Air Montenegro has been granted permits to commence seventh-freedom flights from Tuzla to Maastricht in the Netherlands and Istanbul but has been denied rights by the relevant authorities from Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Germany. According to the “Klix” portal, the regulator from Luxembourg is yet to respond to the permit request. The Bosnia and Herzegovina Civil Aviation Directorate has also given the green light to Air Montenegro, meaning the carrier can launch flights to the two abovementioned destinations, if it chooses to do so. Securing seventh-freedom rights, where an airline from a foreign country seeks to fly between two countries that are not its own, is usually a complicated process.
Air Montenegro is expected to launch flights from Tuzla in late November, if it proceeds with its plans. Initially the carrier intended on basing an aircraft in the city, however, that now seems unlikely with approvals secured for just two destinations. The Montenegrin carrier is aiming to reduce the sharp seasonality in its network by focusing on Tuzla in the winter months. On the other hand, Tuzla Airport is keen to replace Wizz Air’s traffic following the closure of the budget carrier’s base in the city and the termination of most of its routes.
The government of the Tuzla Canton recently announced it would launch a public call to subsidise airlines that introduce flights from the city. It has allocated roughly 1.27 million euros in subsidies. “By subsidising airlines, we want to restore routes that were discontinued with the departure of Wizz Air. We have held discussions and made agreements with several airlines. We do not anticipate spending all the funds, but we want to share the risk. A public call for airlines will be issues in the coming days where all the details will be defined”, the Prime Minister of the Tuzla Canton, Irfan Halilagić, said.
.jpg)
They should be focusing on Podgorica and Tivat
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteMaybe they can try with Air Srpska AOC since it’s Bosnian AOC. Probably not active for long time but could work for Tuzla since no need for seventh freedom rights!
DeleteThis is the best comment ever
DeleteWell I don't know what they expected. It was highly unlikely they would get these permits.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they got one for IST.
DeleteAs we know IST gives all permissions. Even Kabul works.
DeleteAnd in return, TK gets all permissions as well. Not bad deal for a superior carrier with limitless supplies, not at all.
DeleteIstanbul sounds workable but Maastricht seems very random..i think a audit of where that 1.27milliok actually ends up should be encouraged..for its unlikely to be into aviation.
ReplyDeleteIt's impossible to get Amsterdam slots so I think that's why they went for Maastricht.
DeleteIt would have been random if Germany granted approvals to Air Montenegro. The NWR area in Germany is really a gasto hub and Maastricht airport is the closest foreign airport to the NRW area and it's also cheap. However Maastricht defenitly has not the best geographical place. If we look in the Netherlands the biggest part of the Bosnian dispora lives 2 hours away from Maastricht and for the Bosnians in Germany is also not top. However if you can only choose between Dordmund and Maastricht it will most likely work.
DeleteMaastricht is similar to what JAT used to do when all European countries stopped them from flying. Netherlands was one of the last ones, hence they rerouted passengers to Maastricht, to an airport close to all neighboring countries, to maintain some sort of connectivity, until the Dutch pulled the plug as well.
DeleteThat changes operation plans. Instead of having based a/c they will ferry fly to TZL and back just for two rotations. No math at all.
ReplyDeleteVery strange pick. I used MST airport in 2011 and at the time, the terminal was sooo small, you can see the aircraft so big when you exit the terminal on the road. It is mainly used by many Belgians from Wallonia because it is very close by car and those going to Costa Blanca in Alicante because there is a sizeable diaspora of approx. 20,000 Belgians living there (mainly old people).
ReplyDeleteI don't know how MST-TZL or MST-IST would work, it just feels so weird and operated by a Montenegrin airline. As someone correctly said above, why not focus expanding TGD and conquering the Iberian market and try Madrid and resume Lisbon instead? Also not 1 single flight to PRG?! How so if Czechs love seaside destinations. Also focus on other Slovak destinations such as Kosice. So many opportunities but yeah lets focus on a Dutch village having barely 260 thousand passengers annually and a terminal that looks like an 80s shopping mall.....smfh
4O is in a different environment compared to YM. JU, W6, FR expanded during the crisis, we also lost Moscow. I think they are doing very well with the number of destinations at YM levels. Rome to come, German routes. It seems to expand from TGD, TIV as well.
DeleteCongratulations! A new era in ex YU aviation is about to begin guys.
ReplyDeleteMaastricht. Some criticize it, but I think there is a good opportunity to travel to the Netherlands and Belgium - it is next to the border, also to Germany.
ReplyDeleteIstanbul. These will be transfers, as Bosnians are used to. People will move forward with Turkish Airlines or another airline.
JAT used to fly daily to Maastricht back in the 1992, after Germany banned it from flying and before UN sanctions.
DeleteIs 4O low-cost carrier?
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteAt the beginning it was mentioned that they are. OK thanks!
DeleteNo one mentioned they were an LCC...
Delete2021 article from Ex-Yu Aviation.
Delete"The Montenegrin government hopes for the country’s new national airline, known under the working title ToMontenegro, to launch before April 1, in time for the 2021 summer season, however, only if it is able to take over commercial agreements, staff and aircraft from the country’s former flag carrier. Otherwise, the process may take up to nine months. Furthermore, the state expects for the new airline to operate under a low cost carrier (LCC) model. “We are looking to transfer everything that we can from Montenegro Airlines into the new company. We are in discussions with Embraer to take over the aircraft which operated at the former airline. In terms of staff, part of them will start work at the new airline, while others will be offered renumeration packages."
This was over 2 years ago and the airline has been in operation since. Government officials just blurted whatever.
DeleteWhy Maastricht? Why not Amsterdam?
ReplyDeleteCapacity and slot restraints at AMS. They are literally chasing away airlines from AMS.
DeleteNo slots, also MST is near Belgium and Germany.
DeleteAmsterdam is expensive.
DeleteThis won't end well.
ReplyDeleteIt really won't
DeleteSo they will be on sale soon? Hopefully TGD will also be released, better that way instead of an empty plane coming.
ReplyDeleteYeah but when u consider the cost of ground operations for that flight, it may not be profitable for them if only 10-20 people fly on the route. Its much more simple if a crew comes and operates that flight empty. No check in desks, no boarding process, no baggage, no stairs...
DeleteYou're right.
DeleteWell, at least the rest of Wizz Air's flights are operated with the A321NEO. That's a lot of places. The addition of 40 will be the best thing for TZL. Let's hope for more routes. I hope something happens.
ReplyDeleteThat's 4O, not 40.
DeleteThat's 4O, not 40.
DeleteThat's 4O, not 40.
Delete4O has the opportunity to become the number one airline in terms of the number of destinations in BiH. Let's hope these permit plans stick around going forward, or are they being abandoned?
ReplyDeleteAnyone looking at the Ryanair timetable from BNX? Looks like only BER will drop. That leaves 6 destinations. Looks like FR is being used and will continue to be used since the TZL decline. BNX and BEG have stolen many passengers from TZL in the past years.
ReplyDeletelol
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how much tickets will cost.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if they will bother with Tuzla if they can just launch 2 routes.
ReplyDeleteThey will start IST-TZL for sure.
DeleteHear me out - get AOC in Slovenia, apply for tender that you already did, get access to EU market and operate W rotations from Ljubljana to EU and back to Tuzla
ReplyDeleteAnd cancel them every other day when the aircraft can't land ín Tuzla because of the constant fog and the low category ILS. Cunning plan.
DeleteThe fog is really a problem. I am getting annoyed when there is fog at Skp for some period during the winter at night, and not to mention constant fog. It is stressful when you have a flight and you dont knoe if you are gong to depart or land in your city or in Sofia.
DeleteBoth old and current governments justified incentives for flag carrier by underlining the importance of having domestic carrier for Montenegro connectivity. Now it's being used for Tuzla connectivity 🤡
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteHope they get approval from Luxembourg
ReplyDeleteThis is not a sustainable long term solution for Tuzla
ReplyDeleteNow expecting
ReplyDelete2pw TGD-TZL-IST-TZL-MST-TZL-TGD
and 1pw TGD-TZL-IST-TZL-TGD
They are not launching TGD-TZL toute.
DeleteWell, it is now more likely to happen than before the denial of so many routes.
Delete