Record numbers for Ljubljana, Skopje and Pristina

Ljubljana, Skopje and Pristina end Q3 on a high

The main airports in Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo have seen record figures during the third quarter with all three surpassing the million passenger mark so for this year.

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport continued its strong run of results this September as it registered 157.508 passengers, an increase of 10.1% compared to the same month last year. The results were bolstered by a notable rise in the number of operated flights, jumping 14.6% to 3.183 departures and arrivals. Overall, during the first three quarters, Ljubljana Airport welcomed 1.135.578 travellers through its doors, up 10.8% on the same period in 2014, and accompanied by a 4.1% increase in aircraft movements. "We will continue to work together with Adria, the tourist board and relevant ministries in order to sustain this passenger growth", the Managing Director of Ljubljana Airport's operator, Fraport, said. So far this year, Adria Airways has increased its passenger numbers out of Ljubljana by 5%. Next year, Aegean Airlines plans to introduce flights from Athens to the Slovenian capital. Meanwhile, Flydubai has denied growing rumours it is considering launching services to Ljubljana. In a statement, the airline said, "We are currently not planning to fly to Ljubljana although we are always exploring opportunities in the region. We currently have a bus service from Ljubljana to Zagreb to connect passengers ‎from our services there and we have seen passengers take advantage of this service", Flydubai's spokesperson , Kareem Mahjoub, told EX-YU Aviation News.

LJUBLJANA AIRPORT

Month	PAX	Change (%)
JAN	73.096	▼ 2.9
FEB	72.265	▼ 3.8
MAR	90.902	▲ 5.3
APR	112.310	▲ 13.3
MAY	128.411	▲ 19.6
JUN	149.541	▲ 17.0
JUL	171.770	▲ 16.2
AUG	199.219	▲ 22.3
SEP	157.508	▲ 10.1

Skopje Alexander the Great Airport also welcomed its millionth passenger in September following strong growth. The airport handled 145.965 travellers during the month, an impressive increase of 26.1%. "Such double digit growth, both on a monthly basis, and for the entire period of the first nine months of this year, are due to TAV Holding's marketing policies aimed at attracting new airlines and increasing existing frequencies from Macedonian airports. At the same time, the government's support for low-budget airlines is of great help for maintaining continuous growth in air traffic, as well as the growing presence of foreign tourists in Macedonia, our expatriates who often visit their homeland, and young people who want to travel and discover new destinations", Zoran Krstevski, the General Manager of TAV Macedonia said. Mr Krstevski added that travellers living in Kosovo, Albania and southern Serbia are increasingly using Skopje as their point of origin. During the January - September period, Skopje handled a total of 1.092.275 passengers, up 17.9%. During the first three quarter, Wizz Air recorded a 49% market share, followed by Turkish Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Air Serbia and Edelweiss.

SKOPJE AIRPORT

Month	PAX	Change (%)
JAN	88.275	▲ 41.6
FEB	80.079	▲ 22.8
MAR	95.457	▲ 25.1
APR	109.741	▲ 3.9
MAY	117.099	▲ 7.4
JUN	118.070	▲ 1.5
JUL	164.431	▲ 24.4
AUG	173.158	▲ 20.7
SEP	145.965	▲ 26.1

Finally, Pristina Airport registered 135.301 passengers through its doors last month. While it handled fewer passengers than Ljubljana and Skopje in September, it managed to record notable passenger growth of 14.2%. Overall this year, figures have improved 12%, with the airport welcoming 1.216.852 travellers. The collapse of Belle Air Europe in December 2013, which used to carry around 470.000 passengers and close to 30% of the airport’s traffic, had a significant impact on Pristina’s numbers throughout 2014. However, the airport has since launched a subsidy program to encourage airlines to operate more flights to the city and attract new carriers as well.