Air Serbia's CEO, Dane Kondić, has said that the carrier is preparing for strong competition from low cost carriers on the Serbian market. Speaking to "Business Insider", Mr Kondić said Air Serbia’s future is framed by the competitive environment of the broader market, which includes significant changes to the airline business in Serbia as well. “Serbia is not part of the European Union and so we don’t have the degree of openness and competitive environment that other countries who are part of the EU would have”, the CEO said. He added, “As a result, we don’t have as much low cost carrier penetration in the market”. However, Mr Kondić warned that the flood of low cost carriers that have waged war on traditional airlines across Europe is on its way to Serbia. “It definitely weighs heavily on our thoughts in terms of our future plans”.
Currently, seven low cost carriers operate scheduled flights out of Air Serbia's hub in Belgrade. They include Wizz Air, which also calls Belgrade its home, easyJet, Pegasus Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Flydubai, as well as Germanwings and Vueling on a seasonal summer basis. Air Serbia competes directly against its low cost rivals on just three routes - Stockholm, Stuttgart and Larnaca - although this number is significantly greater if secondary airports, to which budget carriers mostly operate out of Belgrade, are taken into account. In addition, the low cost presence in Niš has been growing steadily with both Wizz Air and Ryanair to operate services there by the end of the year. Several other airlines have also expressed their interest in introducing flights to the south-east Serbian city.
Despite the growing presence of budget carriers in Serbia, Mr Kondić believes Air Serbia's future growth should be on par with the trajectory it has set for itself over the past three years. However, he notes any growth the airline experiences will be dictated by what makes commercial sense. Commenting on where he sees the company in five years, Mr Kondić said, "I hope that we can have eight continuous years of profit. We managed to do that in the first two years of our relaunch, which is an amazing achievement in this business. The most important thing is not to have an airline that isn’t making money. We need to keep our commercial mandate, because that’s important for our majority shareholder. But we’re also probably the best example, in terms of the economic agenda, for the economy in Serbia".
Could this mean that another LCC could be coming to BEG? Ryanair perhaps?
ReplyDeletePersonally I doubt it. Ryanair is highly unlikely to agree to paying the normal prices at BEG, and BEG and the GoS aren't desperate to see them there right now so I doubt they will be offered any incentives or discounts.
DeleteI like this new strategy where INI is optimized for LCC traffic and BEG is optimized for ASL and other legacy carriers.
Proves that low cost build up in INI has an affect on the after all.
ReplyDeleteDo remember that Wizz Air is the second busiest airline in BEG and surely opening routes like Baden Baden does not help JU. What I would love to see is W6 open Bratislava. It would crush the Austrian/Air Serbia monopoly.
DeleteLast time I checked Vueling was a LCC and they still operate seasonally to BEG from BCN no?
ReplyDeleteTrue.
DeleteAnd your point? That's what it says in the article, no?
DeleteAny news on those rumours that Norwegian Air Shuttle was interested in increasing its presence in Belgrade?
ReplyDeleteDane Kondić trolling the LCCs from his own backyard. Priceless.
ReplyDeleteI think (attention:personal opinion only!) that Mr.Kondic is the right person at the right time at the right place.
DeleteImagine Mr.Kucko being head of Air Serbia.
Trolling? More like strategic foresight.
Delete@9:45 - True, that's how it's sold to the plebs.
DeleteKeep in mind some posters here work for LCCs and Air Serbia competitors. It is their interest to troll against Air Serbia.
DeleteJust like there are Air Serbia employees on here trolling against their competitors.
Delete'Air Serbia competes directly against its low cost rivals on just four routes - Oslo, Stockholm, Stuttgart and Larnaca '
ReplyDeleteHow is JU competing with DY to OSL when they do not fly to Norway?
Also, the reason why more lowcost are not flying into Serbia/Belgrade is not because we are not in the EU but rather because we are one of the poorest countries in Europe.
Typo. Fixed.
DeleteThanks. :)
DeleteThis is just a way for him to "justify" horrible results ASL will have at the end of the year. I just wonder how will they achieve fake profitability this year.
ReplyDeleteForgot to take your anti-anxiety pills this morning?
DeleteHe doesn't need "anti-anxiety pills". There is a lot of people in Serbia who know this as well. No profitability whatsoever. It's not our fault that we don't get "horny" by looking at pics of planes online and that we have some actual aviation-related education and sources. Have a nice day!
Deleteto Anon 11:15
DeleteThe point that large number of people seems to miss, is the impact the airline has on the economy of Serbia in general.
Double the increase in passengers, more money paid to the airport which directly increases the price the airport will be sold for.
Furthermore, the amount of employees Air Serbia has in comparison to JAT, which is around 2.4k with decent enough paychecks.
The amount of tourists visiting Serbia has increased by 10% this year alone (due to better connectivity and airline deals with agencies). Take into account the money they spend in the country.
The overall impact shown by studies (international authors), which state that Air Serbia indirectly contributes to economy for about 2% of BDP.
Let us not mention the accumulated bad image Serbia has had for the past decades, the airline is the first representative of a country. Do not underestimate this.
The loss JAT was making on a yearly basis before it was sold was unsustainable. Even if Air Serbia is indeed losing money, as people obviously "know" as you eloquently put it, it is not even close to the amount its predecessor was. Even if the loss exists it is covered many times over by the benefits the airline brings to the country in general.
I also must add that i like the deal with Etihad, which has a commercial mandate and the government who besides the commercial sustainability of the enterprise itself is looking out for the bigger picture and the overall impact on the economy. I think this "synergy" is the most viable model.
Even though this was made out to be a political matter, I give credit where credit is due, as should everybody.
Have a good day!
ArsenalForever
Well said
DeleteJust bought a ticket Malpensa - Budapest for 49 eur. With Air Serbia ticket to Belgrade is 170 one way!! They really exaggerate when they have no competition, and I hate it! Next time will try Bergamo-Nis, cos Ryanair is even cheaper!
ReplyDeleteMany legacy carriers don't sell competitive one way fares, just look at Lufthansa.
DeleteIn my opinion they should do what airBaltic and Aegean have done, introduce one-way fares and charge for luggage. It will make them more competitive against the lowcost carriers.
Wizz Air is not such a big threat, it's Ryanair that they need to worry about. They might eventually launch BEG flights, not so much because they see it as a lucrative market but rather as a way to harm both JU and W6.
Even with flights from Nis, Ryanair will cut into their profits on Berlin and Milan routes. JU's BEG-TXL fares are extortionate, many people will travel to Nis because the fare is up to 5 times cheaper (even if you travel with checked luggage), not to mention people from the south who will all use FR now. If Ryanair came to BEG and opened as many lines as in SOF, it would be the end of JU's short-haul profitability.
DeleteBut that's the thing, Ryanair will come to Belgrade. The only question is when.
DeleteI also wonder if KVO will happen before BEG.
Yes, I think that a Ryanair 'blitzkrieg' ala SOF is imminent in BEG. The only obstacle are politicians and protectionism of course, but they will have to give in eventually. Within a few years of Ryanair's expansion you will lose a half of its O&D pax, for sure. After that, they can become a niche airline, used mostly by business people and people connecting to long-haul flights.
DeleteWith Nis, and potentially Kraljevo, getting FR, it won't be long before BEG caves in and makes a deal with them. Wizz Air is too passive, they are too slow when it comes to BEG. Even their INI expansion was overshadowed by Ryanair's weekly media events (which I am sure was their ultimate goal).
DeleteAs a 'Nislija' I am very glad that routes are opening from INI. However, I think that it would be great to see many LCC routes open from BEG too, as not all routes would be sustainable from INI. Also, Serbian tourism would benefit greatly from this, more so than from Nis (Belgrade is a much more attractive city-break destination, and few people are willing to fly to an airport 3 hours away)
DeleteNemjee, I think you are underestimating Wizz's willingness to be active as long as they get a fair deal. After all, they do have a based aircraft in BEG, unlike FR. FR is even more risk averse and playing second fiddle in CEE, which has been proven time and again in other markets.
DeleteFR will not touch BEG with a stick before a level playing field is introduced, and be sure that Wizz won't give up the lead willingly.
My point is that as Ryanair keeps on expanding in Serbia, it will put a lot more pressure on BEG. We all know how FR operates. They will drag both JU and BEG through the mud if that's what it takes for them to get what they want.
DeleteWizz Air might have had a head-start in central and eastern Europe but Ryanair entered (or returned) it with a bang. Look at the speed at which they've expanded in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland... even Serbia.
Ryanair will always have its western European operations on which to rely as its primary source of income while it wages war in eastern Europe. Wizz Air doesn't have that which makes them extremely vulnerable.
Wizz Air has been putting up a fight but they are much smaller and they don't have the flexibility Ryanair has.
True. One thing though - mud is the local natural habitat. I'm sure both JU and BEG (gov) will fight tooth and nail to preserve the status quo for their 'jewel in the crown' project.
DeleteHahaha good one. One thing is certain, it will be fun to watch the upcoming mud wrestling.
DeleteA bit OT: what do you think, will they consider ZAG, or not?
DeleteEvery LCC that has tried ZAG has failed so far. ZAG would have to look into a charge scheme that doesn't really bring much incremental traffic while cannibalizing existing revenues. Not happening IMO.
DeleteNot true.
Delete- Germanwings is here for many years. Today they have 3 all year routes (Cologne, Stuttgart and Berlin) and one seasonal (Hamburg). Depends of season that is up to 20 flights per week
- flyDubai (Dubai)
- Air Transat (Toronto)
- Norwegian (Copenhagen)
- Vueling (Barcelona)
So that is 5 LCC with 8 routes. Of course not enough, but there was no capacity in old terminal for more flights. All of those (exempt Air Transat) are here for years.
Purger Air Transat is not a LCC it is a leisure airline and will have less than 30 flights to Zagreb this year.
DeleteSo things will change with the opening of the new terminal, great.
DeleteToday most of leisure airlines are in same time LCC. Mostly they work on LCC principles. Some 10 years ago they find that they can not be just charter of leisure airlines and that they should sell ticket on free market as LCC. Most of experts put them in LCC, and for sure Air Transat concept is LCC one.
DeleteRe: 4:11
DeletePeanuts, my dear Purger. Peanuts. If that's success, I have to note the bar is set pretty low.
of course peanuts. I shout that for years now. ZAG should have at least 2 LCC to base 1-3 planes in ZAG and at least 5 more with few routes. There should be easyJet (base in CDG, ORY, AMS where ADPI is owner like in ZAG so they have influence or can blackmail them with CDG slots), Ryanair, Wizzair, Pegasus. Also there should be more routes with Eurowings, Vueling and Norwegian. Those companies are "must" in ZAG. In same time there should be at least one or two from other list like Volotea, WOW, Air Baltic, Jet2, Transavia, BlueAir, Air Arabia and Pobeda.
DeleteI really think that ZAIC is not doing good job as they should bring at least one LCC with base in ZAG before opening of new terminal. But...
I agree easyJet is the perfect candidate. Good luck.
Deleteflydubai is not LLC from Zagreb they have business class , free meal and baggage including fare.
DeleteYup. They are truly ready.
ReplyDelete(And I am on W6 in September from LON after many, many moons)
How come? Because of the price?
DeleteNice to have you back with us!
Yes. Good to be back indeed.
DeleteJU was £260 return which I found unacceptable when I can change in MUC (for only extra 1h of journey time and £160. Including rtn to LCY) or W6 which actually allows me to catch flight after work and have day more in Serbia.
I was really happy with JU. And benefited with Happy Fridays and Sundays a lot. But this time the price was a joke.
So- one less passenger. Doing this route at least four times per year and seriously considering LCC or stop over.
That it not a fair comparison. The price of 160 is almost certainly without checked luggage. You need to buy that too. And the service... If you have no luggage and if your primary goal is to save, why didn't you travel with real LCC, like Wizz? The only difference between Wizz and DLH is that in DLH you get a lousy sandwich and a drink. In AUA only a drink. DLH alliance sadly turned into LCC with a free drink.
Delete@10:18 he is flying Wizz, W6 is Wizzair's code (and he said we was coming from London).
DeleteLH is a lowcost with a drink? What a joke. Lowcosts don't have connections, they don't they fly from main airports, and they won't take you far away (different continent) without a lot of hassle (ie multiple lowcosters).
Re: 12:34
DeleteWhat about Vueling?
OT:
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any info regarding Belgrade-Moscow and the LF for all three airlines (Ural, Air Serbia, Aeroflot)?
Instead of paying 200 to 350 euros to fly AMS-BEG-AMS, I will always opt for 100 euros for EIN-INI-EIN.
ReplyDeleteOr BEG-EIN-BEG.
DeleteExactly, as will most leisure O&D pax.
DeleteI wonder if W6's Baden Baden flights affected JU's STR ones.
DeleteFor me it is not practical. I need to pay two train tickets AMS-EIN-AMS, 20 euros each, plus a bus ride from train station to the airport, around 4 euros each, plus the cheapest hotel room because the EIN-BEG flight is too early in the morning, before any public transportation starts in Holland, that is 40 euros if you are very lucky. Then you need to eat at least two times, that is at least 10 euros. At the end, you pay 100+20+20+4+4+40+10 = 200, the same or little bit less, but lose much more time and create yourself a major bother. Only for masochistic people with all the time in the world.
DeleteAnd, to get EIN-BEG-EIN for 100 euros you need to buy the ticket well in advance. But then you could buy ASL ticket for 200. It is not fair to compare this with a last-minute price of 350 euros.
Delete@anon 10:26 PM:
DeleteMost of us living in the NL have the train discount card so the train fares are halved. Therefore the train ticket comes out only 11 per way or 22 eur return.
And you DO NOT have to make a sleepover in Eindhoven because the plain is at 10:50. You can easily get the train around 7 or 7:30 from Amsterdam and be around 9h at the airport. And that is if you want to be really early there. My friend always gets the train around 8h from Amsterdam and gets there in time. Also the bus ticket if you have the chipcard, as most of us do, the bus fare is 2 eur one way.
And buying tickets months in advance is nonsense, this just means that you don't know how and when to buy plane tickets:
http://www.aviokarta.net/lowcost/1087-cene-aviokarata/
I always fly for around 100 euro return on this route, sometimes even cheaper.
This year the plane departs at 10.00 and 10.50. That is slightly better then in 2015, when the departure times were 8.35 and 9.35. I think that for the departure at 10.00 (and probably for 10.50) sleepover is still the only sane choice.
DeleteWhy?
1. You need at least 2 hours from Amsterdam Central to Eindhoven airport (perfect travel, no waiting, no delays). You need to arrive at the airport at least 60 mins before departure, 3 hours in total. That means that in order to depart to BEG at 10, you need to depart from Amsterdam AT LATEST at 7, and pray to God and all saints there are no train delays and that your bus to the airport departs the second after you step on the bus platform. Even a small delay would leave you waving to the plane. A responsible person would leave 30 mins for train delays/bus waiting and would arrive at the airport earlier. Such a person, plus someone on business trip or someone traveling with family, or an older person, or a tourist that needs to get back to work the day after the arrival in BEG or ANYONE with luggage would not risk to miss the flight, so for them sleepover is the only possibility, even for the flight at 10.50.
2. Your train discount is irrelevant. You have a train discount because you are student or because you paid for it. It is not free and it is not fair to count it in. Let’s forget for the moment that tourist from Serbia don’t have it. Which brings me to my last observation
3. You are obviously a student/freelance single, who can pick and chose the dates and enjoys taking risks with tight plans. Your recommendations regarding travel times and buying tickets are valid only for people like you, a tiny part of the market. People with family (most of diaspora) can fly only during school vacations, when all cheaper tickets are sold well in advance, exactly like with Air Serbia. For example, one way for tomorrow with Wizz is 160 euros, no bags!
Last, please don't generalize and don't talk in first person plural. You represent only yourself and nobody else.
Regarding the tight schedule. I would maybe risk with it for a nearby airport, but never, never for an airport on the other side of the country. It is the definition of irresponsibility.
DeleteOne more very good article by Purger on Tango 6, and this time about Air Serbia long-haul, is it clever or not? Very good and real one.
ReplyDeletehttp://tangosix.rs/2016/04/07/analiza-ima-li-smisla-linija-er-srbije-za-njujork/
Thanks
DeleteIs Purger Alen Scuric or are you guys two different people? :)
DeleteNo, that is me, one person.
DeleteVery interesting and comprehensive report Purger.
DeleteSmall addition:
ATH has also Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat and Air China flying intercontinental routes.
Great article Purger! There is a good balance of both pros and cons to starting such service and so far the most realistic approach to looking at this new flights across the pond.
DeleteI also agree that JU could reduce JFK to 4 p/w flights during winter, but not more than that. In addition these flights would need feed in order to achieve anything decent during winter and hence dramatic winter reductions like last year must not happen.
Anonymous4:51:
DeleteOf course, I know that. But I was calculate USA flights. Most of airports today have connections to Canada, Zagreb included.
YYZ:
Thanks. But those 4 pw should be support by 100% connections to feeding routes. With huge reduction like last year there is no way that 4 pw should be enough.
Nis is still open for Airserbia flights, please consider our airport as an option.
ReplyDeleteI am from Nis, but even I agree that ASL flights from INI don't make any sense. They operate a hub and spoke network, and the demand for connecting flights from INI via BEG is just not there. Most people would rather take the bus which is much cheaper and doesn't take much more time overall. Even British Airways doesn't operate flights from Birmingham because it's just too close to their LHR hub, and we can all agree that Belgrade and Nis are a much, much smaller markets than London and Birmingham.
DeleteAs per O&D flights such as INI-VIE, the market is again too small and they would be slaughtered by the LCC competition. Not to mention that it would be a logistical nightmare given their insufficient fleet. What could make sense is if Austrian started INI-VIE flights and then offer connections too dozens of destination, although it is questionable if the purchasing power of this catchment area would be enough to sustain a legacy carrier route of any kind.
DeleteSorry for all the typos, I wish there was an edit button here. :)
DeleteBtw, drawing another parallel between UK and Serbia, most secondary airports in the UK don't have BA's routes at all. It's mostly LCCs and KLM offering connections via AMS. I think we can all agree that Serbia is not England, but that is a model that could be pursued by Serbian secondary airports, but with much modest ambitions.
Is it possible for Air Serbia to operate at least on short haul like an LCC ?!
DeleteWith introducing one way tickets and such ?
What is actually the difference between Air Serbia and for example Wizz Air.
i really dont know much about this things and would really like to learn.
Also is FlyDubai not also a low cost carrier with a business class?
OT: Budapest Airport is getting a cargo center, airport hotel and new concourse by 2020. All those items Belgrade airport wanted in 2013 but they never materialised. Privatisation advisor will need another six months to do absolutely nothing as expected price was already set at 500M.
ReplyDeleteLCC are always in the interest of the people. Airserbia stuff has got to stop acting like politician and start acting like businesmen and that is the right thing.See how Aegean airlines is going extremely good against ryanair, easy jet, vueling, volotea and so on. They must not only care about opening a route in USA just for the ambition of someone! They must be openminded in everything.
ReplyDelete+1000
Delete“Serbia is not part of the European Union and so we don’t have the degree of openness and competitive environment that other countries who are part of the EU would have”
ReplyDeleteWTF??? Is he really openly saying what I think that he is saying? Serbia is fully aligned with EU on aviation law, so is this an open confession that the state is playing protectionism game for ASL?
He's not saying what you think he's saying.
DeleteSvako odlicno zna da letovi W6 i FR iz INI minimalno uticu na ASL pa skoro nikako . Ti letovi imaju toliko nezgodan red letenja da to skoro niko nece iz inostranstva da koristi . Jedino gde ce pobediti je da ce privuci ogromnu kolicinu Domacih Putnika.
ReplyDeleteINN-NS
Huh? lol
DeleteJedino gde ce pobediti je da ce privuci ogromnu kolicinu Domacih Putnika.
Ti letovi imaju toliko nezgodan red letenja da to skoro niko nece iz inostranstva da koristi
---------------------
Koji sizofreni post.
Sorry zaboravio sam ovo da dodam:
Deleteminimalno uticu na ASL pa skoro nikako
--------------------------
dakle u zakljucku ASL prevozi samo strance?
Ne vi ste Sizofrenicar i to veliki .
DeleteLetove W6 i FR ce slabo ko od Srba koji rade u Inostranstvu da koristi to je istina . Zato sto je ne zgodan red letenja .
I privuce Srbe koji zive u Srbiji i hoce da idu na Turizam po Evropi .
Da dobar deo Putnika su Stranci sad hocete da kazete da i to nije istina smesni ste .
INN-NS
OMG koje lupetaranje. Dakle ti hoces da kazes da ce ove linije iz INI-a uglavnom opstati zahvaljujuci Srbima iz Srbije koji ce ici u turizam van? :D
DeleteKako da ne. Ostatak juznjacke dijaspore ce ici nebeskom Er Srbijom preko Beograda nezavisno od toga sto ima split schedule i sto jutarnji polasci krecu pre sedam. Da, da... kako da ne.
Nije lupetaranje nego istina i tako ce i biti.Da opsatce dobrim delom zbog Srba iz Srbije .
DeleteIz Niskog okruga i okoline najvise ljudi ima u Svajcarskoj i Austriji ali vama se to ne moze objasniti .
A posto nazivate ASL tim imenom vidi se da ste frustrirana osoba.
INN-NS
Please ignore INN-NS.
DeleteArguing with Marko is a waste of bandwidth.
Hahahhahahhaha koja je Marko dileja ja ne verujem. Ako, neka zivi u svom ruzicastvom svetu.
DeletePa ne moze niko biti tolika dileja poput vas zato da znate bilo sta potisali bi ste se .
DeleteSad sto FR ima linije iz INI to znaci da ce da otme putnike od ASL nece ni premaja liniji za SXF posto za TXL je vecina Transferna .I tako nece ni prema Italiji ali vi ni to ne znate .
Ali ASL postaje sve jaca i bice uskoro lepih novosti sto se vama opet nece svideti.
INN-NS
Mozda i jeste vecina putnika za TXL transferna ali bez O&D putnika yield ce biti mizeran. No dobro, sve ce to narod (poreski obaveznici) pozlatiti.
DeleteZnaci hoces da kazes da ce srbi konacno putovati sada kada je dosao FR posto je JU preskupa? (cim su uglavnom transferni putnici)
Deletezapravo, u poredjenju sa jatom i nisu nesto pojacali berlin. Ako se dobro secam B733 je leteo pet puta nedelje. Dakle povecanje za sve dva leta nedeljno, i to u sezoni kada ne kresu broj frekvencija.
DeleteMarko, pa čoveče jesi ti svestan svoje nesvesti?
DeletePuno si toga nalupao, ali ovo je vrh.
Ovo je tolka glupost da neću ni iznositi argumente.
Nije nista na lupano nego je istina da ce vecina putnika ovih letova biti iz Srbije.
DeleteINN-NS
INN-NS, nisi u pravu. Ja zivim u Diseldorfu i redovno putujem za Nis (najmanje 5 puta godisnje). Za vreme JATa i Jat-a mogao sam svega jednom godisnje da odem u otadzbinu, sa W6 u BEG ta brojka se povecala vise puta. Sad razmisli koliko ce mi znaciti linija DTM-INI ili NRN-INI! Necu placati bus (BEG airport->BG->NI vv. oko 12 evra po pravcu). U Nemackoj do aerodroma mogu sa mesecnom kartom vikendom za dzabe.
DeleteTo znaci da cu ja od oktobra ove godine moci da dolazim kuci makar svakog meseca (ponesem boks cigarete i vec "ustedjeno" 30evra, a karta uglavnom samo maks. 60 evra return (hand luggage only!)
Nisam jedini. Znam iz svoje okoline za petoro familije koje isto ovako misle.
A sto se tice tvog argumenta loseg vremena letenja: BULLSHIT. Mi iz inostranstva godinama nemamo neku alternativu. DTM-BEG je ujutro a u povratku iz BEGa krece cak u 5h40 sto znaci bez spavanje te noci.
Ti i dalje sanjaj o nekom INN-BEG ili cak INN-INI, ja od sada dolazim direktno, a Air Serbia-u sigurno necu vise izabrati ako ne moram.
Ali ti si samo potvrdio ono sto je INN-NS rekao! Umesto da putujes ASL jednom godisnje, ti ces putovati "najmanje jednom mesecno Wizzom". Tih jedanaest karata ionako ne bi kupio kod ASL, tako da ASL gotovo nista ne gubi. Potopuno u skladu sa onim sto je INN-NS rekao. Legende ste prave!
DeleteOT:
ReplyDeleteSudeći prema prvim izvještajima... za 06
http://www.seebiz.eu/rekordan-promet...nja/ar-138823/
ZAG: 267 k, + 7,5%
SPU: 321 k, +18%
DBV: 288 k, +18%
Wow, excellent news!
DeleteWell many people here were claiming how JU was not even focusing on LCC and that it was ignoring them and their growing presence. Seems like people were wrong.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteYes, it was funny how so many people insisted that ASL was in no LCC danger because of new business class, Wi-Fi and lounge.
They really believed that ASL would be competing with SQ, CX and LX for who will attract the most businessmen.
The only thing that is really funny here is how some people trash&bash ASL because they are more expensive than LCCs. Aviation knowledge at its best.
DeleteClassic strawman. We don't trash them because they are more expensive, we trash them because of protectionism which is blocking cheaper airlines from operating more routes from BEG.
DeleteOT - BEG-KBP today, over 90% LF.
ReplyDeleteThe CRJ is the best addition to the fleet. More regional jets are necessary, and they should have been added two years ago.
DeleteDoes this mean that both Kiev and St Petersburg will be year round?
DeleteKiev will be suspended once the regional jet is returned to JP. Unfortunately there are simply no available aircraft out there to operate the route. :(
DeleteI will be checking out that route on the 15th and let you guys know.
DeleteShame that Kiev will only be a seasonal route. AS must find more aircraft so that this and other routes can be maintained & added. How do they think they will fill flights to JFK if they reduce the network?
DeletePax were mostly transfers, from North America and the Middle East (Beirut, Tel Aviv, Abu Dhabi...). There were also a few Europeans, almost no Serbs. These loads are surprisingly excellent given:
Delete- the route has just been started
- the marketing around it was limited to say the least
- prices are everything but moderate on most of the segments with many city-pairs simply not offered from Kiev such as Malta
Any word of NYC loads?
DeleteWhat, is AS the best option for Ukrainians to travel to the mid-east? If so then they should milk this for all it's worth. Combine it with Petrovgrad, and you have a few successful routes.
DeleteWhat about Istanbul?
Delete