Dubrovnik negotiating new winter services


Local authorities in Dubrovnik are in talks with several carriers, including Ryanair, Austrian and Croatia Airlines, over the introduction of services from Brussels, Rome, Vienna and Frankfurt to the coastal city during the winter months, in a bid to ease the airport's highly seasonal passenger flow. Croatia Airlines is finalising negotiations to extend its seasonal service from Dubrovnik to Frankfurt into winter. Flights are expected to run three times per week. However, the Croatian carrier has reacted angrily over reports that local authorities are in talks with another airline over the introduction of services from the Italian capital. "Croatia Airlines has maintained flights between Dubrovnik and Rome for the past ten years without any support and at its own commercial risk. We plan on doing so in the future as well. If reports are true that the city is in talks with another carrier to operate the same route, we can only say we are surprised and disappointed that we haven't been asked to introduce additional flights", the Croatian carrier said.

Authorities in Dubrovnik also expect for year-round, four weekly flights from Brussels to be launched this winter. Croatia Airlines has denied it will operate the service. "We are not involved in these talks and have no knowledge of them", it said. Brussels Airlines introduced six weekly services to Zagreb last winter. Andreas Weingartner, Brussels Airlines' General Manager for Central Europe, Balkans, Russia and Offline Europe, recently said, "The Balkan market is still relatively untapped and is new for us, but it certainly has growth potential. Initially, we always introduce flights to countries which are already members of the European Union. Zagreb has recently been added. On our flights from Vienna, we have many transfer passengers from the Balkans".

Dubrovnik Airport has previously said it is in talks with Europe's largest low cost airline, Ryanair, over potential year-round flights to the city. Furthermore, it is in discussions with Austrian Airlines to extend its seasonal service from Vienna into the winter months. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines, which launched flights from Istanbul to Dubrovnik several weeks ago will maintain the route throughout the year. On the other hand, British Airways will no longer offer year-round flights to the city due to high costs. The Mayor of Dubrovnik, Andro Vlahušić, has noted that local authorities would seek an alternative in order for Dubrovnik to stay linked to the British capital throughout the year. Currently, over 85% of all travellers to and from Dubrovnik Airport are handled during the peak summer months. Dubrovnik Airport welcomed 174.577 passengers through its doors during the first four months of the year, an increase of 21% compared to the same period in 2015.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:05

    Well done Dubrovnik. My guess is Charleroi, London and Rome will be operated all by Ryanair.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:58

      I think so too. Somehow I doubt Alitalia would start DBV in the winter.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:47

      It could be easy Jet as well. They fly seasonally to Dubrovnik, are the second busiest airlines there and fly a lot of destinations.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous21:38

      Rome will be operated by Vueling

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:37

      Yes, Vueling will operate Rome DBV

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:06

    Interesting tantrum there from Croatia Airlines about Rome. Can anyone explain to me the relationship between OU and DBV? From what I hear they are constantly at each others' throats about something.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous09:06

    If all of this materliazes it will be an amazing year for Dubrovnik. It already is...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous09:18

    Can DBV take over Split this year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very unlikely Dubrovnik will take over Split any time soon. Split is also expanding and adding more flights so its not like Spilt is stagnating at this time.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:40

    Well done DBV!! The BEST regional airport in Europe!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:58

    Pitty about BA.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous10:13

    Good for DBV!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous10:22

    my question why there is no connection between LJU and DBV in summer season? it would make sense!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:45

      It used to be. Adria.

      Delete
    2. JU520 BEGLAX12:54

      I think JP could start again with DBV, SPU but in good connex to ZRH CDG MUC etc flights. Days 1,3,5,7 in SUTT would for sure work

      Delete
  9. Anonymous10:24

    OT: (apologies)

    Continuing from last nights thread on local flights on behalf of Lufthansa group from Serbia as significant market.

    It could very well be Air Serbia, or a new (start-up) airline (2-3 planes), which would fly LH/LX/OS or Star Alliance branded aircraft, under franchise or similar arrangement, providing the same product and look & feel.


    Any thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:49

      Isn't rule of this blog to continue discussion on previous post, not to copy it to next day????

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:56

      Due to blog format and late post , it's not likely that people will see it.
      I'm not aware of the rule. Feel free to skip the post.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:33

      Or just post it at the forum, ideal for off-topic discussion :)

      Delete
  10. If the demand is there and it seems like a big if, OU could have one or two planes based in Dubrovnik and Split during the winter months, could be one way to solve the seasonality issue.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:44

      They should replace Kucko ASAP with someone who knows how to work!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:48

      How would you solve seasonality with basing plane in airports where almost non companies wants to fly during winter, not even Austrian, easyJet, Vueling, Germanwings... which fly so many flights during summer.

      So, if there is any room for few flights subvent by local government than Croatia should cut costs and fly eider with stop in SPU like ZAG-SPU-FCO-SPU-ZAG or combined like ZAG-CDG-SPU-CDG-ZAG. With based plane you spent more money for crew and maintenance and even with more flights you don't have enough flights per week for one plane.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:16

      Anon @ 11.44am... don't be so unfair. The guy is working... haven't you seen the endless flow of almost weekly announcements regarding possible aircraft choices ?

      They take ALOT of time.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:18

      Good sales people generate demand when there isn't. The high season sells itself

      Delete
    5. Anonymous14:37

      Anon 2:18. If you were right, you would have numerous charters there based on deals with hotels, not necessarily regular airline operators. Sometimes there just isn't financial sense to do things, don't be so hard on defining good or bad sales people. You would also need to note that generating demand solely by airline comes at revenue cost (low yield, very low if no airline basically serves this destination during winter) which leads to conclusion that it is better to move capacity where you can either make more money or lose less. It isn't as simple as you make it out to be. For any carrier.

      Delete
    6. Purger16:06

      So, by this logic the worst selling experts are in easyJet which has 27 routes from SPU and DBV with some 90 weekly flights but not a single flight during winter.

      Croatia at least has 7 routes with 65 weekly flights during winter from SPU and DBV.

      Delete
    7. Purger16:08

      selling = sales*

      Delete
    8. Anonymous16:43

      That's why airlines like easyjet and ryannair achieve load factors in the high 80's low 90's year round

      Delete
    9. Anonymous17:04

      But not on every destination year round....which just indicates dubious value of serving dbv during winter at this point in time. Why so much attacks on OU then over it? They do serve it year round for that matter.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous14:10

    Dubrovnik - Zagreb
    CTN A319 pax 118
    CTN A319 pax 119
    CTN F100 pax 90
    CTN A319 pax 119
    446 pax out of 541 = 82,4%

    Dubrovnik - Belgrade
    Air Serbia A319 pax 40
    40 pax out of 128 = 31,3%

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:11

      Why didn't JU send the Atr to DBV? Was the BEG-DBV full?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:11

      Of course the person that posted this did not post the full details. This is information he copied from the CAF forum. He handpicked the data he wished. It is information from last Saturday. It was Air Serbia's first flight of the season to Dubrovnik.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:14

      @ Anonymous May 28, 2016 at 2:11 PM

      He can't tell you that because he doesn't know. That data wasn't provided at the place he copied the information from.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:21

      Would be interesting to know the structure. Of those 40 people my guess is 90% were transfers. People in Serbia go on holiday in late June, July and August or September if they want a cheap price. Definitely not in mid May.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous14:32

      why are you people so obsessed with one day loads? That absolutely never says or even remotely indicates any relevant performance for the carrier, being with good or bad loads. Absolutely none, zero.Additional bonus of stupidity is compering two different routes in the process, like free of charge bonus. If you buy the first nonsense, hey I will even throw additional one for you free of charge :)

      Delete
    6. Anonymous14:36

      I think you are the only one on here who doesn't want others to share this information. I think no one minds it.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous14:40

      I don't mind it, I am just saying that these 'metrics' provide completely worthless piece of information and that people do (sometimes rather mean and violent)debates with these 'solid' data. Just gave my opinion on the subject at hand.

      Delete
    8. Purger16:11

      I find that very interesting. Air Serbia and Croatia are competitors in SJJ, SKP, PUY, DBV and SPU. I would like to know data for those airports. That would give us better picture of potential development of routes, feeding and which strategy should those companies use.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous17:00

      But on bigger scale in terms of timeline. However, DBV ZAG flights are domestic hence very hard to define which part of those loads actually compete with international airlines.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous15:57

    With regards to Austrian it would most likely make much more sense for them to serve SPU in Winter compared to DBV year round as Split serves a lot more inhabitants, is bigger, has more economy and is a shorter route. Unless of course DBV is willing to offer really large subsidies to OS.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous16:15

    Any chance to get JU year round service, to get the americans aswell in winter to DBV?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16:46

      None. Dubrovnik Mayor said he can't accept American tourists flying to Dubrovnik via BEG. So this idea is still born. They can only fly via AMS, FRA, ZRH, VIE, CDG etc etc etc, so believes the guy who heads the City

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:25

      Both Dubrovnik and Zagreb will have flights to the US in 2-3 years, at least seasonal, not enough potential for year round service, unfortunately.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous17:55

      What airline is interested in flying to ZAG and DBV? United, American, Delta?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous18:42

      I honestly don't know, but I think these flights will happen, although on a seasonal basis only!

      Delete
  14. Anonymous16:29

    OT: http://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/srbija.php?yyyy=2016&mm=05&dd=27&nav_id=1136555

    Kaže za letove Er Srbije za Ameriku: "Promovisaće se domaći brendovi našeg keteringa, komfor u putničkoj kabini je veći, a tu je i mogućnost povezanih letova za ostale delove Amerike."

    Ovo poslednje je novo, povezani letovi. Tražio sam da vidim koje su to druge destinacije po Americi i ne nude ništa. Zna li neko o čemu se radi?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous16:36

    British will continue flying from Dubrovnik with 2 weekly flights, starting end of November until March 19th!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous21:43

      + Vueling 2 weekly flights each of BCN and FCO

      Delete
    2. Anonymous23:55

      not sure about BCN, there is shown an 1-stop (via FCO)

      Delete
  16. Purger18:00

    Svi znate moje stav o Croatiji i mislim da nitko nije više guzicu javno stavio radi kritike Croatie (i zato opako nahebo). Ali u ovom slučaju nikako ne mogu dati za pravo Vlahušiću i to radi:

    1. Croatia je javno izjavila da Dubrovnik nije odgovorio na njihovu ponudu da sufinanciraju zimske letove za FRA. Dakle, neistina je da je Dubrovnik financirao tu liniju, ako je vjerovati Croatiji čak su se i potpuno oglušili na prijedloge Croatie. Croatia je podastrijela i dokaze o tome, te pozvala Dubrovnik da dokaže da su na bilo kakav način odgovorili Croatiji na prijedloge, tj. da su opće na ikakav način komunicirali sa Croatijom. Dakle o kakvoj to "potpori" govoriš Matan?

    2. Iskreno vjerujem da bi linija ZAG-FCO bila popunjenija od ZAG-DBV-FCO. Putnici su demotivirani sa stopom u DBV i masa ih radi toga putuje alternativno (via VIE i MUC ili autom do Trsta pa direktnom linijom, kako sam i ja putovao 4 puta do sada). Zbog stopa u DBV sam let ZAG-FCO je puno preskup (i samim time skuplji od altrnative preko VIE i MUC). Linija DBV-FCO bez ZAG nema šanse opstati, obzirom da dobar dio putnika leti ZAG-FCO. Isto tako na ovaj način se daje dodatna rotacija ZAG-DBV-ZAG. No, ova linija svakako više koristi Dubrovniku nego Zagrebu.

    3. Financiranjem stranca na liniji DBV-FCO samo će napraviti to da se linija ukine i eventualno prebaci na ZAG-FCO, a samim time će se smanjiti i broj rotacija ZAG-DBV. Vrlo neinteligentno. Daleko bi pametije bilo da je grad financirao već postojeću liniju i povečao frekvenciju na tri polaska tjedno. Ili još pametnije da novac usmjeri na neku liniju koja se ne leti zimi (LHR, CDG, CPH...)


    Konačno mislim da Dubrovnik uopće nema nikakve strategije u zračnom prometu, i da su sve to totalne gluposti. Grad bi svoj novac trebao usmjeriti na slijedeći cilj za zimske linije:

    1. Minimalno 4 dnevna leta za Zagreb tjednom i dva vikendom, pri čemu je obvezna frekvencija ZAG-DBV u petak sa plaskom iz ZAG oko 18:00 sati i DBV-ZAG u nedjelju sa polaskom iz DBV u 21:00 sat (migracije, sportaši, kongresi + turisti na short breaku).

    2. Svakodnevna linija za FRA kako bi se mogle ostvariti odlične konekcije za cijeli svijet, kako radi poslovnjaka, tako i radi turista koji bi se konektirali via FRA.

    3. Minimalno tri tjedne frekvencije prema IST da se mogu ostvariti konekcije prema Istoku, te interkontinentalne konekcije via IST.

    4. Po jedan tjedni let (prvenstveno za turiste) za LGW, CDG, AMS, FCO, BRU, ZRH, MUC, VIE, CPH, ARN, OSL i HEL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Purger18:01

      Svi ostali su dobrodošli, ali ovo bi trebalo biti must! Kako to ostvariti:

      1. Motivirati Croatiju (jeftinije ljetne cijene ako zadrže bar jedan let tjedno za gore navedene linije).

      2. Ne financirati easyJet i druge kompanije ako ne lete bar jedan let tjedno na bar 25% svojih linija
      # znači easyJet leti 11 linija ljeti, pa zimi moraju imati bar po jedan let na tri linije
      # Norwegian leti 10 linija ljeti, pa zimi mora imati bar po jedan let na dvije linije
      # Eurowings sa 7 linija, zimi mora imati bar po jedan let na dvije linije
      # Jet2 sa 7 linija, zimi mora imati bar po jedan let na dvije linije
      # Thomson sa 7 linija, zimi mora imati bar po jedan let na dvije linije
      # Scandinavian sa 4 linija, zimi mora imati bar po jedan let na jednoj liniji
      # Volotea sa 4 linije, zimi mora imati bar jedan let na jednoj liniji
      Ukoliko to ne žele ne odobriti im subvenciju (a na 5 milijuna kuna godišnje sigurno da imaju neke argumente)

      3. Dodatno motivirati letove niskim cijenama zimi, te imati politiku cijena u kojima su i ljeti niže tarife za one koji imaju letove cijele godine

      4. Dodatno motivirati kompanije da lete bar tijekom novogodišnjih blagdana par letova na linijama koje lete ljeti.

      ...ili jednostavnije nametnuti kompanijama da ako žele subvencije moraju ostvariti bar 10% frekvencija zimi (neovisno o linijama). Pa tako kompanija koja leti

      1-5 letova tjedno ljeti ne mora imati letova zimi
      6-14 letova tjedno ljeti mora imati bar jedan let zimi
      15-24 leta tjedno ljeti mora imati bar dva leta zimi
      25-34 leta tjedno ljeti mora imati bar tri leta zimi
      35-44 leta tjedno ljeti mora imati bar četiti leta zimi
      itd.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18:47

      Bravo, Purgeru, odlična analiza, kao i uvijek, uostalom! Ono što moram naglasiti, kao Dubrovčanin, je to da je Vlahušić (pravomoćno osuđeni) nesposobni idiot koji ima strategiju "ugurati" što veći broj turista u ionako ljeti prenapučeni Dubrovnik, bez ikakve strategije, a itekako sposoban lagati narod, razbacivati se megalomanijom i trošiti novac poreznih obveznika bez ikakvih konzultacija.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous19:53

      Purgeru, imate li ideju koliki minus na mesecnom nivou za OU belezi F100 na wet leas-u.

      Delete
    4. Purger04:08

      Ne stvarno ne znam, ali ono što znam je da su još zimus radili analize svih letova sa F100. Stoga ne vjerujem da bi im to donjelo minus.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous19:01

    OT: Are there any new pics from Zagreb's new terminal?

    ReplyDelete

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