Sarajevo Airport is forecasting that its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will begin in 2021 when it expects to attract several new carriers. The airport has been hit hard by Covid-19, with its revenue and passenger numbers plummeting. In August, it saw fewer travellers than its traditionally less busier counterpart in Tuzla for a third months in a row. “During the 2020/2021 winter season, we don’t expect a notable increase in weekly traffic. A more significant number of airlines are expected to return during the summer of 2021, when we also anticipate the arrival of some new carriers”, the General Manager of Sarajevo Airport, Alan Bajić, said.
Sarajevo Airport is currently served by six airlines. They include Austrian Airlines with eight weekly flights, Turkish Airlines with seven, Pegasus Airlines and Flydubai with four weekly rotations, Air Serbia with three weekly services and Croatia Airlines with one weekly flight. During the January - August period, the airport handled 178.899 passengers, down 78.1% on the same period last year. The number of aircraft movements fell by 59.3% to 3.933. At the start of the 2019/2020 winter season, Lufthansa is expected to resume operations from Munich, while Wizz Air is to restore flights from Budapest in December.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Federal Parliament has rejected a proposal for part of the state tax for the development of air transport, which is collected from Sarajevo Airport, be kept by the operator. The majority of MPs in the House of Representatives voted against the motion. The tax amounts to ten euros per passenger. Sarajevo Airport has said that work on the construction of its new terminal, although progressing, has been slowed due to the virus, a drop in revenue and the accumulation of financial losses throughout the year. To help combat the financial fallout from Covid, Tuzla Airport recently introduced a one euro coronavirus tax.
Somehow I don't see more airlines coming next year at this point.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with this opinion but the General Manager of Sarajevo Airport must be optimistic (or any Manager of any airport), positive forecasts for their business is the only way they can try to convince their creditors and suppliers that bill will be paid one day, preferably not in very distant future.
DeleteI'll believe it when I see it. SJJ is by far the worst managed airport in the country. Unrealistically high airport charges lead to expensive tickets which force many airlines to leave.
ReplyDeleteBNX, Tuzla and soon Trebinje will be LCC friendly airports that will cover the whole country, each from its own side. The middle of the country will go to the edges to catch an affordable flight.
I can't wait Trebinje to be built.
DeleteBut Trebinje isnt going to build for LCC? Wasnt the plan to build airport there for flights to BEG because there is only demand for these flights?
DeleteHow can you know where there is demand from an airport that's not even built? Trebinje will be served by both commercial and cargo flights. Serbian government wants this airport to be a cheaper alternative to the overpriced and expensive DBV. I expect FR or W6 to be all over this airport. Potential is big.
DeleteDBV is expensive and overpriced but still somehow LCCs make 50% share there? Where is logic in that? And how i can know how large demand there is if airport is not even built? On the same way i know there is no potential for daily flights between Sydney and Prishtina.
Delete"cargo flights" here we go again........
DeleteEverything is possible and each region has the right to defend its aim and ambitions. If Trebinje wants to become cargo, then let it be. At least it is making some attempts.
DeleteThe fees aren't set up by the airport and are waived for all LCC companies. They have been set up by the government and are the only thing keeping Mostar airport alive and they also help Tuzla.
DeleteSarajevo Airport should offer someone like Wizz Air subsidies to set up a base. Otherwise I think it will continue struggling in the immediate post corona period which won't come soon either.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteA major issue was that BiH asked for negative PCR test for entry from all foreigners (except Croatians and Serbians) until very recently.
ReplyDeleteWhich is a good measure if you ask me and many others ..
Deletedidnt help much anyway if you watch the numbers recently
DeleteAt least LH is coming back which is good news.
ReplyDelete6 airlines is not that bad. Take into account that Ljubljana, an EU capital whose citizen can enter anywhere in the EU also have just 6 airlines serving it.
ReplyDeleteYes but LJU has ZAG and VCE really close to it and those airports are offering far more options. SJJ has nothing of that sort.
DeleteBosnia also has a much larger diaspora compared to Slovenia.
Delete»…EU capital whose citizen can enter anywhere in the EU…«. No, there is no ban on entry but far away from no restrictions, especially if you look both sides of the travel. Finland is “Green” for Slovenia but Slovenia is “red” for Finland. Portugal is “orange” for Slovenia, so in principle “green”, but the Lisbon districts is “red” for Slovenia.
DeleteAnd it is not only restrictions, there is also very little going on people will travel for “business”, international fairs, conferences, meetings, all kind of events people use to travel and those travels represented quite a substancial part of “demand” from LJU.
Which new carriers could come?
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to attract airlines that once used to fly to Saarjevo like Biritish Airways, Aegean, Alitalia.
DeleteI doubt Alitalia will be interested as they are currently experiencing more and more problems. I think the first step is to open the airport at night, you will get at least more flights from JU and OS.
DeleteSaudia, Kuwait Airways, flyadeal or some sort of that probably.
DeleteForget about Alitalia
DeleteCumon, 78% is not that bad. Some airports were hit by a whopping 91%.
ReplyDeleteOnce the Hungarians reopen the borders, BUD will once again be restored. Go SJJ!
SJJ had few routes to begin with. No flights to Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, London, Stockholm... with covid, expect at least another 5 yrs until these are established.
Deletelook again: Jan-Aug is 78% but Aug is much more i guess
DeleteDo you guys think Tuzla will stay ahead of Sarajevo passenger wise for the rest of the year?
ReplyDeleteTZL is starting to struggle now with all the Wizz cuts. I think SJJ will still be the no. 1 Bosnian airport at the end of the year.
DeleteI also think SJJ will come out on top.
DeleteI think SJJ has so much potential in general but the management really has to work harder.
ReplyDeleteHow long will the delay be for the terminal construction?
ReplyDeleteThey were supposed to be finished this winter, so it will probably now be spring 2021.
DeleteIt seems to be going well so far but yeah spring probably
DeleteTK are actually gonna fly 5 weekly SJJ-IST with A321!
ReplyDeleteFrom when?
DeleteFrom 25.10
DeleteThey were planning to fly 3 daily A321 to Sarajevo this summer. :(
DeleteDon't worry, they are bookable in spring...3 daily SJJ-IST:
Delete1) 09:00
SJJSarajevo
12:00
IST
Istanbul
Flight Duration
2h
Itinerary details
ECONOMY
Per passenger
EUR114,77
BUSINESS
Per passenger
EUR401,77
Direct
2) 14:15
SJJSarajevo
17:10
IST
Istanbul
Flight Duration
1h 55m
Itinerary details
ECONOMY
Per passenger
EUR114,77
BUSINESS
Per passenger
EUR401,77
Direct
3) 20:55
SJJSarajevo
23:55
IST
Istanbul
Flight Duration
2h
Itinerary details
It's like that only because they have not revised next summers timetables yet.
Deleteexactly. like at every other airline
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the parliament refuse to help them?
ReplyDeleteBosnian bureaucracy.
DeleteHow much money were they asking for?
Delete"Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Federal Parliament has rejected a proposal for part of the state tax for the development of air transport, which is collected from Sarajevo Airport, be kept by the operator."
DeleteI think the state tax is 10 euros.
What happened to Flybosnia?
ReplyDeleteThey ended the lease for their only plane so...
Deletehttps://www.sarajevo-airport.ba/Page/Statistika
ReplyDeleteseems August had 22.014 passengers which means - 87% compared to Aug '19 (178.943)
As you can see here, some other airports were hit much harder:
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2020/10/skopje-airport-reaches-32-of-2019.html
@11.56 are you for real? compare the numbers from your link with the link from @12.18.
Delete(If you dont know matematiku we are here to help)
Sarajevo has a potential for winter tourism with Bjelasnica and Jahorina less than 45 min away. Very few ski resorts are this close to the airport. Also, not many hosted Olympic events. Massive opportunity in my opinion. I do understand that fog is an issue in winter time, not sure how big though.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteLast year, two times I landed to Belgrade, and once returned to Vienna due to fog at airport of Sarajevo!
ReplyDeleteThat is not acceptable!
There is not much they can do about that other than build a new airport at a different location.
DeleteIt does not happen that much . No need for an expensive new airport .
DeleteHope Eurowings comes back.
ReplyDeleteWhy should new carriers look for Sarajevo when opening flights to other airports in that region have a much better chance of being succesfull ?!
ReplyDeleteSJJ needs to lower its charges.
DeleteWhat airlines did SJJ loose?
ReplyDeleteAegean, Eurowings, Norwegian, Kuwait Airways, Flynas for now.
DeleteHow many passengers can Sarajevo expect this year.
ReplyDelete350,000
Delete