Banja Luka Airport anticipates welcoming over 200.000 passengers this year and launching three new routes. Ryanair inaugurated services from Hahn to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second largest city this week, while its subsidiary Lauda will commence flights from Vienna in April, although they will be operated by Ryanair aircraft. “We are optimistic over the launch of several interesting destinations in western and eastern Europe this year. Services to Vienna will operate twice per week, however, there is a possibility for frequencies to be increased”, the General Manager of Banja Luka Airport, Milan Račić, said.
According to Mr Račić, the airport’s agreement with Ryanair foresees the budget carrier introducing two new routes to Banja Luka each year. It currently maintains services from five European destinations, although flights from Stockholm Skavsta will be discontinued in late March due to the closure of Ryanair’s base in the Swedish capital. “On average we have two flights per day from Banja Luka. Our target is for this to be doubled and for us to have even more charter flights”, Mr Račić said. Air Serbia maintains summer charters from Banja Luka to Athens and Antalya, in addition to its scheduled service to Belgrade.
In 2019, Banja Luka Airport handled 149.966 passengers and registered year-on-year growth of 314%. Due to the significant increase in traffic, operator Airports of Republika Srpska has begun tendering procedures to select a contractor for the expansion of Banja Luka Airport’s terminal building. The project is valued at 360.000 euros, however, the scope of the work has not been specified. The airport is also expected to resume construction of its cargo terminal after almost three years. Work on the facility was halted in 2017 after inspectors determined the construction site did not comply with requirements set out in the contract documents. The cargo terminal should be some 900 square metres in size and is valued at 670.000 euros.
Well done Banja Luka. A big transformation from a year or two ago.
ReplyDeleteWe almost got BNX-HRG flights on JU this year but tour operators did not have enough time to organize everything, hopefully those materialize next year.
ReplyDeleteThat would have been great
DeleteI am impressed by how big demand for charter flights is from BNX. Good job to JU for spotting a business opportunity some years ago and for developping it.
Delete200 thousand is a serious number for a regional airport like BNX...
ReplyDeleteSo that's Ryanair for this year with three new routes. Who could introduce the third one?
ReplyDeleteFR could still launch another route because they are ending Stockholm.
DeleteMaybe Lauda from STR? I still think there is room for more flights to Belgrade and for someone to launch a Swiss destination.
DeleteThey said they are still in talks with IrAero over Moscow. So I think it will be that.
Deletei hope rynair will open routes from Eindhoven to Banja Luka
DeleteMahanAir?
Delete:) :)
Remember how BNX management got their panties in a twist when the Mahan flights were announced? Dilettantes.
DeleteMahan is coming back to Belgrade this year so I don't thin BNX will happen. They were looking at flights to Srpska only when flights to BEG were uncertain
DeleteFlights to Banja Luka were on sale by Mahan for weeks. But officials in Srpska had an attack of xenophobia saying how they will never allow such flights.
DeleteGood, more for Belgrade. Right now only Belgrade, Moscow and Istanbul have non-stop flights to Tehran in the Balkans and eastern Europe.
DeleteSlow and steady growth, that's good. No need to force anything.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't fail but notice that TZL didn't have a phenomenal year, could BNX affect it to a certain extent?
ReplyDeleteNot shocking, two cities are close and BN is much bigger and richer than Tuzla so more local demand.
DeleteAre u kidding. BN richer than TZL?? FBIH and Tuzla canton have invested milions in TZL airport, it looks like frankfurt compared to BN airport.
DeleteHuh? I was referring to the actual cities, not airports.
DeleteSomething or someone can be richer only if it's rich. Rich - richer - the richest. Throughout ex-yu only less poor can be used when comparing, never rich. Because we are all poor, not rich. And aviation shows it at its best.
DeleteUnfortunately you are right, 50 shades of poverty I guess. Even the richest parts of the country are struggling in some ways. In that sense Banja Luka is slightly less poor than Tuzla.
DeleteSTR, GOT, DTM
ReplyDeleteIt‘s time for a Swiss destination.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWould be nice if Swiss or Edelweiss launched flights from Zurich.
DeleteA few years ago Edelweiss started ticket sales to Banja Luka but flights were cancelled before the launch.
DeleteAnd it is still unknown was it because of poor sales or the management at the time chased them away.
DeleteAt the same time Endelweiss also planned to start Podgorica and they started sales too but cancelled it before it started.
DeleteSales probably were not good for either route.
DeleteThey have a lot to invest if they want to continue operating. BHDCA will close them if they don't renovate runway.
ReplyDeleteTo be more precise, runway is OK, but have to make larger "shoulder" of runway
DeleteGreat job BNX. It's really nice to see them grow like this.
ReplyDeleteBNX has the potential from its catchment area to grow a lot.
DeleteI'm glad they are getting their act together. It took them only 20 years.
DeleteGood news. The extra revenue from taxes will reduce financial losses of the airport.
ReplyDeleteWhich other routes from Ryanair network could work from Banja Luka?
ReplyDeleteBSL, GOT, DTM, CGN, FRA and SKG
DeleteI think ATH is more likely than SKG since JU charters to ATH are extremely popular so there is obviously some demand. Two weekly in summer could work.
DeleteI am sure JU would have at least 10 weekly if they had enough planes.
Congrats to BNX and FR!
ReplyDeleteI wonder which FR route is performing best from Banja Luka
DeleteThis is a big turnaround. I'm very happy for Banja Luka.
ReplyDeleteSeems like BNX will have a similar success story as Tuzla.
DeleteYup and let's see what BNX's ceiling will be, all airports have some optimal passenger numbers unless they start attracting transfers which is unlikely for either BNX or TZL.
DeleteGood. The only way these small ex-Yu airports can develop is by attracting LCCs. Tuzla and Nis would still be dead without them.
ReplyDelete+1
Deletewith the funds they allocated for the terminal expansion they really can't do much. They have to expand the tiny terminal.
ReplyDeleteThey also need to do work on the runway.
DeleteMostly gasto routes but still nice development for BNX.
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with it. It's not a tourist or business destination. The area has a very low potential in these fields.
DeleteI'm kind of surprised about the Brussels flights. Is there a big diaspora there?
DeleteUnlike most smaller airports, BNX has a lot of charter traffic which is nice to see.
DeleteYeah, obviously it's gonna be gasto routes. What else do you expect? I really don't understand. Maybe tourists from Germany want to visit BL, maybe they don't. It's a risky endeavor launching flights to non-gasto routes. Whereas, with gastos, you can be sure they'll be coming.
DeleteGothenburg should replace Stockholm. Huge diaspora there.
ReplyDeleteGreat results BNX!
ReplyDeleteIn 2019 BNX had 150.000 passengers and 115.000 more in 2019 than in 2018.
Hahn and Vienna, but what is the third new route?
ReplyDelete200,000 in 2020 would be an amazing figure for an airport handling barely 20,000 pax two years ago. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI love how everyone supports LCCs being subsidiesed for flights like these but have a massive issue when national airlines being subsidised.
ReplyDeleteOne word: hypocrisy.
DeleteThere is support because they get cheap tickets in return.
DeleteJU is cheap out of INI and KVO yet people still nag and complain.
DeleteWhat about considering the flight to Zürich? Would be profitable to have it again.
ReplyDeleteBest option is Basel but RYANAIR need to base a/c in BNX, they dont fly from Zurich because its to expensive. There is no chance for Edelweis or Swiss
ReplyDeleteThey could get JU to operate INI-FDH-BNX-FDH-INI.
DeleteBanja Luka would be the perfect base for Wizz Air .
ReplyDeleteI think Ryanair is more likely at this point, Wizz Air is firmly anchored in Tuzla though they have been stagnating for a while now.
DeleteI was last year there wery nice. Love it.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to add wizzair to the Banja Luka?
ReplyDeleteRynair schedules new route from Banja Luka to Milano-Bergamo, first flight October 2020!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations BNX!