Ukraine’s Windrose Airlines plans to commence operations between Kiev and Ljubljana at the start of 2022 summer season. The service will initially operate once per week, each Saturday starting April 2, before increasing to two weekly rotations from April 26. Tickets are yet to be put on sale. The Ukrainian carrier also had plans to launch operations between the two cities last year, but cancelled them as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Windrose has grown throughout the former Yugoslavia during the global health emergency, introducing new flights to Belgrade, Podgorica, Skopje and Zagreb, all of which are maintained on a year-round basis. The airline is primarily utilising the 49-seat Embraer 145 jet on its operations to the former Yugoslav republics but does deploy the 78-seat ATR72 turboprop on occasion. These aircraft, with limited capacity, are believed to be ideal for such new routes.
Based on OAG data, in the pre-pandemic 2019, a total of 10.068 passengers flew indirectly between Kiev and Ljubljana, making it the fourth busiest unserved route from the Slovenian capital that year. However, during last year, with the majority of Ukrainian citizens banned from entering the European Union, just 444 passengers travelled on a single itinerary between Kiev and Ljubljana. In 2019, Turkish Airlines accounted for the majority of transfers between the two capitals, holding a market share of 32%. It was followed by LOT Polish Airlines and Adria Airways, the latter shuttling passengers to Lufthansa group hubs such as Frankfurt, Vienna and Munich who then continued onwards to Kiev.
Top transfer airlines for Kiev - Ljubljana - Kiev service in 2019
Top transfer airports for Kiev - Ljubljana - Kiev service in 2019
Windrose Airlines had plans to serve Ljubljana on several occasions. 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. It is believed Windrose would be successful on the Ljubljana service due to the high volume of travellers flying between the two cities under normal circumstances, as well as the carrier’s ability to transfer passengers with short connecting times via Kiev onto its domestic network, which includes cities such as Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odessa.
Good news for LJU.
ReplyDeleteI will believe it when I see it. They have scheduled and cancelled Ljubljana so many times.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI guess TK won't be happy about this. Also let's see how these flights affect Windrose in ZAG.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the new additions from Ljubljana will impact Turkish the most. First Flydubai now Windrose, although never would have expected TK to be the number one airline for Ukraine transfers.
ReplyDeleteTK have a lot of flights to Kiev/Ukraine or at least they did before Covid. Plus good fares.
DeleteI hope these flights will stick.
ReplyDeleteThere's still some hope for LJU.
ReplyDeleteWe will see. At least this and the new Wizz flights from Luton are a start.
DeleteInteresting that there is such demand for this route.
ReplyDeleteWho flies between Ljubljana and Ukraine? Are there some stronger business ties? Ukrainians working in Slovenia? Tourism?
DeleteI would say all of the above. Ukraine is a huge market with over 40 million people.
DeleteThere’s a lot of Ukrainians in Slovenia
Delete^ Really?
DeleteI don't get how Adria failed on this route if there is solid point to point deamnd, plus they must have had some transfers.
ReplyDeleteAdria as an entire airline failed so it's not so surprising.
DeleteA good chunk of the seats on their flights will already be sold to TOs - so TOs/agencies take over the risk to sell these seats and airline has some safe income and secured min LF. This surely gives Windrose a competitive advantage
DeleteThis just confims that Windrose is cementing its position and being a leader between the Balkana and Ukraine.
ReplyDeleteSJJ and PRN are missing as destinations. Maybe INI and OHD.
SJJ would make most sense as next destination.
DeleteDo they really need that?
ReplyDeleteWhy not? With over 10,000 passengers per year without even a nonstop flight.
DeleteEX-YU do you have any number of how many indirect passengers were to other cities in Ukraine?
ReplyDeleteQuite low, all other airports have under 1.000 indirect passengers to/from Ljubljana, the most being from/to Odesa with 991, the rest in the low 100s. Although it is important to note these are only figures for passengers traveling on a single itinerary. So those that took flights with two different airlines or had their trip broken up are not counted.
DeleteGood luck
ReplyDeleteIf this route was not successful in much better times, I don't see it being during pandemic times.
ReplyDeleteJust because Adria was not successful on a route it does not mean that other airline will fail on it too. And also before pandemic LJU didn't have flights to MAD, TIV, DXB.. but now it has. So please stop spreading bullsh*t.
DeleteGreat news! LJU needs all the airlines it can get now.
ReplyDeleteWould have preferred Ukraine International. They have one of the cheapest fares and a great network.
ReplyDeleteUnlike UIA, Widndrose focuses eastwards.
DeleteGreat. Kiev is a good city break destination
ReplyDeleteIn the last few years it has not only been Windrose that has flown to Maribor. Dniproavia flew Maribor charters from Harkov.
ReplyDeleteAnyone ever flown with them? Would love to see a trip report about them here
ReplyDeleteHope the loads will be there to keep this route.
ReplyDeleteLjubljana should first get linked with a number of EU markets before lines like Kiev.
ReplyDeleteLOL it should be linked with markets that can generate passengers. Ukraine seems to be one of them.
DeleteHow long do these flights take in an ATR?
ReplyDelete2 and a half hours abouts.
DeleteThat ATR looks good in the photo. Are they new planes?
DeleteYes they are
DeleteI think we will be seeing the E145 more often than the ATR.
DeleteAll the ATRs were manufactured this year or in 2020 so they are brand new.
Delete@16.33 The E145s won't be around for much longer. They are all supposed to be retired by the end of the year. They only have 3 left in the fleet.
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
DeleteThese flights will do great. Aircraft is perfect for this kind of route as well as frequnecies.
ReplyDeleteI agree and with a 50 seat plane I think they will manage to fill them easily.
DeleteFinally!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Ljubljana. I'm glad it's recovering.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Kiev is a good city break destination.
ReplyDelete