Qatar Airways will decrease frequencies on its flights to Zagreb, Belgrade and Sarajevo next summer season based on provisional modifications made to its schedule over the past two weeks, although additional changes are possible in the coming period. The carrier is reducing its operations between Doha and Zagreb from ten weekly to daily with the start of the 2025 summer season in late March. The three weekly rotations are being removed from its service departing at 09.05 in the morning from the Qatari capital and leaving Zagreb at 15.45 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Qatar Airways handled 89.188 passengers between the two capitals during the first three quarters of this year, registering an average cabin load factor of 86.4%.
Qatar Airways will maintain daily operations between Doha and Belgrade for most of next summer, matching 2024 levels, however, the airline will reduce flights to five weekly in May and October. This coincides with Qatar Airways’ wider network reductions in Europe specifically during those two months which will also impact Vienna, Rome, Athens, Warsaw and Zurich. The carrier will not operate its Tuesday and Thursday service between May 1 and May 29, as well as between October 2 and October 23. Qatar Airways handled 80.259 passengers between the two capitals during the first three quarters of this year, registering an average cabin load factor of 89.3%.
The Qatari flag carrier’s seasonal summer service between Doha and Sarajevo will also be reduced on select months. The service will resume on June 1 and will be maintained five times per week, matching frequencies served in 2024. However, in August, the airline will reduce operations from seven weekly this summer to five weekly, with no flights planned on Mondays and Wednesday. Furthermore, its flight program to Sarajevo will conclude on September 14, while this year saw the airline’s last service on September 29. All three routes to the former Yugoslavia are scheduled to be maintained with the Airbus A320 aircraft.
During the 2025 summer season, Qatar Airways is decreasing frequencies at a number of other European destinations including Sofia, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Oslo, Paris, Prague and Dusseldorf, while service to Toulouse, which were recently discontinued, will not be restored.
Their former CEO screwed them over by getting into a petty fight with Airbus. They lost their delivery slot for new narrow body Airbus planes and now don’t have enough of them.
ReplyDeleteThat's why he was fired over night.
DeleteYou will see this happening more and more next year with all aircraft deliveries delayed from both Boeing and Airbus.
ReplyDeleteit will not stop with the large airlines and the new aircraft. because they will hold on to older aircraft for longer making the second hand and leasing market have less supply and then drive up prices for airlines like JU.
DeleteThere is always the option of getting those Chinese birds! Yeah, they are not as sexy sounding as buying Boeing or Airbus - but their job is only to get people from point A to point B safely and in relative comfort.
DeleteThose loads are really good for a route like this!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThis could be a signal of Qatar Airways prioritizing higher-yield routes over secondary destinations in Europe. It’s a logical move from a profitability standpoint
DeleteThere go hopes for a LJU route...
ReplyDeleteThere is still hope for Etihad
DeleteThe three weekly rotations are being removed "and will be used on a Doha - Ljubljana route"
DeleteI would not get my hopes up
DeleteDude, it was a joke
DeleteThat means no chance for SKP to be restored I guess
ReplyDeleteHm, with FZ launching flights to SKP and TK introducing direct flights to Australia, I am not sure QR would return to SKP
DeletePitty though, having them in SKP again would've been amazing
TK is not very competitive to Australia. They only fly Sydney and Melbourne a few times per week and both flights go via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur with a 1.5 hour stop which requires you to disembark the aircraft and go through security again (on top of the Istanbul stop). Also finding a ticket on TK is not going to be easy due to the fact that these flights have stops and that TK has fifth freedom rights on all sectors.
Delete09:49 They are gonna launch direct flights to Australia soon... From Istanbul. and now that they also fly from Ohrid to Istanbul and FlyDubai also came, so there is just too much competition already for Qatar to think a Skopje flight is worth.
DeletePity. Literally the best airline in terms of service.
ReplyDeleteamen!
DeleteUsed to be 8-9 years ago, now its not even close to some big airline companies like Turkish, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines....Their Customer service especially bed
DeleteI would not agree. I fly with them regularly. In fact the service has improved through some little things since Akbar al Baker left and I would definitely consider them one of the best if not the best in the world. I have flown all the airlines you listed multiple times in the last 2 years with exception to Cathay and in my personal opinion Qatar is better than all of them by a long shot. And just to add I have flown both economy and business from all of those mentioned (except Cathay) in the last 2 years. Emirates is far from the best and mostly enjoys its good reputation based on its outstanding marketing but service wise it is far below QR in economy and business. EK does stand out in first but QR only has first on the A380 and several B777s leased from Cathay so I wouldn't compare the two. I also found Singapore Airlines to be way overrated, although better than EK.
DeleteIn terms of customer service I have had the worst experience with Turkish of those. Both onboard and through their call center. They have the most inconsistent product and still think 2-3-2 seating in business class on ultra long haul flights is acceptable. Of course, in European terms they are great.
Of course you might have a different experience. But labeling them "as used to be" because you had some bad experience with them once isn't really valid.
Not once..I used to fly with them a lot, but during Covid time, when they disappeared with my money ( tickets)and shot down all comunications for months, I have to say that I do avoid them now...But I did fly with them twice, just because they were the only option at that particular time..I also found Thai Airways better then them, and Turkish bought me for ever, because in the critical momments they stood by their customers, and showed me, at least 4 times, how humane behaviour is possible even in business relations
DeleteOk, you are entitled to your opinion. Does not mean your opinion is correct.
DeleteOff course, nobody says that..Different people, different opinion..Doesn't mean your opinion is correct either..For you it is, for me it is not, and that's it..But I'll tell you few stories, if moderator allows, 'cause its a bit off topic..First days of 2007, Suvarnabhumi airport BKK just opened..I had bad leg infection, swallen, almost gangrenous, heading back to BEG for proper medical treatment. When I sit on middle seat in economy class, plane top full, not a single empty seat, some drunk Polish jumping over me, before we took off, flight attendant approached me and said that captain sent her, and that I would be moved after take off. She came str8 after, took me to business class, first row seat, where there was lot of empty space in front, only mini bar further, and they even put few matal trays from food cupboards,before I arrived, that I could put my leg on higher ground than collapsing seat was able to go..they even gave me massage few times during the flight..It was 2011, second half of January, by the time few of us came to Istanbul to catch Egypt Air flight to BKK, Arab spring started in Cairo, it was chaos in the city, and EgyptAir canceled all flights. And not just them, chaos was in many Arab countries and arabic airlines were canceling flights one by one..I remember Royal Jordanian also canceled flight that night..We were stuck on Ataturk, We went to Egypt Air office to request to put us on another flight, since they couldn't provide the service on their own, they told us to buzz off..Many us us transfer pax went to Turkish office, they devided us in groups, and put on their plane for the special price of ticket, which was more than fair, double less than the actual price we would've paid if we had to pay regular price on the date of flight departure...When Corona started, I had 3 tickets booked, 2 with Turkish, 1 was due on the day when Vucic closed the airport, and 1 with Qatar..Turkish was constantly on line wuth us, customers..I changed those tickets numerous times, they didn't just return the money, they gave me open tickets and I could use them within the period of 2 years after last change, and to travel to literally whatever destination ( ticket was long haul flight) and whichever date. And believe it or not, I still have one ticket to use,I fly in Janauary hehe..Qatar just disappeared, and gave me back on money , after year and a half, even with some deduction for whatever, although I bought it directly through them..Off course, prices went so high that with that money I couldn't even buy half of the ticket for original destination. After Corona, I bought ticketfor Turkish through one travel agency..Agency canceled my ticket because of their mistake, and just when I came to airport to embark, I found out on counter that my ticket was canceled..Flight was long, from BEG to Buenos Aires, return from Sao Paolo..Then I had months of correspondence with agency, which was even holding my money..Luckily I had our chat saved as a proof that I didn't request ticket cancelation myself...After months and months of their refusals to give me money back, I contacted Turkish, although they didn' t have any guilt in this cancelation. I showed them transcripts of my chat with agency, and Turkish gave me voucher in the value of the price I paid for ticket, as part of customer satisfaction, to be used within 2 years.
DeleteOne time there was a flood in Hong Kong, train was shot down for an almost 2 hours, and I came late on my Qatar flight, like many other people that couldn't reach the airport. Qatar just turned their back, and I had to buy completely new ticket with Etihad, in order to come back. That is Qatar customer service..
The way Turkish handled my leg problem, they bought me for life
DeleteWhat a joke of an airline.
ReplyDeleteGrow up
DeleteNo, their petty management needs to grow up
DeleteLol
DeleteQR prioritising top tier destinations whilst trimming the low hanging fruit is a decent way to ensure profitability.
DeleteParis and Amsterdam are low hanging fruit?
DeleteQR is above everything else a vanity project living in EK's shadow. Emirates was the true pioneer when it comes to Middle Eastern carriers going global. Sure, they might not be where they were some 20 years ago in terms of service but, if I am not wrong, they have the strongest aviation brand in the world.
DeleteGiven all this, I highly doubt QR would or should consider any market out there as low hanging fruit. Sure, our region might not be the highest yielding out there but it still generates revenue and fills their seats.
The one good thing is that finally this winter they almost exclusively send the A320s to Belgrade with flatbeds in business. Nice upgrade for premium passengers.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they will upgrade the aircraft types on some of these routes. Let’s see.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to see their B788s regularly on some of these routes.
DeleteThis could be temporary. If demand continues to grow, Qatar Airways might reinstate or even increase frequencies in the future.
DeleteHope so
DeleteShame about BEG but at least it is just for 2 months. In my opinion it could not come at a worse time. A big portion of their passengers on this route in summer are transfers to/from China and Australia. With China Southern now flying to BEG, as well as Air Serbia with more flights to China and Turkish now flying to Sydney and Melbourne, next year should have been the one they upped their game.
ReplyDeleteSummer flights are not impacted though?
DeleteWell if you read the article, May and October are impacted. That's summer season.
DeleteThat's summer season in aviation terms, but it doesn't coincide with the actual summer travel peak from China or Australia, which falls between June and September. That was my point.
DeleteThe fact that winter season is not affected only shows that China Southern should jump in with more frequencies, because obviously demand during winter for wormer destinations is there..If Air Serbia manages to sign code share with them, both companies can take large portion of Qatar pax..
DeleteAnd just a couple of months ago they were talking about potentially upgrading Sarajevo to year round :(
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame to see reduced frequencies to Zagreb and Sarajevo. Qatar Airways has always been a reliable option for connecting to the Middle East and beyond. I hope these changes won't affect ticket prices too much. QR fares have got more expensive after covid but they are still ore sensible than some other options.
ReplyDeleteFewer flights usually mean higher ticket prices. I hope this doesn’t make flying via Doha to onward destinations unaffordable.
DeleteThe reductions seem to align with broader seasonal trends and fleet optimization across Europe. However, an 86%+ load factor on Zagreb and Belgrade routes suggests strong demand. Curious decision to cut back.
ReplyDeleteFleet issues, not profitability issues
DeleteI regularly fly the Belgrade-Doha route for work. This route is full all the time in recent years. This summer they had many issues with overbooking and transferring people onto TK because there were no seats available. I was expecting them to upgrade equipment.
ReplyDeleteNot good :(
ReplyDeleteTie for Emirates to move in :D
ReplyDelete* time
DeleteOr Etihad with their massive expansion plans.
DeleteMaybe they will finally stat DOH-DBV. They scheduled it for summer 2020 but never started because of the pandemic. They never mentioned it afterwards.
ReplyDeleteDoes not look like it.
DeleteWas Doha-Zagreb 14 weekly before the pandemic or was it 10 weekly?
ReplyDeleteYes, there were two daily flights. These were never restored. Peak was 10 weekly this year.
Delete14 weekly during Summer season
DeleteThanks
DeleteIt was 14 weekly year round, not only during summer season
DeleteA daily reminder how our region is irrelevant for major airlines and very handy to cut flights if needed
ReplyDeleteTo be fair it is not just our region
Delete"During the 2025 summer season, Qatar Airways is decreasing frequencies on a number of other European destinations including Sofia, Bucharest, Amsterdam, Oslo, Paris, Prague and Dusseldorf, while service to Toulouse, which were recently discontinued, will not be restored."
"This coincides with Qatar Airways’ wider network reductions in Europe specifically during those two months which will also impact Vienna, Rome, Athens, Warsaw and Zurich."
Why do we have so many pathetic souls here thinking that only our region is "irrelevant"?
DeleteIs it something in the air?
Maybe it's the proximity to Chernobyl.
DeleteMaybe it is time for Zagreb, and Belgrade to try to get some other Golf airlines that would provide connectivity to Asia and Beyond. such as Etihard, Golf, Saudia, Emirates etc
ReplyDeleteMaybe actually Air Serbia should launch Dubai with A330?
DeleteOr Abu Dhabi due to its agreement and code share with Etihard
DeleteBEG was somewhat saved by the arrival of China Southern and by JU launching CAN and PVG. By introducing these destinations from BEG, they reduced the reliance on traditional eastern hubs such as IST, DOH and DXB.
DeleteAfter all, China Southern has opened a whole new world from BEG. Let's hope they keep on boosting their presence in BEG. I'd love to see a third weekly by Hainan but that doesn't seem like it's happening any time soon.
With Croatia expecting increased number of tourists from Far East and Australia, this is a really bad move from QR.
ReplyDeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteHow is Fraport responsible for QR's cuts across Europe?
DeleteFraport is owned by Germans and Germans control Europe. Mama Lufti approves. This is all true and well proven.
DeleteAnon 9:49 and 13:07, your comments are just getting more and more pathetic. Relax and go get a beer!
DeleteWinter is coming next summer.
ReplyDeleteIt’s interesting to see how Qatar Airways is reshuffling its European network. I wonder if this is in response to operational challenges or something else?
ReplyDeleteI hope they reconsider these reductions if demand stays strong.
ReplyDeleteWhy are they cutting flights when the load factors are so high? It's already hard to find affordable and convenient connections.
ReplyDeleteIf Qatar airways was normal, they would team up with Air Serbia and fly all their passengers in the region via Belgrade
ReplyDeleteThey have teamed up in form of a codeshare. What more do you want them to do? As you see their flights are full.
DeleteThere are actually quite a few transfers in BEG continuing on QR. Mostly fro. TGD and SKP.
DeleteOn one of my flights with QR there were 10 transfers from Banja Luka. I know because they called them up at the boarding gate desk and gave them boarding passes. This was in summer. I think it's a tight connection.
DeleteIf the JU flight is on time it is not tight. In the summer plane arrives at 11.10 while QR's flight to Doha departs at 12.40.
DeleteYet QR has shrunk in BEG despite the code-share with JU. Either it didn't produce the loads or the yields they expected. Qatar should have gone the other direction in Belgrade.
DeleteQatar Airways should add more destinations to the cities that are not getting served by anyone. Tirana would be a great example. Middle East destinations from Tirana are very popular, throughout the year, especially in summer. They really should consider this.
ReplyDeleteTirana primarily benefits from diaspora + inbound traffic from price-sensitive European tourists looking for a cheaper Mediterranean alternative to Croatia, Greece, Italy & Spain. QR doesn't really serve either of the two markets.
DeleteIs there any official reason why?
ReplyDeleteWell they didn't officially advertise that they are decreasing flights. But it's related to their fleet shortage.
DeleteMeanwhile Lufthansa has called for the suspension of the EU-Qatar Open Skies Agreement.
ReplyDeleteSeems like Mutti is angry.
Why do they want the open skies suspended?
DeleteTo protect Lufthansa of course.
DeleteThe Supervisory Board of Lufthansa Group has adopted its first-ever "political resolution", calling for a wide range of changes to the European Union's aviation and economic policy. Among other things, the holding is advocating the suspension of the 2021 EU-Qatar open skies agreement due to alleged corruption during its negotiations.
Imagine an ex-Yu airline adopting a "political resolution". lol. I think there would be a meltdown in the comments here.
Lufthansa should rather focus on improving their operations and their shameful onboard product. Maybe then people wouldn't rush to fly with airlines such as QR.
DeleteQatar is actually increasing Amsterdam from now 14 p/wk to 18 p/wk by adding more 787-8 rotations starting Jan 3rd 2025. Albeit until the end of W25 season. Slots for S25 have not been decided yet. But expectation is that the 18 p/wk are to be maintained.
ReplyDelete