Latvia’s national carrier airBaltic will commence flights from its hub in Riga to Ljubljana, Skopje and Pristina next May. Services on all three routes will be maintained twice per week with the Airbus A220-300 aircraft. It will mark the first time the three cities have been linked to Riga with a scheduled air service. Flights to Ljubljana and Skopje will be inaugurated on May 2, while services to Pristina will commence on May 4. During the 2024 summer season, airBaltic plans to add eleven new routes - seven from Latvia, two from Estonia, and two from Lithuania. Tickets for the new routes can now be purchased through the airline’s website.
| Route | Launch date |
|---|---|
| Riga - Ljubljana | MAY 2 |
| Riga - Skopje | MAY 2 |
| Riga - Pristina | MAY 4 |
Click on link for details
Commenting on the network additions, airBaltic’s CEO, Martin Gauss, said, “When preparing for the next season, we always carefully evaluate the market situation and the passenger demand. This time, we have identified an opportunity to widen our network in Central and Southeastern Europe with connections to Baltic and Nordic countries. Therefore, we are glad to expand the airBaltic offering next summer with convenient direct flights to this region and also increase flight frequencies on our existing leisure and business routes”. Passengers flying from Ljubljana and Skopje to the Baltics primarily do so through LOT Polish Airlines via Warsaw, while those from Pristina opt to do fly with Austrian Airlines based on data from indirect passenger flow.
The development comes after the airline commenced seasonal operations from Riga to Belgrade and Tivat this summer, as well as from Tallinn to Dubrovnik and Split, all of which will be restored next year. airBaltic was the only carrier to apply for the Slovenian government’s public call last month aimed at improving the country’s air connectivity in return for subsidies. The state commission for the granting of aid determined that airBaltic meets all the set requirements. As a result, the new service will be subsidised and is the second route to be introduced as part of the government scheme, with the first to be launched next month by Luxair from Luxembourg. On the other hand, Skopje Airport recently said it was targeting better connectivity with primary airports across Europe, while Kosovo passport holders will be able to travel to most European Union member states visa free as of January 1, 2024, which is expected to increase demand for air travel.
Very good news for everyone from Ex-Yu as well as SOF, TIA, KIV.
ReplyDeleteAnd above all to my fellow citizens from LJU. I sincerely hope there will be more flights from LJU (and why not participate in the creation of the national carrier
This!
DeleteAnd avoid ZAG 💅🏻
ReplyDeleteThis is a price that Zagreb is paying for conditions that they gave to FR, many times i wrote and still i am sure that FR will push back Zagreb in long term.
DeleteLJU was very smart not to become more expensive when ZAG increased their fares. Now they are making the most of the situation.
DeleteYou do realise Slovenia is paying for this route?
Deleteliterally only BEG and i think TIV do not subsidies the Air Baltic flights. it would be great for Air Baltic to fly to ZAG but Croatia shouldn't pay for it. and when ZAG grows in economy and demand then Air Baltic will ask permission to start the route on their own.
DeleteAnon 09:15
DeleteThey prefer to ignore the fact that half of this flights' airport costs will be covered by Slovenian government.
@9.26 lol how did you come to this conclusion. Only LJU is
DeleteSo far, I had "excuse" for ZAG to be "covered" with BT in RJK, at least seasonally. But starting LJU in addition to RJK, and not ZAG, with incentives offered by ZAG, someone would have reacted immediately. In a normal country, which Croatia becomes less and less day by day. Bravo Hrvatska!
Delete@09:33
Deleteif LJU cant make it work without subsidies with their much larger economy and much larger income from citizens then there is no chance that Air Baltic is flying to Skopje without a subsidies or some concessions, least of all Pristina.
Just like how Ryan Air pays less airport fees in Croatia.
And stil it has more then twice passengers then LJU. You cant compare markets like that and you dont know if they cant make LJU working without support
DeleteAnd still airbaltic decided to launch LJU, PRN and SKP (together with TIV, BEG and other cities last year) instead of ZAG.
DeleteCroatia is different to those countries in that it has more than one airport to attract airlines. Unlike those other countries Croatia has 3 Air Baltic destinations. and all without subsidies. so it doesnt matter they dont fly to ZAG.
DeleteYeh it doesnt matter at all .. when Ryanair pays only 5€
DeleteImagine ZAGs numbers without OUs hundreds of milions of € state aid and FRs mega incentives
DeleteWhat difference does it make to someone living in ZAG if BT flies to SPU or DBV? They are not going to travel all the way there to catch a flight. They will just go to LJU and get it over with.
Deletewell see how long the routes to Skopje last without the subsidies/ concessions. especially to PRN.
Deletewe saw what happened in the last 2 weeks with all the airlines cancelling the routes to PRN. they flew while they were getting something and it seems they stopped getting it so they stopped flying.
This is a nice surprise!
ReplyDeleteHalf of them will be gone by the time they launch the route.
DeleteEnvy much?
DeleteTo whoever is reading this from Ljubljana airport - your Luxair logo is outdated - please fix it :D
ReplyDeleteLast time you updated your website within 6h of my comment - let's see what happens today.
Either way good addition for Ljubljana
I have no idea how they managed to mess up the logo (just checked it for myself). Imagine doing business with someone and they can't even get the logo right
DeleteAtleast they have correct logos of their owners.
DeleteFixed within 24h
DeleteMaybe all we need to do is complain on here :D
The schedule to SKP and PRN is not the best.
ReplyDeleteYeah those are very uncomfortable hours.
Deleteyeah very uncomfortable hours especially for the return flight
DeleteMaybe it is because of connections? I assume they have a morning wave from Riga
DeleteYeah for sure they have flights to Helsinki, Arlanda and Tallinn in the morning, plus during the late night hours in summer is very busy at Skp, not good at all.
Deletethey do have morning flights to the mentioned ones and also very late arrivals
DeleteActually, depending on how you look at it, it can actually be a fantastic schedule. If you want a weekend trip to Riga, the flights are perfect from Skopje: fly out early Friday morning, return home late Sunday night. You get full 3 days on a 2-night stay.
DeleteIf you look into their Riga departures and arrivals, you will see that this schedule connects around 15 destinations, including all Scandinavian capitals and also cities in Germany, Netherlands, France, Belgium. Clearly, they target diaspora traffic via Riga.
DeleteAnon 18:20 That sleepless first day is gonna be so much fun 😊
DeleteAnon 20:09 Small sacrifice, especially for young people who enjoy city-hopping (which a lot of people in Macedonia do this past decade, since it became more affordable - a new lifestyle that contributed to the growth of SKP). One can always catch up on sleep later.
DeleteMe 👋
DeleteWho on earth would fly RIX-PRN?! Even DY is struggling and HEL flights were never resumed. I expect this one to be the first to be cut.
ReplyDeleteProbably er baltik has too many airplanes and start whatever is possible
Delete"whatever is possible"...
DeleteIt seems that Zagreb does not even belong to "whatever" group.
Zagreb doesn’t attract other airlines so it’s the airport’s problem, not the airline
DeleteSuch a shame they are not coming back to BEG. They loaded their summer timetable and there is no BEG. Oh well. Best of luck in these other places..
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for you, they are in the system from 4th May. Stop spreading lies.
DeleteThey just experiment left and right
Delete^ it is not true. You can buy tickets on their website from 4th May, each Tuesday and Saturdat. This is what I call classic spreading of misinformation
DeleteThere is actually a possibility that Air Baltic may operate Belgrade year round. They have flights in the system for the entire winter but they are just zeroed out, meaning tkts are not on sale. So let's see.
DeleteAre you at least embarrassed now anon 09:04?
DeleteYou were hoping that BT won't be flying to BEG anymore, but reality slammed you in the face.
The only loser here is your airport that lost Finanir and TAP. Iberia also still does not have your airport in a schedule for next year! Yay!
^Don't forget Vueling
DeleteYou are right, I forgot Vueling.
DeleteSo many airlines leave and they are "worried" about Belgrade.
Pathetic.
Zagreb losing again...
ReplyDeleteWhat are they losing?
DeleteDignity? Pride? Connectivity? Taxes paid by new carrier? Possible to get more tourists in the city? Possibility to have more affordable prices which BT has? Increased passenger numbers for the airport? Additional services new passengers would use and pay at the airport? Possibility to have more transfer passengers for home based carrier? Let's say everything what every single airport is losing when missed to attract new carrier. Enough? Need more?
DeleteYes, dignity, and pride are crucial in doing business...
DeleteThe question was not "what Zagreb is losing business-wise" but "what Zagreb is losing", very general. My answer included both business side losses and overall losses, which include pride and dignity. But I love when some very wise people twist facts, comment only one smaller part of the posts and disregard most of the things said or written, just in order to look even smarter and prove right. Just go on like that, you'll come long way....
DeleteZAG airport management doing their job horrible - one step forward and then 100 steps backwards. Totally useless management. Kids from kindergarten would better manage ZAG airport than current people overthere.
ReplyDeleteNo, your turn to hail Bravo Hrvatska to apartchiks, uhljebs and spineless puppets
DeleteAnother great addition for Skopje! They have been adding a lot of new airlines lately.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteOh wow, was only expecting LJU. Nice work BT!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see airbaltic expanding in the region
ReplyDeleteNot such good news for LOT
DeleteLOT's main source of transfer passengers on ex-Yu routes are from/to North America. Only exception is from Ljubljana.
Delete@9.36 and how do you know that?
DeleteBecause they have said it numerous times and it has been published here several times too.
DeleteBT has been building a serious hub for years now. It's a good option for transfer.
Delete@9.41 well find it if it says main source is NA
DeleteI'm not so sure their PRN flights will work out. LOT cancelled their flights to PRN after one summer and they have flights to US and Canada.
ReplyDeleteNice. I actually thought they would do seasonal flights to Ohrid rather than Skopje but this works out nicely too.
ReplyDeleteThey were flying to Ohrid a few years ago.
DeleteIt was the Estonian Nordica that flew there for one seasons, it wasn't air baltic,
DeleteTrue, sorry my mistake
Deletenice new east european addition for SKP. We stil wait for PRG
ReplyDeleteIts possibly to see that addition from SKP next year ..
DeletePRG is Wizzair material
DeleteExcellent news. Wish them good luck.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very decent airline
ReplyDeletePristina is the biggest surprise for me.
ReplyDeleteWhy is that?
DeleteGreat job for SKP , keeps getting more and more new routes and airlines , cant wait to see Amsterdam , CDG , Munich , Madrid .... and of course return of Doha and Dubai :))
ReplyDeleteAgree. Gulf flights are now really missing. Should be a priority.
DeleteCome to Belgrade, all these destinations are already there :)
DeleteThey will probably return 2024 I mean they must , it is big demand for New zealand/Australia people who havent returned to Macedonia since the Covid19 ...And most of them are not coming back just because of this flights ...
DeleteThey are coming back via Jakarta, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur and then to Istanbul and to Skopje. Its 30 hours duration trip.
DeleteGreat airline
ReplyDeleteThis is good news. Air baltic has really been inactive in this region, except for the Croatian coast a couple of months per year until 2023. Good to see things are changing.
ReplyDeleteAll the Baltic states are actually all very beautiful and well worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteDuring the summer heat it was the best (breathing) destination in continental Europe. Unless you are going to the mountains you can't find a better one. But in the mountains you don't have such nice cities.
DeleteFinally they discovered the Balkans.
ReplyDeleteThis region is becoming increasingly interesting
DeleteWhat about Sarajevo? :(
ReplyDeleteThey have never mentioned it. It does not seem to be high on their priority list.
DeleteManagement is too busy making useless deals with Jordan Aviation.
DeleteWooow who would have thought about Skopje! If the Macedonian government is not so lazy and disinterested they will promote Macedonia, and especially Ohrid as a tourist destination in the Baltics. This year there were many tourists in Ohrid who were visiting the city while having a holiday in Albania. This is an opportunity to market the country as a full holiday destination.
DeleteOhrid is a good city but it is poor managed and maintained. The prices are do plafon and similar to those in Monte Carlo and Milan. Ohrid wants tourism with out giving anything in return.
DeleteWithout giving something in return? WTF did i just read
Delete..
Yeh good luck finding a room for 15-20€ in Monte Carlo or Milan ....
DeleteWhat are the fares like?
ReplyDeleteRound trip from Skopje to Riga is 176 euros but round trip from Skopje to Tallinn is 196 euros, from this i think that they main focus is transfer.
DeleteVracam se Zagrebe tebi, tebi na obale Save,
ReplyDeleteVracam se Zagrebe tebi, tebi pod zidine stare,
Zagreb, Zagreb......
If OU were and airline and not podguzna muha Lufthanse, they could have created strong hub in ZAG and could have created strong regional network. Then, in this case, they could have had two daily flights between ZAG and RIX, one operated by OU and one by BT, both code-shared, both scheduled to fit into which other wave system, and which would offer connections to ex-Soviet Union, Baltics and Scandinavia on one side, and Croatian coast, ex-yu and entire Balkans on the other side. BT and RIX did their part of the job. For OU and ZAG, we are waiting Jasmina da ispije kahvu and Olega izist janjetine
Was about to write exactly the same thing, minus podguzna muha, which by the way, is the funniest description of OU you ever created :)
DeleteMaybe they should change their ISTA code to PM :)
😃
Delete@notLufthansa
DeleteWhy change the code :) OU - organizirani uhljebi
LOL!
DeleteLook at BT in Belgrade, they are flying there exclusively to fill JU flights. Their flights don't connect to pretty much anything in Riga. Another benefit of JU's hub system.
DeletePrices are double they announced it first for LJU, does this mean it’s big demand?
ReplyDeleteI will definitely try them out… well done ljubljana. Hopefully something new is coming soon … Doha maybe?
DeleteScandi destinations from LJU were always one of most sought for. Since state is giving away the money for it, they either have a lot or too little demand. So either they are looking to recover cists or making big money :)
DeleteHow much is the state support? As far as i know not that big
DeleteThere is a formula for it, and it depends which tier they belong to, first or second. 5.6 mio was allicated per year, roughly 16.5 for period over three years
Deleteyes yes ... this is OK but they will only pay half of airport costs ... so this is not millions like someone is trying to say ...
DeleteBut it's still significant support, around 15 EUR per pax, which can make the route profitable.
Deleteyes, per PAX not empty seat ;)
DeletePer pax at expected LF of around 70%. But technically speaking part of it is per empty seat as well, as ground handling fee is subsidized as well and this is paid per rotation.
DeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteCould the BEG-RIG market support flights from a 2nd carrier?
ReplyDeleteWill it be worth trying for JU?
Nope.
DeletePrices are not bad at all: 120 € return in May.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Wizz Air, now Riga is on my travel list.
DeleteWhere do you see those prices? What I’m seeing is 170-180 € return from Skopje and Ljubljana, and ~160€ from Pristina.
DeleteJust before I posted that, I went to their website and checked. It seems they keep changing the price like crazy
Deletethese are actually great slots for LJU. Lots of connection options to scandinavia. I think this will not become my preffered airline for my regular flights up there and back.
ReplyDeletei think they had to do it if they wanted SUBs from G.
DeleteNo, this was not mandatory at all. It was their commercial decision. A smart one, as this route can not survive as P2P.
DeleteSkopje is winning again!
ReplyDeleteAnd will keep continue winning in the period thats comes..
DeleteYes! I think that next year we will have not only Barcelona, bur another second Spanish destination. It is a matter of time when the travel agencies here will begin to offer Spanish summer holidays. Also, Prague must be launched and two other routes of Wizz.
Delete😂
DeleteSkopje-Madrid is next with Iberia
Deletethe article makes it look like LJU is launched year round, while it's only seasonal from MAY to two thirds of August.
ReplyDeleteIt is to two thirds of August because it is not possible to book tickets more than a year in advance. Jeez
DeleteAnd btw, the route to LJU will be year round as subsidies are for full one year of operations.
Deletei thought they are for full 3 years ...
Delete