Ryanair plans EX-YU expansion in 2019


Europe's busiest airline, Ryanair, is to continue expanding in the former Yugoslavia next year, primarily in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, both independently and through its subsidiary Laudamotion. A handful of new routes have already been announced with more expected in the coming period.

The budget airline, which last year held a 5% capacity share in Croatia and was well behind rivals such as easyJet and Eurowings on the market, will strengthen its seasonal base in Zadar next year with the launch of up to eight new routes. The carrier has already scheduled new services from Hamburg, Prague, Cologne, and Nuremberg to the Croatian coastal city next summer. However, it is expected that the no frills airline will no longer have an aircraft stationed in Croatia. "I have heard such rumours but we have not received any official confirmation. We expect up to eight new Ryanair routes next year. Some have already been announced, while we are in discussions concerning others. The number of Ryanair flights to Zadar will grow between 30% to 40% next year", Zadar Airport's Commercial Division Manager, Tomislav Žepina, said. Ryanair's Austrian subsidiary, Laudamotion, will also introduce new services to Croatia next year with flights from Stuttgart to Zadar, Split and Pula.

Following its entry onto the Bosnian market last week and the successful launch of its flights to Banja Luka, Ryanair is expected to introduce a further two new routes to the city next year. Željka Cvijanović, the Prime Minister of the entity of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said, "Following the introduction of these new routes to Banja Luka, a second set of new destinations will be announced, which is encouraging. We are discussing with them [Ryanair] the introduction of two more routes next year. These are to markets in Austria and Switzerland". The budget airline itself said, "We will continue developing our operations at Banja Luka and we look forward to opening additional services in the future and attributing to passenger growth. We are starting with these new routes and are on the lookout for new opportunities".

Ryanair has held talks with the Serbian government over plans to expand its operations in the country. The Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, recently confirmed that a meeting between the two sides took place. "We held talks with Ryanair. They have given us suggestions on how they could expand and how we could further improve our partnership. We are currently working on it but we will also continue supporting our national carrier", Ms Branbić said. The Serbian Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Zorana Mihajlović, noted that Belgrade Airport should see more low cost flights following its takeover by VINCI.

Laudamotion will be adding flights between Stuttgart and Podgorica next summer, complementing Ryanair's five routes to the Montenegrin capital, one of which is seasonal. The carrier launched services to Podgorica in the summer of 2013 following two years of negotiations with the government. This year, it commenced summer flights between Wroclaw and Podgorica, which will be maintained in 2019 as well. The carrier is also revisiting plans to launch flights to Tivat. It initially intended to introduce services from London, Barcelona, Stockholm and Milan to the seaside city, however, high fees and a lack of incentives are believed to have delayed such plans. Ryanair told EX-YU Aviation News recently that the airline was satisfied with its performance on the Montenegrin market. “We are very pleased with our Podgorica operations, which continue to perform strongly”, the company said.

In Slovenia, a market which was once served by Ryanair, the carrier has criticised the government for selling Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport to Germany's Fraport, which it has accused of creating an airport monopoly throughout Europe. However, this year the airline began operations from Frankfurt's main airport which is operated by Fraport. Slovenia is currently the only European Union member state which is not served by Ryanair, despite the airline holding a number of cabin crew recruitment events in Ljubljana over the past year. Ryanair lodged a complaint with the European Commission against Adria Airways several years ago over state aid the carrier received from the Slovenian government. Adria was later cleared of any wrongdoing.


Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    HR ministar turizma je spomenuo kako Ryanair ozbiljno planira otvoriti linije iz ZAG!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:08

      Well for ZAG numbers that would be good. They would grow in short time to 4,5 million. LON Market is well underserved with BA and OU only.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:10

      I find that hard to believe with ZAG’s passenger charges. They are actually even higher than 17€ mentioned a few days ago. There’s also a security charge, infrastructure charge, service charge... it all amounts to around 26€ per passenger.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:13

      A couple of years ago Ryanair approached Zagreb. One of my friends who worked high in the management at the time told me the airport rejected them immediately because Ryanair was asking for too many concessions and they didn't want to have the situation Zadar has today where over 50% of traffic is coming from Ryanair which can pack up and leave the minute they are not happy.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:20

      Today is situation different than couple years ago... ZAG finally need LCC routes.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:27

      I'm not saying he didn't, but where exactly did the minister say this?

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:28

      http://www.novilist.hr/Vijesti/Rijeka/VAZAN-DOGOVOR-ZA-RIJEKU-TUI-otvara-dvije-nove-avionske-linije-za-Rijeku-iz-Manchestera-i-Londona

      You can see in the article, minister mention ZAG.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:36

      Ryanair has always been the toughest negotiator regarding airport taxes. Them talking directly to the government could be very good sign.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:03

    8 new routes to ZAD are simply amazing. Zad should be handling around 1 million pax by 2022 and together with SPU around 6 million.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:04

      It's time for them to open a permanent base in Zadar.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:06

      Yes, year round base wozld be pretty good.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:09

      did you read they are not stationing an aircraft there anymore?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:41

      Is there enough demand during winter out of Zadar?

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:50

      People insist on refusing the fact that the demand at any Croatian coastal city during the winter season is only towards Zagreb. Even with free of charge operations, even with advertisements via tourist boards.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:51

      Frankfurt for sure. Maybe they don't need to keep the base in winter but they could keep a few flights.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10:11

      Hopefully they will extend some of their flights in Croatia into winter.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:16

      Hope so too. To me it's crazy that they don't have a single non-seasonal route to Croatia.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10:47

      Doubt it. If easyjet with much more routes and passengers to Croatia hasn't, neither will Ryanair.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:05

    I see Laudamotion as possibly starting flights from Vienna to Banja Luka.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:08

      Same for BEG, to end the JU/OS monopoly.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:19

      well Brnabic is against it. Maybe FR to destinations where JU is not flying

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:20

      Where does it say she is against it?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:21

      That would be bad news for JU.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:35

      They should open Spain, Portugal, perhaps Dublin.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:47

      They should open VIE, ZRH, ATH and STN.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:50

      I don't understand that they haven't launched flights from BEG. Taxes can't be an excuse since Wizz has a base in BEG and easy jet is expanding as well.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous09:58

      Several years ago it was impossible to even think about Ryan in Serbia so this is great news.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10:48

      @9.19
      If they managed to persuade the Republika Srpska government, they will manage the Serbian one too.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous16:54

      If Laudamotion has to return the airplanes to LH which they took from AB they will be hardly flying out of VIE

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:09

    Bravo ZAD, bravo Hrvatska!

    ReplyDelete
  5. BA88809:11

    FR- Bring on STN!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:14

    Such a shame things didn't work out with Skopje. Not only would passenger numbers explode but there would a mix and choice between Wizz and Ryan and I assume Wizz would also try more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      It's interesting that they have never considered Pristina.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:21

      Extremely high fees, which are set by the government not the airport. Limak can't do much about it except offer subsidies like they do.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:17

    Good news

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous09:17

    I hope they eventually open a baae in INI

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:20

      No chance. Overall they have reduced their flights from Nis this winter compared to before.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:21

      Serbia is a difficult market for some airlines. One problem is of cours the government support of JU.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:36

      Other airlines receive much more support in terms of subsidies and fees reduction or historical investments than JU is today.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:40

      They need to start flights from Nis to Paris ASAP.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:42

      Agree. Paris seems a logical choice. I'm surprised they haven't launched it before. Quite a lot of people from east/south serbia lives around that area.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:00

      @Anon: 9:21 Air Serbia has been around for 90 years, which they are so proud of. In no single year have they NOT received state subsidies. Still they are where they where 30 years ago- even smaller, while other have managed to make billions without state aid. JU would not even today.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10:16

      JU is the pride of Serbia and it´s 91 years and not 90, if you don´t mind.
      Remember the date: 17/06/1927.

      FR will harm JU and we don´t need them anytime soon in Belgrade. Hvala.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:28

      FR opening a base in BEG would indeed be very bad for ASL.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10:43

      If JU and Wizz can coexist so can JU and Ryan. Other airlines in similar or worse state than JU (Bulgaria Air) have.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous10:50

      Bulgaria AIr is a flying corpse.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous11:03

      FB is a money laundromat, so it doesn't need to make profit. Just like JU doesn't need to, at least until Vucic is in charge of the project - albeit for different reasons.

      Just google TIM or Chimimport AD and see for yourself how small FB is in the great scheme of things.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous12:42

      With that logic, then TAROM is also a flying corpse.
      JU exists today we know thanks to who :) because if not....the 3 dots and aviolet Jets would have stayed for a long, long, time, if you know what I mean.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous13:34

      JU exists today because the Serbian taxpayers have paid hundreds of millions of Euros to it.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous14:01

      JU exists today mainly because of EY.

      Delete
    15. Anonymous16:07

      So what follows is growth.. Since Air Serbia is profitable they will of course invest their profit in new planes, more destinations and a better product. This is what you do with profits, invest them to grow the business.. excited to see what next year brings :)

      Delete
    16. Anonymous18:32

      LOL !!

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:25

    I'm not a Ryanair fan but I agree that small airports for whose name most people have never heard of - example - Nis, Osijek, Maribor - should pay them to fly there. If you want to get tourists you will have to give money to Ryanair to put it on the map.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:28

    Great news. I do hope Ryanair expands more in the region. Imagine when they are eventually allowed to fly domestic flights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:31

      That won't happen before ex-yu countries are in the EU. In Croatia we might see it in the next couple of years but considering Croatia's tourist strength, Ryanair still has a very conservative network from the country.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:34

      Won't happen but BEG-TIV would be full, daily in summer.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:35

      well they could if they wanted: BEG-ZAD, LJU-SKP, LJU-SJJ ... its just not on their radar

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:35

    Of course no plans for Sarajevo...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous09:42

    So when can we expect the new routes to be announced?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:44

      Half of the Zadar routes have already been announced. Unlike easy which has an exact date when they announce new routes, Ryan doesn't. They announce it throughout the winter season for next summer. For some new routes in Croatia this year they made the announcement only in late February.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:54

    I don't get how Dubrovnik and Split are so expensive for Ryanair? Practically all LCCs fly there and they don't seem to have problem with the price.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:57

      Exactly! Even Wizz flies to Split and they have complained time and again how Croatian coastal airports are expensive.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:01

      It is also about the infrastructure. There is reason enough why SPU has no FR. Where on earth should they put an additional 1 Million pax that FR would generate? Same goes for other airports.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:07

      Wizz is really expensive to Split.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:09

      In Summer you cannot get a WIzzair flight to SPU under 300€ to SPU.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:16

      With more and more legacies flying to SPU and DBV, I don't think Ryanair is their top priority.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:30

      Bravo Dalmatia!

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10:55

      The biggest advantage of having Ryanair flying to Dubrovnik would have been the all year-round flights which they said they wanted to operate.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:58

      Good to see SPU and DBV remain strong in their positions about Ryanair!

      Delete
    9. Anonymous11:05

      SPU needs to increase capacity first, before any large (the largest?) airline starts flying there in addition to the existing ones.

      Delete
  14. They announced RJK from STN for this year only in April this year! Only July and aug flying...useless. New TUI flights from UK to RJK are Thursday only and expensive. RJK needs a proper LCC from London

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:35

      In the end both TUI and FR will be flying ... demand is there. TJK is better suited for the whole Kvarner region but still many use PUY instead.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous10:06

    Can't wait to see what they have planned.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous10:10

    Any chance for them to open Dublin-Osijek?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:11

      I think Croatia Airlines tested this route around Christmas/New Year a couple of years ago and it didn't really work out.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:04

      Ne mogu da zamislim nijednu liniju koju otvara neki LCC u unutrasnjosti da nije gastarbajterska. Ima li iz Slavonije toliko Hrvata u Irskoj? Prema popisu iz 2016 nema ni 6000 sa boravkom tamo iz cele CR.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:11

      The fastest growing Croatian diaspora is in Ireland and the emigrants are primarily from Slavonija.

      https://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/news/croatia/item/4651-these-are-the-reasons-why-there-is-a-mass-exodus-from-croatia

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:39

      Ryanair used to fly to Osijek. They pulled out last year.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:40

      https://www.exyuaviation.com/2017/01/ryanair-pulls-out-of-osijek.html

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:49

      Typical FR.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous10:20


    Hoping to see Ryanair launching flights to KVO soon upon its opening.
    Also domestic Serbian or Croatian routes are needed:

    BEG-INI
    KVO-TGD
    ZAG-DBV
    ZAG-SPU

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:13

      I think you will be waiting for quite a while for Kraljevo to open.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:04

      BEG-INI is really not necessary as it is quicker to go there by car then to fly, and even the bus is less than 3 hours (2h 40min if you exit at Autokomanda). It would only make sense if flown by ASL because of connecting traffic, but even that is doubtful because JU cannot compete with Swiss' connectivity via ZRH.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:53

      Ryanair on BEG-INI - hahahahaha
      and on ZAG-SPU - hahahahaha
      but for KVO-TGD it is HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

      Please do read something about strategy of company before you write such a non sense.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous10:21

    When will ryanair announce new routes from BNX for 2019? Thx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:42

      They announce summer routes all the way until April next year.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous10:30

    8 new routes to ZAD is CRAZY. Well done. Numbers should really grow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:12

      Most of the new routes so far copy Eurowings so nothing special. It appears FR have not been paid the incentive money by the airport/council/city.... and have punished them by closing the base.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:45

      The question is who is punishing who?

      Delete
  20. Anonymous11:07

    Great news. We will be seeing more and more of them in Croatia.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous11:16

    Wake up Ryan Air! they should launch to/from Pristina too same like Wizz Air, easyJet, Germania, Eurowings and others are operating to/from PRN. Ryan Air has very good chance if someone reminds Ryan Air about Pristina.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:25

      +1
      but that should probably be the government. I think they should have used the chance when Ryanair decided against flying to Macedonia a few years ago.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:40

      That's true they should launch routes from anywhere in western EU to PRN all seasons.

      Ryanair don't miss PRN

      Delete
  22. Anonymous11:24

    I wish Ryanair good luck and a lot of pax! I hope to see further growth from other airports in ex-Yu.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous12:05

    So in Serbia they've mentioned new routes only in the context of BEG need for LCCs. Not a word about INI where they're present and is expected to expand their network.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:31

      if they open BEG operations, INI will be yesterday...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:43

      They should definitely open up Eindhoven to any Croatian destination. It's crazy how Eindhoven is only connected to Rijeka while it would get a huge amount of peoplr from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to fly to Croatia

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:43

      Or if they open more INI routes, BEG will remain yesterday ;) ;) ;)

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:01

      GoS supporting AS, milking the citizens of BEG (with expensive AS tickets) and keeping FR away is basically helping INI, you must be very thankful to GoS ;) ;) ;)

      Delete
    5. Anonymous13:44

      Yes Anon @,13:01 we are thankful for the privilege to subsidize Belgrade airlines!

      Delete
    6. Anonymous17:06

      GoS only care about BEG and not INI!!! Why??
      Why limit 1 million if Niš can do more?? Why protect JU and its biznas clasa and let Srbian taxpayer pay for this?
      Rajan Er need to base 3 airplanes and compete with JU from Beg.

      Delete
    7. Nemjee07:12

      Why are people stressing about the INI cap? The airport is light years away from reaching it. No one is stopping Ryanair from further expanding in Nis. If they spot an unserved market with potential they will launch it.

      As for subventions, what on earth are you smoking? Nis region makes up 2% of the nation's GDP, meanwhile Belgrade is at 44%. So who is subsidizing who here? Mind you, Nis is far behind Novi Sad (11%), Macva (2.5%) and Kolubara (2.5%).
      Maybe when you start developing an industry down there you will get more flights out of INI. Until then drop the 'subsidizing Belgrade airlines' comment because it makes you look silly.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous08:29

      @Nemjee

      How does a region having a relatively low GDP justify the government in blocking its development? I am sorry but you are not making any sense.

      There is absolutely ZERO reason for the government to impose a cap of any sorts on INI, and the fact that they have in fact done it shows how strong the failed communist central planning way of thinking still is in Serbia.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous08:31

      Nis region has a lower official GDP because of higher rates of informal economy, which is understandable because why would we give money to the thieving state if we can avoid it. Nis is slightly less developed than say Novi Sad, but that also has to do with much larger number of government jobs in Novi Sad.

      Anyway, you can keep your failed JU, we will keep avoiding paying taxes to Belgrade and keep flying out of INI and SOF.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous12:42

    So they are closing their base in Zadar. Maybe opening another one in Croatia or somewhere else?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous21:07

      If any extra routes go to Zadar you need to look at other bases, possibly BUD, MAD, KUN or VNO and EIN s the base will close.

      Delete
  25. Anonymous13:38

    I'm not sure if it's true or not but I heard that Ryanair has a tendering process where airports actually send in their bids to them. If it is that's quite crazy. Why waste your money.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous15:23

    Treba dati vise finansiskih subvencija za vazduhoplovnu navigaciju to bi bilo veoma dobro za sve aviokompanije i za Ryanair

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous08:12

      Subvencioniraj ih ti iz svog džepa slobodno.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous16:40

    TIV.... not a chance.Goverment of MNE have agreement with FR:only TGD!TIV is not part of "bussines deal"....same as Wizz!Both wants flts to TIV...goverement dont want that.Pegasus was blocked by goverment of MNE-TK influence

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16:52

      But why does the govt.
      preference TGD over TIV?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18:55

      TGD - smalltown airport, reaching its limits with mostly Belgrade and gastarbeiter routes and a leisure route here and there.
      TIV - coastal airport, tourism, many leisure routes, with potential for even more in the future.
      It could be that the govt wants to push TGD and/or protect YM's potentially higher profits in TIV.
      Not making claims, just thinking out loud

      Delete
    3. Anonymous19:13

      Interesting, thanks

      Delete
  28. Anonymous17:02

    Just keep away from LJU please.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous17:10

      So you prefer Inex-Adria Aviopromet instead and not to pay 9€ just like BHX and INI have prices ¿

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18:01

      Inex Adria :D

      Delete
    3. Anonymous18:30

      I prefer bizarre airlines would not operate commercial service. Even in good faith, selling fast food just feeds the crouds but does not nuorish. So yes, I preffer an airline who network schedule connects double or even tripple daily than bluffing low cost at whatevers.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous18:43

      Typical mentality of somebody that has never used their product (or maybe once or twice). I use to fly a lot with them, and they are ok. Not ok for snob people.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous22:35

      Have you ever been left by FR at any small airport and they simply do not care to take you out of there although it was there fault that the flight has been cancelled?
      I do not think so.

      Delete
  29. https://twitter.com/Jimbaba/status/1051578769817960449

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous07:03

      That was a staged picture.

      Delete

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