Sarajevo, Zagreb and Pristina become fastest-growing airports in Q1 2025

The airports in Sarajevo, Zagreb and Dubrovnik will be the fastest growing in the former Yugoslavia during the first quarter of the new year in 2025 (January, February and March). The trio will add the most scheduled capacity compared to the same period the previous year. Sarajevo Airport will lead the way, as was the case through much of 2024, with an additional 142.719 seats. The strong growth comes primarily as a result of Ryanair, which was not present on the market in Q1 2024. Furthermore, most carriers serving Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital will increase frequencies and seats. Ryanair brings 52.606 additional seats to Sarajevo over the three-month period, while Pegasus Airlines will add an extra 26.221 seats when compared to the previous year.

Zagreb will continue to benefit from Ryanair’s operations into the first quarter of 2025. The budget carrier is increasing its capacity by 21% on Q1 2024, adding 57.318 seats onto the market after increasing frequencies on a number of routes over the winter and maintaining flights to several new destinations launched last summer. In Pristina, most carriers operating scheduled services will maintain more flights than in the first quarter of 2024. Notably, Pegasus Airlines is adding an extra 37.049 seats, while easyJet, which recently introduced operations from Amsterdam and Milan, will grow its capacity by 30.576 seats

Scheduled capacity difference at airports in the former Yugoslavia, Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024

On the other hand, Skopje, Ljubljana, Tivat and Niš will see the biggest decline in available scheduled capacity. Pratt & Whittney engine issues affecting Wizz Air’s fleet, which have resulted in network and capacity cuts, continue to hinder both Skopje and Niš over the first quarter, while Ljubljana Airport will see eight airlines reduce their capacity with British Airways no longer serving the city over the winter period. Turkish Airlines’ decision to suspend operations to Tivat over the winter will have the biggest impact on the airport’s Q1 performance, wiping out 19.336 seats off the market. Throughout the previous winter season, the carrier maintained five weekly flights between Istanbul and Tivat.

The table above is of an informative nature and is correct as of December 9. Airlines constantly revise capacity levels by deploying larger or smaller aircraft, changing frequencies or adding and suspending routes, which will result in some changes to the figures above as the first quarter of 2025 approaches and later progresses.