Adria Airways has confirmed it is considering launching flights from Ljubljana to Ukraine. The carrier’s Chief Commercial Officer, Thomas Hoess, said, “Ukraine has potential. We are now in negotiations with Ukrainian airports and are exchanging ideas. I cannot go into detail at this moment but we are discussing a direct service between Ljubljana and Ukraine”. It is unclear when the flights could commence. There are currently no air links between the two countries. Adria last operated to Kiev in 2011 on a seasonal summer basis, being the only carrier in the former Yugoslavia to serve Ukraine at the time. Flights were suspended as part of the airline’s wide-ranging cost cutting measures.
In 2014 the Slovenian carrier intended to resume the route and applied for permits and slots at Kiev Airport. However, those plans were shelved with the outbreak of violence in Ukraine. More recently, Adria maintained services from Belgrade to Kiev on behalf of Air Serbia using its Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. After consolidating its operations over the past few months, the Slovenian airline aims to boost its flight offering over the coming years. It will increase frequencies on a number of routes this winter season and its management aims put a greater focus on Ljubljana as a transfer hub for passengers from the Balkans and eastern Europe towards the continent's main airports in the west.
The General Manager of Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, Zmago Skobir, recently said that the airport had been presented with Adria’s new strategy. "During recent talks, Adria assured us that they have an entirely new concept through which they plan to strengthen the network in a different way and now we are waiting to see whether this will come to fruition". The carrier’s passenger numbers on flights to and from the Slovenian capital have declined 15% during the first eight months of the year. “If I look at their [Adria’s] plans, now that we meet on a more regular basis and at a more professional level, I would say the company really wants to recover”, Mr Skobir added.
Nice and unexpected development. I do hope they recover.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the best solution for JP would be to strike a deal with JU to operate some flights for them.
ReplyDeleteOT
In S17 Volotea will launch Strasbourg-Dubrovnik. This is not their first DBV route, right?
It seems to me they are considering other destinations in Ukraine too, not just Kiev. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteMaybe for some feeding routes to western Europe.
DeleteHaplek
Good luck, Adria! Hope everything goes well in the next few years!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have Adria's schedule to Kiev from the last time they flew on this route?
ReplyDeleteThey are apparently also considering Tehran but for summer 2017...
ReplyDeleteThat would be an excellent addition and would make sense.
DeleteThey should. Also some charter flights to Baku and Astana. Spa resorts wait them.
DeleteThey seem to have woken up at JP.
ReplyDeleteIt's part of their new strategy. I think they picked the right destination.
DeleteI wonder what their ticket prices will be. Air Serbia was not too expensive on this route.
ReplyDeleteJP seems to be quite innovative. The best solution, in a perfect world, would be to merge with JU and transform both capitals into hubs. Unfortunately, JU want to dominate the market themselves.
ReplyDeleteJP had the potential to be the leading airline in exYu. It could have been the player JU wants to be today. Unfortunately, we've had decades of political interference and the results are here.
Deletelol
DeleteMerge with what, a carrier that is basically dead? A limited liability company that has a declining hub and leases all its aircraft ? JU and Belgrade are number 1 in the region, a merge would only benefit JP as it would save the company. JU is going to take a good chunk of this market, regardless whether they merge with Adria and Montenegro or just wait until they go under
Forgot to say - leases all its aircraft and soon has to extend the agreements. Very much doubt that will happen
DeleteJU- Air Serbia ce biti tako dugo lieder dok Etihad daje pare, a cim stane, desit ce se isto sto se sada sa Air Berlin desava.....
DeleteEkspert
DeleteA do onda ce katanac na Adriu, Montenegro a mozda i na Kroaciju :)
DeletePa i da ostanu samo AS i CA na ex-yu to je odlican posao i bolje od pre par godina
+1
DeleteI would not want to see JU merge with any airline in the region. Back several years ago when the idea was first brought up, there was no will to include Jat.
DeleteJU however much has grown still lacks alot and that should be their only focus. BEG lacks alot to be desired, and their frequencies need to be boosted in order to be more competitive and attractive as a carrier. This will never happen if they try to go at opening multiple bases.
@anonymous 12,20pm
EY involvement is mutual in the sense that both are benefiting from one big bulk purchase. Buying 10 of something is not the same as buying 100. JU may not be profitable, but compring 3 years ago to today, Serbia spends less money on Air Serbia than it did on Jat. Air Serbia both directly and indirectly contributes more to this country than what Jat ever did.
Politics and political parties to the side, keeping the conversation civil and neutral, I think this is one of the good things created by our government in the aviation sector. Jat was worse than AB for the fact that next to millions of accumulating debt, the fleet was unreliable and mostly grounded, with additional aircraft needed to be leased to keep some flights. You seem to have forgotten the 2 Bulgarian B733's.
I remember reading that Romania is the top unserved market from Slovenia. Maybe they should consider that. Also, there's many airports beyond OTP.
ReplyDeleteOT: Can somebody confirms that now its possible to buy return tickets Belgrade-TelAviv with Israeli Arkia airlines?
ReplyDeleteI've checked their website as well as few ticketing search website and its possible to buy tickets. :)
I remember news from while ago that they will operate charter flights and that it would be possible to buy only tickets TelAviv-Beg, but not vice versa?
Thanks.
Well if their website allows you to book then you can book.
Delete250eur round trip..It can be booked
DeleteGood to see Adria finally expanding.
ReplyDeleteOT: Germanwings jet diverted to BEG, but luckily there's no fire and flight continues to Greece.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rts.rs/page/stories/ci/story/124/drustvo/2481651/nemacki-avion-prinudno-sleteo-na-beogradski-aerodrom.html
Good news for Adria. Would these flights start this winter or next summer?
ReplyDeleteI'm curious how there is still no JP routes towards Iberian peninsula. I'm glad for the new routes to east, but West/South West Europe is really underserved at LJU.
ReplyDeleteEverything is underserved from LJU. Except maybe *A hubs.
DeleteMaybe this comes inline with the possible future removal of visas for the Ukranian for EU states. I really hope this happens as there is so much potential over there.
ReplyDeleteIf even Kosovo managed claim visa free travel for their citizens.....
DeleteIt seems to me that their network and plans are a little erratic and that they dont really have a clear strategy
ReplyDeleteMa neeee, plan je tu
DeleteOgraničena odgovornost - vlasnici ne odgovaraju svojom imovinom.
Considering that Adria is thinking outside the box and is very innovative may I recommend this
ReplyDeletehttp://images.esellerpro.com/2372/I/657/44/lrgscaleFDF_31002_A1.jpg
Cool just dont select kiev or lviv all the rest will make miracles as long as visas for eu for ukrainians are really abolished. And of course keep the price not to hight.
ReplyDeleteOT
ReplyDeletekao sto sam najavio otkazan strajk kontrolora u Grckoj. Pozdrav za Purgera.
ATCO
So when people take about JU or OU you have more than 100 comments and when you talk about JP barely even 40. What a shame. Anyway, I still think JP is doing much better than other airlines and also think they need to find a big partner or to join the Etihad Group even though they never unable to deliver good results.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Adria!
ReplyDeleteFlight report LJU to Berlin Tegel via Munich https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaoYZ0D3eK8
ReplyDelete