The Lufthansa Group is considering expanding its presence in Montenegro following talks with the country's airport operator in Podgorica yesterday. Manuel Meier, head of Ground Operations for Europe, CIS and Maghreb at the Lufthansa Group, held talks with the General Manager of Airports of Montenegro, Danilo Orlandić, where the two discussed potential growth opportunities and the continuation of their ongoing partnership. Mr Orlanić noted that, "Expanding the destination network is one of the priorities at Airports of Montenegro. Lufthansa, as one of the most important carriers in Europe and the world, should be our partner in this process. Currently, Austrian Airlines maintains services between Podgorica and Vienna, and I hope that Lufthansa will launch new European routes to Montenegro as early as next year".
Eurowings is expected to introduce services to the Montenegrin capital in 2018 after adding its first seasonal flights to the country, from Dusseldorf to Tivat, this year. The Lufthansa Group member has said it is considering boosting frequencies on its Tivat route and launching flights to Podgorica. The Montenegrin capital was featured in the airline's public vote this October to select its newest destination, which was ultimately won by Mostar. In addition, another member of the Lufthansa Group - Brussels Airlines - will commence a one weekly service from the Belgian capital to Tivat on May 9. Austrian Airlines is the only member of the group to maintain services to the Montenegrin capital.
Montenegro's two international airports have registered strong passenger growth this year, with Podgorica and Tivat to handle a combined total of over two million passengers. A number of carriers have already confirmed the launch of new routes to the country next year, among which are Wizz Air and TUIfly, as well as the abovementioned Brussels Airlines and Montenegro Airlines, which has announced new services from Tivat to several German cities, and to Copenhagen as well. It comes as the government prepares to put the two airports up for concession, with the state currently negotiating on the best privatisation model with the World Bank.
Great news for the country, bad news for ASL
ReplyDeleteHaha of course it's bad news for Air Serbia. Everything is bad news for Air Serbia. It is not bad news for Montenegro Airlines but it is for Air Serbia... LOL
DeleteMonte je odavna pokojni
DeleteWell Air Serbia is the second largest airline in Montenegro by passenger number after Montenegro Airlines so sure it could effect them. But I doubt it will anyway.
DeleteAll these new routes from Montenegro definitely pinch a few passengers from Air Serbia.
DeleteThe LH group flights will compete with JU for the same pax that now fly to northern Europe via BEG.
DeleteDenyig reality because it is uncomfortable won't change it.
But which ones. Only Austrian flies to Podgorica. And it has been flying to Podgorica for over 10 years.
DeleteASL will have to bring prices down for flights to Germany from MBX.
DeleteIt will have to compete with direct Star Alliance flights.
MBX? As in Maribor??
DeleteI think he meant MGX as in Montenegro ;)
DeleteOoops, sory. I ment TGD, somehow Slovenians got mixed up in my head. :D
DeleteFirst and foremost this will impact Montenegro Airlines which won't be able to compete with increased LH Group presence on the German or Northern European markets.
DeleteOr maybe the market is growing and it does not impact anyone ;)
DeleteLH TGD-FRA-BEG competitor to JU TGD-BEG? LOL
DeleteLOL JU operates up to three daily flights to TGD. How will random two weekly flights to another hub impact its numbers?
DeleteEntry level low fares will most likely create a new market, passengers who didn't fly before.
Also, let's be realistic. JP's adventure in TGD will end up like JU's BUD flights, an utter failure.
It will definitely be Eurowings to Podgorica
ReplyDeleteFrom which city?
DeleteEither Munich or Dusseldorf
DeleteMontenegro Airlines flies from Podgorica to Dusseldorf over the summer.
DeleteExcellent! We need more LCCs
DeleteI think Montenegro already has a solid LCC presence - WIzz Air, Ryanair and Easyjet.
DeleteNorwegian Air Shuttle and Eurowings would be good additions.
DeleteBoth of them fly to Tivat.
DeleteTransavia and Pobeda Airlines are LCCs alo present in Montenegro
DeleteTGD - another success story. Next year 5 new routes so most likely it will handle 1,3 million pax coming closer to SKP and LJU. Wow.
ReplyDeleteSorry, 8 new routes!
DeleteAnd not just new routes. LOT, Aegean and Adria are all increasing frequencies next summer :)
DeleteI would really like to see more of Lufthansa mainline in the region. They only serve Croatia, Bosnia. No flights to Ljubljana, Podgorica, Pristina or Skopje.
ReplyDeleteYou failed to mention Belgrade.
DeleteOpps. Yes, of course they fly to Belgrade. Missed it by accident.
DeleteWhat about Swiss? I'm surprised they don't fly to TGD.
ReplyDeleteThey did through Edelweiss when Swiss started that disastrous EX-Yu expansion which failed miserably. Podgorica was discontinued along with all the other routes.
DeleteSwiss can't make it work year round to Zagreb. Do you really thing they could to Podgorica?
DeleteSo? Ryanair and Wizz Air fly to Podgorica but not to Zagreb. Aegean started flights to Podgorica before Zagreb.
DeleteBravo Crna Gora!
ReplyDeleteKaže se bravo Crna Goro. Gramatiku u ruke!
DeleteDepends on the ex-yu language... The statement is grammatically correct in Slovenian!
Delete+1
DeleteNot really ... it's Bravo Črna Gora ;)
DeleteIf it's English then Bravo Crna Gora is correct.
DeleteActually Bravo Montenegro is in English.
DeleteDespite being small there is a market in Montengero. Had they opened the market up earlier, Podgorica could have be reaching well over one million passengers by now. Instead they were protecting MGX which was falsifying its business results at the time.
ReplyDeleteAt least they have opened up the market. That's most important now and effects are visible.
DeleteMontenegro's market will continue growing as the tourism industry does. Montenegro could do so much more with its tourism if it had the right infrastructure in place. Of course, like Croatia, Montenegro also benefited from the mess in the Middle East and Africa. Not to the extend as Croatia but it still did.
DeleteTime for Lufthansa itself to come.
ReplyDeleteThat's a stretch. They don't fly to much larger markets in the region. But I would be happy with Eurowings.
DeleteThis is fantastic news for Podgorica. I don't know what's happening but the airport has seen so many new airlines this year and there are already a few announcements for 2018.
ReplyDeleteIt is because of growing demand. 1 + million secured for next year and it's just a matter of days before they achieve it this year too.
DeleteI never doubted that Tivat could achieve those numbers but I could not believe Podgorica would. Good work.
DeleteBTW Lufthansa has been named a 5 star airline by Skytrax!
ReplyDeleteGoes to show what a joke the Skytrax rating system is. Lufthansa is no 5 star airline having flown with them a zillion times I say from experience.
Deleteits almost embarassing that Lufthansa itself is doing this PR as a 5* airline based on this Skytrax rating.
DeleteHow desperate do you get?
Off course they are doing PR. They paid to get that 5 star rating precisely so they could do the PR.
DeleteEveryone knows you have to pay Skytrax to improve you rating. I just don't know how Skytrax isn't embarrassed itself.
DeleteOh guys come on - Hainan 5 Star?? By what ? OK be the money spent to get the title maybe.
DeleteWhy would Skytrax be "embarrassed"? They found a way to milk airlines that like Lufthansa painted a whole plane to promote their 5 star rating.
DeleteLufthansa has not been given the 5th star for a while because of the current business class. If you listen closely to what was cited as a reason for the fifth star is the NEW business class, which will be introduced in 2020!!!! Proves that time travels are possible :P So much to the likes of Skytrax.
Delete^ Haha what clowns seriously. They are giving them 5 stars for a product which won't exist for another 2-3 years. And what did they base the 5 star ranking of the new product? Computerized pictures? Idiots.
DeletePodgorica will be hitting a million passengers soon. It needs to expand. The terminal is small.
ReplyDeleteYes! This summer was horrible with big lines forming in front of the airport and people standing in 40C heat.
DeleteI agree that Podgorica will needs to expand. There are already a number of new airlines launching flights next summer and more announcements are to come.
DeleteDo you know which ones?
DeleteWizz and Ryanair already flying to Podgorica. Eurowings next up. Excellent news for the airport and passengers.
ReplyDeleteTGD is definitely gonna be the winner in 2018. So many airlines and routes. Hope EW will consider more German connections. Bravo TGD
ReplyDeleteTrue. Podgorica has been very impressive this and last year.
DeleteIt's finally their time to shine :)
DeleteBut what happens if Montenegro Airlines goes belly up, which is very possible.
DeleteIt won't and the government has already said it won't. They might let it go insolvent but only as a technicality so they can write off their debt. Besides MGX passenger numbers have fallen 5% this year but that doesn't seem to be impacting the airport's numbers.
DeleteStar Alliance is starting to build a nice presence in Podgorica - Turkish, Austrian, Adria, Aegean and LOT. Now we could see Eurowings or even Lufthansa too.
ReplyDeleteStill a few missing in my opinion - Swiss, SAS, Brussels Airlines and Croatia Airlines.
DeleteSAS yes... who cares about Croatia arlines... no one
DeleteAnd they cannot do this at SKP? They cancelled Dusseldorf-Skopje before it even started. Real shame.
ReplyDeleteThey announced Ljubljana- but nothing!
DeleteThey announced Sarajevo too and nothing. Canceled it.
DeleteAre they make a deal with brac airport bwk?
DeleteHoping for more routes from Eurowings, either Tivat//Podgorica or at least more frequencies on DUS-TIV line. So far, all flights by W6, FR, U2 have only 2 flights per week to Montenegro.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly true. Wizz Air flies 3 times per week Budapest-Podgorica.
Deleteok that's the ONLY one.
Deletedon't forget increased frq by Adria, the mastermind behind this is the same ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, their frequencies will go to 11 weekly next summer. From just 3 per week last year!
DeleteI still think the rumours about 4K invest taking Montenegro Airlines are true. They are now trying to destroy the airline so they can get MGX and get paid for it too.
DeleteIt is not a rumor. It is prediction by my analysis. Conclusion by premises.
DeleteThis information confirms my predictions.
It is true and they are considering Croatia Airlines as well. Same way the planned order for Sukhoi planes is true but they won't necessarily go to Adria but will be divided among new members of the group.
DeleteSo all republics of the former Yugoslavia created their own airlines, own paths only to be bought back together by foreigners under their owenrship.
DeleteExactly! Very smart plan indeed :-)
DeletePurger,
DeleteYou mentioned carefully that JU could be in that LH Balkan package, but not neccessarily.
"Moz' da bude ali ne mora da znaci".
Those "predictions" by Mr. Purger are totally insubstantial. Adria is a mini company. Why would LH need any of those? For the A/C? For their missing profitably? What exactly would LH need a few old Saabs for? Or CRJ for that matter?
DeleteAnon 12:08: It is called "Divide and conquer"
Deletethey can't go open, as they have been struck by several strikes of operational personnel, so they are doing this behind the scene...
DeletePodgorica is the quiet achiever this year. Not a lot of fuss but really good growth.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people have underestimated its potential.
DeleteGreat news, Montenegro is on fire with all those new flights. And next year will be another record one for tourism numbers.
DeleteI find it interesting that so many airlines, particularly legacies fly to Podgorica instead of Tivat. I mean what does Podgorica have to offer?
ReplyDeleteIt is the country's capital city.
DeleteI find it interesting because Podgorica and Tivat are expensive airports. Especially for LCCs.
DeleteI know that easy Jet gets some subsidies from Porto Montenegro. Not sure if others get subsidies.
DeleteOf course they do. This is from an ex-Yu aviation article two years ago.
DeleteThe State Secretary also confirmed that all low cost airlines flying to Montenegro receive subsidies. “Every low cost and charter airline is granted subsidies for each tourist they bring to our country. So far, the Ministry for Tourism and the National Tourism Organisation have paid for these expenses, however, the government is now looking to set up a special fund”, Mr. Jelušić explains. He adds, “We believe each airline should be subsidised, including Montenegro Airlines, which also brings tourists to our country. Each airline receives between six and ten euros per passenger”. The State Secretary believes that companies flying to Montenegro throughout the slow winter season should be granted additional benefits.
The way Lufthansa is going buying up airlines, it is bound to happen that members of its group will serve all European cities.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course EU and Eu Commission have no issue with that and are not concerned with competition. Those rules only apply for countries other than Germany.
DeleteWelcome to world politics. It isn't always fair.
DeleteAlready 5 major European airlines are part of LH group and it looks like Alitalia is next! So you are not far off anon 10.18!
DeleteGood news
ReplyDeleteHas Podgorica surpassed 1 million?
ReplyDeleteIt should in the next few days. Tivat has.
DeleteWell, Purgers seems to be right in his new text on T6. Montenegro airlines will end like Darwin-in hands of fund that is buying companies for LH. If lucky enough,this time unlike Darwin, MGX will be let to live, as a part of LH group. Maybe mutilated, but alive.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI'm just glad the Montenegrin government has finally woken up and liberlised its skies so people don't have to depend on Montenegro Airlines anymore.
ReplyDeleteYes, just as it’s now cheaper to fly in Germany then before Air Berlin bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? All fares on domestic flights in Germany have gone significantly up since Air Berlin went bankrupt.
DeleteI was sarcastic on previous comment pal...
DeleteGreat news! More options for passengers to fly to Europe and beyond. Also more competition for the JU/EU flights from BEG. Looks like more choice is coming.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteGo go Montenegro!
ReplyDeleteEurowings comes only if they get paid. That's why their presence in BEG is minimal - because they get nothing. But like I read above Montenegro gives some form of subsidies to all low cost airlines so I'm not surprised we will likely see them in Podgorica soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd they shouldn't get anything from BEG.
DeleteThere are so many JU/LH/W6 connections from BEG to Germany that Eurowings does not have to be paid to fly to BEG.
Of course, I agree with you.
Deletewhy r u saying this nebojsa? beg is connected to germany but there are still missing parts such as LEJ, FKB, SXF, HHN and most especially PAD.
Deletenice joke anon 8:49
DeleteNobody in the form mentioned Montenegro Airlines, after all part of this huge traffic is also thanks to them. I think TGD would not be able to be sustainable without their presence.
ReplyDeleteI think exciting times are ahead for aviation in Montenegro, which will develop even more when the airports are gicen to a concessionaire
ReplyDeletePodgorica handled its one millionth passenger today!
ReplyDeleteSvaka čast! Očekujte sutra lepe vesti iz Beograda.
DeleteWhy ?
DeleteI think that TIV and TGD are slowly stealing some DBV pax whose plans involve Montenegro of difficulty in crossing CRO/MNE border. It seems that Croatian side became very strict lately, so on average it was taking 3-4 hours to go across. I met one British and One Polish couple who were originally supposed to flew in DBV on their way back. They scrapped their outbound flights, bought new tickets out of TIV or TGD just to avoid this long wait time.
ReplyDeleteIt is logic. Tourists avoid DBV and SPU for being overcrowded. People try to use alternatives in region such as TGD, OMO & TIA due to less passengers and not long queues.
DeleteWhich is exactly what they should do. Like we who live in Croatia like crowds? I'm perfectly fine if many of them land in Montenegro or in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The money is somewhere else and not in airport taxes.
Delete