Low cost carrier Ryanair and Mostar Airport have advanced their talks concerning possible flights. According to the "Klix" portal, the two sides have already discussed potential services at the carrier's headquarters in Dublin, with further negotiations expected in the coming months. Ryanair previously said, “We are the leading airline in Europe. We have developed many small and regional European airports and there is no obstacle for us to do the same in Mostar”. The company added that its only condition is for flights to the city to be profitable. The two sides first entered into talks in 2012 but never managed to reach an agreement.
During talks between Ryanair and Mostar Airport over the years, it was proposed for the low cost airline to introduce flights from Charleroi, Frankfurt and Oslo. However, there is also strong potential for the carrier to cater for religious tourism on routes from Italy and Poland. Ryanair entered the Bosnian market last October by introducing flights from Charleroi, Memmigen and Stockholm Skavsta to Banja Luka. Following the success of the new routes, the carrier will launch operations between Berlin and Bosnia and Herzegovina's second largest city this April. It is also expected the airline will announce new destinations from Banja Luka for the 2019/2020 winter season, with airport authorities hinting at an "autumn surprise".
Mostar Airport recently rolled out an incentives program in a bid to attract carriers to launch flights to the city, after its passenger numbers tumbled 34% in 2018. "Mostar Airport is offering a number of incentives in the form of discounts to encourage airlines and tour operators to develop their services to Mostar, as well as to stimulate greater choice and greater benefits for all airline companies", the airport said. It added, "The incentives do not distort competition among airlines at the airport and are offered for a limited period of time on a non-discriminatory basis". Mostar Airport's incentives program includes discounts for handling and landing services, as well as the passenger tax, for a three-year period. Last year, Croatia Airlines was granted half a million euros in subsidies on an annual basis by local authorities in order for it to maintain year-round services from Zagreb. Eurowings, which runs seasonal summer flights from Dusseldorf and Stuttgart to the Bosnian city, has also benefited from incentives, with the carrier granted just over a quarter of a million euros on a annual basis until 2023 in order to maintain its operations.
Great news! Bosnia becoming popular with LCCs
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that this country has 4 functioning airports and that all have international flights.
DeleteIn my opinion, Sarajevo should is still not performing to its full potential.
DeleteThe fly from Charleois to Banja Luka, so if they open Eindhoven or Dusseldorf Weeze to Mostar they would cover a Benelux and Nordrhein Westfalen
DeleteWhy not Sarajevo? Who are they protecting there?
ReplyDeleteStar Alliance of course. You think Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss would be happy with Rynaair in Sarajevo?
DeleteBut they can't stop Ryanair
DeleteThey are happy with Ryanair in FRA...
DeleteThey were not very happy
Deletehttps://www.reuters.com/article/lufthansa-frankfurt-idUSL5N1E84OH
In fact they based some of their fleet in MUC and away from FRA in response.
It's not about airlines. The government is protecting itself. Bosnia is broke and there is a chronic shortage of money. SJJ is a cash cow for them so they don't want to change that. BNX, TZL and OMO were loss making businesses to start with so inviting other airlines only improves the situation. For them inviting FR in SJJ would be the opposite.
DeleteThese are politicians we are talking about, not businessmen.
Interesting. That means we will never see SJJ given up for concession.
DeleteDoubt it will ever happen. Airport isn't as busy as BEG nor it can have that amount of passengers. Bosnian government could never get that much money for it. So for the time being it will stay as it is... expansion of regional Bosnian airports lowers the appeal of SJJ as competition grows in a relatively small market.
DeleteI think SJJ could have 2.5 million passengers but that is about it unless an airlines builds a hub.
DeleteAnon 09.48, how does that make sense though? Both Skopje and Pristina were given in concession when they had less passengers than SJJ does today, so I dont see that as a valid argument. Why would SJJ need to have the same amount of passengers as BEG to be given for concession? I think SJJ is waaaay underrated, having in mind the tourism boom in the city, and its size. SJJ Could easily handle 2 million, at a minimum.
DeleteI mentioned BEG because of the amount of money Vinci paid for it. I am just saying that the Bosnian government can't get as much s they would want for SJJ. Serbian government did it because they got A LOT of money so it made sense.
Delete@10:07
Deletethere will never ever be a hub in SJJ
1) there is already limited space, and not much options to expand
2) the mini hubs ins ZAG and LJU are not profitable for a long time already and are a huge liability for both airlines, and in fact slow down all the efforts to grow the p2p business (for croatia)
3) whatever technical magic they may install, it will always be a small airport surrounded by mountains with a significant risk of fog and wind
So the only option would be to build a completely new airport somewhere else?
DeleteI will believe it when I see it but great news.
ReplyDeletePeople said the same about BNX.
DeleteAirports talking to airlines, getting overexcited about it and spilling the beans prematurely.
ReplyDeleteIt's a rule in Bosna, not an exception. And airlines get propa pissed about it with a good reason.
+1
DeleteIt was the same in Montenegro
DeleteThey are really putting pressure on Wizz in Tuzla.
ReplyDeleteRyanair attacks from Banja Luka first and now from Mostar
DeleteThey could advertise it as Dubrovnik north, Sarajevo south or Split Southeast.
ReplyDeletePristina northwest.
DeleteThere is no news about FR in Zagreb although there were some negotiations. Failed?
ReplyDeleteAs long as ZAIC refuses to lower fees they will not attract Wizz Air or Ryanair. With uncertain growth and passenger drop in January maybe they will be forced to find a solution.
DeleteI expect in the near future they will open flight from Mostar to Dublin, London Standsted, Barcelona, Manchester, Eindhoven, Oslo, Copenhagen as these cities are major Ryanair bases.
ReplyDeleteTake it easy. Two routes would be enough for a start
DeleteFingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI think a flight from Bergamo to Mostar could work year round.
ReplyDeleteWeeze would also be a good choice.
DeleteWarsaw too.
Deleteanother vote for Bergamo, all year round, great hub for lc for connections and many Italians ,in love, with Medjugorje.
DeleteSo no one would consider the airport without subsidies...
ReplyDeleteThat is for sure
DeleteSame as in Tuzla, Banja Luka, Nis, Osijek, Maribor...
DeleteINI didn't give out subsidies, they just lowered their charges for whoever wants to fly there. subsidies were announced but let's see if they ever happen.
DeleteWell its more or less the same. From what I understand OMO isn't offering subsidies but has also lowered fees in form of incentive.
Delete09:49
DeletePo-ta-to, Po-tah-to
It's about the end goal, which is single digit charges, if at all. How you decide to call it is inconsequential, unless you're a politician.
These are not subsidies in INI because they are open for everyone.
DeleteRegular airport charges can't be considered as subsidies. That is, INI has announced a brand new round of subsidies for routes that can't make it on their own, that is those with less than 100.000 passengers a year.
DeleteFor some people it is reallly difficult to understand it
DeleteTrue, INI will go into negative charges territory.
DeleteActually INI won't go into negative charges territory because it is not the one giving money, it will come from the republic or regional budget. So the airport won't be affected as airlines will still charge passengers €3.
DeleteExactly despite all potatoes and tomotoes
DeleteTo be honest, nobody in the industry cares about the potaytoes and potahtoes. They care how much they're gonna pay, not whose pocket it's coming from. What matters is they're gonna get paid instead of paying to fly to INI. It's all coming from the Serbian govt whichever way you slice it.
DeleteFlights to Poland could work too. Lots of Christian pilgrims are coming from Poland.
ReplyDeleteLOT twice weekly seasonal with Embraer wouldn't be a bad option either :)
DeleteHope this materializes.
ReplyDeleteWell it's good that politicians are finally not blocking Mostar Airport like they have done so many times in the past.
ReplyDeleteI don't think OMO would pose such a threat to say SPU.
DeleteThis would be brilliant news for Croatian coast as well, let's not forget that.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAlthough some people do fear it could take away some passengers from Croatian coastal airports.
Many local politicians have been blocking Mostar Airport's development because of that reason.
DeleteSad
DeleteYes but SPU is overcrowded now and it can no longer handle the influx of passengers, they even had to turn away Transat. This is where OMO can thrive.
DeleteFor time being they dont have money to give subvention RYR and airport is not definitely for winter season due to strong winds, no ILS,no STAR and so on
ReplyDeleteHow do they have enough money to give to Eurowings?
DeleteAnd Croatia Airlines.
DeleteBut can they afford to subsidize three airlines? FR, OU and EW.
DeleteLike it says in the article OU and EW are being subsidized by local government. OMO is just offering incentives in terms of lowering fees for FR, not actually giving them money.
DeleteYes but that's racist, why give money to Germans and Croats but not to the Irish? Especially since FR is more profitable and success than EW and OU!!
DeleteMostar airport has an ILS system, i dont know what are you talking about when you say that OMO does not have an ILS, i live in Mostar and airport is good enough for the winter, strong winds blow for like 14 days in the whole winter
DeleteOMO has IGS and that is not ILS
DeleteIf Ryan can do what Wizz has done in Tuzla that would be excellent for Mostar.
ReplyDeleteWe will see what will happen in TZL and if Wizz will stay. TZL Airport has barely honored anything that was requested of them by Wizz.
DeleteActually Ryan considering Mostar helps Wizz and their negotiating position in Tuzla.
DeleteGreat news
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately this will turn out like before. They won't reach a deal. They have been in talks for 6 years already!
ReplyDelete"The company added that its only condition is for flights to the city to be profitable."
ReplyDeleteLOL
All Bosnia is missing now is easyjet!
ReplyDeleteWell done Mostar.
ReplyDeleteOn what?
DeleteThey have an initiative and know what they have to do.
DeleteThey need to cancel CTN and give RYR money. And remember airport is only for summer season
ReplyDeleteWhy only summer season?
DeleteMostar is located about two hours from both SPU and SJJ. I can see it serving quite a market out there.
ReplyDeleteItaly, Germany and the Netherlands could be the first markets.
ReplyDeleteHercegovina ima malo stanovnika i dva velika aerodroma na obali nema tu velike pameti.
ReplyDeleteJesi li ti zaostao ili nešto slično??? Svaki članak koji se objavi za Mostar ti komentiraš identično kao što si sada komentirao......koji si ti pesimist i nazadan čovjek, šta će mi Split, šta će mi Dubrovnik kad doslovno cijenu avionske karte potrošim za gorivo samo da dođem iz Mostara do ta dva grada, u kojima Eurowings i Easyjet u sred sezone nabiju nebeske cijene jer znaju da mogu zbog velike potražnje i da će Njemci i Britanci platiti koliko god treba samo da noge toćaju u Jadranu......bolje je letiti iz Mostara i manje truckanja do SPU ili DBV.....a s takvom pameću kao što je tvoja nitko ne bi naprijed makao,... počinje se od malih stvari, bitno je da se počne od nečega
DeleteSto se bunis bolan, imas OU za OMO.
DeleteMostar should first try to lure back charters to Medjugorje from DBV and SPU, get some of the tour packaged tourists going to the Adriatic (split) and then approach some low cost airlines.
ReplyDeletewhy don't ex-yu countries just privatize these smaller airports? Wouldn't it be easier? Plus the new owner would actually want to have flights and invest money in them.
ReplyDeleteWhere would local politicians employ their friends and family then?
DeleteA couple of years ago several Italian airports, in cooperation with the Italian government, intended to take over Mostar Airport. Don't know what happened with that.
DeleteWhy only summer season? In autumn and winter every second day OMO has strong wind called Bura and aircraft need to depart from Rwy34 and to fly visualy over mountain area to intercept SID,thats the reason why EW isnt year around and pilots need to have special endorcement for OMO
ReplyDeleteBut OU is flying year round.
DeleteIsn't bura only the wind by the seaside?
DeleteIt comes inland through the valley
DeleteBiH is constantly on the news.
ReplyDeleteNew Bosnian airline born in SJJ.
TZL W6 mega expansion.
BNX FR expansion.
Now OMO also wants a piece of the sweet cake.
Anyway, good to see that such a small country is developing rapidly.
Well done, BiH.
+100
DeleteSmall country? Don't insult them.
DeleteWe are small country, it is not an insulting fact :D
DeleteSince more then a half of Mostar's prewar population lives in the West and Međugorje gets over 100,000 pilgrims each year, I am certain that a Ryanair line to Mostar would be viable.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Herzegovina Diaspora is huge. Mostly in Germany, but also in other western european countries and North America as well.
DeleteMajority of those pilgrims are coming from Italy – so Rome, Milan or some other major Italian city should be launched.
ReplyDeleteObviously yes.
DeleteYou want Ryan, Wizz, Easy, to come, you must pay them and give them everything they ask for.
ReplyDeleteBEG does not have to do it and Norwegian, Vueling, easyJet and Wizzair fly there
DeleteThere is a bit of a difference if you are a capital city airport and a bit of a difference if you are Mostar.
Delete@11.34 worth every penny.
Delete@11:41
DeleteCorrect. Just you did not mention it in original post at 11:34
Hope Mostar recovers in 2019.
ReplyDeleteSo without the charters from Italy (or elsewhere), how are all the pilgrims coming to Medjugorje at the moment?
ReplyDeleteSplit
DeleteMost of the year Italy and Poland would work 100%. Medjugorje is so popular for them.
DeleteI really hope it will happen this time around.
ReplyDeleteI hope by 2025 OMO will reach 5 mil with the brand new terminal and the second runway. Go OMO, go!
ReplyDeleteThey should get direct flights Dublin-Mostar, whole year round. The flights would be fully booked for sure. So many Bosnian/Croatians in Dublin, + so many religious Irish people would travel to Medjugorje, just 20 mins from Mostar airport.
ReplyDelete