Skopje Airport outperforms Ljubljana in January

Skopje Airport off to a flying start as Ljubljana, Split and Dubrovnik falter

Skopje Alexander the Great Airport has recorded its busiest January on record, topping off an eleventh consecutive month of passengers growth. Macedonia’s main airport handled 88.275 passengers, an impressive increase of 41.6% compared to the same month last year. Several factors contributed to Skopje’s growth last month. In January 2014 the airport was closed on several occasions due to poor weather conditions, which was not the case this time around. Furthermore, unlike last year, Wizz Air now serves an additional four destinations from Skopje, while Alitalia has introduced six weekly flights from Rome. During January, Skopje Airport saw a total of 976 flight operations, up 21% on last year. The airport is expected to continue to break records in 2015, with Wizz Air to launch five new routes this summer and boost frequencies on existing services, while Swiss International Air Lines will inaugurate flights from Geneva.

MonthPAXChange (%)
JAN88.275 41.6

On the other hand, Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport registered a downturn in January. It handled 73.096 passengers, slipping 2.9% compared to the same month last year. The disappointing result comes despite a relatively modest fall in the number of operated flights which stood at 2.122, down 0.9%. The amount of handled freight and mail also decreased compared to last year by 8%. Ljubljana Airport ended 2014 as the former Yugoslavia’s sixth busiest airport with 1.338.619 travellers welcomed, while Skopje came seventh with 1.208.359 passengers. Jože Pučnik Airport anticipates for numbers to pick up in the coming months with Adria Airways to launch several new routes, while Swiss will introduce flights from Zurich. In addition, during the summer, Turkish Airlines will boost flights from Istanbul to the Slovenian capital from its existing daily service to ten flights per week.

MonthPAXChange (%)
JAN73.096 2.9

Over on the Croatian coast, the airports in both Split and Dubrovnik saw their passenger numbers decline. Split Airport welcomed 24.519 travellers, down 5.9%, while Dubrovnik handled 15.743 passengers, a decrease of 1.3%. Despite the slow start to the year, both airports are bullish of their prospects for the coming summer. A significant number of airlines have announced flights to both cities while several have moved forward the launch of existing seasonal services. Split and Dubrovnik were the former Yugoslavia’s third and fourth busiest airports in 2014 respectively.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:26

    Wow truly impressive growth at SKP, didnt expect this even if you attribute half of those extra pax to last years fog issues thats still impressive.

    I didnt realise Ljubljana has over twice as many flights as Skopje. SKP has 90 pax/per flight while LJU has 34. All wizz Air's doing. lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:57

      Нема одмора док траје обнова! =)

      Д.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous10:38

    OT - A 767-200 in BEG this morning. Sounds like a military tanker... going to Djibouti, anyone manage to take some pics?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous10:48

    OT: Farnair 734F an JU AT7 to ZAG are diverted to LJU;
    seems to be 1st landing of Farnair 734F @ LJU

    ReplyDelete
  4. The biggest winner in 2015 will be INI as it's finally getting some scheduled flights.
    However, the second and third place will surely belong to Skopje and Split.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:16

      What about ZAG? Surely it will be number two.

      Delete
    2. Well, I meant in terms of passenger growth. I still believe Split will handle at least 2 million passengers.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:27

      30% more passengers? Congratulation

      Delete
    4. Anonymous15:28

      Why not? Look at all the routes that they have announced. They will easily have 2 million.

      Delete
  5. Bojan Krizaj11:11

    I thought Slovenia was a ski destination ?!?
    Why are winter months in LJU in general underperforming?

    (are there any interesting saturday charters at LJU like those in Salzburg)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:12

      Probably because most of the skiers go there by car, especially those from the region.
      Many Serbs go there by car so I am sure the same applies for Italians, Croats and so on.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:39

      Serbs mostly go skiing to Bulgaria (Bansko), Serbia (Kopaonik), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Jahorina), Austria and Slovenia!

      Delete
  6. Anonymous11:36

    Svaka cast SKP.
    SPU i DBV ce imati ja mislim ogroman rast preko leta.
    Bas me zanima koliki ce rast imati INI sa W6

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:36

      INN-NS

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:42

      SKP ima dobre sanse da postane broj tri aerodrom.
      INI-NS

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:12

      Pored Splita nema teorije!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous18:25

      Ja mislim da ce biti gusta trka izmedju Skp I spu
      INN-NS

      Delete
    5. Anonymous19:03

      Razlika od 550 000 putnika 2014. u korist Splita, o čemu govorimo, prati malo koliko je novih linija najavljeno za Split ove godine, koliko će ih još biti najavljeno u idućim tjednima! Split rocks ;))

      Delete
    6. Anonymous19:21

      Anonymous at 7:03 PM
      Nista lose nisam mislio znam i ja da ce biti bombasticna sezona u SPU-DBV.
      INN-NS

      Delete
    7. Anonymous01:44

      please INN-NS.....ne pisi svasta da bi pisao nesto, nego malo procitaj sta drugi imaju da kazu i uci se od njih-tvoje vreme ce doci ali nije sada!

      Delete
  7. Anonymous12:01

    OT

    http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Ekonomija/534584/Izabrani-clanovi-Nadzornog-odbora-aerodroma-Nikola-Tesla

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous12:04

    SKP will soon be better than ZAG with this growth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:11

      Haha, you wish!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:51

      I wish, but that's a dream.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:36

      Soon? If growth like now stays like this SKP will come to today ZAG level in 2020, but till than growth on level ZAG has today will make 3.300.000 passengers.

      So think again...

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:42

      Your statement is nonsense. Since TAV came to SKP growth was 140.000-210.000 passengers per year. In last 5 years ZAG growth was 130.000-260.000 passengers per year. So, basically in real number ZAG growth is bigger than SKP.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous14:46

      Well, things might change for ZAG if W6 launches flights.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous12:56

    Soon when Wizz Air opens flights to/from Pristina, Skopje will relax like in the past.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. wizzair will never open flights to pristina trust me

      Delete
    2. Is there any specific reason for that? The market is clearly underserved, one major player is out of the game, how come Wizz won't even try a couple of routes and see how it goes?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:11

      You could rather ask PRN management why they are still keeping their fees at WE levels.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous19:32

      because Wizzair will never give up the subsides they get from Macedonia as well as their good relationship with the goverment and also they can serve the kosovo market from Skopje (its not more than 1,5h drive from SKP-PRN)...
      I dont think that wizz will ever enter this market...
      But funny how they first wanted to sue Macedonia but now want the same.. i doubt that there a professionals at work

      Delete
  10. I really hope airserbia, croatia airlines and flydubai starts doing better in skp....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:19

      Then stop giving preferential treatment to W6.

      OU was especially hit hard in the last couple of months but thank God the route still performs ok.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous19:06

      It does not perform ok.

      Delete
  11. OT : From 1st July Wizz Air, Ohrid - Luton

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:14

      +1

      I guess OHD will face off INI for a based aircraft in a year or two.

      Delete
  12. Actually, OU has awfull loads on SKP route. What comes from time to time is amazing loads of cgo and mail, which makes OU sending bigger a/c.

    Moreover, PRN is not even worth mentioning in respect of OU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:20

      Hey Dusan, but are they bad only in winter or throughout the year?
      How bad is PRN? I saw that they are reducing t to two weekly in summer.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous17:47

      Gospodine Dusane cini mi se da radite za CTN pa imam jedno pitanje jel CTN planira da leti za DME-SVO u skorijoj buducnosti ?
      Hvala unapred :)
      INN-NS

      Delete
    3. No idea during season. I preasume they should be doing good. But again.

      As soon I get back to the company I will try to dig out something, if possible.

      Delete
    4. Cnt.

      No OU, I do work for LH.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous18:24

      I hoceli EMB iz LH preci u OS tako sam ja cuo nije im bas nesto pouzdan CS100 :)
      INN-NS

      Delete
  13. LH does not possess any EMB, CityLine and AirDolomite do have them however. OS is getting more DH4 and getting rid of Fokkers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous18:42

      Da iz CL ce dobiti E190 tako sam ja cuo u Innsbrucku posto ne mogu toliko cekati na BCS1 da zamene Fokkere
      INN-NS

      Delete
    2. Anonymous22:03

      Јел су ти то рекли они исти који су те обавестили за А330?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous22:05

      Ovo za E 190 je istina
      A na vasu nesrecu A330 ce doci ove godine ;)
      INN-NS

      Delete
    4. Anonymous22:08

      Па наравно да долази ове године, рекао си у марту. Ја једва чекам, још мање од месец дана! :))

      Delete
    5. Anonymous23:28

      Pa sa tim me necete sigurno isprovocirati a on ce doci ne bojte se.
      INN--NS

      Delete
    6. Anonymous23:43

      Ја не желим да испровоцирам мачора, ја сам само хтео да кажем. Немој да се љутиш. :)

      Delete
    7. Anonymous23:48

      Ocete da vam sredim kartu preko veze posto ce biti navala posle.
      INN-NS

      Delete
    8. Anonymous23:57

      Хахаха прво среди себи имајући у виду да никада ниси летео авионом.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous00:11

      Jel vam to rekla kristalna kugla. Ne znam sto stalno zelite svadju ili raspravu samnom kad gubite samo vreme bezveze.
      Ako vam treba karta recite a vas ce pustiti onda i u cockpit ako imate zelju
      INN-NS

      Delete
    10. Anonymous05:30

      Па не знам, ти си тај кој стално овде пише неистине... можда теби треба кристална кугла како се не би више бламирао. Али добро, још си дете, ваљда су то хормони. :))

      Delete
    11. Anonymous15:40

      Raspravljas se sa deckom od 17 godina cisto da bi ispao pametniji, a ispadas gluplji.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous19:15

    SmartLynx starting flights from Pristina to Basel,Dusseldorf,Munich,Memmingen,Stuttgart,Hannover with tour operator Alba Reisen. For more information visit :
    http://www.alba-reisen.com/index.php5?lang=en

    ReplyDelete
  15. OT: BEG zaposljava 100-150 novih radnika

    Na proljece i vjerovatno sezonci. Nadajmo se da dio ovih ljudi ce rjesiti pitanje prtljaga.

    http://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/srbija.php?yyyy=2015&mm=02&dd=12&nav_id=957632

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cevapi i Luk19:31

      ^ Have you seen the comments on b92, they are golden! :D

      Delete
    2. I just did. As expected I'd say. Thanx

      Delete
    3. Anonymous20:14

      Mogu da se kladim da su tamo komentarisali i pojedinci sa ovog bloga lose vesti.
      INN-NS

      Delete
    4. Anonymous22:02

      A lot of those comments are true. Let's not forget that BEG employs a lot of workers via Omladinska zadruga and their working conditions are pathetic, to say the least.
      It's also unfortunate that they are not saying why they are hiring so many. Simply put, so many have quit over the course of the last few months.

      Delete
  16. Alex19:36

    Happy to see macedonias passenger numbers rising! they will keep this kind of increase because every Summer or Winterperiod they are getting more and more routes...

    Also Ohrid is about to start the OHD - London (luton) route from 1 July and there are rumors that Ohrid will be connected to istanbul 3x a week in the summer period... good to see that OHD gets some work for the summer!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous21:55

    ... So much to this person who a month ago wrote on 2 occasions that SKP will never surpass LJU (and PRN)
    So, I guess read again dude!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous21:56

    Off topic:

    Croatia Airlines will be increasing Belgrade-Split from two to three weekly flights. Air Serbia will have its own 4 flights operated with the A319.

    Pula will be operated three times per week, otw of those will be with the A319!

    ReplyDelete

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