Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Air Serbia is considering resuming flights to Ohrid. The Mayor of Ohrid, Nikola Bakračeski, has confirmed he will hold talks with the airline's management today, while a delegation from Ohrid Airport visited the Air Serbia stand at the International Tourism Fair in Belgrade last week, where it held talks with officials from the carrier. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, last month the airline filed for slots at Ohrid Airport. Air Serbia's predecessor, Jat Airways, last operated services to Ohrid on a seasonal summer basis in 2013. Flights catered for a significant number of transfer passengers, as well as Serbian tourists.
Great news!
ReplyDeleteGreat news, more aircraft are needed though!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ohrid.gov.mk/index.asp?PodatociID=5521
ReplyDeleteSounds good, probably 3/w would be enough at first. Just wondering what the catchment area is. Can't be very large with SKP not to far away. And PRN & TIR are about, what two hour drive?
ReplyDeleteSkopje-Ohrid is around 2.5 hours (usually it gets up to 3), while Pristina-Ohrid would be aroun 3.5 to 4h.
DeleteTo me it is interesting if Air Serbia could sell tickets between Skopje and Ohrid (of course, if they decide to fly like that), and if a decision would make sense.
You think there is a market for flights between Skopje and Ohrid?
DeleteWhat about the catchment area of OHD?
Ja ne razumem cemu otvaranje ove linije kad ima mnogo vise linija sa vise potencijala .
ReplyDeleteINN-NS
I agree with INN-NS actually! There are plenty more destinations in the region that could use an ATR. OHD can work only if it operates on seasonal basis. It seems that JU Yugo mentality is still strong. they are not looking our of the box like Aegean is.
DeleteWhich other regional (other than PRN) destinations are more important that can be served with an ATR?
DeleteNAP, BUD, GVA, IEV, ESB, ADB, HER, VCE.
DeleteNapoli, questionable
DeleteBUD, didn't work, to close to Serbia
Geneva, maybe
Kiev, yes
Ankara, probable work
İzmir, questionable
Heraklion, highly questionable, maybe seasonaly
Venice, maybe seasonaly
I always wonder why to think out of the box?! The new motto is: create the box! Like it or not, people still want to travel to OHD, no matter what other airports are around.
DeleteНа пример Ниш- Беч са АТР.
DeleteOva linija je više nego logična, prepuna potencijala i ne postoji ni jedna druga linija koju Air Serbija u ovom momentu može otvoriti sa manje rizika i boljim potencijalima.
ReplyDeleteJedino mi je žao što me u Croatiji nisu poslušali pa je nisu otvorili 2010. Nakon Air Serbije tu Croatia više nema što tražiti.
Ohridu treba jedan legacy carrier, a ako već ne može privući Lufthansu, Austrian ili Turkish, onda je Air Serbia najbolja moguća opcija. Za Air Serbiu pak to će biti pun pogodak. 40 putnika dnevno za break-even svakako neće biti problem (turisti, poslovnjaci, rodbinske veze, dijaspora...), a tu uz Air Serbiju još dugo neće biti nikoga. Ako se to ostvari Air Serbija u exYu još treba pokriti Mostar i Rijeku i odradila je lavovski posao.
Purger, what is your opinion about the frequency on this route. Once a day, 5 weekly, 3 weekly? Ofc, I guess they would have to make good connections for other european destinations where there is sizeable dijaspora.
DeleteLast time they flew 5 times a week some flights in triangle with SKP and according to this blog the LF was exceptionally high, mostly serbian tourists on board.
DeleteI stil think OHD will be only seasonal route but with convinient connections and sensible pricing it could be extended into 2 weekly in winter season.
Dont forget there is no legacy carrier at OHD yet and all OHD diaspora is flying to/from SKP. ASL would be good aviced to jump into that market before TK/PG do the same.
Poz.
6 or 7 per week on top season, 4 out of season. To kill potential competition. With intention to everyday all year.
DeleteThe catchment area is weak and so is outbound demand. It's predominantly an inbound summer only tourist market. Not much changed from ex-YU times. Don't be fooled by Invest Macedonian ads on CNN. Good luck to the mayor. Where was he back in April 2014 when it mattered as regards this route?
ReplyDeleteWell if AS commences flights at least people will have a direct flight to BEG and onward to Europe. Just hope the fares are reasonable.
ReplyDeleteCluj,PRN,Venice,Chisinau,DBV and SPU all year round, Lvov and even Bratislava. Many of them are not regional but in Atr range. Unless JU gets subsidies its a stupid move
ReplyDeleteThese cities are reasonable suggestions, but don't forget the Ohrid (as a new destination) has the most potentian O&D pax.
DeleteOdessa might work. But not until KBP becomes a standard route.
DeleteWell, at least we can be sure that Air Serbia is planing new routes (other than JFK). Therefore, they will definitely need new planes, unless they bring the boeings (which imho is a bad idea).
ReplyDeleteAirbus A320neo's are arriving from 2017.
DeleteOhrid mayor in talk with JU? Aren's Maceodnians happy on here that exyu-airliners are losing their share in SKP?
ReplyDeleteno we are happy about every new destination severed by any airline. Doesnt matter if its a ex-yu airline or an african airline, we just want to be well connected.
DeleteTherefore im glad to hear about the new potential OHD-BEG service. I´m pretty sure the route will work great.
Macedonians are pretty happy with the organic market development happening the last few years.
DeleteOhrid is pretty underserved considering the huge diaspora on both Macedonian and Albanian side coming from the region. Even Air Serbia will have success capturing this traffic.
"Even" Air Serbia...
DeleteDo elaborate?
"even" Air Serbia probably means, that Air Serbia (JAT) has not got the best reputation in the area, but that is nothing to you should be angry about.
DeleteWe are glad JU is back in OHD!