Montenegro Airlines to add more flights, eyes Tel Aviv service

Montenegro Airlines is continuing to rebuild its network after resuming commercial operations on June 12. So far, the carrier has restored flights from Podgorica to Ljubljana, Frankfurt, Vienna, Paris, Zurich, Copenhagen and Dusseldorf, while three weekly operations to Paris will start today. “The flights to France are dependent on the epidemiological situation in Montenegro. We have to stay within the limits issued by the European Union to continue these flights after two weeks”, the carrier’s CEO, Vlastimir Ristić, said, referring to the European Union’s recommendation for member states to reopen their borders to several non-block nations, including Montenegro, which will be reviewed every two weeks.

During the second half of July, Montenegro Airlines plans to resume services to Rome and is considering charter flights to Tel Aviv. “There is considerable interest for these flights, and we hope they will commence on August 1. This would be an important milestone for us since it would be our longest route. It is very useful to have charters to far-away destinations”, Mr Ristić said. He added that services to Russia are unlikely to start before August at the earliest, while the airline’s planned new route to Lisbon has been cancelled. “It is unrealistic to think we will manage to do anything with the Russian market during the peak summer season. However, we hope that, if the weather holds up, we will be able to attract some passengers in the post-season period and achieve sound results”.

Montenegro Airlines is still banned from operating to its most profitable and busiest market – Serbia. Similarly, Serbian citizens cannot enter Montenegro. Mr Ristić previously said his company’s survival is at stake as a result of the ban. “We can’t rush things and we have to be patient and wait for the epidemiological situation to stabilise and then resume flights. We are eagerly awaiting that moment because it is the most important route in the region, not just for us but also for Air Serbia”, the CEO noted. He added that the airline’s finances have been hit hard by the ongoing pandemic and noted the government’s decision last year to provide 150 million euros in state aid over a six-year period has been put on hold and is being reviewed by the country’s competition watchdog.