Ryanair to extend Podgorica flights

Ryanair to stay in Montenegro during the winter

Europe’s largest low cost airline, Ryanair, will turn its seasonal summer service from London Stansted Airport to Podgorica to year long flights. The news comes less than a month after the no frills airline launched the route. Ryanair’s flights between the British and Montenegrin capitals complement its existing seasonal service from Charleroi to Podgorica, inaugurated in the summer of 2013. In a statement, the Montenegrin Ministry for Tourism and Sustainable Development said, “We are pleased that Ryanair is the first low cost airline to have launched flights to our country, since we consider it to be one of the pioneers of low cost travel in Europe”.

Ryanair will operate flights to Montenegro until at least 2016 according to an agreement signed between the low cost airline and the government in 2013. The airline has offered to operate up to fourteen destinations during the three year period from both Podgorica and Tivat. According to the ministry, Ryanair has not received any subsidies or incentives and is paying full landing and handling fees in Podgorica. In addition, the ministry says, “In 2013 Ryanair operated flights between Charleroi and Podgorica and after four months of operations recorded an average cabin load factor of 82.2%, with 11.500 passengers handled. Furthermore, Podgorica Airport has been declared as the busiest in Ryanair’s airport network for the month of October”.

Ryanair’s arrival has had an impact on Montenegro Airlines. The country’s national carrier has suspended its seasonal flights from Podgorica to London (operated to Gatwick Airport) this year in face of competition from the low cost giant. However, Montenegro Airlines maintains a two weekly summer service from Tivat to the British capital. The airline has previously expressed its anger over the government’s decision to grant permits to Ryanair to operate flights to the Montenegrin capital. On the other hand, Ryanair has previously said, “Montenegrin visitors and consumers can now beat the recession and travel on Ryanair’s ultra low fares with no fuel surcharge guaranteed and Ryanair’s new Podgorica route will deliver over 10.000 passengers per annum with further growth planned”.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:08

    Good news! I can't believe that TGD was busiest in Ryanair's airport nerwork in october. Does anybody have statistics for Stansted flights?

    I don't know why didn't Ryanair open some Tivat routes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:38

    Ryanair should also start its flights from Morava airport to Basel, Hahn, Skavsta, Charleroi, Torino, Ciampino, Bratislava and Eindhoven.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:55

      I agree with Basel, Skavsta and Eindhoven but why Bratislava?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:17

      Јбт какви стручњаци. Шта мислите да ће се пре десити ?

      Да Рајанер уврсти АТР или ДАШ 8 у флоту или да се на Морави прошири писта

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:47

      Verovatno je gospodin hteo da kaze da s obzirom da nema rajana na beckom aerodromu (niti ima onih poznatijih low cost kompanija poput Wizz-a, Easy-a..), onda da Bratislava bude alternativa. Jer u Bratislavi Rajaner vec postoji. Kao..

      Delete
    4. Anonymous01:44

      Ummm anon @ 11:17 why should I he insulted for sharing my opinnion on a blog meant exactly for that purpose? "strucnjak"

      Delete
  3. Marko11:30

    Morava Airport has' t been finished ( made functional ) yet, thanks to inability of Serbian government in last couple of years. Newly built passenger terminal is abandoned and left to rot and decay as many other things in this unfortunate country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:27

      What a beautiful way to trow money away. Instead improving navigation facilities in Nis, government wanted to take only opening photos.

      Delete
  4. “We are pleased that Ryanair is the first low cost airline to have launched flights to our country, since we consider it to be one of the pioneers of low cost travel in Europe”.

    da li neko od ciatalaca ovog sajta moze lepo ovo da mi prevede. Malo sam tanji sam engleskim,a bas me interesuje sta je ovaj pametnjakovic izjavio.

    Onako kako sam ja razumeo,strucnjak iz Crne gore smatra da je Rajan air jedan od pionira niskobudzetnog letenja.
    E sad pitanje, da li se Rajan moze smatrati LC i bez misljenja crnogorskog strucnjaka ili je to obavezan uslov? i drugo pitanje
    kakve ta konstatacija ima veze sa bilo cim?

    sta je strucnjak hteo reci????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:46

      Zadovoljstvo nam je sto je Ryanair prva low cost kompanija koja je uspostavila letove prema nasoj zemlji jer smatramo da je to jedan od pionira low cost putovanja u evropi.

      Ne shvatam ni ja sta je htio reci ovaj ,,strucnjak''.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous13:23

    Great news for Podgorica

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous20:21

    Besides Ryanair, what other carriers have flights to and from Montenegro during summer and winter, are there BA, Air France, Lufthansa...? Thanks in advance! ;))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous21:06

      There are Austrian, Adria Airways, Air Serbia, Alitalia, Montenegro Airlines, Turkish Airlines(Year round) and for summer months mostly Russian carriers like Moskovia, Ural Airlines, Red Wings Airlines, Transaero, Yamal Airlines to Moscow(Domodeodovo and Vnukovo), Ufa, Niznhy Novgorod, Tyumen..

      Delete
    2. Anonymous21:15

      Those are from Podgorica and from Tivat there are Air Serbia, Condor, Norweigan Air Shuttle, S7 Airlines, Moskovia Airlines, Montenegro Airlines, Belavia, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium, Aeroflot, Air Berlin, Transaero, Ural Airlines... (charter flights aren't included) :)

      Delete
    3. Anonymous21:20

      Sadly there aren't Lufthansa, British Airways or Air France.

      Delete
  7. A bit off topic, today there were more than 7.300 passengers booked on Air Serbia. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous21:33

      Namjee what was the JU charter flight to GVA today? YU-AND....

      Delete
    2. Four days ago, YU-ANJ performed a promotional charter flight to Geneva with 95 skiers onboard. YU-AND flew to Geneva today to bring them back. :)

      Some flights had fantastic loads today, even Sabiha departed Belgrade with 122 passengers.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous21:52

      Thanks for the info! Great to hear that LF is getting better ... I only want to think that profitability of operations is improving but I am sceptical with the constant promotions and low fares ....Are there any initiatives within JU to improve punctuality? ... same is NOT GOOD at all; I even think JAT was more punctual than what we have now...

      Delete
    4. Anonymous22:45

      give us more info on some other flights please nemjee

      Delete
    5. Anonymous23:18

      @ Nemjee 9:43

      Very interesting category - "promotional charter flight", even more interesting as it's not the first flight in the charter chain but once-only charter. Could you please explain me where the promotion is (this question being rethorical). Even more interesting is that Air Serbia which supposedly have more aircraft than it needs and every day new and new units join the fleet, instead of flying to GVA, "waiting" there 4 days, and coming back, spends some 20.000 euro for two empty legs.
      And considering good LF's these days, of course they are, it's Easter time and all of those working abroad who flew in to Serbia a week ago are now flying back. So, once again, I wouldn't be so excited and thrilled about JU.

      Delete
    6. 1st anonymous,

      Well, the most important thing is to get foreigners to transfer in Belgrade and to experience the new product, especially for those travelling in business class.Like Kondic said, now it is time to concentrate on improving the yields and on stabilizing the situation within the airline since the foundations of the new business have been set. Rome wasn't built overnight. Just remember how everyone trashed the airline's choice to fly daily to Tel Aviv or to be flying in general to SAW since at the beginning the flights were empty. Look at how the two routes are performing today.
      As for punctuality, it's a big issue even within the airline itself. Some steps have been taken already and I think that in about a month or two things will stabilize on that front too. What really helped some time ago was the introduction of YU-APA into regular service. That aircraft was badly needed. Now we are awaiting the return of at least one Atr-72 to further reinforce the operations.

      2nd anonymous,

      I can't remember now because all the numbers seem mixed up at this point but I think almost all Boeing/Airbus operated flights had at least 100 passengers. For selfish reasons I remember the numbers for Larnaca. Yesterday morning the flight arrived with 102 passengers and left that evening with 125 (or so).

      3rd anonymous,

      Bitter much? Easter was 8 days ago, 90% of the people who travelled for their holidays to Serbia most likely already went home. Furthermore, since you know so much about the airline then you will know that loads were rapidly improving even before the Easter festivities. ;)
      As for the charter, I am sure that the airline has its reasons, take it easy Mr armchair expert.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous05:51

      On my Easter journey to SAW there were 107/105 pax on board (interestingly, no one in business class). And yes, the load may have been increased thanks to tourists who took the Easter break - the catch is they were Italians connecting from FCO/MXP :)

      I hope JU has enough aircraft to get through the summer peak. It did not look quite good last week.

      Delete
    8. SuisseOuest14:28

      It's snowing up on the Glacier 3000 (~3hr from GVA by train), they could do another skiing trip, although it's almost May ;)
      Honestly, it would be better if EY regional flights were operated by the old JU 733s than the Saab 2000 from Darwin...

      Delete

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