Greece’s national carrier, Aegean Airlines, will adjust its operations for the upcoming 2024/25 winter season, which runs from October 27 to March 29. The airline will no longer operate year-round flights between Athens and Podgorica. Instead, it will offer a twice-weekly service to the Montenegrin capital until November 17, after which flights will be suspended until December 18. Service will resume twice weekly for the holiday period until January 5, followed by another suspension lasting until the end of the winter season. This marks a change from the previous winter season, during which flights between Athens and Podgorica were maintained twice per week throughout the entire period.
Aegean Airlines also plans to reduce its operations to Skopje. Flights will operate four times per week, a decrease from the six weekly rotations offered during the previous winter. The Skopje - Sarajevo service will remain unchanged, with three weekly flights scheduled for November and December, before reducing to two weekly in January, February, and March, consistent with the 2023/24 season. Additionally, the Greek carrier has cancelled its plans to serve Ljubljana during the winter period, despite initially scheduling two weekly rotations. The last flight of the year to the Slovenian capital is set for November 1.
On the other hand, Aegean Airlines will increase frequencies on its routes to both Zagreb and Belgrade. The airline will operate three weekly flights to the Croatian capital in November, up from two weekly last winter. In December, it will maintain the same two weekly rotations as last year. Unlike the previous winter, when service was suspended in January, Aegean will continue to operate two weekly flights on the route throughout the month. February will see no changes, with two weekly flights, while services in March will increase from two to three weekly.
Aegean Airlines will increase its Belgrade operations from four to five weekly flights in November and from three to four weekly in December. In January, the airline will maintain two weekly flights, consistent with its schedule from the previous winter. Although Aegean initially planned to operate four weekly rotations to Belgrade in January, it has since removed those additional flights. For February and March, the airline will increase service to the Serbian capital to four times per week, up from three weekly during the same period in 2024. Over the winter months, Aegean will codeshare on Air Serbia’s flights from Belgrade to Athens, Thessaloniki, Sarajevo and Salzburg.
With the Ryanair suspensions and now Aegean, it's not looking like a good winter in Podgorica.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be a very quiet winter at TGD.
DeleteThey also have some issues with engines on neo planes, although not as bas as other airlines which might be the reason they are reducing some routes.
ReplyDeleteAegean always does this. They announce big plans and then a few months before winter cut half of the flights.
DeleteHaha true. Every year same story
DeleteHaving 9 planes grounded affect negatively their plans.
DeleteHopefully engine issues are resolved soon.
DeleteIt will take some time
DeleteDon't know why they never considered flights from Thessaloniki to ex-Yu cities.
ReplyDeleteIt's already covered by other airlines. JU from Belgrade, FR from Zagreb and Sarajevo. Skopje is too close and I don't think there is sufficient demand from Podgorica. Ljubljana could work possibly but that traffic is probably being catered out of Zagreb.
DeleteLJU has demand only for FRA!
DeleteAnd don't forget there are also Kraljevo- Thessaloniki flights :D
DeleteDoes Aegean have a big network from SKG?
DeleteYes, they fly to many destinations from SKG year round like AMS,BCN,FCO,MXP,TLV,MUC,ZRH,BRU,FRA etc. while offering seasonal flights to destinations like EVN, TBS, NUE, VCE, HAJ, CGN.
DeleteWinter is generally going to be with much lighter demand across Europe than originally thought.
ReplyDeleteYes, softer demand this summer compared to last year as well.
DeleteUnfortunate Sky Airlines from Greece didn't consider ex-Yu for their winter expansion. They added a bunch of routes in Europe.
ReplyDeleteWhych ones?
Delete*which
DeleteIt's Sky Express not Sky Airlines.
DeleteSky Express
DeleteYerevan, Tbilisi, Tirana, Prague, Vienna and Istnabul,
DeleteI think they might eventually launch ATH-BEG. I mean they already fly Heraklion-Belgrade.
DeleteOnly a charter, still waiting for their scheduled service at BEG. Hope it happens soon, there is a room for competition at Serbo-Greek market
DeleteI think I’m their next expansion they will start BEG. They fly to TIA and SOF the only airports I can see them flying in the area is BEG and OTP
DeleteMe too. Would be nice to see them with scheduled flights to BEG.
DeleteGood to see ZAG and BEG up
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWith all the Wizz Air reduction, doesn't help Skopje that Aegean is reducing flights too.
ReplyDeleteWinter is coming
ReplyDeleteIndeed
DeleteIt's pity that they didn't succeed to bring the route to Skopje to a daily flight, I'm not blaming them directly, I guess the market is not there yet...
ReplyDeleteAegean is way too expensive, at that point I’ll just drive myself to Athens from Skopje. A return ticket is always 200€+
DeleteAnd a return ticket with them for example SKP-ATH-AMS is also 200 euros. Just like with OS.
Delete@13.30 you mean 530€?? Please message me when you find a return flight witth A3 to AMS for 200€. Ke te castam vino!
Deleteaegeanair.com good luck in finding 200€ to anywhere
these frequencies are woeful.
ReplyDeleteAgree. For an airline Aegean's size, you would think they would be able to offer more frequencies to connect onto their vast network. Guess not.
Deleteex-Yu routes are weakest as there are generally few business passengers and most are ticketed on cheap fares.
DeleteMy thoughts too, even in summer Aegean is not really present on the market.
DeleteThey have 9 planes grounded
DeleteA3 does have a vast network, however it is to markets either already directly connected or better served by other carriers (JU, OS, LH, LX, AF, KL, LO).
DeleteI also don't feel they are very well known in ex-Yu markets. They should invest more in marketing in the region.
DeleteIs SKP operated with the ATR or Airbus?
ReplyDeleteATR
DeleteShame about the cuts, such an awesome airline in itself with great connection options.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best airlines in Europe in my opinion.
DeleteWow not a single route operating daily. I'm surprised.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteTime for FR to step in on ZAG-ATH route. They would blow away both OU and A3.
DeleteFR won't step in because FR can't get subsidies if it flies a route which is already served.
DeleteAn10:02 Actually the opposite Aegean blew away FR from Athens Airport
DeleteTo make things worse, Fraport runs almost every airport in Greece and still no winter flights to Ljubljana.
ReplyDeleteSimple. Fraport Slovenija's modus operandi is to secure good loads for LH cartel via FRA.
DeleteHow dare you with conspiracies again! Fraport is the best company!
DeleteYes, we see through their results in LJU.
DeleteOf course it is because of good results. They brought 6 airlines in one year! Govt subsidies are insignificant compared to huge discounts Fraport gives.
DeleteFraport brigade here. Fraport is an airport operator (and a very profitable one), not an airline.
DeleteThey are definitely not profitable in Slovenia, as their financial records show.
DeleteThank god we have someone to explain that Fraport is airport company and not an airline! We just need Fraport brigade to explain to us what a charter hub is and how is it successful!
DeleteThe comment above yours sarcastically showed how successful it is.
DeleteComments on LJU are so boring. No content at all, just the same repetitive Fraport ones. It’s annoying! You are not interesting or funny.
Delete@14:52 we should all praise Fraport as there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. Bravo Fraport!
Delete@14:52 This is exactly how all the comments are. No content. Either pro or contra the comments are the same contentless, not interesting or funny, just sad.
DeleteAnon 15:22. You are quite nice. It is actuality pathetic.
DeleteThey should try seasonal (summer) flights to Banja Luka.
ReplyDeletethey could try Athens-Pula too
DeleteWhy not Pristina
DeletePolitics
DeleteThey operated charters to BNX this summer too
DeleteHow come there is no codeshare between Croatia Airlines and Aegean? They are both Star alliance members. Makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteIt's odd especially considering they codeshare with JU
DeleteYes, and they are in the EU, eurozone and Schengen area. Mediterranean partners as well.
DeleteWhat added value would an OU codeshare bring them?
Deletedaily access to croatian coastal airports
DeleteThey fly to Split and Dubrovnik almost daily. The only value could be Pula and Zadar and that's about it.
DeleteAnd they have it covered with JU...
DeleteBoth Croatia and Aegean are very Mediterraneanish airlines. :)
DeleteIs it just me or did they used to fly to Dubrovnik in winter too?
ReplyDeleteNo. In 2022 they scheduled flights until January 2023 but then they cancelled it.
DeleteBravo for Belgrade and Zagreb!
ReplyDeleteThey already have 5 a320neo and 3 a321neo parked due to engines inspections . And from greek sites another 1 will be parked due to these problems , totally 9 neos .
ReplyDeleteThat’s a lot when the problem will be solved I see them increase frequencies in the area
DeleteI don't know why A3 has trouble with JU - they can't even match their frequencies, let alone surpass them. The market is there, they are a bigger transfer carrier than JU, but JU seems to hold a grip on ATH and especially SKG flights.
ReplyDeleteLow yield market in comparasion to others.
DeleteI wouldn't say so, P2P ATH prices are exuberant most of the time. If you are transferring with Aegean you can get a good deal tho.
DeleteThe larger demand is to the north of BEG and not to the south of ATH. JU offers a tonne of connectivity for ATH which A3 can't offer for BEG. For example, nobody flies BEG-ATH-CDG but people do fly ATH-BEG-CDG.
DeleteNobody flies BEG-ATH-CDG but a lot of people fly BEG-ATH-LCA,CAI,TLV,RUH,JED,BEY,AMM,TUN etc.
DeleteAh yes, the tens of thousands of Serbs heading to Saudi Arabia for vacation. TK, PC, QR, FZ don't fly to Saudi? Is that why JU has 3 times the frequencies to ATH compared to A3 to BEG? 16 pw to LCA on 2 airlines yet ATH is ultra necessary for that connectivity. A3 to TLV is currently suspended.
DeleteNobody travels between Greece and France? Or Germany? Or Denmark? Norway? Sweden? Netherlands? Spain? Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia...
Last time I flew JU from Athens (afternoon flight in early December last year) plane was full of Greeks going on city break to Belgrade.
DeleteI actually did BEG-ATH-LIS and back a few years ago.
DeleteThere will always be the odd combination that will work via ATH but not always. LCA and the Greek Islands are practically where ATH and A3 may have the advantage, however JU and Wizz have that segment decently covered as well.
DeleteLIS via ATH can be anything between a 10-20 hour trip, compared to the 6-10 via MUC, FRA, ZRH or AMS with typically 2-3 times cheaper fares.
The main reason I chose A3 for that LIS trip was the price :) And I was booking two months in advance - all Lufthansa and Lufthansa-adjacent flights were horrendous. A3 flights were nicely aligned, 8 hours in total one-way.
DeleteI wouldn't say JU has the islands covered, especially smaller ones where the only option is the turboprop. Even IOA isn't covered (though to be honest, almost no non-Greek airline flies there apart from SAS). Just last month I did ATH-BEG-IOA with a nice 2.5h layover at ATH.
*sry, meant of course BEG-ATH-IOA
DeleteGreat that you found an awesome deal, A3 is a real good airline, one of my favourites in Europe personally.
DeleteFor an airline the size of JU, they have Greece well covered. 2 year round destinations, another 4 seasonal plus KVO-SKG and INI-ATH, plus charters. Personally I think JMK and JTR is missing as seaonal routes. As JU grows I wouldn't be surprised they retry a third daily ATH.
From what I heard, JU planned Santorini for this summer as scheduled route but then the Marathon thing happened and they needed extra capacity so they cancelled it. Maybe next summer.
DeleteBad news from Podgorica lately. Hope Roko can fix things.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the load factor of Agean in Ljubljana?
ReplyDeleteAnd what about Athens-Sarajevo flights this winter?
ReplyDeleteIt is a seasonal summer flight. Not operating during winter.
Delete« Over the winter months, Aegean will codeshare on Air Serbia’s flights from Belgrade to Athens, Thessaloniki, Sarajevo and Salzburg. »
DeleteWould not be surprised if they don't return to Podgorica next summer
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't they?
DeleteTGD is on Aegean's network many years, of course they will return.
Delete