The busiest airports in Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have recorded varying passenger numbers during the month of March, although all three grew during the first quarter when compared to last year.
Zagreb Airport handled 192.533 travellers, a decline of 3.3% compared to March of last year. The figure was accompanied by a decrease in the number of operated flights, which stood at 3.144, down 2.1%. Unlike in 2016, the airport is no longer served by TAP Portugal or Flydubai, which contributed to the softer figures, in addition to the Easter holidays falling in April this year rather than March. Numbers are expected to pick up in the summer with the arrival of several new airlines, frequency increases and the launch of four new routes by Croatia Airlines. During the first quarter, Zagreb Airport welcomed 516.000 passengers, an increase of 1.3%. Flight movements were down 4.4% at 8.512.
| Month | PAX | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 168.788 | ▲ 7.4 |
| FEB | 154.679 | ▲ 1.0 |
| MAR | 192.533 | ▼ 3.3 |
Skopje Alexander the Great Airport extended its growth streak by handling 125.167 travellers in March, representing an increase of 3.7%. Skopje Airport anticipates another year of record growth with five new routes being launched this summer and a number of carriers adding frequencies. Low cost airline Wizz Air will again fuel the growth at Macedonia's largest airport with a fourth aircraft to be stationed in the city this July, paving the way for the launch of three new routes including Rome, Malta and Vaxjo, while services from Budapest were introduced this week. Frequencies on a number of existing services will also be added. Furthermore, Qatar Airways will commence flights from Doha this July, while Czech Airlines will resume operations from Prague and Adria Airways will increase frequencies on its Ljubljana - Skopje service. During the first quarter, Skopje Airport welcomed 352.953 passengers, up 6.3%.
| Month | PAX | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 122.521 | ▲ 12.3 |
| FEB | 105.265 | ▲ 3.0 |
| MAR | 125.167 | ▲ 3.7 |
Sarajevo Airport returned to growth last month, with its passenger numbers improving 7.4% for a total of 57.381 travellers. The number of operated flights stood at 985, up 16.8%. Overall, during the past three months it handled 141.880 passengers, an increase of 3.4%. During the week, two new carriers commenced services to the Bosnian capital with TUIfly Belgium launching operations from Charleroi with 100 passengers on board the inaugural flight, while Wizz Air carried 149 travellers on the first service from Budapest. On the other hand, Air Arabia downgraded its seasonal operations between Sharjah and Sarajevo this week, with the service to operate for a three-month period only from mid-June through to mid-September.
| Month | PAX | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| JAN | 43.377 | ▲ 5.3 |
| FEB | 41.122 | ▼ 3.4 |
| MAR | 57.381 | ▲ 7.4 |
Quite modest growth from all three.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit disappointing that Zagreb didn't grow in the month its new terminal was opened. But like it says numbers should really pick up during the summer.
ReplyDeleteAgree. But there were a lots of cuts during the winter so I'm surprised that they managed any growth at all during January and February. Remember Pristina was also cut this winter season.
DeleteZagreb lost 6682 Passengers in March. If those Easter travelers come in April now ZAG will grow by that number in April. Irony off!
DeleteWhat irony? It's not only March. The overall figures for the first quarter are beyond dismal. A growth of 1% is nothing to spin your forced positivity on.
DeleteIn each of those first three months ZAG had less flights than last year! 390 flights less than 2016, what did you expect?
DeleteI expected there to be a market so that passengers grow despite the reduction in flights. There would be no reduction in flights if there were enough bums in the seats.
DeleteSorry, but 390 flights less is a lot, Anon 10:23!
DeleteBut let's ask ourselves why there were all those flights less?
DeleteZagreb will have more than 3.0 million pax this year, how much more time will tell.
DeleteI project 3.05 million, could be 3.2 million is summer months perform better than expected.
Also new terminal opened on 28th, not 1st of March, so lets not jump to baseless conclusions.
We expected numbers for 3 months to fall, due to number of flights to Zagreb being cut, first two months did ok to stave off what was predicted to be bad quarter, March saw slight drop, not the end of the world, it was predicted it'll fall.
Standard model projected Zagreb to have around 185 000 in March, it had 192.5k, so this is not that bad.
April will see 220k,
May 265k and so on.
Projected for Zagreb for 2017 is 3.05 million.
That 2017 projection looks doable. Zagreb Airport management itself said they expect around 3 million passengers this year and I assume they were being cautious.
DeleteDid the management predict the catastrophic performance in the first three months of the year?!?!
DeleteCatastrophic. And still ZAG is in plus in those 3 months. What was than BEG last year winter results when it was in minus after 3 months?
DeleteCongratulations to SKP, their transformation has been phenomenal. From an airport that looked like a shack, served by a broken down national airline they turned themselves into one of the most impressive Balkan airports served by an airline which based 4 high density A320s.
ReplyDeleteIf that's not impressive I don't know what is. If they keep up this growth then they can bet on becoming number 3 in ex-YU within the next three years. They are only 30.000 to 50.000 monthly passengers behind ZAG at this point.
+1
DeleteDifference is 50 000 to 70 000 monthly passengers. I don't know how did you calculate 30 000.
DeleteThis year ZAG will have about 3.2 million passengers, Skopje not even 2 milions. So, it's still big difference.
I'm quite sure SKP will get to 2 million this year.
DeleteZagreb won't make it past three million this year. They needed growth in the first three months which they didn't get.
DeleteFor ZAG to reach 3,2 by the end of the year they will need at least 300.000 passengers on average per month which is impossible. Their goal should be at least 3 million and that's pushing it. Most likely we are looking at 2.850.000
DeleteCongrats is spot on, however comparison to ZAG isn't yet. SKP would have to grow by 50% just to catch up. Not happening any time soon. Let them overtake PRN first and we'll see what's next.
DeletePRN should happen this year and then they'll be neck and neck with DBV.
DeleteZAG needs an additional 45.000 per month for the remainder of the year to get 3.2 million. Not possible.
DeleteIts not about how fast you grow, but about how sustainable that growth is. Wizzair is not an reliable Partner in SKP. Once they lose the subsidies they will start reducing and go to where they can really make money. Zagreb Management knows that. If the let in Wizz they will have a phenomenal growth- but at what price. Let's talk in 2 years again.
DeleteBut W6 has neither reduced nor suspended flights to destinations after subventions ran out. Maybe the stingy and greedy French should implement this growth model because their current one leads to stagnation.
Delete^^^^^ FAKE ^^^^^
Delete@Anon 9:32 of course.
Is someone paying to post this crap?
First, it's a lie.
Second, it's a malicious lie.
Might as well as label it as *FAKE*. There you go.
what a stupid people(sorry about that)....... :( Wizz from tottal 27 routes from SKP use subsidies only for 3 and stop wit this joke!!!
DeleteMa ja se samo cudim na glupake koi osporivate progres Wizz Air u SKoplje i kazete da oni ni su relevantni... Ma koi ste vi budale, sta je vise relevantno - nasi, Montenegro, Air Serbia, Croatia??? Aloo milem lepo da vas se malo opustite i ostajte ludi da uzivaju u mugucnost koji dobijaju sa uspeh koi si postignuli sa dovodzivanja WizzAir(4ri Aviona su stacionirali a320 - jel to malo i nevalja za vas "eksprete)" ....
DeleteFalling? For how long? One or two months?
DeleteNew routes from Zagreb:
Delete- 7 pw Emirates with 777-300
- 2 pw Monarch to Manchester with A320
- 3 pw Monarch to LGW with A321
- 2 pw Eurowings Dusseldorf
- 3 pw Croatia Helsinki CRJ-1000
- 3 pw Crotatia Oslo CRJ-1000
- 3 pw Croatia Bucharest Q400
- 3 pw Croatia Stockholm CRJ-1000
- 1 pw Stockholm Norvegian 738 + Copenhagen all year
More frequencies and bigger capacity
- Air Transat 2 pw A330-300 instead 1 pw
- LOT 10pw instead of 6pw + Embraer instead of Q400
- ČSA 7pw instead of 4pw
- Croatia on Lisabon, Barcelona, Split, Copenhagen
- Iberia 5 pw instead of 3 pw
- Lufthansa A320 instead of Embraer on evening flight
- Qatar A321 instead of A320
- Korean more frequencies
That is 42 more weekly flights (8 of them with long-haul) + bigger planes on some other routes
3,2 million should be easy to reach.
Zagreb will have more than 3.0 million pax this year, how much more time will tell.
DeleteI project 3.05 million, could be 3.2 million is summer months perform better than expected.
Also new terminal opened on 28th, not 1st of March, so lets not jump to baseless conclusions.
We expected numbers for 3 months to fall, due to number of flights to Zagreb being cut, first two months did ok to stave off what was predicted to be bad quarter, March saw slight drop, not the end of the world, it was predicted it'll fall.
Standard model projected Zagreb to have around 185 000 in March, it had 192.5k, so this is not that bad.
April will see 220k,
May 265k and so on.
Projected for Zagreb for 2017 is 3.05 million.
@anon 12:59, what is this standard model you're talking about, projecting 3-4% more decrease in March? Are April and May figures you wrote above from the same model?
Delete@AnonymousApril 6, 2017 at 2:13 PM
DeleteNumber of flights and available seats, projected occupancy rate based on trends.
Yes April will see between 215 and 225k ~ so 220 is in between.
May will see between 260 and 270k, again 265 ...
Based on number of flights for the month, average occupancy rate for May and April...
June is unknown quantity as so many new carriers and extra flights start. So 300k + is projected, Same goes for July, August and September, Even October might be over 300k.
So current projections are:
Jan: (160k projected) 169k
Feb: (150k projected) 155k
Mar: (185k projected) 192k
Apr: Projected: 215-225k
May: Projected: 260-270k
Jun: Projected: 290-310k
Jul: Projected: 345-365k
Aug: Projected: 350-370k
Sep: Projected: 320-340k
Oct: Projected: 290-310k
Nov: Projected: 215-225k
Dec: Projected: 210-220k
Projections: between 3 010 000 and 3152 000 pax for 2017.
Well, let's wait and see what happens. Many on here, Purger included, have been going on and on how we are going to see some massive surge in passenger numbers. It's been like four years and still nothing.
DeleteHowever 2018 projection is rather promising.
DeleteSo purger has somewhat right to be optimistic.
2018: In new carriers or new destinations are announced, (highly unlikely, EasyJet, Alitalia, Ageans, SAS. Aer Lingus and Finnair are likely to introduce flights to Zagreb, and talks of more frequencies for Canadian carrier Air Transat. Korean Air is also likely to straighten their presence in Croatia with up to 20 flights in 2020)
Jan: Projected: 190-200k
Feb: Projected: 175-185k
Mar: Projected: 220-230k (without Easter effect)
Apr: Projected: 250-260k
May: Projected: 310-320k
Jun: Projected: 325-350k
Jul: Projected: 400-420k
Aug: Projected: 400-420k
Sep: Projected: 370-400k
Oct: Projected: 320-330k
Nov: Projected: 240-250k
Dec: Projected: 225-240k
Total: 3 425 000 up to - 3 605 000. If all the carries do materialize, add number of seats on offer and average load factor or the each month, than just all add and you'll get the final figure.
Very simple maths.
****
Delete2018: If no new carriers or new destinations are announced, (highly unlikely, as there's interest from EasyJet, Alitalia, Ageans, SAS. Aer Lingus and Finnair, and some are likely to introduce flights to Zagreb, and talks of more frequencies for Canadian carrier Air Transat. Korean Air is also likely to straighten their presence in Croatia with up to 20 flights in 2020)
Yeah, same arguments five years now. Coast is one thing, ZAG is another.
DeleteThose of you saying that 3,2 million for Zagreb should be easy to reach, are delusional. Even if it were possible, it would not be EASY. And I don't think it's even possible. If ZAG adds 150,000 pax over July and August, that is like the best case scenario. As well as 100,000 over April, May and June. September to December - say another 100,000 pax extra. Altogether that's additional 350,000 pax this year in the absolute best case scenario and that puts it at 3,12 million. So 3,2 million being "easy"...sure. Keep dreaming.
DeleteSkopje will record huge growth again during the summer with Wizz Air starting new route.
ReplyDeletePRN also recorded a single digit growth during March 2017. Pax figure for the month ~127,000 vs ~125,000 in 2016.
ReplyDeleteGrowth this year has been meagre, but W6 is landing soon, and D8 is also opening HEL in June.
Is there a chance Skopje could overtake PRN this year?
DeleteOh yes, absolutely!
Deletelanding soon?
DeleteAt the moment PRN is ahead (it's tight). If after June, PRN is still ahead, SKP will remain behind until the end of the year. PRN always records strong results in July and August... Finally, if visa liberalisation happens in Kosovo, the market will completely change for PRN (and also for SKP, but less).
DeleteTrue but also remember Wizz Air is basing a fourth plane in Skopje in July. Bit in the long run, PRN will always be ahead (bigger market). Wizz will probably base a plane there next year.
Deletebigger market?
DeleteYes. Population size is about the same but Kosovo benefits from travel by international peacekeepers and everyone involved around them, plus visas have not been abolished yet, whereas they have been for Macedonians. There is also a massive diaspora.
DeleteSKP and PRN more or less share a common market.
DeleteNot really Anon 5:35pm - SKP is the LCC heaven while PRN serves many primary airports. So, it depends.
DeleteZadar recorded phenomenal growth but then again, they have Ryanair unlike some other airport.
ReplyDeleteThose Sarajevo numbers are well below its potential.
ReplyDeleteAgree. And what the hell happened in February?
DeleteExcept for it not being a leap year I don't think there was anything else. Who knows, maybe Wizz Air's expansion in Tuzla does have an impact on Sarajevo.
DeleteWasn't the airport closed for a few days because of bad weather?
DeleteNo, that was January.
DeleteI'm not sure why everyone is talking about subsidies, W6 and SKP anymore. They get only subsidies for new destinations now and they haven't canceled the routes they launched initially but they add more frequencies and for first time this year they'll have daily services to both Malmo and London.
ReplyDeleteSKP is very well connected now for point-to-point destinations within Europe, but I agree they lack more options for connecting, albeit with the addition of Qatar and Eurowings they should be fine. I don't expect to see AF, KLM, BA, Lufthansa, Alitalia or Iberia at SKP soon. Aeroflot/Aegean are possible long reach targets.
How else would they justify their own relative failure and error in judgment?
DeleteToo bad some people can't enjoy other people's success so they go overboard in trying putting it down. Typical Balkan story.
Alitalia Was untile 30.11.2016(and cancel servis, reason: interior finacial problem)
DeleteAlitalia was doing bad at SKP and their odd schedule didnt help much either, no surprise they stopped it
Delete"albeit with the addition of Qatar and Eurowings they should be fine"
DeleteLOL. how on Earth would 2 weekly flights to MUC improve the connectivity lol
with six weekly flight Alitalia(E170-88 seats) make transfer for ~25.000 so you calculate is this engouh or no?! :)
Deletethey also cancel Bucurest with 2 dayli!
DeleteSuspension of SKP and OTP make sense, their loyalty passengers can fly to both destinations via BEG... which they already do.
Deletelol @last anon. I would say they rather fly with FR and Wizz. Alitalia is not competitive in the Romanian market and in Macedonia they had a terrible schedule and therefore half empty planes
Delete@Anon 10:32
DeleteSKP still has AU and TK which offers good connections to many points in the world. QR is on board as well from July and for a country the size of Macedonia it will be good covered both East and West. Macedonia is not a country of 20 mil ppl, the market is kind a limited and the options the airport provide is (almost) sufficient, although more airlines are welcome everywhere not only in SKP but in whole Ex-YU as well
Those flying to OTP would most likely use Tarom (Skyteam) or Blueair. Don't think many people will fly via BEG to OTP from Italy.
DeleteYet JU gets some passengers, about 4 to 7 per flight. So not everyone flies directly.
DeleteOTP have 46 weekly departures to Rome. This is between 6-7 daily flights. What transfer passengers via BEG you're talking about???
DeleteThe 4 to 7 they get each day, ask them, not me. You know, there are connecting pax between TLV and NY despite countless nonstop flights.
DeleteSplit and Dubrovnik didn't perform very well in March either.
ReplyDeleteWhat were the numvers?
DeleteDubrovnik -18%
DeleteSplit -4%
wow what happened at DBV?
DeleteMarch had 31 days last year.
Deleteyeah it had 31 days this year as well.
DeleteI think 3.21 was just trolling.... or at least I hope so.
DeleteIn BiH March has 32 days. ;-)
Deletehttp://www.021.rs/story/Info/Zanimljivosti/159846/Iz-Srbije-u-BiH-presao-32-marta.html
Good one.
DeleteZagreb is a bit dissapoiniting this year so far. Hopefully there will be strong growth.
ReplyDeleteZAG is over 3 mil. this year. 100% sure.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Boom times are coming.
DeleteMost airports in Europe are doing very well so far in 2017 so I was expecting stronger growth from all three.
ReplyDeleteWhy are people associating Zagreb Airport's numbers with the new terminal? A new building doesn't magically increase your passenger flow. It can attract some airlines because you actually have some decent facilities now but it doesn't magically create new passengers out of thin air.
ReplyDeleteKraljevo Airport is a good example where a new terminal doesn't bring you more passengers :D
DeleteKidding, but I agree with you. Hopefully the management will continue working on attracting new airlines.
I'm pretty sure they will:
Deletehttp://www.exyuaviation.com/2017/03/live-zagreb-airport-terminal-opening.html
Zagreb Airport's General Manager, Jacques Feron, said, "We believe that the opening of the new terminal will broaden our goals. We aim to handle more passengers in the coming period, up to five million and then up to eight million in our next development phase". He added, "In order to achieve this, we have to attract new carriers, open new routes and destinations, and make our airport even more competitive".
The guy says that he hopes it happens, not that it will.
DeleteI'm sure "the guy" knows how to do his job properly, without making a fuss about it!
DeleteRight, so far they haven't done a fine job unless we are interested in higher fees and lower passenger numbers.
Delete9 new routes this year, 42 more weekly flights, Emirates between them, and you still think they are not doing good job?
DeleteNope! Not enough! There was one month of passenger decline and that's more than enough to get our witch hunt on and roll some heads! We gonna deliberately ignore the facts like there were almost 5% less flights and Easter not being the same month as last year, but yeah. It's doom and gloom and we want blood!
DeleteThere is no witch hunt. Zagreb airport management has been doing a great job over the past 3 years, but the first quarter of 2017 was disappointing. Why so many flights less??? No one seems to be able to answer that. FlyDubai and TAP - which never flies the entire year and freaking Easter cannot explain 400 flights less in 89 days.
DeleteInteresting results so far. BEG has recorded quite strong growth, SJJ, SKP, PRN and ZAG have been quite modest. LJU will probably continue to do strongly since they are catching up. We will see what happens this summer.
ReplyDeleteWill there be Korean Air charters to Zagreb this year?
ReplyDeleteYes, they will probably increase the frequency.
DeleteWill they be flying with the B777 or B747.
DeleteI heard B748 is also a possibility, who knows.
DeleteThese are catastrophic news for ZAG. How on earth will EK fly next winter when February alone has less than 160.000 passengers?!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they know the numbers for February in ZAG, but thanks for being such a sweetheart!
DeleteI bet they are getting subsidies from the airport.
DeleteNever question anything EK has ever done, they are fool proof.
DeleteYeah, that's why they sacked Tim Clark... they are so fool proof, all they do is impeccable.
DeleteCa-ta-stro-phy! Lock the airport and fire everyone.
DeleteAnd someone should let know people at Emirates that they're idiots.
hahahaha...frishki! Zagreb should've already been closed long ago, even tho it recorded just under half a million pax growth in 2014.-2016. period. To be precise that's 477,000 passengers more within 3 years. True horror...such an epic fail! And it has the best airport in all of ex Yu. And naturally...these anonymous experts here know way more than the Emirates company professionals. Emirates...pfttt, sucg a small, failure of a company. :))
DeleteOT: RJK -HAJ 1pw from june
ReplyDeleteNice! Eurowings?
DeleteGreat! I'm sure they will increase the frequency, so many Germans in Croatia every year!
DeleteAnd so many Croatians in Germany.
DeleteUps:-) yes it's Eurowings
DeleteFirst little announcement STT 2018
DeleteJet2.com increases SPU-EMA from 1pw to 2pw
They will need an aircraft carrier beside of SPU in 2018.
DeleteOh wow, interesting times ahead. SKP is really the ex-YU star. New terminal, competent management and new routes all the time.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, ZAG was always dead in winter. Don't forget that they'll receive the triple 777 daily to DXB, not enjoyed by any ex-Yu capital.
SJJ, as we all know is quite undeserved, if W6 they will agressively and gladly invade the airport such as TZL scenario.
Good to see a "fierce competition" going around, this makes things more interesting! xD
Oh wow.. as if ZAG is the only ex-YU airport to receive widebodies. They receive daily EK while DBV gets 5 widebodies per hour in summer. We get more in a week than ZAG in the whole year.
Delete? What did you have in your tea today?
DeleteWhich widebodies in DBV?
Austrian 767 1 weekly and Thomson 767/787 1 weekly each?
Oh come on, widebodies are common sight all along the coast. Even Pula used to receive B747 when Transaero was around and even this summer they will have scheduled flights with VIM's B772.
DeleteOk, so DBV will have a DAILY widebody even throughout the winter, or did I miss something?
DeleteI wouldn't bet that Emirates will stick around in winter.
DeleteDont compare Zagreb and Croatia to Skopje that's simply funny. ZAG is EU city they travel with ID and no visa to UK, Dubai....
ReplyDeleteAlso dont compare Skopje to Sarajevo that's also funny.
Skopje / Sarajevo comparison is fair. Both are similar sized cities.
DeleteNo its not Skopje has at least 150.000 more inhabitants. It ridiculous comparison.
DeleteYou are ridiculous for not accepting dis fact.
DeleteOh, enough with the EU city mantra... LJU is an "EU city" and no one would even notice if they closed their airport. And then, IST is not, ZRH is not, LON soon to be out. Being in the EU maybe props up traffic by couple of percent, but that's about it. Hardly something laughable in comparing two airports, one in, and one out of the EU.
DeleteThe cize of a city has almost nothing to do with the traffic on it's Airport. For Example compare Frankfurt - Berlin.
DeleteOr Dubrovnik - 40,000 inhabitants compared to Skopje - 550,000 inhabitants. Skopje is literally 13 times more populated than Dubrovnik,yet Dubrovnik has more pax.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete