The national carriers from the former Yugoslavia handled over 6.5 million passengers in 2017, representing an increase of 5.2% on the year before. Both Croatia Airlines and Adria Airways saw their passenger numbers grow, while Montenegro Airlines' figures declined slightly. The Serbian national carrier welcomed roughly the same number of travellers last year to that of 2016.
Air Serbia handled 2.617.000 passengers on board its aircraft in 2017, a decrease of 0.1% compared to the year before. It maintained its position as the busiest national carrier in the former Yugoslavia. Despite discontinuing its daily service to Abu Dhabi and Istanbul during the year, the airline introduced flights to Venice and increased capacity on its narrow-body Airbus fleet by retrofitting its aircraft with slim-line seats across both its economy and business class cabins. As a result, the carrier increased capacity on its Airbus A319s from 128 to 144 seats and on the A320s from 155 to 174 seats, growing by more than 12% in total across the narrow-body fleet. The airline is yet to publish its operational results for 2017 in full.
EX-YU national airlines, passengers carried in 2017
| Airline | PAX (million) | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Air Serbia | 2.6 | ▼ 0.1 |
| Croatia Airlines | 2.1 | ▲ 9.6 |
| Adria Airways | 1.2 | ▲ 9.6 |
| Montenegro Airlines | 0.568 | ▼ 2.2 |
Croatia Airlines handled a record 2.130.000 million passengers during 2017, an increase of 9.6%. As a result, it added an extra 190.000 travellers and marks the first time the carrier welcomed over two million passengers on board its aircraft in a single year. The company operated 27.491 flights during 2017, which is up 2.4% compared to the year before. The average cabin load factor, a measure of seat capacity utilisation, stood at a record 74.4%, up 4.4%. Passenger carrying capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs), amounted to 2.2 billion, up 4.8% year-on-year. The airline’s cargo operations recorded a decline of 12.3%, with 2.273 tonnes of mail and freight uplifted in 2017, compared to 2.591 the year before. In 2017, Croatia Airlines launched flights to four new destinations and extended operations on some of its seasonal destinations past the summer months.
Adria Airways saw 1.209.692 passengers board its aircraft in 2017, up 9.6% on the year before. The Slovenian carrier operated a total 20.415 flights, an increase of 4.9%, while its average cabin load factor stood at 66.9%, up 1.4%. Of the 1.2 million travellers handled, the airline carried 177.166 passengers to and from its second base in Pristina, which is similar to 2016's figure. Adria retained its position as the fourth busiest airline in the city. Its network-wide passenger growth came as result of the introduction of additional frequencies on existing services and the launch of flights between Ljubljana and Kiev, which made up for the closure of its base in Lodz in Poland.
Montenegro Airlines handled 568.591 passengers in 2017, representing a decrease of 2.2% on the year before. The dip in numbers is slightly less than the 5% decline the carrier initially anticipated. The airline maintained operations with five aircraft compared to six in 2016 and operated a total of 6.959 flights. "In addition to achieving these results with a fleet of five aircraft, the figures are even more encouraging after taking into account the growing competition on the market. In January 2017 there were twelve airlines operating to Montenegro and up to 54 in July", Montenegro Airlines said in a statement. Over the coming peak summer months, from June until the end September, Montenegro Airlines plans to handle some 360.000 travellers this year, while it is targeting 620.000 passengers in 2018 overall.
Comments
no abu dhabi, no ohrid one less 737 for charters (can somebody confirm this?), AZ and AB dead, so less codeshares, less synergies, new fare structure demanding you to pay more for the same service last year...
Air Serbia 2.4
Croatia Airlines 2.2
Adria 1.3
Montenegro - 610,000
http://www.exyuaviation.com/2017/03/air-serbia-to-send-a330-200-to-zagreb.html?m=1
The difference with JU is too big and OU has no capacity to add 0,5 million passengers.
The difference between JU and OU is expected to remain the same in next years
Ohrid is too small to have any impact on JU total numbers but it should be mentioned that JU increased ZRH for 3 weekly flights,LED for 1 weekly flight, JFK for 1 weekly flight, MXP for 1 weekly flight and ATH for 1 weekly flight.
The reductions apart from AUH have been mostly done on ATR72 flights (SKP, SOF, OHD).
PRG has been reduced from 10 to 7 weekly flights but capacacity has been actually increased as on some days A319 has been added instead of ATR72.
Not that bad actually.
What?!?!
their new buisness model has, going through feedback on social media, so far left its customers (and potential customers) with negative experiences.
Air Serbia has, unfortunately not followed up on many customer feedback and frustrations (ie mishandled baggage, customer care in BEG, fare structure) while downgrading its onboard product (removal of onboard amenities, removal of a dedicated business class) and service (catering, frequencies, destinations).
My concern is that this may negatively impact on pax numbers from BEG, yield through increased competition, as well as not using their fleet to their maximum potential.
@ anonymous 10,16am
While JU have decreased flights, they did increase capacity through their cabin recomfiguration. JU has been for the past 4 years trying to boost their CLF, which although has happened steadily, although prior to them reconfiguring the A319/A320 fleet. Their A320 doesnt see much action during most of the year which is of concern, as they have 10 A320neos expecting to enter the fleet, which I assume will be to replace the narrobodied Airbus fleet.
If anything, I would assume the ‘better’ results would stem more from their decrease in employees as well as the introduction of more ancillary fees.
@ anonymous 10,45am
I dont think much will come from 2019 due to the fact that their 2016 financial results were horrid, regardless of how they put it. JU is in desperiation to change that going by the radical changes its making, the over capacity of employees, while losing current and potential market to its competitors, on top of a fleet that obviously is not working well for them. JU so far fails to show its understanding of the Serbian market as well as its potential.
Pax: 2,4M
CLF: 70%
Fleet: 23
OK
Pax: 2,9M
CLF: 81,1% (+6%)
Fleet: 18
Is there any news about how many pax Blue air transported last year?
What a way to play yourself out of competitive advantage...
They handled 1 million cause they have over 20 daily flights to Split and Dubrovnik throughout the season and Zadar and Pula also get daily or double daily flights.
There are pictures somewhere, you can see line up of EasyJet aircraft @Split Airport, at least 4-5 Easy aircraft parked there at one time.
Croatia had 18.5 million tourists last year, 20,5 million expected this year. I am only surprised they didn't handle even more pax, 1 million seems little if you ask me. Also, OU has fleet of only 12 aircraft, Easy has a fleet of at least 150.
In 2016, FB handled 1,246,350 but I think they have not yet published the 2017 figures. But they are likely to be around that range.
The only generous ones remaining are the Gulf carriers.
And I am sure the usual suspects will claim that the results are audited by KPMG so we should believe them!
07.20 JU A320
09.20 LX A320
12.40 JU A319
14.40 LX A320
18.20 JU A320
Yesterday there were also five flights but the LX flight at 09.20 was with an A321.
https://www.airserbia.com/en/fees
"Exceptions are the tickets issued from March 30, 2018 from Belgrade to the US via Rome / Milan in the economic class where one piece of luggage x23kg is allowed."
Yes, they are seriously cutting costs.
I have nothing against AS but overall it is not working well.
http://www.airfranceklm.com/en/news/2018-summer-schedule-41-increase-capacity
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On departure from the Netherlands, the Group's low-cost airline will increase capacity by 50% to Greece and its islands, as well as to Eastern Europe (Belgrade and Ljubljana).
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On my opinion the LJU-CDG route is doing well if an airline decides to increase capacity it's a clear indicator. I think JP will get organised when they receive the 2 additional CR9's
GVA - CR7
SOF - CR7 it was not cancelled. Even departed 5min ahead of schedule.
Wi-fi 2.90€ / h for 10mb reaching 18.90€ for 120mb
JP will have no choice to deploy at least CR9 to be more competitive and so the rates will fall and more passengers will fly to/from CDG.
neither TK nor Gulf carriers have 2 pc policy.
Sure, you can take 2 pcs but you must pay for the second one.
Furthermore, whenever EK does PR with some offers, this 1 pc which comes free is not even 23 kg but 20kg.
2018
OU 2,3
JU 2,6
2019
OU 2,5
JU 2,5
But this year JU decline will be higher than last year, because last year cutting in frequencies was compensate with more seats in planes. But this year it is just cutting of flights with no compensation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzB5xtGGsTc
So, for pax originating at TGD, TIA, SOF, ATH and others, there is a new 1x23kg policy. For those starting their journey at BEG, 2x23kg remains, provided they use the JU500/501.
Although, I'd rather like to see OU becoming profitable airline, and not depend on assets sales to stave off bad financial indicators.
OU still has 1.7 billion kuna worth of assets, but it would be unwise to sell any of the assets to keep positive balance outlook.
They've done same thing with SJJ/BNX and TGD/TIV. Maybe they should reduce flights form BEG and ZAG/LJU to one daily every five days and toss in A319 and continue with the new route. It seems to be paying off better than sending couple of half-empty flying shells to both cities in the same time.
Tho, I think TIV and TGD should give better results among Montenegrin/Serbian population traveling between two countries.
LCC long-haul is also entering a new era, we see more DY flights from/to Europe and Americas + SE Asia.
The A321LR will be a game changer and new PER-LHR too where people will start avoiding DXB/DOH/AUH and prefer non-stop.
Aviation is changing a lot lately, lets see what will happen. I won't be surprised to see new long-haul A321LR or B787 connections to the Balkans soon.
As for Norwegian, their financial results are catastrophic so let's see how long before they implode.
JU has 19 a/c's
OU has 12 + 2 (leased for 6 months only) a/C's
And the diff is 500 k only!
It looks like JU has seriuos issues with LF and routes.
so, ultra long haul may be something new, but its an addition to already existing option, rather than a game changer or whatever
It it has higher then diff would be higher. Just use common sense if you don't use math.