Qatar Airways to decide on Sarajevo service

Qatar Airways to make final decision on Sarajevo flights

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina has confirmed that Qatar Airways plans to launch flights to Sarajevo and that final preparations are underway before the carrier officially announces the new service. The comments come two weeks after Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak met with his Qatari counterpart in Doha. “During my visit and the meetings held with the Emir and Minister of Foreign Affairs, it was confirmed that preparations are in their final phase and that we can expect for Qatar Airways to make a final decision on the establishment of nonstop Doha - Sarajevo flights very soon”, Mr Crnadak said yesterday. He added the new services will fuel tourism and will also provide travellers with better connections to far-away markets such as Australia and New Zealand.

According to the Minister, flights are expected to launch next year."There are no obstacles on our behalf and it is now up to Qatar Airways to decide when the service will be launched. Based on the talks I held, flights will likely be inaugurated next year", Mr Crnadak said. He noted, "The service to Doha will open the way for our travellers to fly to Australia and New Zealand with only a single transit point". This option is currently available with Flydubai as well. Qatar Airways has been in talks with Bosnian officials over the Sarajevo service for two years now. The airline says it does not comment on new route launches prior to their official announcement. It has already revealed a handful of new routes for next year, with flights to Birmingham announced only yesterday.

Qatar Airways currently operates daily flights to both Zagreb and Belgrade, with services to the latter running via Sofia. It is expected the airline will run nonstop flights to the Serbian capital from next summer season. Previously, services to Zagreb were operated via Budapest, making it highly likely that potential flights to Sarajevo would operate via another point in Eastern Europe. Flydubai, which launched services from its hub to Sarajevo last December, is currently the only Gulf carrier operating scheduled flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This winter season the airline will maintain two weekly flights from Dubai and, in cooperation with Emirates, offers connections to a number of destinations.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:04

    This would be absolutely fantastic. My bet is they will operate this via Sofia, while Belgrade will go nonstop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:21

      They could do it via Belgrade but I assume it's in their interest to get fifth freedom which there is no chance of happening between Belgrade and Sarajevo. They couldn't get fifth freedom between Sofia and Belgrade either but I don't see why anyone would object between Sofia and Sarajevo.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous19:38

      BEG going non-stop and Sarajevo operated via Sofia? This is ridiculous. They rather run SOD on non-stop basis and tie Sarajevo to BEG if ASL allows them to get the 5th freedom rignts.

      Delete
    3. Dito... I also think SOF will be be non stop, as it is currently, but without further leg to BEG

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:07

    Who would have though just two years ago that airlines like Fly Dubai and now probably Qatar would fly to Sarajevo. Perhaps western Europea airlines have underestimated SJJ.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:28

      It is odd to have two airlines from the Middle East flying but still lacking flights to places like Paris, London, Frankfurt... Hopefully this will change

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:05

      Airlines from the Middle East do not need to be profitable or to pay all of their expenses themselves. European airlines do.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:07

      It is a huge success for Sarajevo.

      But in order to call SJJ a real airport, they need destinations like: Paris, London, Berlin, Moscow, Rome Amsterdam
      ..

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:19

    OT: najnovije fotke novog terminala na Plesu, kapa dolje, izgledat će fantastično!

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/ivandupont/sets/72157657824372714

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:27

      Fabulous, can't wait to be done!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:43

      And I remember people here shouting it will never materialize!!!!!

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:22

    Ok now we officially have a politician announcing the flights so the Balkan way of doing business in aviation has been completed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:06

      +1.000.000

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:17

      Nemaju avio kompaniju, cetri aerodroma su svaki za sebe kontrola avioprostora jos nije u njihovim rukama dakle ko bi da najavi letove?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:23

      It seems no any airline's interested in even throwing an eye on BNX.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous19:52

      +1

      Delete
  5. Anonymous10:16

    Go Sarajevo!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11:09

    I think that Air Serbia should support (and encourage) 5th freedom between BEG and SJJ. With only one flight per day on BEG-SJJ, ASL can't be serious about the transfer passengers. If QR flights are timed in cooperation with ASL, it could be a win-win.

    Enter the coopetition zone.

    my2cents

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:56

      +1

      Delete
    2. Anonymous22:06

      You really think they would have an agreement? EY would not allow that for sure...

      Delete
  7. Purger12:22

    I don’t find lot of benefits for destroying Yugoslavia, but in air traffic for sure we can see benefit for “Yugoslavia secondary” airports.

    Priština:
    1989: 6 flights per week on 2 routes (Belgrade and Zagreb)
    2015: 135 flights per week on 34 routes

    Sarajevo:
    1989: 48 flights per week on 9 routes (Belgrade, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Rijeka, Skopje and Zagreb)
    2015: 105 flights per week on 20 routes

    Skopje:
    1989: 36 flights per week on 12 routes (Belgrade, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Rijeka, Sarajevo, Skopje, Split and Zagreb)
    1990: 128 flights per week on 42 routes

    Podgorica:
    1989: 16 flights per week on 2 route (Belgrade and Zagreb)
    2015: 81 flights per week on 19 routes

    On most of international routes was Adria and Jat mostly had Belgrade and few Zagreb flights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:51

      that was because JAT was work hard to make Belgrade as Jugoslavia hub but could not exclude Zagreb as huge Diaspora and transit airport. For that reason all other airports were treat as non-existing exempt with lot of flights to Belgrade and few to Zagreb.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:05

      Few flights to Zagreb? JAT had more flights from ZAG then Croatia Airlines has today on top of transatlantic services. Skopje was the next city that was supposed to be developed as a hub in their 5 year plan 90-95.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:12

      Comparing 1989 and 2015 is uncomparable. On top of the fact that neither of these cities were capitals, JAT was pretty much the only airline remotely interested flying there. On top of that you did not have wars (ie mass movement of people)

      Delete
    4. Anonymous16:47

      zar ssj nije imao 80ih letove za kuvajt direktne???

      Delete
    5. Anonymous16:56

      Za Bagdad i Tripoli takodje

      Delete
    6. Anonymous19:21

      Ne nego via BEG

      Delete
    7. Anonymous00:50

      I guess if Yugoslavia survived, few local carriers would have emerged - probably as LCCs - and they might have had a serious impact in Eastern Europe. These might have been WizzAir instead of WizzAir.

      As for JAT, this is an interesting question. JAT nurtured - for political reasons, I guess - two hub (or one hub and one focus city) strategy. However, that works in Germany, but this was a smaller country - they would probably have to pick one ultimately, and my money would be on Zagreb - closer to Western destinations, central position in relation to Yugoslav destinations (except for SKP), excellent road infrastructure around the airport, proximity of wealthy markets... BEG might have had the role of TXL in Germany today - a lot of direct flights to improtant cities, but no connections and limited choices when it comes to frequencies.

      But remeber the boom airline industry went through in the 1990s - there is so much more pax today.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous01:46

      It would be interesting to make the same comparison basically for any other airport in the world. It is 26 years later -- people are flying more everywhere. This has very little to do with what happened specifically in Ex-Yu.

      Delete
    9. Air traffic would have developed with or without the break up of Yugoslavia. In fact, I suspect that it would have developed at a much faster pace if Yugoslavia never was broken and merely moved over to a market economy.

      Delete
  8. Interestingly Qatar Airways representatives were today in Skopje (as part of a Qatar economic delegation)

    This is an interview with him (its in Macedonian) from the utrinski newspaper. Ii think SJJ may come in a package with SKP (and hopefully with SKP-SJJ local rights)
    :
    "Постојат многу можности за соработка меѓу Катар и Македонија, особено во туризмот, но и во многу други области, изјави Али Ал Раис, прв заменик претседател на „Катар ервејс“ по денешната средба со македонскиот претседател Ѓорге Иванов.

    Ал Раис е дел од катарската бизнис делегација која на покана на шефот на македонската држава престојува во неколкудневна посета на Република Македонија со цел да се истражат можностите за инвестирање.

    - Јас како претставник на „Катар Ервејс“, секако дека гледаме потенцијални можности во Македонија, пред се како земја со која може да го развиваме туризмот. Се надевам дека идната година, ќе воведеме директен лет до Скопје, што ќе преставува одлична можност за градење на мост меѓу двете земји, рече Ал Раис.

    Првиот заменик претседател на „Катар Ервејс“ изрази надеж дека со новата линија, ќе се развие соработката во туризмот, трговијата и ќе овозможи луѓето од бизнис заедницата полесно да патуваат.

    - Сега нам ни се потребни 10 часа да стигнеме до овде. Се надевам дека во иднина, со директен лет ќе ни бидат потребни околу 4 часа. Постојат многу можности за соработка меѓу двете земји. Делегацијата која што е со мене ќе ги разгледа можностите што ни беа презентирани, и понатаму ќе ги разработиме во case-study, истакна Али Ал Раис"

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous12:43

    OT: ECA uvodi prve međunarodne linije: Rijeka - Ancona, Split - Ancona

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous14:41

    Sarajevo was connected to London Gatwick and Moscow as well. But the problem where visas and lack of interest regarding Russia on one side and russian tourist on other side. There is always a UK visa problem. Why would I fly somewhere where visa expenses are often higher than the airline ticket. For most people this is not affordable.

    Regarding Qatar Airlines - I hope Sarajevo can serve those flights without any stops. The touristic potential is growing from month to month and numbers of tourists increase constantly. Sarajevo don't need any Belgrade stop and specially not Air Serbia for this service.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:44

      Well, unfortunately you'll have no other choice than to face the reality.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:58

      Let´s see...

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:42

      Serbians also need visa but they have London flights. I think.every capital airport must have flights to those cities.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous00:42

      Turistički potencijal Sarajeva u odnosu na Beograd je isti kao turistički potencijal Beograda u odnosu na Dubrovnik ili Hrvatsku generalno - nikakav.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:04

      Na osnovu cega to zakljucujes? Pogledaj broj turista koji godisnje posjeti Sarajevo i Beograd, i uporedi velicine ta dva grada i velicinu Bosne i Srbije, pa ces vidjeti da je daleko od "nikakvog" potencijala, cak naprotiv.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous14:35

      A zašto bismo poredili veličinu Bosne i Srbije (ili Sarajeva i Beograda)? Kakve veze ima turistička poseta sa time ima li grad 20 hiljada ili 15 miliona stanovnika?

      Dajte da se ne zanosimo da su Sarajevo ili Beograd fantastično atraktivne turističke destinacije. Pa evo, Beograd koji je i veći i bogatiji i turistički "atraktivniji" (ako uopšte mogu da koristim tu reč) ne može da napuni avion za Dohu, nego se leti preko Sofije. Čemu Sarajevo da se nada?

      Voleo bih da grešim i za jedne i za druge, ali da smo mi nekakvi potencijali leteli bi i British, i Air France i Emirates, a ne Turkish i Lufthansa do svojih habova i zdravo...

      Pa čak ni fenomenalna hrvatska obala u suštini nije iskoristila svoj potencijal - samo dobijaju chartere leti, i to ne više od dva, dva i pol meseca. Jeste, ima redovnih linija iz tih gradova, ali to bi moralo mnogo bolje i mnogo više. Pogledajte recimo podatke za PMI, VCE, VLC, pa čak i SKG... Nema razloga da Hrvatska ne pravi tako nešto, a svetlosnim godinama je daleko.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous15:28

    Since when/till when will those UKL cargo flights to Valencia keep operating from Belgrade?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous16:58

    svaki aerodrome moze da se razvije uz dobru poslovnu politiku. dakle, sarajevski ju nije imao. nije ni tuzlanski, ali su se negde dogovorili sa tim vizom I evo postade gotovo uspesniji od sarajevskog.. tako da niko nije kriv sto Sarajevo ne zna da odredi prioritete I sl. a bome I sirotinja I mali broj stanovnika ne mogu da pospese ravoj tog aerodrome..

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous19:49

    Interesantan i pamtan potez QR sto rade kao i TK lete za svaki veci grad u Evropi .
    INN-NS

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

EX-YU Aviation News does not tolerate insults, excessive swearing, racist, homophobic or any other chauvinist remarks or provocative posts with the intention of creating further arguments. A full list of comment guidelines can be found here. Thank you for your cooperation.