Sarajevo sees strong February growth while B&H Airlines’ numbers plummet
Sarajevo Airport has recorded its fifteenth consecutive month of passenger growth, maintaining its successful run following last year’s record breaking results. In February, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s busiest airport handled 35.435 passengers, an increase of 16.6% compared to the same month last year. At the same time the airport also recorded a surge in the number of flight operations with a total of 387 arrivals and departures recorded, up 21.3% on 2012. “These results confirm the management’s expectations that Sarajevo Airport will record growth in both passenger and traffic volume”, the airport said in a statement. In the months to come Sarajevo Airport will see several new routes launched including a new service by Germanwings from Berlin, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul’s second airport Sabiha Gokcen, Middle East Airlines from Beirut and SAS Scandinavian from Stockholm.
| Month | PAX | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 36.114 | ▲ 8.0 |
| FEB | 35.435 | ▲ 16.6 |
Despite the strong showing by Sarajevo Airport, B&H Airlines has recorded its third consecutive year of passenger decline in 2013 with numbers down by almost a half on the year before. The carrier is yet to recover from the pullout of its one time part owner Turkish Airlines. In 2013, the Bosnian national carrier welcomed only 31.705 passengers on board its aircraft, down 46.8% on the year before. Out of all the national carriers in the former Yugoslavia, B&H has the lowest market share at its home base, averaging only 5% of all passengers last year.
However, 2013 was a trying year for B&H. The airline was grounded for several weeks due to outstanding loan repayments for its aircraft. Later it was again forced to cancel many of its flights as its aircraft went in for regular maintenance and had to deal with poor weather conditions at Sarajevo Airport near the end of the year. As a result, B&H operated just over 20% fewer flights than in 2012. The Bosnian government is still looking for a new partner for its airline.
FINALLY there is a decent connection between Sarajevo and Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteUntil the Air Serbia change-over, you could only fly in at midnight and out at 6am and it was $100euro for a last-minute one-way. Totally not worth it. Better to take an early bus and get in at a reasonable hour.
Now, thank goodness, they dropped the price and changed the schedule. There's a flight early in the afternoon and one soon after from BH airlines (not sure why they don't stagger more, but whatever).
It's as though they totally didn't care about getting customers on that route with that terrible schedule. I would have flown 4 times last year if they had this current schedule.
Etihad: Rome-Zagreb cancelled
ReplyDeletewe know
Delete4 weekly 50 seater flights (200 weekly) FCO-ZAG cancelled; 3 weekly 150 seater flights (350 weekly) FCO-RJK instead starting, operated by Blu Express.
DeleteBut obviously there is no will and intention to list those flights to the right under "new route launches", or to write anything about it here, despite the fact it's the FIRST and ONLY Blu-Express/Blue Panorama destination in ex-Yugoslavia, and I wrote 3 times about it already
Ofcourse it will be listed. Blue Panorama flights are seasonal so they didn't get the same priority as the Zagreb flights since they were supposed to be a year long service and there was a dedicated article when the route was announced. Blue Panorama did actually fly to EX-YU, to Skopje to be precise but ofcourse it will be listed. In a day or two.
DeleteAnd no announcement on Rijeka-Dubrovnik-Split-Rijeka flights for which I ask several times. ExYU why you hate Rijeka?
Deleteyeah I'm sure the admin has a secret agenda against Rijeka. hahaha
DeleteSo, what is a big deal to put
DeleteRijeka-Split-Dubrovnik
April 04 Trade Air?
And in Zagreb-Rijeka Croatia Airlines is just a code-share partner, Trade Air is operator.
I ask Admin to do that so many times. But every little change of Air Serbia is put in list daily.
I really dont get this speaches regarding the growth of SJJ. Its a radiculos fact. Me as a being bosnian and frequent travel accross the globe, this SJJ airport with its aircraft movements and its corrupted management is a shame. Of course there is a growth in double digits (the fact that they put in all medias frequently and proudly), of course its easy to have such growth when u just during the day on one capital city's international airport of one independet country u just have 7-8 flights per day !!! i emphasize 7-8 flights per day !!!! Its a pure shame. And when u add one flight more in the next month wiith 150 seats of course there is a 20-30% growth etc etc... but looking at the whole picture of the airport and its movements, its not even comparable to some small regional airports elsewehere, and not to talking about the movements of aircrafts in the regional countries capital incl. Belgrade, Skopje, even Pristina !! YEa why should managament work to have more companies flying into Sarajevo, they have good salleries even without it, It would just make them work more, and why should they... At the end of the day Sarajevo Airport is "not" a "Javno preduzece" (Public company) - ironicaly speaking of course, and they (managament) shouldnt work in the interests of bosnian people to have better connection to the world and other Europe cities, not to talk about price reductions in the case of more competition... I am really ashamed having a Sarajevo as a my home airport with its current corrupted management whose son is by the way a Marketing director (already convicted criminal in Sarajevo) ... I am sorry if i get excited while writing but these facts are really bothering me, and hope u got the point which i wanted to say. P.S. I never worked and nor planned to work at the airport of SJJ, neither i do have any personal connection with the people working there. Its just my opinion i created simply looking at the facts.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure there is so much demand there. Otherwise, companies would line up do fly there. Other that banding over to Wizz and others what's airport mgmt. to do.
DeleteWell I think there IS demand, Macedonia and SKP are not that much better in terms of purchasing power, tourism potential, and Bosnian diaspora is to the same degree scattered as Macedonian. If the management improves, SJJ could see 1 mil. Otherwise, not.
DeleteLikes of many airline executives obviously don't agree with you. It's not the question of demand per se, it's the question of growth opportunity and companies obviously think that SJJ has very little of it that's why they are not coming.
DeleteDon't get me wrong i have no reason to defend SJJ mgmt. (Serbian, lives in Canada, have no idea what is going on there) but realistically speaking, they don't have very many tools at their disposal. They have to make sure the facilities are there. Besides that the only thing they can do is go around and promote it with airlines and drop the airport charges. And they can promote it all they want, if there is no money there, they are not coming.
I’d be curious to hear what would you do if you were in their shoes.
DeleteI would do the same thing that was done with SKP.
DeleteYou mean offer subsidies?
DeleteI mean concession.
DeleteI must agree with many things here on the forum.
DeleteI cannot understand the criminal and corrupt managment on SJJ airport.Instead to make money for the airport and for the city they dont do anything for diaspora,Diaspora is coming to Bosnia once a year,vut if ew have for exampel WIZZAIR than we will come to SARAJEVO often.I can give my hand that minister Bijedic dont like wizzair,because everytime wizzair is talking about SARAJEVO he is hide somewhere.I loved Bosnien but day after day I hate it because they dont fo anything for diaspora who love to come to their own land Bosnia
IMO Sarajevo is the most underperforming airport in ex-yu. Im not familiar what exactly is the problem but clearly there is room for big growth going by current numbers. LCC is the solution whether some like it or not.
DeleteSomeone mentioned SKP and I think thats a good comparison, Bosnia is roughly twice the size of Macedonia, has similar unemployment / wages and neither is a mass tourist destination (mainly vfr) yet SKP is outperforming SJJ by almost 50%!!! OK its just 320,000 pax but still Sarajevo should comfortably have more than SKP.
Wizz air has transformed SKP in a very short time with just 1 plane, last year 380,000 pax. I think SJJ can easily replicate that. Someone mentioned subsidies but as I understand they are for 6 routes only and 1.5M a year for 3 years. Yet they have employed hundred of local people and opened other routes and are bringing a second aircraft based on market demand, not subsidies. In fact if you spread out the subsides its €4/pax. thats a pretty good return imo. Does any one seriously believe wizz air will just pull out of Macedonia once the subsidies stop?
SJJ needs to do something to attract new airlines that will offer new destinations and more importantly force the others to stop overcharging soo damn much. There is clearly room for growth. Maybe a concession of the airport should also be looked at.
@12:44 anon
I agree number of flights is low but its not that different from the region. Today SJJ has 12 departures, Skopje also 12 and Prishtina 15.
OT
ReplyDeletePodgorica Airport is blocked due to anonymous tip saying that there is a bomb at the airport. Flights to Rome, Istanbul and Vienna are delayed.
http://exyuaviation.blogspot.com/p/bomb-threat-at-podgorica-airport.html
DeleteOT I guess Kondic is getting a new boss. "The new COO-Equity Partners will be responsible for realization of synergy benefits across the equity alliance, as well as having direct responsibility for Air Seychelles and Air Serbia"
ReplyDeleteAlso, it seems that the investment is a go after all LOL.
http://atwonline.com/finance-amp-data/etihad-unveils-etihad-aviation-group?NL=ATW-04&Issue=ATW-04_20140303_ATW-04_273&YM_RID=sasa.maljukan@hydroone.com&YM_MID=1452956&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2
SM,he still has he same boss that he has had since day1 - which is the Board of Directors. That is who he reports to and that hasn't changed. Don't forget, it was the Govt of Serbia who appointed him as the CEO and if they want to change him, it will be the Govt of Serbia who will need to make that change as well, since they are majority owners of the company. This new role at Etihad simply means that this role will be the one who will now be the liaison between Etihad and the Govt of Serbia on shareholder issues. Management oversight of the company is the responsibility of the Board of Directors of Air Serbia
DeleteEverithing you said is correct in theory but realisticly speaking I think the situation is a little bit different. He was appointed by the government but selected by Etihad. If he does something wrong his secret boss will question him, board will just make the decision offitial. And don't get me wrong, I'm all for it. I don't trust politicians one bit
DeleteAgree with you 100% on your point regarding politicians ... However, this new COO role at Etihad will have no direct impact on Kondic or Air Serbia ... Now that the deal is finalized and closed, responsibility for the shareholder relationship has to pass to someone and that someone will be this new COO position ...
DeleteYU-ALN coming back in BEG
ReplyDeleteYU-ALN arrived around 15.30 to Belgrade (or was supposed to) while YU-ALU left for the Netherlands this morning.
Deletewhat is going with YU-ALP?
DeleteI would like to know that as well, preferably from an insider. It is been said it is on regular maintanance, but its been quite long since then. Any reliable info?
Delete@Nemjee
DeleteDo you know something about the web-check in availability? This month, next month?
...next year
Delete...but it is OK, it's just 15 years after all other companies made it possible!
Can you provide link to info that says it will be next year? Or is it just your hate imagination? And those 15 years you are talking about, that was JAT, Air Serbia is only couple of months old.
DeleteMore lies doesn't make it true.
@Anonymous 10:15 pm
DeleteEX Yu Aviation announced today that Air Serbia will have web check-in starting in early June:
http://exyuaviation.blogspot.ca/p/new-webpage-for-air-serbia.html
The new website and the option of online check-in were not introduced earlier because they were waiting for the airline to switch to Sabre.
DeleteNow that the transition was successfully done, other novelties will be introduced. Unfortunately very few people know when they will take place. :)