targets a small airport it aggressively continues launching more destinations. I'm sure they will launch more new routes in the times to come.
ReplyDeleteFor how long has the contract between BNX and Ryanair been signed for?
Deletei think five years...
DeleteDo we know how much Ryanair is getting for these flights?
DeleteNo one knows. We don't know if they are subsidised or they just don't pay landing/handling fees.
DeleteIs it possible to add wizzair to the Banja Luka?
ReplyDeleteIt is, but if BNX has some deal with Ryanair, which I assume it does, they wouldn't be too happy about it.
DeleteINI has an agreement with Ryanair but it also has Wizz Air flights so it can work.
DeleteHope it will work.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to more flights from Banja Luka, hope it will be as successful as Tuzla :)
ReplyDeleteMalmo would be a good addition.
DeleteIt is not a Ryanair base so there will be no flights to Malmo. Ryanair only flies to Malmo from Krakow.
DeleteThat said, it could be a good route for Wizz Air to launch.
DeleteStockholm was their best performing route. Unfortunate they have to cut it. But great about Gothenburg.
ReplyDeleteThis could actually hurt Air Serbia. I'm sure they had transfers from Sweden to Banja Luka, especially around the holidays. FR launching Vienna will also hurt them.
ReplyDeleteHighly doubt it. Maybe there will be 2 passengers less from Vienna but it certainly won't impact Stockholm. I mean FR ending Skavsta can only be a positive for JU.
DeleteHow on earth can it be bad news for them of they don't fly to GOT? it's bad news for Wizz from Toozla
DeleteThis is all great but I think Banja Luka like Tuzla should diversify its offer. Not to get tied to just one airline.
ReplyDeleteWho knows what these LCCs put in their contracts. It could be for the airport not to actively encourage other LCC competitors to introduce flights.
Deletenot a single comment about Pula. They couldnt care less if its a one route more or less.
ReplyDelete