Sarajevo Airport says talks with budget airline Wizz Air over future operations are still at an early stage and that no definite agreement concerning potential flights has been made yet, following media reports of an imminent deal. The comments come just a few weeks after the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina said Wizz Air will expand services from the country with the launch of "several European destinations" from Sarajevo this year. However, the airport notes it will "analyse all options" when it comes to future cooperation with the budget airline, adding that no routes have been negotiated thus far. "When it comes to launching operations to Sarajevo, it is important to note that each carrier conducts its own market research and studies the commercial viability of introducing a new route. Other than Wizz Air, we are currently not involved in talks with any other low cost airline".
Wizz Air itself remains coy on its future plans for Sarajevo. Last week, when questioned on the matter, the airline said, "We speak with a number of airports at all times about possible future growth as we will continue growing with those who offer low costs". However, in April, Wizz Air's Head of Airport Development, Jozsef Ujhely, visited Sarajevo and said, "After Tuzla, which continues to be our main base in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we intend on establishing flights from Sarajevo, which we consider a very important destination. Furthermore, we are also interested in investing in Sarajevo Airport". Wizz Air held drawn-out negotiations with Sarajevo Airport's former management but failed to reach an agreement over fees. "It is true that the former management held talks with the Hungarian carrier, but that process was never completed. In the future, all potential negotiations regarding the arrival of this company will start from the beginning and in case both sides reach a deal over all parts of the agreement, it will be signed", a Sarajevo Airport spokesperson said.
Sarajevo Airport saw its passenger numbers decline sharply in June. The airport handled 66.429 passengers, a decrease of 11.3% compared to the same month last year. The number of aircraft movements stood at 992. Travel was slightly affected by the month of Ramadan, with Air Arabia temporarily suspending all flights between Sharjah and Sarajevo in June. Services on the route resumed last week. Furthermore, unlike last year, Swiss International Air Lines no longer maintains flights between Geneva and the Bosnian capital. Services were suspended in April. So far this year, Sarajevo Airport has welcomed 357.465 travellers through its doors, an increase of 1.6% on 2015.
| Month | PAX | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 41.208 | ▼ 5.7 |
| FEB | 42.567 | ▲ 6.7 |
| MAR | 53.438 | ▲ 6.3 |
| APR | 68.085 | ▲ 8.0 |
| MAY | 85.738 | ▲ 7.0 |
| JUN | 66.429 | ▼ 11.3 |
Is it just me or does it look as if Sarajevo Airport is apprehensive to cooperating with them. Maybe it's just me, that's the vibe I'm getting from them.
ReplyDelete"We will continue growing with those who offer low costs". They are probably discussing fees and that idiotic night curfew at the airport.
DeleteWizz Air will definitely come. I just wonder whether they will make a deal in time for them to start flights this winter season or whether they will wait 'till next summer.
ReplyDeleteRegarding a based aircraft - unless SJJ hurry up, all of next year's Wizz aircraft delivery allocations will be gone before long. This winter is pretty much out of the question.
DeleteI don't think Wizz was intending to immediately base an aircraft. They haven't done that anywhere in ex-Yu. They first open up a few routes and then consider basing a plane.
DeleteSure, that's makes sense. The ongoing conversation includes a based aircraft so that's what I was referring to. Otherwise a couple of destinations to test the water sound like the right way to go.
DeleteWow down 11.3% in June. What the hell happened!? Still I think Sarajevo has great prospects for the future, especially 2017.
ReplyDeleteYeah that's a bit of a surprise. I don't buy that it's just the Eid holidays (I mean don't more people travel then). Perhaps fewer people flying to Turkey because of safety reasons?
DeleteAh it's only a matter of time. The boost that INI and TGX will receive when more LCC services start later this year will fuel a need for the same in SJJ.
ReplyDeletewhat is TGX?
DeleteTGX clearly is Tingrela airport in Cote d'Ivoire :)
DeleteWell known Wizz base :D
DeleteTGX , wth is TGX ???
DeleteI think TGX desperately needs PRC flights.
DeleteBut won't Sarajevo flights impact on their Tuzla base? I'm sure a lot of people from Sarajevo and surrounding now use their Tuzla flights.
ReplyDeleteThey will probably fly different destinations.
DeleteThey could fly the same routes. Their destinations in Belgrade and Nis are the same.
DeleteThere are still no flights from Tuzla to:
DeleteKarlsruhe/Baden-Baden
Paris
London
Hamburg
Berlin
there routes are probably the potential that could work for Sarajevo
And I think WizzAir will move the flights from Eindhoven and Dortmund to Sarajevo instead of Tuzla. Tuzla will be mainly for Scandinavian region.
Just tells you how relevant statements coming from Bosnian politicians are. Until I see the flights bookable on Wizz Air's website, it's all idle talk.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIt will also be interesting at what routes Croatia Airlines will offer from Sarajevo and whether they will conflict with Wizz. I am certain Wizz will start Eindhoven, Charleroi, Beauvais.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest the same ones you suggested for Wizz: Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris...
DeleteWell I don't think Wizz will start flights to Amsterdam from Sarajevo, they will probably start flights from/to Eindhoven as Eindhoven is their base in the Netherlands
DeleteYes, I know. I didn't make it clear. I meant that Croatia Airlines would likely launch AMS, BRU and CDG from SJJ. Same as the ones listed by anonymous 9:23 for Wizz :) I think those are the main unserved markets. We will see.
DeleteOne question. Yesterday I read Wizz Air is returning to Ukraine. Could this impact their Balkan expansion if they focus more on Ukraine?
ReplyDeleteThey never left Ukraine. Check their destination map. They terminated the Ukrainian AOC since they could retain most of the destinations without it.
DeleteFunny how much people around here trust media without checking facts for themselves.
Sorry I didn't realize. I thought they completely pulled out of Ukraine during the war.
DeleteOne side is pulling their legs in the sand here and my guess is SJJ management. They did the same thing last time. They were very interested and then they just tossed them aside.
ReplyDeleteWhat about post deal reaction of Turkish Airlines on the first place, and then other airlines on commercial deal between Wizz and Sarajevo Airport. Wizz will surely ask for extra discount as they did in Tuzla and was approved as a single carrier operating from Tuzla. In Sarajevo situation will not be the same and they will not be granted with so big discount otherwise it is going to be aviation ground war. Immediately all companies will ask the same benefits. In general, flying of low cost airlines to the main airport is under big ??? question marks.
ReplyDeleteDo you think opening up new destinations is in the interest of Sarajevo?
DeleteDo you think cheap tickets are in the interest of passengers?
Do you think support should be given to airlines willing to risk operating to a historically unproven market such as the inland Balkans?
Do you know LCCs are already not only operating, but having based aircraft at main airports all across Western Europe?
Do you know that these lovely LCCs pay full price at main airports and compensate it on the other end of the route, such as SJJ, SKP etc.? LCCs discriminate the cities and airports, although airports in EU over 2M pax are not allowed to do that.
DeleteDo you know that LCCs can/will stop all their flights to a destination immediately, if the subsidies/marketing supports are cut?
Do you know that LCCs at first try the capture the majority of the market, forcing the legacy carriers leave, and then force the city and airport authorities increase the subsidies/support they receive, even threat them with cutting operations?
LCCs are good for cities without any visitors, for hopeless cities. And for major airports. Not for the ones in between.
I know that none of the above are true from personal experience.
Delete1. WE airports have volume-based charges for all airlines and incentives for new destinations. No government intervention is necessary due to proper free market conditions. Contracts are what rules the day, list prices are not paid by any regular airline with based aircraft.
2. A ridiculous claim unsupported by any evidence. If this were the case there would have been plenty.
3. Same as 2.
Are these the horror stories you tell insecure ministers around the camp fire? =)))
Bas me interesuje koliko Lufthansa placa nasim "politicarima" i "direktorima", pa gotovo sve letove iz i za Sarajevo dominira Lufthansa Group?
ReplyDeleteDidn't someone write a few weeks ago that they have already arranged to fly 4 routes from SJJ?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Tuzla, it did not live up to its agreement with Wizz to have lighting installed last year and it still has not been installed. Also whether is a big headache for Wizz there. Diverting flights to BEG and then getting them bussed to TZL is a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if SJJ-BEG could work with the right fares. The market is gigantic and I am sure if they would sell tickets for as little as €50 it could work. There is no highway between the two cities so travelling by road is quite exhausting.
ReplyDeleteBtw does anyone know why TradeAir operated BEG-MUC today?
Isporuka nazad gradjana EU koji su trazili i nisu dobili azil u Serbiji.
DeleteKoliko takvih letova mjesečno ima koji vračaju neodobrene azilante u Srbiju?
DeleteIskreno ne vidim takve letove po ostalim republikama bivše Jugoslavije. Zašto je to tako samo u Srbiji, a nije i u Crnoj Gori, Makedoniji, BiH, Kosovu, nije bilo tako ni u Slovniji i Hrvatskoj prije ulaska u EU. Stvarno čudan fenomen koji je zanimljiv i sa pozicije aero-prometa.
Let uopste nije za azilante. Kako lupate gluposti ako vec ne znate. Avion ide za Veneciju preko Minhena. Iznajmljen je jer vozi goste na vencanje Ane Ivanovic i Bastijana Svajnstajgera koji se odrzava u Veniciji danas.
DeleteC3 370
Venice - Marco Polo (via Munich)
@ AnonymousJuly 12, 2016 at 11:41 AM
DeletePrivate charter carrying guests to the wedding of Ana Ivanovic and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Wizz can't fly SJJ-BEG.... they don't have the traffic rights to do so. Neither country is in the EU and Wizz do not have a Bosnian or Serbian AOC.
DeleteSchweinsteiger marry in venice not in serbia :)
DeleteHopefully these flights happen soon.
ReplyDelete"talks at early stage since 2011". Sarajevo je cudan aerodrom, nece nikakav kompromis i izgleda da su u oblacima zato sto su dostigli 772 000 putnika dok naprimjer Skopje koji bi trebao biti primjer malo je popustio i doveo Wizz Air i sada ima duplo vise putnika od Sarajeva.
ReplyDeleteNesto sto jos nije dobro za tog aerodroma je mjesec "ramazan", dok sarajlije i dijaspora cekaju da prode citav mjesec dok krenu letiti konkurent Podgorica polako mozda prosica Sarajevo sto se tice broj putnika do kraja godine.
A mislim da oni koji vode aerodroma i pregovaraju sa kompanijama trebaju se boriti da se uvode letovi za Evropske metropole kao naprimjer Amsterdam i Frankfurt.
Da podsjetim, Sarajevo je jedini glavni grad u bivsoj Jugoslaviji koji nije spojen sa Frankfurtom, moras presjedati da bi isao u Frankfurt. Umjesto da se ganja Ankara, Sharjah, Kairo i Iran treba ganjati uporno Amsterdam i Frankfurt i malo pogledati susjede. Za kraj, Sarajevo puno gubi na to sto radi samo do 22 sati i sto se aerodrom nalazi tu gdje se nalazi.
Ako zele biti "svjetski aerodrom", mora se produziti radno vrijeme na 24 sata kao i skoro svi ako ne svi bas u regiji. Takoder treba gledati novu buducnu lokaciju za novi aerodrom jednu 15-20 km od Sarajeva jer ovako je blizo naselje i obican narod kojem smetaju avioni 24 sata.
Seems like OU is now definitely talking to Sarajevo about opening a base and Wizz Air probably wanting to be subserdised is looking like a less appealing option compared to OU, that is if OU are not looking for or as much from Sarajevo to set up a base.
ReplyDeleteOU should get preference. They are a full fare airline that will connect SJJ with European capitals and it was the first airline to start flights there after the war.
DeleteSo what if they are a legacy carrier and if they were the first one to fly out of SJJ after the war? SJJ is a business and it should be run as such.
DeleteThey should work on attracting airlines that can offer the cheapest fares to the greatest number of destinations. Unfortunately those are usually not the legacy but lowcost carriers.
OT
ReplyDeleteSeems like Air Serbia will be suspending WAW from November. There are no more direct flights in the system. They are selling WAW via their code-shares with LO and AB.
But on a more positive note, LCA will be brought back and will operate three times per week.
DeleteWAW cancellation was seen coming. Really no need for JU to waste metal on it if the same feed of passengers can come from their seat block on LOT's flight. They can reroute that aircraft to LED and wherever else they can make better loads than in WAW.
DeleteI think they are using it for HAM flights.
DeleteGreat decision since the route was performing poorly from the start. Does this mean that LED will also be year round?
DeleteLED seems to be gone from the system though it seems it might be back around the Christmas holidays.
DeleteOne strange thing is that neither IST not ATH will have night flights which is problematic as they won't be able to offer (competitive) connections to JFK.
Why night flights to SOF, OTP, TIA, SKG but no ATH?
DeleteBecause there is no market for them. If there was they would fly to ATH at night. End of story.
DeleteNemjee is the suspending of the early morning flight from ATH to BEG for real? It's a pity for the promotion they did mostly from the radio for the ATH-JFK route via BEG.Do you have any idea why is that? Anyway I'm traveling to JFK with Airserbia from ATH on 30th of august and return on 9th of september,when I will come back I'm going to inform the blog for the number of outbounds and inbounds Greek passengers.
DeleteLOT-ASL 1-0
DeleteAnonymous at 6:36 PM
DeleteAegean's great increase in capacity on its BEG flights reduced JU's loadfactor and average ticket price.
Two flights a day with A320s is overcapacity for that route.
And again a copy paste comment.
DeleteJU needs a DC9 replacement. It would be sad to see ATH drop back to daily. The night flight should at least operate on the days it connects to JFK.
Just got a Cypriot friend of mine to book JU to JFK. He is flying:
DeleteLCA-BEG
BEG-DUS
DUS-JFK
Same way back. His price is €592. He is going next month. That's a steal!
^Then he is actually flying Air Berlin to New York.
DeleteGood for him but not much for Air Serbia.
There was the option of flying directly from Belgrade but the ticket was around 50.000 RSD one way. JU still gets extra two passengers from LCA to DUS. :)
DeleteIt's a shame because they explicitly wanted to fly on JU to JFK. I guess fares were that expensive because Serbs from New York are returning home at that time.
Wizz - Sarajevo is a never ending saga. One of the many in this region.
ReplyDeleteWhy did Air Arabia stopped flying in Ramadan?
DeleteAnd why do they not trying Belgrade or Zagreb.
Belgrade is a good opportunity for Air Arabia.
Delete3x the week on those days FlyDubai is not flying.
At least daily flights to Dubai/Sharjah is a must for every European city with more than a million inhabitants.
Which doesn't include Zagreb.
DeleteThere is no sufficient demand for G9 to BEG. Almost all Serbs are in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
DeleteFZ doesn't do too well to BEG, compared to EY, JU and QR all flying from BEG to the Gulf. This will be worse if the word is true that FZ will transfer over to DWC next year.
SHJ-SJJ has terrible loads, I don't think they will be back next summer. FZ as well to SJJ doesn't have great numbers, and flights now have a lot of empty seats. This is surprising as a lot of Gulf nationals vacation in BiH.
SHJ is a crappy airport. Driving through Sharjah is horrid, which gets worse in the peak traffic, to which it is faster to drive to Abu Dhabi than to Sharjah from Dubai.
Demand for BEG-DXB is there, but it needs the EK network. JU after all was flying up to 6 p/w to DXB while it had the SPA with EK, which had great loads. JU flying to DXB would do a lot better than AUH.
Flydubai have amazing loads. They upgraded to double daily flights
Delete^Sharjah and Dubai are actually the same urban area.
DeleteAir Arabia already tried every odd place.
Why not try the easiest options.Fly to the biggest airport in the region that is Belgrade and then Zagreb.
Air Serbia for example does fly to New York and not Chicago as many hoped for.
Because numbers for NY are simply better.
@ anonymous 10,11pm
DeleteDXB-SJJ is 12 x p/w. That doesn't automatically mean great loads. Last week on SJJ-DXB practically every pax had a row to themselves.
@ anonymous 11,55pm
Al Nahda and Al Qusais, is practically the same urban space, but that's it. Comparing DXB to SHJ is like comparing BEG to LHR. It doesn't work. What makes routes like AUH and DOH work is a lot of transit traffic, which SHJ doesn't have and DXB lost most of. Seeing how FZ doesn't do the best to BEG out of all the Gulf carriers goes to show that G9 doesn't have a chance in either BEG or ZAG.
^Jatbegmel i think you have good arguments and if even Belgrade would not work, what in gods name is Air Arabia doing here at all ?!
DeleteYou fool, last week was Eid for 3 days, Sarajevo is a muslim city aswell as the UAE, muslims tend not to be traveling on those 3 days of Eid, but stay with their family...it's the same as saying Lufthansa gas terrible loads and cancels flights on the christmas day itself.
Deletehey admin, the trolls are taking over in the flash news section. Thx
ReplyDeleteRyanair is recruiting Flight Attendants in Slovenia.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/events/1028333847263753/
This probably dosen't mean anything, right?