Wizz Air expected to launch new flights to Tuzla and Sarajevo
Over the past few days Wizz Air has successfully launched two new destinations from Tuzla, recording strong passenger numbers on both flights. Wizz Air’s new service from Basel and Gothenburg join the existing flights from Stockholm to Tuzla. The inaugural service from Basel was sold out while the flight from Gothenburg saw 168 passengers onboard. Ticket sales are also indicating strong numbers for the future. Wizz Air’s presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s third largest city is already being felt. Despite the fact the low cost launched flights from Tuzla on May 29, the airport managed to handle 455 passengers during the month, a five digit passenger growth of 22.650%. With only one passenger handled prior to Wizz Air’s arrival, the airport has welcomed 456 passengers so far this year.
Tuzla Airport CEO, Enver Januković, says the low cost airline is set to launch new flights from the city. “It is important that both arriving and departing flights are full. On Saturday’s service from Basel we welcomed not only Bosnian passengers but also those heading to Serbia and Croatia”, Mr. Januković says. He adds Wizz Air is considering launching flights from either Dortmund or Eindhoven to Tuzla. The airport’s CEO believes Eindhoven is the better of the two as it would target overseas diaspora passengers and allow them to connect via Amsterdam and Eindhoven to Bosnia. “I cannot comment on their behalf when the service will be launched but it most certainly will”, Mr. Januković concluded.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Sarajevo Airport, Ivica Veličan has announced that talks with Wizz Air are entering their “final phase”. Several months ago Mr. Veličan admitted the two sides failed to reach an agreement over fees warning that slashing handling prices for Wizz Air would cause a “domino effect”. However, such issues no longer seem to be the problem. “Since I began working at this airport in 1977, Sarajevo has never been better connected with Europe and the rest of the world and that is something I constantly repeat”, Mr. Veličan added.
Does the CEO of Tuzla airport really think that overseas travellers would do the hassle to first fly into Amsterdam, then find out a way to transport themselves by bus or whatever to Eindhoven airport and from there on to Tuzla and from there on to where ever they really want to go? Sounds like some very unrealistic thinking to me!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, a very big congratulations to Tuzla for the great achievement of reviving the airport! Even my bosnian cleaning lady at work made me check up flights for her to Tuzla (after I informed her that they now exist of course :) )
Good for Bosnia, good for Tuzla! Crossing my fingers for first base in the country!! Maybe SJJ soon?
ReplyDeleteIn last few weeks most of passangers on Qatar ZAG-BUD-DOH flights are from Zagreb, not from Budapest. Today there was 170 passangers from ZAG in which 17 on ZAG-BUD leg.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Keep going
DeleteI am assuming QR is still using the A321 on the route?
Deleteimpressive !
DeleteLoads of Aussies?
Those were yesterday data. Today 95 pax from ZAG, 3 to BUD, 1 to DOH, others further than DOH.
Deletesooooo? why you even bother to put comment about Qatar loads under news about W6 in Bosnia? Maybe we will start discussion about elephants in India?
ReplyDeleteStop whining!
DeleteIn not so far future Qatar will serve ZAG daily nonstop!
ReplyDeleteAviation in Croatia sure will boost with entry into the European Union.
Foreign businesses and airlines will choose Croatia and Zagreb
before all other competitors in the region.
Also the day ZAG goes nonstop Qatar will stop flying into Belgrade!
If you think thats no problem as they have Etihad i have to dissapoint you...
Daily nonstop only makes sense if the takeover of Jat goes through.
But obviously those talks are failing miserably!
No takeover also means stop of daily flights.
I can imagine them to get reduced considerably or even totally stopped.
No takeover also means bankrupcy of Jat and thus end of codesharing.
And with bankrupcy of Jat and stop of Qatar and Etihad flights
BEG airports numbers will see a disastrous drop.
ZAG only will profit of this situation and we will see it being number one of the region already next year or latest in two years.
You will call me a hater but i stated only the obvious.
Unfortunately some people prefer to dream instead to face reality!
Please... Go and comment articles on jutarnji.hr
DeleteYou Croations sure are severely dellusional some(most of?)times.
DeleteGood thing you got it all worked out in your little head. Living with complexities is difficult.
DeleteAnd what does you crystal ball say about Croatia Airlines? Still staying Lufthansa’s bitch?
DeleteI'm Serb and in no way a dreamer...
DeleteI also would'nt call you a hater.
But although everything you describe could possibly happen
it still is the most pessimistic of all possibilities.
There are two things you have to mind:
1.Maybe Etihad's daily flights do not rely on Jat at all.
2.You forgot FlyDubai which easily could increase to daily nonstop!
Of course it is not obvious.
DeleteI am almost certain Etihad will take control over Jat, because it is political decision, and they did the same thing in past to companies which were even in worst condition than Jat. With this delay they just want to blackmail Government and force them to do dirty job for them (sack 600 workers, delete 180 million EUR debts, clean “socrealistic” managers and working habits...). Etihad for sure will not show to all World that they are afraid, they can not manage it, and because of that they will spent much more if necessary to show that they can perform miracle (even if this investment does not show profit in long distance future). The same pattern is in India, Seychelles, Air Berlin...
In same time Qatar almost never cancel routes. Also to show who “has bigger”. So, it is not real that Qatar will cancel BEG-DOH in near future.
Fact is that ZAG has just Turkish and Qatar, but BEG has FlyDubai (Emirates), Qatar, Etihad, Turkish and Pegasus. That is even much better than BUD. So, here battle is finished. ZAG lost it! The only field where ZAG has a chance is open market to Western Europe (European Union) and to USA. Unfortunately for now I can not see that ZAG profit from entering into EU, and ZAG will be the only airport in EU that will not do such a profit. ZAG has some 6 month to benefit from membership in EU, because from winter Etihad will start to work 100% in BEG, doesn’t meter how much it will cost. It is more image and to show “who has bigger” than commercial.
The only thing that can stop this is Serbian mentality (“gde će meni neki zamotani arap da šefuje”) or Government which try to work on Byzantine way and to take more than they can or even to cheat partner (we have saying “uzeti kruha nad pogačom”).
Good post Purger !!!
DeleteONCE AGAIN: this is news about W6 in Bosnia, not Qatar in Croatia.... Im not from any exYU country, but guys... what you doing is becoming boooring.
Deleteso what... this is blog about aviation, in most of the posts there is discussion about all other subjects especially if those are about some new information (and Qatar LF from ZAG is something new). It is like this for years now. Why to change this today?
DeleteGood to see Aviation improve so dramatically in Bosnia. This demonstrates how hopelessly airlines are run in the region where a potential market like Bosnia was so mismanaged by all Ex Yu carriers!
DeleteWhat is happening with Serbia, Jat and Etihad behind the scenes is anyone's guess. My personal opinion is that some persons fear that they will soon lose one of their personal ATM's (Jat) and when this happens, the flood gates could be opened and they could lose the lot. I do not believe everyone in Serbia wants this to go through. Many powerful people in Serbia will lose out big time if or when Etihad take control of Jat.
I also do not think that just because 4 or 5 middle east airlines operate to Belgrade at this time that this represents doom and gloom for Zagreb in terms of middle east services. Zagreb airports biggest issue up until now has been the lack of investment into infrastructure. In my opinion, delaying the new terminal this long has disadvantaged Zagreb airport massively!
Once the new terminal is complete, along with the new operators I believe we will see very good growth and many more airlines to Zagreb.
@Purger - your comment on QR never cancelling their new routes is untrue. Just recently they pulled out of SEZ.
DeleteI think both Zagreb and Belgrade airports have loads of room for growth, Won't speculate what the future holds for both airports but yes, Zagreb has very good future perspectives, many European airlines see the potential of Zagreb as a regional hub and arrival of Iberia, KLM, BA, SAS and other airlines in coming months will only confirm that fact.
DeleteSo long as Zagreb /airport management knows how to utilize and improve on opportunities its been given.
Belgrade is only real airport in Serbia and only way for any would be traveler to visit Serbia, (lets face Nis is unimportant and won't see much in terms of passenger growth) so any future passenger growth will be transfered to Belgrade which should act as a major country hub, if Wizz air establishes Belgrade as a major hub than there's loads of future growth prospects, perhaps Belgrade airport could hit 6.5 million passengers by 2020.
Zagreb at the same time will definitely have more than 5 million passengers, with 5.75 million being my upper estimate.
@Sam:
DeleteSure you notice that I use sentence "Qatar almost never cancel routes". ALMOST!!!!
In 20 year they canceled 9 out of 132 routes, what is 6,8% of total number of routes.
To Purger:
DeleteYou write that Etihad blackmails the Serbian government
to do the dirty job for them.
Because they are afraid to can not manage it themselves.
These are really unobjective and even ridiculous accusations.
I mean it is totally the opposite!
If there is anyone blackmailing (which i doubt!)
then it would be the Serbian government.
The government and the governments before them
have shown that they are totally UNABLE to do anything for Jat.
If there is a management that could do the job then it is
that of Etihad.
Also what you call a dirty job.
This job is a MUST!
And of course the one who accumulated that debt of 180 millions has to pay for that.
That is the government.
Etihad is only responsible for debts AFTER a possible takeover.
It is not the job of politicians to run an airline.
And i am sure that a new management of professionals
appointed by Etihad would turn Jat into profitability
And that stupid old bias about MEAirlines only comparing who has bigger d...k is utter nonsense.
They do it because they CAN do it!
Once here I wrote that it is necessary to cut jobs (for that Serbia has to pay at least 30 million EUR), change management, change working habits, stop routes which are not profitable even if those are «Serbian strategic routes like BEG-TGD» (I don't say it is the fact, I just give example what can happen), totally stop political influence in Jat, and to takeover Jat's debts of 170 million EUR. So it is hard job, very unpopular (strikes, worker deprecations, social problems, political problems), for sure politicians don’t like the idea that they will not be able to put their friends in Jat management any more, and Serbia must find 200 million EUR for that. Does Serbia have 200 million? Can political do that «dirty jobs» or «hot potato»? I don't know, for sure it depends what is political will about this! But for sure it is blackmail from Etihad. It will be like this or not. Yes, I agree with you that this is logical, it has to be done like this. So in that case blackmail is not negative thing. I just hope someone will blackmail Croatian Government the same way. I wrote that for several times. I again I point: «Serbian Government must do what ever Etihad asks, because that is last chance for Serbian air traffic, and it is opportunity once in a hundred years».
DeleteAbout MEB3 (Qatar, Etihad, Emirates), their goal is to make their hubs one of the world biggest (or even the biggest). They are just tool for their governments’ goals like tourism, business, trade, selling real estates, political influence... Lot of their movements is highly risk because of financial background they have. Because of that they open routes which are questionable, very often they use dumping, and because of that they almost never cancel routes. In that way for sure they show who has the biggest di...k. Lot of times, all the times. To have 5 companies from that region with some 32 weekly flights in BEG is very illogic (that is more than double BUD has), they all must use dumping for get enough passengers. But will any of those cancel some frequencies or even stop flying to BEG. I thing not!
And YES, YOU ARE RIGHT! THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY CAN DO IT!
These middle east airlines also sit on oil reservesc !
DeleteNothing is more important for airline than oil price because they have to buy it!
Etihad owns this oil already .
So their costs are lowered and have big advantage!
Its like subvention,but not by government but by geology!
This are amazing results for TZL airport. I honestly hope those useless idiots at BNX will realise this and let Wizz start flying!
ReplyDeleteDavorin Mihić, the CEO of Banja Luka Airport says that the main reason the airline is staying away is because of high fuel prices at the airport. “Our fuel costs 1.89 euros per litre but for an agreement to be reached it must range between 1.10 and 1.20 euros. We are unable to lower the cost below the asking price of the fuel provider”, he says.
DeleteIf BNX wants to lower the fuel price, they need customs warehouse (or depot) for fuel . There is a depot which is mutually owned (1/2) by BNX and Ministry of defence. BNX needs to have this property 1/1 or at least have an approval or concession on property from the Ministry of defence in order to get a licence from Indirect Taxation Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina. BNX is the only airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina which is half military / half civilian.
Any news about wizz to Mostar? Also, I think it would be great if they would also fly from Austria or Hungary to Sarajevo.
ReplyDeleteFlyDubai announces that it will introduce business class on selected routes :
ReplyDelete- flydubai.com - ready for business -
Begin in october this year.
The destinations will be announced later...
Tuzla isn't 3rd largest, it's Mostar. The region may be more densely populated so more people probably gravitate to TZL than OMO, but Tuzla is still 4th largest.
ReplyDeleteTuzla is the third largest city in BiH after Sarajevo and Banja Luka. Mostar is the sixth – Zenica and Bijeljina are larger.
DeleteYou are both WRONG!
Delete1. Sarajevo
(City: 371.000, city de facto: 490.400, Sarajevo Metropolitan Area: some 700.000)
Also, Sarajevo is the 3th largest city in former Jugoslavia!
New Statistics will be available at the end of 2013 (CENSUS in OKTOBER!!!) =)
2. Banja Luka
City: 190.000
Banja Luka Municipality: 250.000
3. Tuzla
City: 119.000
Tuzla Municipality: 190.000
4. Zenica
City:90.000
Zenica Municipality: 130.000
5. Mostar
City: 80.000
Mostar Municipality: 112.000
6. Bijeljina
City/Urban: 79.000
Bijeljina Municipality: 130.000
Greedz
Hello Anonymous from June 19, 2013 at 12:10 PM
ReplyDeleteIf we google "aerodrom banjaluka" we will see
there are a lot of problems there.
Great news for bosnia, but Zagreb airport figures gave headache to Zagreb Airport management. In May Zagreb Airport handled only 205000 passengers, 22000 passengers down on projected number for May, and 10000 down on 2012 figure.
ReplyDeleteReason for slump in number was a Croatian Airlines strike at the airport which lasted 8 days but also general solidarity strike of airport staff which lasted few days, sufficient to explain dip in numbers.
June should be back on schedule when Zagreb airport is expected to handle record passenger numbers, ZA is expected to handle 258000 passengers in June.
Offtopic:
ReplyDeleteToday YM flew Podgorica-BEG-Rome-Podgorica with E195.
Was this a charter ?
Yes, Palma (Serbian politician) organised a trip for people with small businesses people to visit Italy.
Delete* I meant people with small businesses. They are all from Jagodina
DeleteI'm sorry for the OT: check this out http://www.telegraf.rs/vesti/beograd/763471-stigao-prvi-avion-koji-je-jat-iznajmio-za-letnju-sezonu
ReplyDeleteAny information which ATR came? And the other five aircrafts? Regards from Basel
DeleteThose charters are a good thing.
ReplyDeleteWell done Montenegro Airlines!