Lufthansa’s low cost subsidiary Eurowings is gearing up for a major expansion across markets of the former Yugoslavia during the upcoming 2025 summer season. The carrier will inaugurate a two weekly year-round service between Berlin and Sarajevo, complementing its existing operations from Cologne and Stuttgart. The low cost airline last served the route between the two capitals in January 2020, with operations discontinued prior to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This will be its third attempt at operating the route, with its predecessor Germanwings also having maintained services from April 2014 until March 2015. Beforehand, in 2009, B&H Airlines maintained flights between the two capitals. Eurowings will further grow in Sarajevo in 2026 with the addition of services from Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Hannover.
Eurowings plans to enter the Slovenian market next year with flights from Berlin and Dusseldorf to Ljubljana. The airline was the only one to apply to the most recent public call issued by the Slovenian government aimed at attracting new carriers to the country in return for subsidies. The aid granting commission will now determine if Eurowings has met the necessary conditions. The budget carrier aims to launch operations from the German capital to Ljubljana on April 11 and from Dusseldorf on April 12. Previously, the Berlin - Ljubljana route was operated by easyJet on two occasions, from November 2003 until March 2006, as well as from August 2018 until September 2020. Furthermore, Adria Airways maintained services between the two in 2015 and 2016. On the other hand, flights between Dusseldorf were last served by Adria in 2018 and 2019.
During the summer of 2025, Mostar Airport will boast two new routes from Germany - from Stuttgart and Dusseldorf. Although the operating carrier is yet to be announced, Eurowings is tipped to maintain both services, which would mark its return to Mostar after almost six years. The carrier had previously operated both routes in 2018 and 2019. Common to all the abovementioned planned new Eurowings services is that they will be subsidised. Elsewhere, Eurowings is believed to be in negotiations with Niš Airport over potential flights, with the airline reportedly also being approached over a potential base at the airport as well.
For the upcoming summer season, Eurowings has scheduled 1.896 departures from Croatia, which is slightly down on this year, although the timetable for next summer is still being finalised. The budget airline also has 578 scheduled departures planned from Pristina, which is the same as this year, and 136 from Belgrade, maintaining this summer’s operations. Eurowings also plans to run 98 departures from Tivat, as was the case over the summer of 2024.
If you pay them they fly
ReplyDeleteHad no idea BER-LJU has been attempted so many times. Hope it will work out now
ReplyDeleteIt went well with Easyjet even without subsidies, unfortunately covid happened and Fraport increased fees after
Deleteand Berlin too after the shift to the new airport
DeleteLjubljana finally getting some love! With Eurowings coming in, there will be better choices and hopefully competitive prices too. This should be great for tourism and for all of us living in Slovenia who travel to Germany often.
DeleteSeems there were flights to Berlin from almost every airport in the region for couple of years and then they were cancelled. Wonder why it should be different this time.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that Berlin can't work from so many ex-Yu markets without subsidies
DeleteBerlin is a fascinating arabo-turkish city. Strange it doesnt attract enough travellers.
DeleteHahaha especially if you are 'lucky' enough to end up in Neukoln. It's really charming.
DeleteEurowings has a history of testing routes and pulling out, so I really hope they stick around this time
DeleteExcellent news. One of the better LCCs.
ReplyDeletenot really a LCC with their prices. At least out of Germany, they are super expensive.
DeleteThey were terribly unreliable last time they had wide scale ops in the region in 2019
Deleteyes, you got Ryanair service for Lufthansa price... one of the best ever
DeletePrices are more than fair imo. Had a return flight to Yerevan for 140€ last summer with a layover in Dusseldorf (from Graz)
DeleteThat is an exception rather than rule. They are often more expensive than legacy carriers
DeleteGood news for Mostar.
ReplyDeleteMostar paid it expensively.
DeleteI really do wonder what is the long term strategy? Keep paying for routes until the end of time? Meanwhile 12 years ago there were more passengers than now without a single route paid for.
DeletePaying for routes is pretty common nowadays due to aircraft shortage. Some subsidised routes in the USA get as much as $45 per passenger. Mostar is paying peanuts in comparison
DeleteI really wonder how many capital city airports in Europe pay for flights to Berlin
DeleteThey’ve tried Mostar before and left when things got tough. What’s different this time? These routes will probably be gone after a few seasons.
DeleteDo they still have Dash 8 planes in their fleet?
ReplyDeleteNo. Only A320neo
DeleteSorry wanted to write only A320-family. Not A320neo
DeleteDid they used to wet lease the Dash 8s? I remember they used them to Mostar from time to time.
DeleteThe Dash 8s were from German Airways after Lufthansa purchased them. It was later purchased from Lufthansa by another company, LH ended the Eurowings contract that German Airways had and the company collapsed
DeleteNo the Dash 8-400s were from LGW, an airline that ceased to exist.
Delete0707, True. 0141, German Airways exists
DeleteWell done SJJ!
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand giving incentives to airlines from time to time, the amount of subsidized flights from ex-Yu region is getting out of hand. Some airports have their entire growth based on subsidies and they are capital city airports!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThat is because they are chasing flights to Germany which is in recession. Economic situation there is not good. First to be affected are gasterbajter traffic. Without subsidies there isn't enough demand to operate flights since gastos are saving up.
DeleteBut you have airports like Sarajevo and Ljubljana having all new routes subsidized, regardless if they are in Germany or not
DeleteIf Fraport won't do anything to get new routes then government will have to.
DeleteAnd if it doesn’t?
DeleteGermany is not in a recession.
DeleteIt will be officially at the end of December
Deletehttps://www.euronews.com/business/2024/10/09/germanys-economic-struggles-deepen-a-back-to-back-recession-looms
Thanks for proving my point, Germany is not in a recession.
DeleteGermany is not in a recession now but it was. You really think this doesn't impact gastos? Wake up. Germany is in deep trouble and that is why their government collapsed, it was over the economy.
DeleteLjubljana - Dusseldorf seems very niche. What do the numbers look like?
ReplyDeleteAn article from 3 years ago. Although the numbers are from 2019.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/09/ljubljana-airport-sees-growing-german.html
In the text, you forgot to mention that for Sarajevo in 2026, in addition to Hannover and Dusseldorf, there will also be flights to Hamburg, twice a week.
ReplyDeleteMove over Wizz!
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteEW is expensive and not that low cost at all.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteEurowings is perfect for INI. Hope it happens.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteConsidering they only fly seasonally to Belgrade (basically a couple of weeks), I wouldn't be too optimistic.
DeleteIf half a year is "couple of weeks"...
DeleteThe difference is they would pay to fly out of Nis. German airlines are opening bases in different European cities next year because of the crazy new taxes being imposed in the country. Condor just announced it is opening bases next summer in places like Prague because of it.
DeleteEW in Belgrade has HUGE competition, unlike in Nis.
DeleteTrue 10 routes served to Germany
DeleteThe good thing is that they offer connecting flights through Lufthansa.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the sudden interest in ex-Yu region from Eurowings?
ReplyDeleteSubsidies
DeleteWhat do you mean "sudden interest"? Eurowings flies hundreds of flights to Ex-Yu every week, every summer, all summer. It has a flight to Croatia every 30 minutes for all of August.
DeleteBy sudden interest I mean the launch of several new routes. They haven't launched anything new to Croatia this year. In fact they still haven't restored many pre Covid routes to Croatia.
DeleteYou‘re wrong. HAJ-PUY for example was new this summer
DeleteLet’s be real—Eurowings only seems interested because of the subsidies. Once those dry up, there’s no guarantee they’ll stick around. This feels more like a short-term cash grab.
DeleteHow is EuroWings compared to other LCC?
ReplyDeleteSam as all others except it's usually more expensive than other LCCs. The upside is you can buy connecting flights with them onto Lufthansa.
DeleteEurowings’ service is spotty at best. Cancelled flights, delays, high fees—it’s a budget airline with lots of headaches. I’m not sure this will be as great as it seems.
DeleteWill Banja Luka recognize Eurowings intentions to expand and try to attract them?
ReplyDeleteno
DeleteWe can only hope
DeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteGreat news for Mostar.
ReplyDeleteBut would they have considered this route without subsidies?
DeleteProbably not. But that's how all of these small airports start out. It's normal.
DeleteThe issue is in ex-Yu it's not just "small airports". It is capital city airports too. Ljubljana and Sarajevo have had over 90% of their new routes in the last year launched through subsidies only. In my opinion that's a disaster. Because we are not talking about subsidies to some exotic destinations. We are talking about subsidies to places like Berlin.
DeleteWhy is that a "disaster"?
DeleteIf you think it's normal to hand out cash to sustain basic flights from one European capital to another then ok.
DeleteUnfortunately it is balkanista mentality. If a route needs subsidies it shouldn't exist.
DeleteThe external agency conducted research on the profitability of these subsidies for the economy and calculated that these subsidies will bring back three times more money. That is why they decided to subsidize through the Sarajevo Canton's Ministry of Tourism.
DeleteDo you trust any politician or government appointed agency in this part of the world?
DeleteI'm surprised they didn't even apply for the Macedonian subsidies :(
ReplyDeleteI think Dusseldorf-Skopje has potential
DeleteA couple of years ago Eurowings scheduled flights to SKP, put them on sale and then removed them and never launched flights.
DeleteWhen will they start selling tickets for new flights?
ReplyDeleteThey usually start selling tickets for new routes in December
DeleteThanks
DeleteLaunch Tuzla Flights!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf they pay they will come.
DeleteAs they keep growing their fleet, we will definitely see more of them in ex-Yu. There are a lot of untapped opportunities in the region.
ReplyDeleteGood news :)
ReplyDeleteWould be great to see Eurowings on BEG-BER sector. Wizz and JU fares are pretty high
ReplyDeleteThats also because BER is crazy expensive, can't have cheap fares.
DeleteIt is possible to have how you can fly from Italy, Spain for less than 100€ a/r
DeleteWould be good to see them in Skopje too.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they apply for the next subsidy tender in December.
DeleteProblem whit Berlin Brandenburg is costs. Its so expencive airport and high charges dosnt atract Airlines to open new routes for our region. And airport even increse it few times in last period
ReplyDeleteI don't get it. Eurowings as lcc is not low cost at all... Fares are very high compared to Ryanair or Wizz.
ReplyDeleteEurowings is competing with Transavia and Vueling.
DeleteIndeed, Ryan & Wizz are ultra low cost. Eurowings is just low cost
DeleteWhen people will start to complain about subsidies. Let’s face there is shortage of aircraft first of all. Secondary ex-yu market is small and not so popular comparing with tourist destinations as Italy, Spain, Greece, even Poland. Thirty, unfortunately standard in Serbia, BiH, Macedonia is not so hight and people cannot afford more than 1-2 trip during a year if at all. Subsidies are totally fine if they are realistic and will bring tourists in region which will spend money for accommodation, food, etc
ReplyDeleteIn 2019 they used to fly Stuttgart-Ohrid but never came back :(
ReplyDeleteThey’ve tried Berlin-Sarajevo a few times before, so hopefully, it sticks this time with year-round flights. More options are always welcome!
ReplyDeleteThrilled to see Eurowings expanding in former Yugoslavia! Sarajevo and Ljubljana deserve better connectivity with Germany.
ReplyDeleteNot holding my breath for long-term service for any of these
ReplyDelete