Emirates is continuing to expand its reach in the region with the airline concluding new codeshare flights to Belgrade, signalling its commitment to return to Zagreb, and eying new markets for its expanding fleet. The airline has set a target to have its entire 118-strong Airbus A380 fleet in the air next summer, with eighty currently active, which would free up a number of Boeing 777 aircraft currently being used in lieu of its larger counterpart. As Emirates has continued taking delivery of jets throughout the pandemic, it will look to expand its network next year to employ its entire fleet. It has increasingly indicated Southeast Europe as a potential point for future growth.
Earlier this year the Serbian Prime Minister held talks with the Founder and CEO of Emirates, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in Dubai. Cooperation has since intensified with the Emirate, with Dubai's Crown Prince, Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, currently visiting Serbia. The export of perishable items to Dubai, such as fruits and vegetables, has increased in recent months, requiring growing cargo capacity. Yesterday, Emirates announced it would add its designator code and flight numbers onto Aegean Airlines’ service between Athens and Belgrade this coming winter season. The codeshare will go into effect from October 30 and will become Emirates’ second codeshare partner to the Serbian capital after Flydubai. Emirates currently serves Athens with twelve weekly flights operated by a Boeing 777 aircraft. This winter, Aegean plans to maintain four weekly rotations to Belgrade with its Airbus A320-family jet. Aegean’s service to the Serbian capital is already codeshared by Air Serbia and Egypt Air.
Emirates discontinued flights to Zagreb in 2020 at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the airline said that it hopes to restore services to the Croatian capital. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, Zagreb is on the cards for Emirates once feeder markets in Asia fully reopen and travel confidence returns to the continent. As a result, the seasonal service to Zagreb would become both commercially and operationally feasible. Flydubai, which has served as Emirates’ replacement on the route since this summer, has scheduled flights to the Croatian capital into the 2023 summer season, which begins next March.
Although Emirates is considering a greater presence in the region, the existing make-up of its fleet and the delay in the delivery of new aircraft are causing issues in launching new markets with softer premium demand or greater seasonality. Deliveries of Boeing 787 Dreamliners have been pushed back by at least a year until 2024, with the US plane maker's resuming deliveres of the jet just last week after a seventeen-month suspension over structural flaws. The Dubai-based carrier ordered thirty of the twin-aisle jets three years ago as part of a broader deal that saw it cut the number of orders for larger 777X aircraft, now also delayed.
I think they will return to Zagreb in 2024 when all Asian markets are fully reopened.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Either next year or 2024 but 2024 looks more likely.
DeleteHopefully the A3 codeshare reduces their fares a bit. If you are looking at flying somewhere further away with them, they are really expensive.
ReplyDeleteYes, they have become extremely expensive since Covid.
DeleteTheir fares have gone up on average 30%.
DeleteQuite a bit
DeleteAll airlines have increased their fares considerably.
DeleteNot as much as them.
DeleteWhen it comes to Aegean, it could also be due to demand. ATH has almost reached pre-covid levels so planes are, I suppose, full. When it comes to Belgrade, I noticed JU went crazy with fares this summer while LH Group has actually lowered their fares.
DeleteNonsense.
DeleteWhat about Sarajevo?
ReplyDeleteYields might be an issue.
DeleteFZ currently flies 10 times per week, seems like the market is shifting more and more to AUH-SJJ which makes sense since fares are much lower.
DeleteI've noticed that FZ has a lot less flights to Sarajevo than it did a couple of years ago.
DeleteThere is a lot more competition than in the past. Now you have many Gulf airlines flying to SJJ. Before, FZ flights would be filled mostly with Kuwaitis. Now you have nonstop flights from Kuwait. There is also Gulf Air, Flynas etc.
DeleteThat's true
DeleteEmirates has a huge number of aircraft on order and will eventually have to factor in more cities in Eastern Europe into its plans. Hopefully we see more of them at our airports soon.
ReplyDeleteWith FZ flying to LJU and them not having at least daily flights to ZAG, I don't see how EK would make a comeback especially since they turned ZAG into a seasonal destination long before covid.
ReplyDeleteThey turned it seasonal because the flights were full in summer with tourists while even FZ can't fill the plane in winter.
DeleteMore and more airline from the Gulf are starting seasonal summer flights. Etihad started Nice and Mykonos
DeleteYes but 20% of the passengers were Slovenes which can fly nonstop from LJU now. That also changed since the last time EK was in ZAG.
DeleteI don't think you can compare Nice and Mykonos to Zagreb my friend. Both are high end tourist destinations.
DeleteZAG should have offered to Emirates what Greece has - flights to the US. Instead of rolling in the mud with Ryanair.
Delete^ +1
DeleteAnonymous 09:11
DeleteZAG cannot offer EK the most important thing that ATH has. Massive demand from the US to Greece. And neither does any other ExYu or Balkan city.
Just my2cents
Istanbul is a Balkan city my friend, they have at least 15 daily flights to the United States of America.
DeleteEK can not offer flights from IST to the US though. We are talking about possible things.
Delete@Anonymous 11:31
DeleteATH has 10 daily flights to the US and 4 or 5 to Canada.
And all of this traffic is O&D.
TK routes to North America on the other hand are greatly dependent on connections.
Emirates can not have that on a possible IST to US route. It will have to fill the plane with O&D demand.
Very, very difficult to do.
So for the foreseeable future I don't see them launching flights to the US from any Balkan city other than ATH.
Well it's good that they are focusing more and more on the region which was a black hole for them.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they link two cities?
ReplyDeleteIt's not competitive.
DeleteHope they add destinations in ex-Yu soon.
ReplyDeleteIf they are prepared to fly seasonally then BEG, SJJ and ZAG could work for Emirates in peak season.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd rather have 2 daily on FZ from BEG than 1 daily on EK.
DeleteIf trade between Serbia and the UAE is growing then maybe we will see EK Cargo launch a one weekly flight. TK Cargo seems to be sending their A330 instead of the A310 as was the case until recently.
I don't think the B737MAX has a lot of room for cargo.
Yes 737 MAX is an issue for cargo. Not enough space.
DeleteТК likes this.
DeleteFingers crossed
ReplyDeleteif EK does eventually start flying to the region, I wonder what QR's response would be.
ReplyDeleteThey could increase capacity and start sending widebodies.
DeleteQR has kind of retreated from the region. No more flights to Skopje, seasonal flights to Sarajevo, halved network to Zagreb...
DeleteThey've also decimated their presence in BEG, from 10 weekly A321/320 to just five weekly A319/320.
DeleteQatar Airways does not have an A319 so I don't know where you got that rubbish from. They flew 10 weekly in July, August and September. Now they fly daily (since 1st June) In September it will be 5 weekly. I wouldn't call from 7 to 5 weekly a decimation.
Delete10 flights were operated only 3 months per year - June, July, August. It did not reduce from 10 to 5 it reduced from 10 to 7 as there are 7 weekly flights this June, July and August.
DeleteNow that would be a nice sight
ReplyDeleteWhen did EK start ticket sales for Zagreb and how long was that before flights started?
ReplyDeleteThey started sales in the first half of January and launched flights in June.
DeleteI also think there is potential for EK in these markets.
ReplyDeleteWhat about Ljubljana?
DeleteWhat about it?
DeleteIt would be better for LJU to get new Doha flights and maintain current Dubai flights with Flydubai.
DeleteIt took LJU over 10 years to get Flydubai. It will take it much long to get Emirates.
DeleteWhat matters is that LJU's recovery has started and numbers are finally starting to grow nicely. Airlines will come especially next summer should be really, really good.
DeleteWe heard how airlines will come this year. Not a single new destination this year. I doubt it will be anything different next year.
DeleteFZ product is far from EK - little leg space, IFE requires extra payment, meal and drink service very poor, while the airfare is on par with EK. QR would be very welcome addition to LJU. Until then, TK offer far better product and connections (apart from Australia, NZ).
DeleteLjubljana's issue is that they're too close to Zagreb, Schengen border is going down on 1st of Jan, between Croatia and Slovenia as Croatia joins the Schengen and eurozone on Jan 1st. Slovenian Railways are launching service connecting Zagreb with Ljubljana. Rail track between Zagreb and Slovenian Border has been modernized and upgraded for speed of up to 160kmph, and Slovenian Railways intend to upgrade Ljubljana - Zagreb route between 2023-2025 for speeds of up to 140kmph. This would cut travel time between Zagreb and Ljubljana by train from current 1h.45min down to 1h,10min. This will help many in Slovenia use Zagreb as their primary airport.
DeleteCurrently around 10% of all travellers out of Zagreb airport are from Slovenia, by 2030 this figure could be around 35%.
The deal they have with Flydubai is perfect for them. But with strong demand, it is time EK to start thinking about sending its own metal.
ReplyDeleteThis cooperation with Flydubai gives them the chance to make these work on a year round basis.
DeleteI still can't believe that Flydubai isn't considering returning to Skopje.
ReplyDeleteThey would be back if there was enough demand.
DeleteIt's odd. Maybe their loads weren't that good pre-covid.
DeleteSomeone should question what SKP management is doing. They lost FZ and QR. The only airline they attracted in the last 3 years is easyjet with a minimal number of flights.
DeleteThey also brought LOT and got more flights to Turkey. What else do you expect from a small, regional airport like SKP?
DeleteOne of the favorite topics for ex-yu aviation fans is waiting for Emirates ;)
ReplyDeleteThey are one of the world's best known and valuable brand. Of course everyone wants them to fly to their airport. Don't see anything wrong with that.
DeleteWord on the street is they have already made their intentions to start some flights clear but Flydubai was not happy at all.
ReplyDeleteCroatia needs to do more to stimulate local travel. The suspension of these long haul routes have shown more or less that all these flights are heavily dependent on tourism only.
ReplyDeleteTourism from Asia to Europe is still greatly depressed everywhere.
Delete@ 10:24
DeleteThat can only be done by increasing the households’ disposable income across the country. That can’t happen with too much reliance on a single (summer) season and ridiculous taxes, such as a 25% VAT on some quite basic products.
I suggest Emirates tries Dubrovnik seasonal in the future
ReplyDeleteFly Dubai, Qatar, Etihad Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, Flynas, Saudia plus all the Israeli airlines have seasonal services to Santorini and Mykonos.
DeleteDBV can tap on that market too. Especially with the return of Australian tourists in Europe.
You can’t compare Santorini and Mykonos to DBV, Greek islands have gone crazy this year and I don’t think Dubrovnik can support these markets.
DeleteAs EK rebuilds its business they will be focusing on yields and business traffic. So probably ex-Yu destinations won't be a high priority for the time being.
ReplyDeleteBEG might be on their radar due to strong FZ and cargo presence.
DeleteI hope so
DeleteThere is simply no need for a big B777 on flights to BEG or ZAG at the moment.
ReplyDeleteBEG has double daily FZ so a daily 777 could work.
Delete354 seat airplane on these routes is overkill.
DeleteThey have 10 B772 with 304 seats.
DeleteYou do realise that currently there are more than 650 seats on offer by flydubai between Dubai and Belgrade return daily - and most flight are sold out, including Business. Also W6 captures a portion of the Dubai traffic via Abu Dhabi, in addition.
DeleteThis they achieved with their shiny new MAXs but horrific onboard comfort (seats) and abysmal service for a 5+ hour flight. But since the competition to the Gulf is rather weak (QR's ageing A320s and Wizzair sardine express to AUH), they're safe for now even though many passengers avoid them at all costs. However, with such high load factors, spillage must be substantial with cargo potential almost entirely ignored. I dare to say that Emirates could easily fill-up a 777-200LR daily on the route especially considering the fares that FZ charges - both pax and cargo while generating new transit traffic, at present beyond the reach of FZ.
Bravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteZAG was the only seasonal route in their network. The few other they had have all been relegated to FZ, so we will see if ZAG comes back to their network.
ReplyDeleteI hope Emirates will not overlook SKP this time and introduce at least a daily flight!
ReplyDeleteActually I heard they are speeding up the reintroduction of the A380 to their fleet because they need it for SKP flights.
Delete+1
DeleteAnonymous 10:56
DeleteLOL, so true!
They are also considering to apply for permits to operate DXB-SKP-JFK due to the huge demand there is between the US and N Macedonia.
DeleteOf course, lol
DeleteYes, I heard they are planning for 6 daily A380 flights, like to LHR, to SKP, and then continuing on to JFK, ORD, LAX, YYZ, MIA, DFW, and on the return flight to NRT!
DeleteWonderful comments. So mature!
DeleteTake a joke.
DeletePerhaps when they get 787 in 2024, they can use it to Zagreb and Belgrade on a year round basis.
ReplyDeleteThe arrival date of those B787 is not firm. Boeing is plagued by delivery and production delays.
DeleteWhy doesn't Croatia Airlines codeshare on the Zagreb - Dubai flights? Both with EK in the past and Flydubai now.
ReplyDeleteMissing the opportunity to codeshare with EK in a sea of other missed opportunities is miniscule.
DeleteThey are too busy drinking coffee and gossiping in Buzin of flying around on ID tickets. Oh, yes, here and there they have to attend Party Central Comitee meetings
Deleteor flying around
Deletehahahah Pozdrav you gave me a good laugh, thank you.
Deletemost welcome! doing my best 😃
DeleteIf Emirates starts SKG service in 2023 as the Greek government wants to, I don’t think Flydubai will start SKP flights anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteThat will be great, if they commence flights, I expect Qatar to return to SKG asap as well, which will mean that for us who live just across the border between Greece and Macedonia, we will have excellent transfer options with an hour drive from the airport
DeleteIs there enough demand on an SKG-DXB route to justify a 777-300?
DeleteI think there is demand for Thessaloniki which is a huge city compared to some ex-yu cities, I don't think EK will go daily there and I also see a possibility of a DXB-ATH-SKG-DXB.
DeleteThe Balkan mentality never ceases to amaze me. All the airports in the former YU with the exception of BEG, and perhaps some day Zagreb are really just regional airports with little possibility of any major growth so long as tourism is not promoted properly and as long as everyone expects success overnight with little work and little investment.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is leaving the Balkans so no surprise there.
DeleteIt would be nice to have EK in BEG and this will probably happen when their 787 and A350 arrive.
ReplyDeleteIt would be also nice to have EY back because of their codeshare with YU.