Ukraine’s Windrose Airlines will go ahead with the launch of its Kiev – Ljubljana service this winter season following several cancellations. During the week, the carrier announced that flights would commence on October 24 and run twice per week, each Tuesday and Saturday, with a mix of ATR72-600 and Embraer E145 aircraft, which have the capacity to seat 78 and 49 passengers respectively. “From October 1, Ukrainians can enter Slovenia without going into ten days of self-isolation with a negative PCR test no older than 48 hours. Windrose will offer convenient transfer to Ljubljana from Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odessa with a short connection in [Kiev] Boryspil”, the carrier said.
Windrose had initially planned to launch flights to Ljubljana in April but they were delayed on several occasions due to the coronavirus pandemic before being completely shelved. Services were rescheduled for late October and put on sale this Thursday. The development comes just a week after Windrose commenced flights to Zagreb. The new Ljubljana service will mark the resumption of operations between the Ukrainian and Slovenian capitals following a two-year hiatus. Windrose will become the first carrier to launch a new service to Ljubljana since Lufthansa in October of last year.
Windrose Airlines had plans to serve Ljubljana in the past. In the winter of 2018/19, it intended on introducing a three weekly service to the Slovenian capital, but the flights never materialised. This was preceded by plans to inaugurate flights between the two cities in mid-December 2017, which also never came to fruition. The Ukrainian carrier had operated summer charters to Maribor in the past. Ljubljana and Kiev were last linked with a nonstop air service in October 2018 when Adria Airways discontinued the route after less than a year of operations, along with several others. Further flight details for Windrose’s new Ljubljana service can be found here.
Finally some good news for LJU.
ReplyDeleteGood luck
ReplyDeleteWhat is the demand currently with the Kiev-Zagreb flights?-
DeleteThe first flight was sold out. Both to Zagreb and from Zagreb but not sure about the rest.
DeleteFirst flight to ZAG arrived with 54 and departed with 64 passengers. Interestingly enough seems like today's flight was switched to ATR from the E145.
DeleteBetter then expected loads?
DeleteWell given the circumstances I would say so. Especially the return flight.
DeleteI give more chances to flight to Zagreb compared to that to Ljubljana.
DeleteGood luck Windrose (ot's such a stange time)!
It makes sense Windrose decided to launch this route in the end now that Ukrainians can enter Slovenia without quarantine.
ReplyDeleteIf it's kept on the list.
DeleteOctoner 24th 2020?
DeleteIf they are following their own rules hotels in Slovenia will be closed at that day.
Anonymous09:17 With new rules as long as you have a negative COVID19 test not older than 48 hours the list doesn't matter
DeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteAt least something.
ReplyDeletethere's still some hope for LJU.
DeleteInteresting that there is such a demand.
ReplyDeleteUkranians have a very limited choice of where they can travel at the moment.
DeleteStill Belgrade didn't work.
Delete+1 Seriously, I doubt SkyUp will ever launch this route. If they had a smaller plane, Yes. But a 738....I don't see it.
DeleteIn Belgrade it was another airline.
DeleteBut I agree it's not the perfect timing to start new routes.
I hope these flights will stick.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the fares like?
ReplyDeleteNot cheap at all. Fares from LJU to Kiev for the first week of November is 243 euros return.
DeleteWell it is a full service airline. You get 23kg of luggage included.
DeleteThe fare is relative to the competition. There is no one else offering anything much cheaper.
DeleteGreat news
ReplyDeleteIf this route was not successful in much better times, I don't see it being now in the middle of a pandemic.
ReplyDeleteCircumstances change. It might be successful this time around because there are few other places people can go.
DeleteNot necessarily because this was never a popular or busy market.
DeleteWell let's wait and see. We should be happy that an airline will give it a go in such circumstances.
Delete+1 last anon
DeleteUkraine is a country of 40 million
Deletewith Ukraine having more then 5000 daily cases at the moment and rising i dont see how they will be allowed in SLO if they continue so.
ReplyDeleteWell, if you check the cases in last 14 days per 100.000 (which is what it really counts) so far Ukraine is doing much better than Slovenia... ;)
DeleteRight now, today, Ukraine is doing much better than Slovenia (cases in the last 14 days per 100.000).
DeleteUkraine will put Slovenia on the "red list" from Monday 19th 2020. But you can do a test, isolate your self at arrival till the result (negative hopefully) is out and apply the application on your smartphone (with an Ukrainian phone number). So can be managed.
Slovenia ~360 per 100k and Ukraine is ~556 per 100k so Ukraine is not much better than Slovenia) (numbers could vary - depends on period but in general shows the overall picture)
DeleteThat ATR looks good :) they are new?
ReplyDeleteYes they are
DeleteI think we will be seeing the E145 more often than the ATR.
DeleteYou would think LJU Airport (ie Fraport) would do something to promote this route...
ReplyDeleteThey probably don't want to risk advertising something that will likely not happen because I doubt Ukrainans will be allowed to enter Slovenia in 2 weeks.
DeleteGermans don't spend money, they earn money, especially in banana countries, that's why we had to be turned to banana
DeleteYou can't use this flight as a jumping point e.g for Italy because Italy will close it's borders for arrivals from parts of Slovenia (included Ljubljana) or less probably to all country. pretty soon. Watch for the day: October 15th 2020.
DeleteSlovenia is a little further to closing it's borders. Who you want to close to when you are already with such high values in your own country?
Anyway in this corona times we can talk in advance only for days or max few weeks or a month and not for longer.
I can't believe its been a whole year since we had a new route launched.
ReplyDeleteIf corona wasn't around we would have had Iberia from Madrid and Israir from Tel Aviv launch flights this summer (plus Windrose as planned)
DeleteOf course we would, like we had MAD last year..
Delete* You are obviously not from Slovenia or have not followed the news
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/12/iberia-to-launch-ljubljana-service.html
How long do these flights take in an ATR?
ReplyDelete2 and a half hours abouts.
DeleteDo Ukrainians need visa to enter Slovenia?
ReplyDeleteNo. Ukrainian passport holders have visa free travel to the EU.
DeleteThat's right, forgot about that. Thanks
DeleteI don't see this working out, JP tried KBP and they failed. Now during the pandemic and volatile entry restrictions Windrose thinks it will have a better result. Don't think so.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a lot of Ukrainians in Slovenia
DeleteGreat news! LJU needs all the airlines it can get now.
ReplyDeleteHope the loads will be there to keep this route.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Kiev is a good city break destination
ReplyDeleteLjubljana should first get linked with a number of EU markets before lines like Kiev.
ReplyDeleteIt should be linked with markets that can generate passengers. Ukraine seems to be one of them.
DeleteJust in time for the famous Kiev Christmas markets. Great decision
ReplyDeleteSlovenia will be closed off in few days due to soaring cases.
ReplyDeleteSlovenia will not be closed off 100% yet but for sure,right now, people from Ukraine will decide not to come.
DeleteAccording to OAG traffic analyser, this is Kiev's second most popular unserved route. First is ZAG.
ReplyDeleteSo currently LJU is the first one?
Delete