Wizz Air and Ryanair shed Niš network


Low cost carrier Ryanair has announced it will discontinue flights between Weeze and Niš at the start of the 2019 summer season, following on from Wizz Air's decision to cancel services from Eindhoven earlier this year, as well as flights from Malmo from January 2019. It comes as the airport registered 29.855 passengers in October, down 6.6% on the same month last year. In a statement, Ryanair said, "Following commercial and operational analysis, the route between Niš and Dusseldorf (Weeze) is being cancelled as of the 2019 summer season. Our Niš passengers can use one of our other flights from the airport to Berlin, Bratislava, Milan, Bergamo and Stockholm".

Critics believe the latest suspension is linked to the government's controversial takeover of the airport in August this year and the dismissal of its former management. Since then, Wizz Air is the only airline to have launched a new route to Niš (from Vienna), however, these flights were announced as early as January. The route has also been downgraded recently. Services between Vienna and Niš will run twice per week until February 14, after which they will be increased to three weekly. Initially, flights were to operate three times per week for the entire winter season with an Airbus A321 aircraft. In terms of equipment, the Vienna - Niš service is being operated with an A320, with the A321 used only during the route's first week of operations and selected weeks in November and December. From mid-February, one weekly flight will operate with the A321 and the other two with the A320.

Niš Airport's former management recently said it was in the final stages of negotiations for Turkish Airlines to launch services from Istanbul, Ryanair from Athens and Wizz Air from Paris, however, none of these have materialised under the airport's new, state-imposed, leadership. The airport itself noted that the rising price of fuel has made airlines more reluctant to introduce new routes to the city. Constantine the Great Airport's low three euro tax for handling, landing and passenger services, which is credited for attracting the likes of Wizz and Ryanair, remains in force. The Serbian government has admitted that under an agreement with the French concession and construction company VINCI, passenger figures will be confined to one million for each airport in the country within a 230 kilometre radius of Belgrade until Nikola Tesla Airport reaches twelve million travellers per year. However, the government argues it is unlikely for any secondary airport to get to this figure before the country's busiest achieves its target.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    Nis fairy tale is over :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous09:02

    We said it already, there is no need for INI as there is SKP, SOF and PRN right next door. Close the airport and end its agony.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:03

      Agony? It will have over 350,000 passengers this year.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:04

      In that case you should close Ohrid, Osijek, Brač, Mostar, Banja Luka, Mali Lošinj and Rijeka. All have fewer passengers then Niš.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:11

      Why Osijek? Airport is booming and if things stay like this it will overtake INI soon.

      What do you guys think is the next route to be suspended? LX?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:12

      Wow. What a disgusting comment 9.11.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:14

      Considering Eurowings suspended flights from Cologne and Stuttgart to Osijek recently I wouldn't be celebrating and wishing other airlines to cancel flights to other airports.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:17

      @9.11

      Yes you are right. That's why Swiss has 3 weekly flights scheduled to Nis next summer and 21 weekly to Belgrade next summer. How many of them does Osijek have again?

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:18

      Anon 09.14

      They really have? I didn't know they suspended OSI flights. :O

      Was it reported on here? So is OSI only left with W6 now?

      Delete
    8. Anonymous09:20

      The Eurowings flights have become seasonal.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous09:23

      SKP:INI 3:0, sad but true

      Delete
    10. Anonymous09:24

      Didn't Skopje loose two Wizz Air routes this winter?

      Delete
    11. Anonymous09:24

      Skopje should be competing against Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Podgorica... not Nis!

      Delete
    12. Anonymous09:28

      Yes, W6 has turned Vaxjo and Barcelona flights into summer seasonal, same with OHD-LTN.

      With the subsidies mess going on let's see what happens next year.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous09:39

      Similar to INI, SKP is also frozen as ice. Not a sole destination launched during the last 2 years.
      The catchment area is quite densly populated and within 300km there are many airports: SOF, PRN and SKP. Not to mention that BEG is not extremely far from INI neither.
      The Sofia-Niš Kalotina motorway will be constructed most likely by 2020 and this will further boost the figures.
      The sole airport in the region with serious growth is PRN with no doubt.
      All those are challenges for Niš.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous09:40

      Why is LX flying to INI such a problem for a "region"?

      Delete
    15. Anonymous09:47

      "Not a sole destination launched during the last 2 years" o_0 on which planet are you living?

      Delete
    16. Anonymous10:02

      Skopje should be competing with Ljubljana?

      What? Are people going to drive to LJU to take a flight instead of SKP? Do you know what airport competition is about?

      Delete
    17. Anonymous10:03

      You should compete against similar sized airports. Not a regional airport that started having traffic a year and a half ago.

      Delete
    18. Anonymous10:06

      You tell us which...since Feb 2017 nothing new was announced by Wizz. We only witnessed QR who then reduced frequencies.
      SKP also needs to catch up with PRN now instead of constantly looking at INI's patio.

      Delete
    19. Anonymous10:11

      There was also LO and A3 but Aegean launched flights because of politics.

      Delete
    20. Anonymous10:26

      PRN has 27 destinations , SKP has 42 destinations

      Delete
    21. Anonymous10:55

      well SKP and INI fight for the very same passangers and have 100% overlapping routes. Hence, they are direct competitors. And not LJU!

      Delete
    22. Anonymous11:06

      SKP does not have LX, INI does.
      Edelweiss is the LCC brand of LX just like FZ is of EK for example.
      100% with routes yes but not with airlines.
      SKP does not have FR.

      Delete
    23. Anonymous11:13

      LOL because people care if it is LX or Edelweiss :D

      Delete
    24. Anonymous11:56

      Of course they do. That's like saying people don't care if they wear a YUMCO suit or a Gucci one.

      Delete
    25. Anonymous12:06

      Many flights from INI are operated by Edelweis so stop with this INI has LX nonsence.

      Delete
    26. *i meant Helvetic

      Delete
    27. Anonymous12:11

      But it does have LX. Don't understand why it bothers you so much.

      Delete
    28. Anonymous12:46

      INI is mostly a C-series destination in winter. Helvetic sends the E90 from time to time, not F100 so it's ok especially since it has LX product onboard.

      Delete
    29. Anonymous13:36

      Skopie is not really into attracting primary carriers as it is focused mainly on tertiary LCC destinations. Very good examples include: VXO, FDH, BVA, HHN and the list goes on.
      Given the small size of Nis, at least it as Vienna and Zurich to start with. Both primary airports in Europe.

      Delete
    30. Anonymous14:34

      aha ok

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:05

    My question is whather this is strictly related to the new management or the fact that there is simply a lack of demand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fery few people have a answer to that question. My idea idea is thar after initial boom there must come rationalization.
      Goverment didn't change the price, so it is very likely that this would also happen under old mamagement

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:36

      True but the old management was much more proactive in talking to a bringing in new airlines. The new one has no clue what it's doing and are hoping that some airline notices them and comes to them.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:05

    Such a shame they replaced the management as we would have had Turkish and new W6 and FR routes to Nis.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous09:08

    At least Swiss is not going anywhere.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:40

      one of the two flights is flown by Helvetic

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:41

      Under LX flight nr.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:15

      Helvetic operates many LX flights and will be operating even more in the future.
      https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/swiss-and-helvetic-airways-expand-their-collaboration

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:27

      isnt it cheaper?

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:08

    A sad day for INI.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:09

    Great news for BEG and Belgrade Airlines!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:15

      While you may be sarcastic, it goes to show that they have managed to survive Ryanair on the Dusseldorf flights, even though all of you were saying the opposite when Ryanair launched the route.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:41

      The situation isn't as great in BEG. Flights to Iran, China, Hamburg have been stopped and most likely Red Wings will be the next leaver.
      Serbija must act fast and stop protecting JU that much.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:43

      Not only is JU surviving but is also enhansing its profitability.
      Bravo!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:44

      Unbeliavable.
      This winter is going to be the busiest one in history of BEG.
      Just watch and do not worry.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:44

      Who is protecting JU? All these airlines can fly as they wish. When flights from Iran and China were launched you were the one screaming that they are political routes and will be suspended. Hamburg was actually operated by JU (once per week - big loss).

      I'm not concerned with so many airlines announcing increases in frequencies for next summer. And the plans by JU for next summer will only further annoy you and make your 'concern' even greater.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:24

      GoS is protecting both BEG and most importantly JU.
      INI is being limited because of the fears it will reach 1 million and take away the traffic from BEG.
      Now GoS did a good job by axing 2 more routes from INI : MMX and NRN by spring.
      What a pity, what a real real pity. Instead of having healthy, domestic competition we give the entire privelage to Belgrade and Belgrade Airlines.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10:25

      Are you for real? Do you hear yourself? You think government called Wizz Air and Ryanair and told them to cancel the two routes. Get serious.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:37

      Indeed and it's really really not fair! GoS knew that INI has POTENTIAL and it was taken away from it. People went out to the streets for days and all those protests were precisely becauseof this!! Why ruin something that was meant to work? Why prevent the southerners to fly for less money and avoid the capital?
      Becuase of this, we will never see FR or W6 new routes.
      I hope you don't touch the Vienna route!

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10:38

      So you are telling me the government called Ryanair and Wizz air to suspend two routes. They chose these two in particular? How old are you?

      Delete
    10. Anonymous11:02

      BEG new routes new continents new Irans new Chinas and nothing for INI! :(
      Really selfish way and act of GoS. They made Vladica Djurdjanovic resign...

      Delete
    11. Anonymous11:03

      @ 10.38 It is obvious the guy is trolling and it is more than obvious the guy is not from Serbia either.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous20:57

      Don't forget Air France is coming to Belgrade, plus Aeroflot's third, Swiss' third and Lufthansa's fifth daily flight.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous07:17

      AF is not coming to BEG, stop trolling.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:10

    INI has reached its limits.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous09:10

    Hopefully INI trolling will become quieter now

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:11

    Major win for ASL!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous09:17

    Hardly drama. 3 routes in 2 years. We may see new flights from Nis soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:19

      LX said they are considering adding more flights next summer. I hope they do as it helps with connectivity from NA.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:27

      Well, if it were BEG then its not drama, but for an airport like INI it is drama

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:19

    Well it will be interesting to see if Rynaiar's Bratislava route can survive considering they are competing against Wizz Air's new Vienna flights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:21

      Maybe it's time for W6 to think of bringing back EIN flights.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:42

      im curious here too. Wizz have won Dortmund-Weeze

      Delete
  13. There is need for INI , it is for sure. But, we need to be realistic and not to expect this airport to grow with the percentage it had last year.
    I said on the beginning of this year that 370.000 passengers in 2018 should be achieved and INI will not be far from it.
    Taking in consideration that the taxes have not been increased we all sometimes overestimate the influence of GoS. They simply cannnot control companies like W6 or FR to reduce the flights to INI if these companies can earn good money in INI they will not stop flying there.
    And opposite

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:27

    Wizz i Ryanair već imaju dovoljno svojih problema kao što su stalno promenljive cene goriva, Brexit i manjak pilota. Ovo što se od proleća dešavalo sa aerodromom je jako ružno ispalo i svakako nije stabilnost i sigurnost koju kompanije traže i šalje lošu poruku i to je jedan od razloga što nema novih letova. Druga stvar je što smo siromašni. Leteo sam i iz Sofije i iz Niša više puta i neuporedivo je koliko više kupuju u avionu bugari. Za prodaju parfema kad se leti iz/za Niš nikada ni ne prolaze, prodaju se najčešće flašice vode...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nemjee09:35

      Слажем се да је становништво на југу знатно сиромашније али мени је и даље нејсано како су тако флегматични када је у питању, на пример Београд, где су куповна моћ и генерално потенцијал знатно већи.
      Као што сам већ једном написао, мислим да је Визер преокупиран западном Европом где су праве паре. Баш из тог разлога секу и игноришу ова наша... скромнија... тржишта.

      Ево тек су недавно објавили ширење мреже у Кракову. Мислим да је то прва већа екпсанзија на истоку после сигурно две године.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:38

      Ne zaboravite cinjenicu da Nis uglavnom koristi dijaspora a oni zasigurno nisu na prosjackom stapu.
      Mozda je jednostavno stvar kulture ili navike kupovati u avionu ili ne.

      Delete
    3. Bugari kupuju tu konfekciju na letu??
      Bukvalno se ne secam kada sam video nekog da uradio BoB (buy on board) izuzev hrane/pica/interneta

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:17

      If reason for Niš huge cancellations are lack of passengers because of "poor citizens" why than Wizz opened 3 new routes from Priština, Germania 2 new routes, Orange2fly 3 new routes, and so many airlines increase frequencies (easyJet to Basel and Berlin, Edelweiss to Zurich, Adria to Frankfurt, Pegasus to Istanbul, Wizz to London, Germania to Zurich). Kosovo for sure is not reacher the Niš area, and Niša and Priština are concentrate of diaspora.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:21

      Can you tell me what are these HUGE cancellations.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:36

      3 routes canceled out of 10, and just one new route, so result is -2 out of 10, what is 20% and 20% is huge!

      Delete
  15. Anonymous09:33

    I think it's a matter of time that INI will recover.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous09:33

    All of these routes had a good LF but obviously the yields just weren't there.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous09:38

    Thanks Zorana and AV

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous09:44

    Ryanair not have been considering SKP-ATH makes me angry :D (nothing to do with INI)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:27

      We told you 100 times. INI and SKP need to e connected to KBP!!

      Delete
  19. Anonymous10:12

    Has ILS been installed at INI?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:14

      Don't think so.

      Delete
  20. Anonymous10:14

    I think Istanbul would have been very popular if it happened. The Serbian diaspora in turkey have strong ties to raska region. I hope TK eventually do launch these flights to INI.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:16

      I think Pegasus from SAW might be the best option.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:29

      Pegasus would offer connection possibilities but Turkish would be by far better solution.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:37

      Pegasus would make a lot of sense since they don't fly to SOF.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:08

      Forget about SAW, bring on Pobeda, please.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:51

      Under current bilateral, Turkish carriers are fully utilising their allocations. The only way they can launch INI flights, is to reduce their current BEG flying and switch it to INI - which I can't see happening ...

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:58

      interesting... so the reports above that Turkish wanted to fly to INI must been false

      Delete
    7. Anonymous12:01

      No because what anon at 11.51 wrote is not true really. The bilateral isn't being enforced at all. It's enforced only when it suits one side or the other. No one would have an issue with Turkish flying to Nis, especially since Air Serbia does not fly to IST and there would hardly be any transfers from Nis.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous13:31

      TK flies to several secondary cities in Eastern Europe not only capitals:

      Romania: OTP & CLJ
      Bulgaria: SOF & VAR
      Ukraine: KBP, ODS, KHE, LWO

      Next:

      Serbia: BEG & INI

      Delete
    9. Anonymous14:54

      TK flies to Constanta in Romania.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous14:59

      They also fly to Kharkov and Zaporizhie in Ukraine. That's six destinations in total.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous15:02

      *seven

      Delete
  21. Anonymous10:20

    who knows if FR keep BTS with W6 flights to VIE kicking off

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:28

      if i was them i would move the BTS flights to BEG

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:29

      +1 last anon

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:56

      BTS is the next candidate

      Wonder how the italian routes are performing, any loads?

      Delete
  22. Anonymous10:45

    Niš ne da subvencije,cene goriva su skočile za 70% i rezultat je očekivan. Nadam se da će AS iskoristiti priliku i najzad krenuti sa letovima za Niš. S obzirom da je ruta domaća može legalno biti subvenisana i recimo leteti Bg-Niš u drugom i četvrtom talasu.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gde su cene goriva skočile 70%?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:25

      U avio saobraćaju

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:39

      And that price of petrol is reason why Priština gets 8 new routes and increase of frequencies on 7 routes?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:55

      Приштина also had many reductions and cancellations in recent times. We will have to see how these perform and how long they last. Don't forget that JU and JP also grew very fast until one day they didn't.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous13:25

      Priştine is not only a Kosova star, but the best performer of 2019.
      i shkëlqyer!!

      Delete
    6. Anonymous13:29

      Best performer of 2019? It's still 2018.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous13:32

      LOL

      Delete
    8. Anonymous13:35

      LOL. Podgorica has a bigger growth in 2018.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous13:47

      PRN will be the fastest growing airport in 2019. Germania expansion, Wizz expansion and possibly British Airways to Gatwick in late 2019.
      The difference in traffic compared to Dubrovnik will be less and less by 2022.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous14:49

      13:47

      While this is probably true, in 2018 they will drop a spot and end up behind SKP.

      Good luck with visa liberalization though, you might need it with what's happening these days.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous15:45

      As mentioned before, Приштина had many routes dropped in the past so let's see how long these last. I was pretty shocked Paris failed. I guess only gasterbajter destinations work.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous17:04

      Pristina had huge growing each and every year. Even after Belavia stop operation. Never had decline especially not 20%. It is not problem that some routes are canceled and other opened, but in Niš we just have minus.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous17:06

      Belavia?

      And how do you "just have minus" in Nis when fligjts from Vienna were launched last week?

      Delete
    14. Analiticarka18:20

      -13.7% in 2013

      Delete
    15. Anonymous22:08

      What the hell is "Приштина"?

      Delete
    16. Anonymous22:12

      Google it.

      Delete
    17. Anonymous22:14

      I googled it, still dont understand that language tho.

      Delete
    18. Anonymous22:15

      Your problem.

      Delete
    19. I really dont understand it bro, i was just courious to know which city you meant.

      Delete
    20. Anonymous22:21

      I guess it shall remain a mystery to you.

      Delete
    21. Well i have to live with that i guess.

      Delete
    22. Anonymous07:18

      Yup, you know what they say, ignorance is bliss so enjoy it. :)

      Delete
    23. Anonymous08:35

      Pristine or Приштина or even written in Hebrew won't change the fact, that it will be Yugoslavia's 5th busiest airport next year if SKP fails to attract new LCC or get daily Aeroflot like the rest of capitals.
      Just imagine if the visas are liberated...it will reach SPU and even Zagrab.

      Delete
    24. Yeah ok.

      BTW, it's time for medicine!

      Delete
  23. Anonymous13:59


    Expecting INI to have double its performance annually or to become a regional Hub is non sense. 10 destinations seem normal for a city with 2-300 thousand people and with several established Airports in less than 200km radius!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:20

      What about EIN, DTM, CGN, DUS? They are all very close to each other too? Why didn't you say anything about them?
      ¡And 300 thousand is not a small figure, this is size of Ljubljana or Debrecen for example!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous21:13

      That's the issue. Comparing Nish to Cologne, or Einhoven. Ridiculous.
      Nish also can't be compared to Ljubljana for a thousand reasons.
      INI has this much capacity why make a fuss about it. You should be happy you have it there.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous22:05

    Soon both W6 and FR will announce new flights, even another operator is expected to arrive. So there are not any bad news about canceling routes that were not profitable. Get prepared haters!

    ReplyDelete
  25. How can a service with nearly90% sold seats not be profitable ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous18:24

      I never bought tickets out of Niš for more than 20€ per leg. That's why. Last winter I flew to NYO for 40€ return. This month to BGY for 25€ return.

      Delete

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