Montenegro Airlines’ figures tumble, Belgrade busiest route


Montenegro Airlines has seen its passenger numbers decline 77.2% during the first three quarters of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with Belgrade and Paris its busiest routes. The airline welcomed 123.447 travellers on board its aircraft during the January - September period, while its average cabin load factor fell from 70% in 2019 to 54% so far this year. Due to declining demand and evolving travel restrictions, figures in October took an even greater hit, with the average cabin occupancy rate on its flights amounting to just 43%. “We are unhappy with the results. However, we have responsibly carried out our mission to maintain the country’s connectivity with the world”, the company said. 

Belgrade continues to be the carrier’s busiest route, despite not operating for a longer period of time than most of its other destinations. “Belgrade accounted for 57% of all of our passenger traffic on scheduled flights, despite the route’s suspension lasting the longest. This shows just how important this destination is for the company’s operations”, Montenegro Airlines said. Belgrade was followed by Paris, Ljubljana, Zurich and Frankfurt. The greatest average occupancy per flight was recorded to Belgrade at 62%, followed by Paris, Frankfurt and Ljubljana with Zurich fairing the worst. “There is a lot of interest for flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg which have been inoperative since the onset of the pandemic. The Russian market was the second busiest for us over the past decade”, the airline said. There is currently no indication when Russia may allow for the resumption of flights between the two countries, however Montenegro Airlines is hopeful services could resume sooner rather than later.

Q1 - Q3 performance by route
 
AirportPAX
Belgrade64.125
Paris8.419
Ljubljana8.170
Zurich7.572
Frankfurt7.485

The Montenegrin carrier noted that travel restrictions are having the greatest impact on its business. The majority of Montenegrin citizens are unable to enter the European Union. Furthermore, most European countries have issued warnings against all but essential travel to Montenegro, which has also reduced demand. “In addition to Moscow and St. Petersburg, we have been unable to restore flights to Leipzig and Munich, as well as launch operations to Lisbon as almost 100% of bookings on these flights have been cancelled. These were mostly foreign tourists. Due to travel restrictions, we were also unable to operate a number of planned charters to Tel Aviv and Bratislava, as well as to cities in Germany and the Czech Republic. In addition, our regular year-round weekend charters to southern Italy have also been temporarily suspended”, the company said.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    wow those are low numbers

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous09:03

    Is there any airline in the region where a single route contributes over 50% of your total passenger numbers?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:06

      It's quite unique.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:08

      And even more interesting that it didn't operate for 5 months.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:17

      Why is it surprising? The P2P demand is huge and YM also funnels a lot of passenger through BEG, while JU carries a lot of transfers to Montenegro. There would have probably been double the passenger numbers if Serbian citizens didn't need a PCR test to enter Montenegro.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:13

      I think this code-share is one of the reasons why OS suspended VIE-TGD. YM simply realized what the reality is and that besides BEG there is no other hub that can provide them with enough revenue. We all remember their disastrous plan to cooperate with OU which doesn't even have serious waves of departure out of ZAG.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:56

      LH Group failing in ex-YU is great news for JU especially in places like MNE.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous12:58

      Nonsence. LH group isnt falling in ex yu and especialy not in MNE where they operate flights only to VIE by OS. TIV flights were usually only for leisure pourpose.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous14:42

      You are writing nonsense. OS suspended TGD flights due to poor loads.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous15:10

      "Austrian Airlines is temporarily suspending its flights between Vienna and Podgorica due to low demand resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Services will end with immediate affect and will be restored on December 17. They will run twice per week until January 4 after which they will increase to three per week. Montenegro Airlines will continue to connect Podgorica and Vienna with a two weekly service."

      Temporarily suspened flights, not totally suspenend. So you are talking nonsense, because temporarily suspending flights isnt leaving the market forever. So no, LH group isnt failing in MNE or any other market in comparasion to other airlines.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous16:01

      If they are not failing then it means the opposite is true which would mean they are thriving? Suspending a destination (temporarily or indefinitely) is not a sign of a thriving business. So yes, LH Group is indeed failing in ex-YU. Are you aware that currently there are no LH flights to the ex-YU from MUC.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous17:43

      So JU is also falling? OU is also failling? TK is also failing? AF ia also failling? SU? LO? All these airlines temporarily suspended some of the routes? How is then thriving?

      Delete
    11. Anonymous18:12

      Well some are more affected than others are. For example, look at the morning departures from VIE tomorrow:

      06.55 KL AMS B737
      07.35 LH FRA E95
      07.45 OS VIE Q400

      Then nothing until 09.25 when BT takes off for RIX followed by 10.30 Pegasus to SAW.

      Austrian Airlines and Vienna airport are suffering much more than others. Even Wizz Air kept only one route out of Vienna. So yes, obviously everyone is suffering but some are more than others. OS is operating just 10% of their last year's flights in November.

      Munich used to handle 120.000 passengers a day last November, this year it's just 10.000. Lufthansa almost completely shut down their operations there.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:09

    What are they going to do? Are they reducing the number of employees?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:13

      Yes
      https://www.exyuaviation.com/2020/09/montenegro-airlines-launches-redundancy.html

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:10

    Dinosaur

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous09:11

    I am not surprised about Zurich performing so badly. With JU going wild on BEG-ZRH they offer so many different options from MNE. Much more flexibility than YM.

    It also doesn't help YM that they have a code-share with JU so many passengers also use them to transfer in BEG to various desitnations including those that YM flies to directly like LJU, ZRH or FRA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:12

      Agree +1

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:15

      Someone wrote the other day that TIV and TGD are no longer in top five destinations from BEG.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:11

    I'm guessing those free economy meals won't be staying for much longer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:21

      Montenegro Airlines is still the only true legacy airline left in ex-Yu.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:25

      They fly 8 routes. Does it really matter?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:27

      What does "true legacy" mean? You get food and drinks for free on OU flights also.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:25

      Now that from next Spring Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian are going to start charging for food and drink, OU usually copy them on everything and I'm sure will start charging also.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:04

      LH Group is going to suffer but also airports that relied on their traffic. From December 1st, MUC will be shutting down T1 as there are not enough passengers.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous12:52

      But that doesnt mean OU has not level of service as "true legacy".

      Delete
    7. Anonymous20:50

      It means 20kg luggage for free

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:12

    I don't know if anyone notice that YM is selling and advertising Moscow flights via BEG. I assume the Belgrade-Moscow sector is operated by Air Serbia?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:14

      Yes, JU resumed SVO recently. Flight on Monday is almost sold out which is great. JU also has codeshare with SU so there is even more flexibility.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:17

      I see, thank you

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:30

    I'm very interested to see what will happen with Montenegro Airlines. Since its creation, MGX was run by one party which was in power in Montenegro for 50+ years. Now that there is a change I do wonder what the new administration will do. I assume there will be a complete change of management but we will see in which direction the airline will go.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:34

      Maybe even close cooperation with JU?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:53

      The relatively new CEO seems quite reasonable, we will see what happens.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:57

      Did he work for the airline before? Is he from the aviation sector?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:03

      I think some consolidation in this region is necessary.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:14

      MAT, JA and JP going bust was definitely part of regional consolidation.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous13:37

      Consolidation on what basis is necesary?

      Delete
    7. Anonymous14:44

      Based on the fact that there are too many airlines in a relatively small market. Not every state in ex-YU needs its own national airline.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous17:31

      "MGX was run by one party which was in power in Montenegro for 50+ years."

      Which party has been in power in MNE for 50 years?

      Delete
    9. Anonymous17:46

      DPS. Previously known as the communist party of Montenegro.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous08:54

      Very true. Actually, different nuances of the "reds" have been in power uninterruptedly for over 75 years in Montenegro. The latest refreshing was long overdue.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:35

    Figures would have been much better if politics didn't get in the way and Montenegro allowed Serbian citizens into the country back in June/July when they allowed the rest.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:41

    Montenegro keeps winning...?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous09:42

    Good luck MGX. Hope they find their feet in the post corona era

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:45

      They've been finding their feet for decades...

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:45

    Tragic

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous09:54

    Whatever happened to the concession of Montenegro's airports? They started the process and then just stopped (this was well before corona). I ask because Montenegro Airlines' future depends a lot on what happens with the airports.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:09

      Not gonna happen. New government will have to decide what to do.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:19

      Which airport group would try for a concession now. No one. Not in the immediate future.

      Delete
    3. At this time no clue about future of the airline. Airports most probably will not be sold.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous09:54

    Wow

    They could be called Belgrade airlines.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:08

      They are making the most of what they can.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous10:04

    A big issue for MGX is the Russian market. It remains close d

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:09

      They hope it will resume next month. They scheduled LED.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:10

      620k passengers just between Moscow and Tivat last year...

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:12

      The demand is crazy

      Delete
  16. Anonymous10:11

    They seem to have only 1 operative Fokker. What is happening to the rest?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:17

      Most are unfit to fly. I believe they are looking to sell the planes for spare parts.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:43

      As some people here would say, a true legacy carrier.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous10:16

    Great news for Montenegro Airlines is that JU is putting greater emphasis on Russia. This is a key market for them in terms of tourism and JU was supposed to have flights to SVO, LED, KRR and ROV this summer. This is a great opportunity for YM!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:46

    TGD has 4 departures today, VIE and three BEG. On Sunday there are 8 flights, 4 to BEG, FRA, IST, ZRH and FRA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:48

      TIV on the weekend has a total of 4 departures, all to BEG.

      Delete
  19. what terrible numbers, not the airlines fault though.. anyone know why Montenegro residents cant fly to other EU countries ? isn't Montenegro in the EU ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:48

      They are an EU and NATO member so it is indeed odd.

      Delete
    2. Montenegro is not in the EU, but they are in NATO.

      Delete

Post a Comment

EX-YU Aviation News does not tolerate insults, excessive swearing, racist, homophobic or any other chauvinist remarks or provocative posts with the intention of creating further arguments. A full list of comment guidelines can be found here. Thank you for your cooperation.