Airports across Europe are pursuing new flights to capital cities from the former Yugoslavia as they head to Bahrain for the upcoming annual Routes World conference to discuss the introduction of new routes with airlines and tourism authorities.
Berlin Airport has identified Sarajevo as an unserved route with high potential. The two capitals were last briefly linked for between June 2019 and January 2020 by Germanwings. Sarajevo Airport itself has listed Berlin as a destination of strategic importance and is hoping to secure flights to the German capital through the ongoing airline subsidy tender for the introduction of new routes launched by the Sarajevo Canton tourism authority. “Based on demand, there is definitely potential to broaden our network by adding more destinations, particularly to European cities like Berlin, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Prague”, Sarajevo Airport’s CEO, Alan Bajić, told EX-YU Aviation News earlier this month. Berlin Brandenburg Airport, opened in 2020, has direct connections to more than 180 destinations from 86 airline partners.
The airport in Turkey’s third largest city of Izmir has expressed hope in securing flights to Zagreb. Recent route expansion from Izmir has seen success in the Balkans, with new flights to cities like Pristina, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Tirana, and Tivat. Wizz Air has also launched a new seasonal service from Bucharest. Both Izmir and Zagreb airports are either wholly or partially managed by Turkey’s TAV, giving the two an additional incentive for the introduction of flights. Earlier this year, Zagreb was linked to its second airport in Turkey - Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen - by Pegasus Airlines, complementing Turkish Airlines’ service from Istanbul’s main gateway, which has seen an increase in frequencies this year.
Both Bordeaux Airport in southwestern France and the Finnish capital of Helsinki have expressed interest in flights to Belgrade. The Serbian capital already boasts links to Paris, Beauvais, Lyon, and Nice in France and was linked to Marseille last year as well. Bordeaux lacks connectivity to Eastern Europe and will soon be hit by Ryanair’s exit, ending forty routes from the French airport. On the other hand, Air Serbia launched flights to Helsinki in the summer of 2019. However, the service was suspended at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 and has never been restored. In 2021, Norwegian Air Shuttle filed an inventory listing for a one weekly rotation between the two capitals, but ultimately chose not to go ahead with the service.
Hermes Airports, the operator of Cyprus’ Larnaca and Paphos airports, has said it is targeting flights to Ljubljana as it focuses on closing existing connectivity gaps to European capitals. Maria Kouroupi, the Director of Aviation Development, Marketing and Communication at Hermes Airports, highlighted Ljubljana as a strategic objective. Slovenia last boasted flights to Cyprus in 2007 when Adria Airways operated a total of seven roundtrips to Larnaca in July and August of that year with its Airbus A320 aircraft.
Lyon Airport, located in the second largest city in France and serving the second largest catchment area in the country with eight million people, is seeking out flights to either Skopje or Pristina. Lyon Airport forms part of the joint venture with Turkey’s Limak running Pristina Airport. Wizz Air is expanding its operations from Lyon, launching flights to both Sofia and Cluj this coming winter. The airport serves as a base for easyJet and Transavia France.
Among the airports and airlines from the former Yugoslavia, several will be taking part in the upcoming Routes World conference. They include Air Serbia, Croatia Airlines and ETF Airways, as well as the airports in Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Ohrid, Podgorica, Skopje, Tivat, Zadar, and Zagreb.
Why is Sarajevo airport not attending the conference?
ReplyDeleteOr Ljubljana...
DeleteFraport is no attending the conference because LJU has perfect connectivity. Read yesterdays comments.
DeleteLjubljana management could not book a ticket to Bahrain because Lufthansa doesn't fly there.
Delete😂😂😂
DeleteIzmir and Bordeaux are both unexpected, yet certainly interesting
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Izmir, Pegasus would be well suited. The only issue might be the bilateral agreement.
DeleteYes bilateral agreement could be an issue. It took Pegasus years to get approval for SAW-ZAG.
DeleteInteresting that Turkey does not have a bilateral with EU as a whole.
DeleteI spent 4 days in Bordeaux last week and the city was far above my expectations. Young, vibrant, full of life, with plenty to see & do. With proper marketing, it would be an excellent city break destinations for Belgraders.
DeleteWasn't Bordeaux in Wizz routes from BEG 7-8 years ago?
DeleteNo, Wizz never flew Belgrade-Bordeaux.
DeleteHelsinki is a no brainer for JU, regarding pretty huge Serbian diaspora. Bordeaux might work 2pw with E190. Direct connections with eastern France doesn’t exist
Delete"Pretty huge" diaspora? There are more Serbs living in Greece
Deleteif there was a pretty huge diaspora their flights would have worked
DeleteSerbian Finnish diaspora is not huge numerically but, it’s too far for driving or bus but financially strong (Finnish gdp per capita) to pay for airline ticket.
DeleteAbsolutely no need for LCA-LJU. Just fly via FRA 😃
ReplyDeleteOr Munchen with Muti LH👍
DeleteWe would love HEL direct from Belgrade!!
ReplyDeleteI think it could work with JU if they used the Embraer on the route.
DeleteBordeaux is interesting considering its location but wouldn't Toulouse make more sense?
ReplyDeleteBordeaux attracts more tourists, Toulouse is a bigger city. And tbf, Bordeaux expressed interest in Belgrade, not the other way around
DeleteIt is perfectly accesable by TGV from Paris
DeleteWhole France is accessible with TGV or SNCF trains from Paris..
DeleteCyprus Airways should have applied for LCA-LJU :(
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping there's one more tender before New Years and we see Cyprus or Wizz apply for Larnaca
DeleteThere are other carriers that could try this route. Tus Airways, Wizz Air...
DeleteDoes Wizz Air even have a base in Larnaca?
DeleteYes they do.
DeleteI think they have 2 or 3 planes stationed in LCA.
DeleteFrom Belgrade to Spain i would like Alicante, Tenerife, Sevilla and Ibiza. I!m sure one o those will operate with Belgrade next year, perhaps Tenerife this winter.
ReplyDeleteTenerife won't happen this winter.
DeleteSo next Summer Alicante, Sevilla or Ibiza. Tenerife is winter route
DeleteIbiza no way..Alicante is too close to Valencia, if they opened, it would be Tenerife ( although I personally prefer Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, its much nicer, and its capital of Canary Islands) or Sevilla
DeleteLas Palmas is just co-capital of the Canaries. The other one is Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
DeleteSanta Cruz with La Laguna is one of the most beautiful urban conglomerations in Spain. I know it's matter of taste, but still no way anything on Gran Canaria is better than on Tenerife.
Good luck. I hope some of the airports attract new routes after this conference.
ReplyDeleteBerlin is a no brainer from Sarajevo.
ReplyDeleteIt's surprising how poorly BER is connected to ex-Yu capitals.
DeleteBER is according to many Germans maybe the most inconvenient German airport. Also, the most Yugoslavs live in Bavaria, Hessen and Baden-Württemberg, that could be the reason why the airlines are quite shy about opening direct lines.
DeleteWho knows...
Eh Milojko, MUC is more inconvenient, out there in the middle of nowhere, slow connections to the city ...
Delete@Anon 12:23:
DeleteTrue, I used Munich several times. The airport is near Freising, near nowhere. The two S-Bahn lines are slow.
Regarding the airport itself, I can not fully agree with you. It is one of the best in Germany, probably the best. On European level, one of the better ones.
But you nailed it with your comment, the position and the connection to the airport is suboptimal. 😊
I'm guessing there is a big Albanian population in and around Lyon?
ReplyDeletedont think so, its more being near CH
DeleteSJJ and SKP need flights to Spain.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope there will be more takers at the new subsidy call for Sarajevo and Skopje.
DeleteIberia is interested, not sure about Volotea as they've been keeping their talks with Bajić a secret
DeleteI really hoped that with the arrival of the A220 we might see some new routes from Croatia Airlines. So much for that.
ReplyDeleteWhat actually prevented OU to start new routes until they got the first A220? They had the equipment.
DeleteOu can't even extend a single seasonal summer route from Zagreb into winter. You expected too much of them.
DeleteTrue
DeleteA lot of ex-Yu airports need better links to the European continent itself.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Not long haul mumbo jumbo. The only ex-Yu capital with truly good European coverage is Belgrade.
DeleteSKP lacks flights to most European capitals and major European hubs.
DeleteI hope Ljubljana manages to attract some new routes or airline. It really needs it.
ReplyDeleteLJU needs new routes? Yesterday many people were claiming LJU has amazing connectivity and that it does not need new routes.
DeletePlease mention just one unserved new ex LJU route that 1. can be profitable 2. is not seasonal. I can't see any.
DeleteDubrovnik, Sarajevo, Pristina with someone known
Delete@11:40 you must be blind then.
DeleteGood to see such a big presence from Croatia at routes :)
ReplyDeleteyess! We need high paying tourists from lucrative regions not those from Small asia, etc. We want JFK or NAR flights too!
DeleteWould love to see DUB from Belgrade. That would fit in very nicely into the current network.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it could work at the moment. The route is far so rotation is very long. Diaspora in Ireland is very small as are business links.
DeleteAnd it needs to be mentioned that Serbian passport holders need visas for Ireland
DeleteDid JAT (and I meant the pre 90s JAT) ever fly to Dublin?
Delete8 hours total rotation time - maybe too long
Delete@10.01
DeleteI don't think they did.
@09.59 But the visas are free and embassies will be opened in both Belgrade and Sarajevo in Q1 2025
DeleteThey still charge some processing fee which is 15 euros. Or maybe that was just the honorary consulate in Belgrade when I got my visa last year.
DeleteYou can buy Guinness everywhere.
DeleteVisa charge is not a problem, procedure is hassle for common man, that wants to go with family to see Galway or cliffs of Moher.
Deletethe visa procedure is the same as for the UK => HASSLE of epic proportions
DeleteActually the Irish one is relatively hassle free compared to the UK one, at least based on my experience last year. They don't ask anywhere near to the documentation the UK requires and the cost also can't be compared.
Deleteoh @12.22 thats surprising
DeleteIt's not a hassle at all lol, you just need your employment record or proof of income and a proper reason why you're coming back. There is no fee for Ireland so even if you get rejected you just go again
Deleteits just, its just .. infinite loop. If my company states and provides paper that I am employed, why do I have to provide bank statement mumbo jumbo things.. strong and tight connections with family back in Serbia.. dude what the hack?!
Deleteyes, I know lot of us didnt provide most of these, and most of times Irish dont ask for it, however it is stating in items of documents needed for a visa all of mentioned lunatic requirements.
Reminds me of lunatic requirement from Germany where one has to provide 2-3 previous salary incomes to renter/owner of the apartment which you are applying to rent..
This s great but I think all ex-Yu airports are missing better connectivity with the Middle East.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteNorth Africa too
DeleteHopefully there will be a positive outcome for all the airports.
ReplyDelete@admin , Eurowings flew the Berlin-Sarajevo line in 2019, 3 times a week Monday-Wednesday-Friday.
ReplyDeleteCould Wizz target Lyon as an alternative to Geneva from SKP??
ReplyDeleteGVA had some ~60k pax last year which is a solid pool of pax to fish from. ZRH is much further away from Geneve than LYS
It's possible, especially since Wizz can't actually launch flights between Macedonia and Switzerland. Lyon could be a good alternative.
DeleteIts climbing up on the list of potential new destinations from SKP
DeleteIt would be nice to see some new airlines in Belgrade. No matter, how much I am happy for AirSerbia success. I would love to see some concurrency in BEG or others launching new destinations. Helsinki by Finnair or Bordeaux by Volotea
ReplyDeleteChina Southern is a new airline in Belgrade, flights start in just five days. Xiamen Air could be next. Finnair could have started Belgrade years ago but didn't. In my opinion, Marseille is more likely to get connected to Belgrade than Bordeaux.
DeleteMarseille was served last year and was not restored this year. With flights to Nice, there is no point flying to Marseille.
DeleteDoes Sarajevo have any demand for Munich? I know Lufthansa previously flew Munich - Sarajevo until they switched to Frankfurt. Would both not work if operated by Lufthansa?
ReplyDeleteThe most Yugos use FMM – SJJ or bus transfers. Additionally, the bus rides are cheap as cheese. Another point: Gastos never travel home with one suitcase. I witnessed some Yugos transporting whole garden interiors from OBI or Bauhaus to their old homes in Yugoslavia… A reason maybe, why our compatriots love those bus and lorry drivers, who carry those things. 😊
DeleteShort memory:
I used to fly MUC – SJJ back in 2007 for 120 € per return ticket. Lufthansa Avro RJ back then. 😊 Till 2020/2021, there was a direct line between SJJ and MUC.
There is demand, but the question is, enough to fill a A320? Maybe for an ATR. JU showed how important smaller aircraft are. SJJ needed the FRA connection more than MUC, so that LH can steal TK some transfer passengers, although a MUC route would be nice too. AFAIK, both ZAG and BEG have direct lines to MUC.
Mr. Bajic managed to attract new routes, maybe he and his team will be successful again.
Have you flown to SJJ? Do you like the city?
Greets,
Milojko
There is absolutely demand and all gastos smuggling stuff via buses and in their trunks aren't the majority anymore, young people value comfort and speed which is why FMM is so successful.
DeleteDelta has just published its new European routes for next year and nothing in ex-Yu.
ReplyDeleteLeisure demand to Italy is strong.
DeleteNo SPU or DBV? :-/
DeleteNo, unfortunately not,
DeleteI'm disappointed SAS isn't adding any new route to ex-Yu. They announced new flights from Copenhagen yesterday to a lot of destinations. Budapest and Bucharest made the cut.
ReplyDeleteNot saying that Lyon is not ok airport in France , but SKP needs CGD,Amsterdam,Munich,Heathrow,Madrid,Doha,Dubai that is what we really need in SKP , its enough from second airports , we need main hubs!!!!
ReplyDeleteIs there demand to/from all those airports?
DeleteNot nearly enough.SKP is actually well served with frequent flights to VIE, IST and recently FRA just about any point in Europe can w
Deletebe reached with two flights any day. Of course direct would be nice but Macedonia is too poor to generate more business or tourist demand. At least 85 % of pax at SKP are gasto. Remaining 15 % are too small as a basis for growth.
Definitly SKP doesnt have any demand for Lyon flights. I mentioned above what we really need. I dont know where this comes.
DeleteIt is time for RYR to introduce ZAG to NUE
ReplyDeleteYes, we need as many flights as possible to Germany. Deutschland forever! :-D
Delete