New destinations and new airlines from Rijeka
Rijeka Airport, which last year struggled for passengers, has turned its fortunes around in 2011 and has announced that several new airlines will begin flights to the city in 2012. Rijeka Airport has so far this year handled 78.754 passengers, an increase of 28% compared to 2011, and is certain that next year it will see even greater growth.Europe’s biggest low cost airline Ryanair has announced that it will begin flights from Oslo and either Frankfurt or Brussels to Rijeka next year which will accompany its existing seasonal flights from London Stansted and Stockholm. However, Ryan might have some competition on its hands as the airport’s management is in talks with British Airways to commence flights from London to the seaside city next summer. Condor has already announced its plans to inaugurate flights from Frankfurt to Rijeka. Meanwhile, the national carrier, Croatia Airlines, is finalising its plans for Rijeka for the upcoming summer season. During this year, the carrier operated flights to London Heathrow. New additions are expected in the coming year.
Additionally, the airport is in talks with SkyWork Airlines to commence flights from Bern while negotiations are also underway with the Spanish low cost airline Vueling to launch seasonal flights from either Madrid or Barcelona. During the week, talks were held in Belgrade between Rijeka Airport officials and local authorities from Niš for summer flights between the two cities to be launched in 2012.
OU quickly needs to get it's hands on JP's spare planes as they have so many opportunities for summer work to the coast.
ReplyDeleteCan LJU and MBX management staff learn from RJK management?
ReplyDeleteYes but MBX and LJU do not have the tourist demand Rijeka has.
ReplyDeleteRJK Airport is getting a valued interest among international tour operators and local authorities finally.
ReplyDeleteIt was so boring only to see the parked old MD 83 Air Adriatic and just some flights landing and taking off during the summertime.
Ajde Krk!
It would be interesting to know how much the airlines are being paid to fly to Rijeka and who is paying them.
ReplyDelete@ last anonymous: Croatian Government paid to some airlines to fly to Rijeka, but that is planned action. They gave for example 3 € per passenger, and that passenger spent 78 € per day somewhere in Rijeka, Opatija, Krk...and Rijeka Airport also has benefit (landing fees, airport taxes). So the money paid to airlines come back to Croatian budget soon after. That is one of most successful decisions of Ministry of Tourism.
ReplyDeleteI can remember well when I read some reports on Novi List
ReplyDeleteabout Ryanair last year about the feasibility of flights in the summertime 2010 that the only financial support was given by the county Goransko-Primorije and the city of Rijeka.
I think that the central government didn't give neither one penny.
The cost was around EUR 30 per Ryanair passenger landing / taking off from Krk airport but anyway it has been a good promotion and investment as it's true that the average revenue per passenger is EUR 78-85 for all the Kvarner Rivijera and Krk Island.
A rather boost of the mentioned airport could also be if Krk Airport might be handed over to the county or privatized by a concession as actually the major shareholder is still the croatian government, which never spend any kuna in order to improve quality and capacity of this airport, unlike Split and Dubrovnik airports.
Croatian tourist board invests in air traffic 1 EUR to each EUR which was invested by local tourist board. Of course if RJK airport management participate in tender of Croatian tourist board.
ReplyDeleteRJK airport grow is not so impressed if we know that during last few years they had enormous downfall of number of passengers (some 30-50% per year).
@ admin
ReplyDeletewill you talk about belgrade - copenhagen flights with norwegian air shuttle?
Excellent!
ReplyDeletePozdrav svim Srbima i Hrvatima!
OT: is it true JAT will operate Belgrade - Saint Petersburg flights next summer? it is on a travel agent web page
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dannytravel.com/
it also says that OU is starting SPU-BEG along with DBV-BEG
ReplyDelete@ JU500
ReplyDeleteyeah your right
@admin, is this true, do you know?
RJK is undoubtably the airport with the most untapped tourist potential on the whole Adriatic coast. So any steps to increase pax has to be a good sign.
ReplyDeleteOUs (overpriced) weekly LHR also demonstrates there has been demand in the past to the major European centres, and is likely to continue in the future.
I've often wondered whether a decent-level minivan service from ZAG could benefit Rijeka and the Kvarner. The airport is too close to ZAG to warrant flights, and one daily return service isn't enough, perhaps 2-3 services timing better to fit with the waves of OU flights would help tourism also? It's only a 2hr drive after all...
Bascanska Ploca
ReplyDeleteAirport Rijeka is being mismanaged since beginning i.e. since socialism times.
Who is preventing airport management to act same way as Pula, Zadar, Split or Dubrovnik.
Incompetency, nothing else.
Best regards from Omisalj