Soon in Skopje
B&H Airlines will launch flights to Skopje Alexander the Great Airport on April 1. Services, with the ATR72, will operate four times per week. Originally, B&H intended to launch flights to Skopje during the winter holiday season but instead it opted to postpone the service until the summer. The airline also intends to launch flights to Amsterdam and there is a possibility for services to Zagreb to be inaugurated as well as the Bosnian carrier looks to strengthen its cooperation with Croatia Airlines. Flight details for the Sarajevo - Skopje service can be found here.
B&H’s return will be welcomed news for Skopje Airport. Nordic Air Sweden has already announced that it will launch flights from Copenhagen to the Macedonian capital in late February while a possible Wizz Air expansion is also on the cards. Furthermore, Jetairfly will resume its seasonal summer flights from Brussels. Skopje will now be served by four national carriers from the former Yugoslavia - Adria Airways, B&H Airlines, Croatia Airlines and Jat Airways. With 828.831 passengers handled in 2012, Skopje will need a significant 20% passenger increase this year if it is to break its one million passenger record set in 2000.
B&H Airlines has operated flights to Skopje on and off for several years. At first the airline flew to Skopje via Podgorica. The national carrier suspended the flights after some time citing low interest. It planned to return to the Macedonian capital in the summer of 2012, however, its fleet shortage and Turkish Airlines’ exit from the carrier made it impossible. A total of five weekly flights were scheduled, departing Sarajevo in the evening with the return flight to leave Skopje early next morning, so as to connect onto B&H’s services to Europe. All EX-YU airlines rely on Macedonian transit passengers to Western Europe, with B&H now ready to re-enter the game as well.
Better airport for transit than zagreb pleso. Zagreb wont have jetways for decades.
ReplyDeleteSure. SJJ is excellent for transiting. From what Planet are you?
DeleteThe part that the first commenter is correct about is that Sarajevo does have jetways. I find it a bit outdated that in Split and Zagreb you have to walk or be bused to the terminal. I know other Europeans have the same thing, but it is rare in the US. It seems much more modern to walk from the plane via jetway into the terminal. I hope the terminal upgrades in Zagreb address that. It becomes an issue in inclement weather.
DeleteThis is good news. I wonder who will fly on the route though as I would not use SJJ for transiting. I wonder how BH Airlines suddenly started . revving itself.
ReplyDeleteThe title should have been Sarajevo airprt and Bh airlines still exist!!! Think that more interesting
ReplyDeleteThink you need learn English.
DeleteSarajevo has plenty of passengers. Of course there is much room for improvement, but it is in no danger of closing.
I want to say that it is simply not possible to say that SARAJEVO airport is better for transiting than Zagreb. I want to say that is you check the schedule of new SKOPJE flight operation, you will notice timings are disastrous for convenient connections.
ReplyDeleteYou can transit via SARAJEVO if you are flying to SKOPJE only if you decided to take TWO overnight stays in Sarajevo. Because the new flight operation is really not coordinated properly. At least in ZAGREB Croatia Airlines operates coordinated flight operation.
It is true that ZAGREB interior is small and outdated, but transiting is easy, most likely because of that reason. I flew on numerous occassionas from SPLIT to MUC, FRA, VIE via Zagreb. I must say the smoothest transiting EVER in my life. Yes, because the airport is small and old but makes walking distances minimal, and if connecting time is 45 minutes, you can manage check in, passport control and you can even enjoy a cup of coffee without stress! So I dont see a problem of transiting in Zagreb.
I flew via all major European airports such as Vienna, Athens, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, CDG, BRU, MAD, BCN not to mention all. The worst experiences of transiting I had in Frankfurt and my favorite transit airport is Munich, smooth and organized, though really big. I liked Vienna and Zurich and Amsterdam.
I wish good look to BH Airlines for their future endavours in SKOPJE, though I really have a bit of suspicion this service will achieve good results. Could meybe work if schedule was differently organized.
Cheers from Zagreb
so what your saying:
Delete1. you go through hand luggage check (I guess thats what you mean under check-in since if u come from Split and fly to Frankfurt, then you check-in in Split and not in Zagreb).
2. you go through passport control (is it necessary for connecting flights if you come from Split?) and
3. have a cup of coffee - and all this within 45 min???
Apparently they are not aiming for transit passengers (after all their network is close to non existent) but point to point only and that previous flights to Skopje had load factor of 70% and more (Albanians from Kosovo etc)
ReplyDeleteI agree, I don't think the aim is transit, but simply direct flights - I suppose traveling by car takes forever
DeleteOk you provided some useful insight that was unknown to me before. But now when I now that Albanians from Kosovo are using this flight operation it actually makes sense to fly this particular route at any time of the day.
ReplyDeleteMy point was more in direction that even if there could be ONE or TWO transit possibilities with BH Airlines via Sarajevo, with these timings they could not be made properly.
I have a very good friend who likes to travel to Mostar and another one in Sarajevo! If they are reading this blog greetings to them!
Even though with an extra stop in BNX, they have 0:30/0:45 minute connections to Zurich, a popular destination from SKP. Day 1-3 to SKP, day 5-7 to ZRH.
DeleteI'm not saying lots of people will use it, but let's just wait and see!
Oww yeah, with ATR72 to AMS, i would say come here to my home in ams and take my bike and start riding to SAR, i bet you the plane wont be much faster than you there :)
ReplyDeleteIt does take ages, but then again, I didn't have to transit!
DeleteEven though it was more comfortable on the A319 the ATR is okay I guess..
I know it is not meant for flying these distances per se, but you've got to utilise the resources you've got right?
I dont get why you all hate transit so much. I love it, 4 times flying for the price of 2 and you see some other airports 2. AMS-MUN-ZAG. AMS-VIE-ZAG, AMS-BUD-ZAG, all great trips and i saved 60e. Took some little shopping and something to eat there, the 1.5/2h transfer flys by before you know it.
Delete...and there's also free wi-fi in BUD and VIE, so it's not boring,,
DeleteNevertheless, a direct connection is always better, especially for a short flight of 2hrs.
well im happy for every new connection or airline skp gets but im sceptic about the succsess of Skopje-Sarajevo i think they will carry transit passangers to SKP from BiH because SKP has a better connection to western europe if you only take wizz air as example...
ReplyDeleteWhen will tickets start selling? I opened their website but there is nothing about Skopje Sarajevo route!
ReplyDeleteThe timetable is available on amadeus...
DeleteCould their ATR make it to London? I'm sure they could easily fill it up in the summer time!
ReplyDeleteWouldnt work London pax use Zagreb to transit as well, thinking about it half the world use Zagreb to transit
ReplyDeleteThey can very easily set up a base in SKP to compete with Wizzair.
ReplyDeleteLaughing out loud.
DeleteI think BHA involved SKP just to justify low utilization of aircrafts and the fact that SKP is one of capitals (destinations) that is not served from Sarajevo and goes well with this type of aircraft. In case that some transfer passenger appears it will be OK. I do not see any other destination within 90 minutes except ROM to be established by BHA.
ReplyDeleteHere are some attractive destinations for B&H Airlines such as : ROMA (1.30) VENICE (1.25) BUDAPEST (1.15) BELGRADE (0.30 - NOT SERVED ENOUGH) SALZBURG (1.35) BOLOGNA (1.35) TIRANA (1.00) PRISTINA (0.55) but nothing longer duration then 90 minutes or max. 105 minutes.
DeleteAll other destinations are already served enough or with jet planes that BHA can not compete.
I disagree with VCE, BUD (as no MALEV anymore), SZG, TIA, PRN (political issue). For BH Airlines only FCO (hub), BLQ (as a great italian gateway) BEG (poor JAT schedule) can be usefull. Of course , I consider only ATR72 existing aircrafts. No short destination with ATR72 except mentioned. Saluti !
DeleteI believe most interesting for BHA to operate with ATR would be Budapest, Rome/Milan and Frankfurt.
ReplyDeleteBut BHA desperately needs jet, A319/318 or CRJ900