Low cost carrier Wizz Air says it sees potential for further growth in Serbia, both from Belgrade and secondary airports in the country. Following the launch of four new routes from the Serbian capital last week, the airline will offer over 835.000 seats for sale from Belgrade and Niš this year to twenty destinations, representing an increase in capacity of 39% compared to 2016. "We are seeking to democratise air travel in Serbia which is dominated by legacy carriers that account for a market share of 82% based on seat capacity. We have good collaboration with Belgrade Airport and we are always ready to adjust our offer according to our passenger demands. Seeing the request in the market, we have already doubled our resources in Serbia. We hope to contribute to Belgrade Airport in reaching its goal of handling 5.5 million passengers this year. We are also looking optimistic to the future to explore new opportunities in Belgrade", Wizz Air's Sorina Ratz told EX-YU Aviation News.
Wizz Air's CEO, Jozsef Varadi, recently noted that there is a strong possibility for the no frills airline to open its second base in the country at Niš Constantine the Great Airport. "That is an option for us. We are new there and we are happy with the results so far. If growth trends in Niš continue, we will base an aircraft there too", Mr Varadi said. He added that the airline also sees potential in other airports in the country such as those in Kraljevo and Užice, both of which boast new terminal buildings but still require runway lengthening. According to Wizz Air's CEO, the airline is continuing to monitor the development of these airports.
During the first four months of the year, Wizz Air handled almost 190.000 passengers to and from Serbia, representing a year-on-year increase of 27%. It currently holds the biggest market share in the country among low cost airlines, amounting to 62.3%. It is followed by Ryanair in a distant second place with a 12.3% share, then Norwegian Air Shuttle with 6.4%, Pegasus Airlines with 6.3%, easyJet with 4.5%, Flydubai with 4.3% and Transavia with a market share of 4%. In 2016, the airline carried 545.000 passengers from Serbia, representing an increase of 19% compared to the year before. It marked its best ever result in the country, overtaking its previous record in 2013. Figures declined during the two subsequent years as Wizz scaled back its operations from Belgrade Airport due to a hike in fees.
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INI-XYZ-BEG-XYZ-INI
Also right now I think they can only serve 2 planes at once (somebody correct me if I am wrong). That will need to be solved very soon.
Given the success of various lowcost carriers in Belgrade, I am sure Ryanair is keeping track of all the developments. I think it's a matter of time before they announce their own flights.
What puzzles me is how difficult it was for easyJet to position itself on the local market.
Maybe W6 could look at some secondary Austrian destination.
At least GVA seems to be doing well for them.
At least they are increasing capacity, it's a positive development
Lets all hope that they will not try to "protect" them by making to difficult for LCCs to come here and lower the cost of travel.
I have never seen so many tourists in the streets of Belgrade and cheap tickets by LCC airlines is the reason for them.
Naturally, some people who work for JU (especially the CEO) would love if it was like in the 1970s.
Also in INI they can just keep postponing the expansion of the terminal building and the construction of more gates and baggage claim facilities to stop it from growing further and taking passengers away from BEG and ASL.
In BEG by keeping fees high and having an incentive plan that only JU can get.
In INI after years of keeping the airport closed and forcing everyone to travel through BEG and now they are neglecting its massive need for expansion.
They would like for the 80s to come back instead of looking at the examples of BUD and SOF on how to develop their travel and tourist industries.
But even with that move, VIE will still be expensive, so don't expect any radical change
But they were focused on 15€ a flight Wi-Fly and metal cutlery...
We have repeated this so many times, but why is Serbia not properly connected to Spain???? Only VY operates a crappy, seasonal flight BEG-BCN with ungodly hours. How about MAD, PMI, Canary Islands, AGP, SVQ?
By the end of the year Ryanair will offer connecting flights via MAD to both Americas in collaboration with UX. Hoping at least INI can receive 2 flights per week to MAD.
So, JU and W6, please read our comments and help Serbia develop :)
Is Austrian keeping the fleet of Q400 ?
Some people here need a bit of a reality check sometimes...
ATCO
IZ387 TLV-BEG 233 PAX;
IZ388 BEG-TLV 254 PAX.
Jeli tako i u Srbiji?. Nadam se da se ide u tom pravcu. Pravcu demonopolizacije. Monopol je u recimo SEVERNOJ Koreji...
Pozdrav iz Sidneja.
Rodney Marinkovic
Home of Qantasville I.
Kings Park NSW.
Sydney AUSTRALIA
INI is not a "bigger city", not in terms of population, and even less when it comes to GDP per capita.
They only way this route becomes viable is if there is:
1) Enough pax from INI region connecting onto any gives bank of JU departures from BEG to fill a plane, and;
2) Willing to take a connecting flight to BEG for a premium of at least 60-70 euros.
I don't see that happening, honestly.
And don't get us started on O&D - no one's going to fly just to get to Belgrade/Niš, it will take considerably more time than taking a car or even a bus, and it will be more expensive.
Who's flying Dublin-Cork? Couldn't find any direct flights. And the shortest route in England I could find is Gatwick-Conrwall or Stansted-Newcastle and that is at least 4,5 hours by car. And neither route is operated by A320 nor can you compare the GDP of UK to the one of Serbia.
There goes your answer...
@4:41PM - Same people flying to Tel Aviv or those on Arkia, or the ones flying to Kutaisi from Budapest, Warsaw, Sofia...
Belavia flies between Vilnius and Minsk and those two are only 187 km apart. Both countries have a GDP similar to that of Serbia.
Also, there are numerous flights between HEL and TLL despite there being numerous ferry boats.
Second, TLL/RIX routes from Finland require a ferry and a lot of demands comes from Finnish and people going for cheap partying in the Baltic states. No ferries between BEG and INI and no drastic difference in alcohol price either.
As for W6, it will be O&D travel, can also compete with JU.
Maybe you are referring to 50% cut of the Austrian air passenger tax? It is now 7 EUR per person for intra european flights and will be 3,50 EUR from next year.
BEG-INI via air is not faster nor cheaper than taking a car or a bus. It does beat train as regards time, but that's only because trains in Serbia are slower today than in the 1900s.
The trick is, INI resident already feed JU's JFK route (or any other). They just arrive to BEG by car. And now, they can also have a one stop flight to the US or many more destinations via ZRH.
Belavia also flies between BEG and BUD.
I would guess no, as no one ever seriously considered introducing those flights. They are not in INI hating business, but rather in money making business. If someone introduces subsidies - be it the state or INI, they'll fly for sure. They'll take pax for free is the amount of subsidy is right.