Airports across the former Yugoslavia are continuing to claw back their passenger numbers at an uneven pace with the ten busiest handling 9.901.052 travellers during the first three quarters of the year. Among them, Belgrade, Pristina and Split ranked within Europe’s top 100 busiest airports, with the Serbian capital outperforming its traditionally busier counterparts in Stuttgart, Thessaloniki, Sofia, Helsinki and Venice. Pristina was ahead of Malta, Rome Ciampino and Riga, while Split outperformed Keflavik (Reykjavik) and Luxembourg. During the first three quarters, Skopje overtook Zagreb, while Ljubljana fell further behind, now the least busiest of the former Yugoslav capital city airports.
Q1 - Q3 performance
The Kosovo travel market recorded the fastest pace of recovery in Europe during the January - September period, and was just 15% behind its pre-pandemic traffic record. On the other the Slovenian market is one of the most affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and was in the bottom four in terms of recovery, ahead of only Finland, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Overall, Ljubljana Airport ranked as Europe’s 166th busiest airport among 300 airports counted by Airport Council International Europe (ACI). Elsewhere on the continent, Istanbul’s main airport remained the busiest, albeit with a 51% decline on 2019 passenger levels. It was followed by Moscow Sheremetyevo, Moscow Domodedovo and Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen.
ACI Europe sees passenger traffic at Europe’s airports improving from an estimated -60% this year to -32% in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic 2019 volumes. A full recovery is expected to be achieved only in 2025 (+1%). ACI’s Director General, Olivier Jankovec, said, “Fully restoring unconstrained global travel remains a long way off and looks set to be an uneven and volatile process - conditioned by further progress on vaccination and the evolution of the epidemiological situation. The level of pent-up demand is staggering, fuelled by the savings accumulated by consumers through this pandemic. But there are also significant supply pressures that will slow down the pace of the recovery”. He added, “These include structurally downsized airlines with significant reductions in their aircraft fleet and workforce, rising fuel costs and inflationary pressures, the lasting impact of airport slot waivers and the fact that capacity disciplined airlines will be exercising pricing power”.
Interesting to see that non EU airports in ex-Yu have much faster pace of recovery than the ones in Slovenia and Croatia.
ReplyDeleteIn general non EU countries in Europe are performing better even though they have much stricter travel requirments imposed on them.
DeleteThis winter will be very difficult for EU airports again with most countries reintroducing travel bans, lockdowns and so on.
DeleteIsn't this because a lot of west European countries have a lot of transfer passengers and Eastern European countries don't. While traveling in Europe has become quite normal again, overseas travel to for instance the USA and other countries is still difficult.
DeleteThe good news for BEG is that the EU announced today that they will recognize the COVID-19 certificate from Serbia. That should have a direct impact on travel.
Deletebecause there is an exodus, for example from Serbia : 150 people are buying one-way tickets every day...
DeleteLjubljana's results are just embarrassing. Capital city, EU airport... should be doing much better.
ReplyDeleteNo national airline, turned down offers from six airlines. What else to expect?
Delete+1000 last comment
DeleteAnd some other portals present that number of "big foreign airlines" flying to certain city is the most important thing :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like Mahan Air has resumed flights to BEG with a once weekly service on Sundays. First flight arrived yesterday.
ReplyDeleteNo. It's a one off unfortunately. No flights planned for the rest of the year.
DeleteFull recovery only in 2025? This is getting worse and worse. It constantly gets delayed.
ReplyDeleteRecovery will be quicker than most industry bodies think.
DeleteI really hope so but doesn't look like it for most airports.
DeleteIt's not getting worse. Predictions last year was full recovery no earlier than 2024, so nothing here has really changed. Some markets will recover faster than others as we see in the article.
DeleteSome markets might not recover as quickly due to competition being able to take advantage of the situation.
Wow a real shame for Ljubljana
ReplyDeleteThese figures are really sad in general.
ReplyDeleteProportionally, they are better than most of Europe.
DeleteI think this is the first time 3 airports in EX-YU are in the top 100 :D
ReplyDeleteBoy how the rankings have changed. Crazy
DeleteThey are not standard and I doubt they will be this way next year.
DeleteIt is unbelievable that PRN has double the passengers comparing to ZAG.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the results
ReplyDeleteI think BEG will end the year with 3 million pax which isn't bad all things considered.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Podgorica is managing those numbers. They are doing better than I expected, especially since there is no YM.
ReplyDeleteTivat too with no flights from Russia
DeleteBut they have Air Montenegro which has pretty much replaced YM.
DeleteAir Montenegro is nowhere near the size of Montenegro Airlines.
DeleteYour comment suggests that YM was a large airline, which it wasn't. Air Montenegro is not that much smaller.
DeleteSo Podgorica, Sarajevo and Tivat all took over Ljubljana compared to 2019.
ReplyDeleteWell Tuzla has just a little bit less than Ljubljana.
DeleteAnd SJJ overtook Podgorica :)
DeleteAnd there is a good chance Sarajevo will overtake Tivat as well until the end of the year. After October 2021 Tivat stands at 650k while Sarajevo is at 635k.
DeleteThe PRN figures are extremely impressive.
ReplyDeleteGenerated by many gastos who could not travel last year.
DeleteSo? Does it matter who it is generated by?
DeleteBig differences between the top 4
ReplyDeleteWe can conclude Split will be Croatia's busiest this year.
ReplyDeleteIronically the busiest in ex-Yu had its citizens unable to enter the EU for the first 6 months of the year.
ReplyDeleteBelgrade has managed to weather the storm and avoid collapse.
DeleteCorrect anon 9.18. Otherwise the difference between them and the rest would have been even bigger.
Deleteanon 9.18: so, who was travelling? It just shows that vast majority of passengers flying from/to those ex-Yu countries are not affected by any restrictions (these are passengers flying outbound from EU or passengers with residence permits in the EU).
Delete^ If you read yesterday's news you would have seen that 10% of Air Serbia's passenger traffic was generated by leisure charters to Turkey and Egypt. On top of that Belgrade's busiest routes were in non-EU markets. So obviously, passengers found alternatives.
DeleteThe good news is that the EU has announced that today it will recognize the Serbian Covid certificate across all member states. So travel will be much easier.
Delete:(
ReplyDeleteConsidering the situation, some have held up quite well.
ReplyDeleteWaiting for SJJ numbers to explode next month with all the new Wizz routes.
ReplyDeleteI already expected Sarajevo's numbers to "explode" this summer with all the Gulf carriers and Wizz Air routes. But it didn't happen.
DeleteBelgrade too.
DeleteIn all honesty I don't think 4 new Wizz routes from mid December will make much of a difference at BEG.
Delete@9.36 take travel restrictions into account.
DeleteGoodness what happened in Finland for them to be doing so poorly?
ReplyDeleteI assume restrictive entry requirements?
DeleteThe more problematic thing is that revenue and profits have declined heavily. While governments are helping out their airlines, many have forgotten their airports.
ReplyDeleteSome are helping. Croatian government gave guarantees for ZAG concessionaire to take out a loan twice in last 12 months.
DeleteLjubljana Airport also got aid from the Slovenian government.
DeleteBosnian airports too.
DeleteNext year, Zagreb's numbers will be the same like 2 years ago.
ReplyDeleteBEG actually improved its European rank.
ReplyDeleteBecause other airports did equally as bad.
DeleteIf other airport did "equally as bad" than the ranking would have been the same as in the past. Obviously BEG didn't do as bad as others. Credit where credit is due.
DeleteHelps when you have a national carrier and an LCC based there.
DeleteTrue
DeleteDoesn't Croatia have the same?
DeleteYes but that base was opened a few months ago, not 10 years ago.
DeleteWhat a stupid comment. Helps when you have airlines flying to and from an airport... Well, duuuh! Captain obvious right here.
DeleteAlso, just like BEG, ZAG existed 10 years ago too. What's your point?
I wonder why.
DeleteAll airports All over the world have been hit by steep passenger decline. And things won't be getting back to 2019 levels for 3-5 years at best.
ReplyDeleteThings will get better.
ReplyDeleteThis will be a long and difficult recovery.
DeleteMore has to be done to reverse these negative trends.
ReplyDeleteLike what?
DeleteTIA overtook many ex-Yu airports this year.
ReplyDeleteHow many passengers did they have in the first three quarters?
Delete2,130,936
DeleteThat's a good result.
DeletePRN has achieved incredible results. I can't believe the difference with BEG is not that huge anymore.
ReplyDeletePRN could have a better result at the end of the year than in 2019.
DeleteWhat drove these strong numbers for PRN?
DeleteDiaspora without travel restrictions and elections in February when everyone returned to vote.
DeleteFirst reason is that LCC presence at PRN is much stronger than in past. Most passengers from Kosovo fly to/from SKP because of Wizz.
DeleteI think most of the growth came from the rout operators. They leased Trade Air plane and started many routes.
DeleteTIA and PRN seem to have the lowest negative percentages in Europe. I remember that there were so many foreign carriers operating between PRN and Switzerland. Similar to BEG, Switzerland remains the most important market.
DeleteCrazy... ZAG only 58% ahead of Sarajevo...
ReplyDeleteA major issue is still the price of testing which is required by almost all destinations. Until that is in place or those prices are in place, recovery will be slow.
ReplyDeleteYes, very expensive, especially for families travelling together.
DeleteZagreb is still waiting for Ryanair effect?
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteThey expected it would be seen in September but this expectation has been postponed to December.
Let's see if it would come at all. My prediction is that passengers will only migrate from legacy carriers to Ryanair, so therefore there will be no Ryanair effet or will it will be very minor.
Actually September result has already shown that.
Ryan effect was seen because you had only 2% less passengers in September than August. No exyu airport has done that. This is just a start of Ryan effect which will positivly effect ZAG.
DeleteRyan will create totally new market because people will be able to travel more for less money.
2% is nothing taking in consideration how many destinations Ryanair opened. Literally nothing! Let's not forget that their LF was in range 40-55% and it is terrible even for legacy and especially bad for ULCC in the country with so weal national carrier.
DeleteDo not forget that all the flights are on their web site 7 months already and everyone who wanted to fly could have purchased the ticket already and their sales results in ZAG are pathetic.
Ryan had about 15 routes with 2-4 weakly flights on each. Its not to much.
DeleteWhere did you got info of 45% LF? Its totally not true.
Ryanair shows its positive effect on ZAG and thats immportant. They lauched new routes and passenger numbers became more stable. If they are doing so bad as you are saying they wouldnt open new routes or increase frequencies.
You think it is only 15 routes? I would say it is huge and I would never say it is not too much especially in the case of ZAG that has not seen many new destinations for a long time.
DeleteTry to read your fellow that likes to be seen as "analyst" of ex-yu region and his information about Ryanair's LF in ZAG. I am sure he is wrong but at least we could have some fun.
Of course they are opening new routes as they don't know which one of them will be working but I have got some feeling boy that Paphos or Malaga in the midlle of winter won't be much successful.
Actually I am sure of it, but once it gets proven please spare me your comments that "it was going to be expected".
ZAG had only 2% decrease in comparation to August in September. Its obviously these routes did positive effect. You cannot expect better when the largest airline at ZAG, OU, didnt resume LIS, OTP, PRG, MXP, ARN, OSL, TLV and HEL.
DeleteHis info is not "his" but inveted by his writer from Novi Sad who made wrong calulation with wrong informations. Why are you using it then? Are you then also using an info that RO in Oradea has effect on JU in BEG?
"it was going to be expected" this is only used when some airline cancelles BEG. I never used it.
Well, i belive Ryan will be quite succesful on Zagreb. People were saying how no one will come to Croatia this year, how no one trust us so there will be no passengers, how 3 mil. passengers in 2021. is unrealistic dream, how there will be only few flights from US to DBV because "there is no demand for 8 weakly flights".
* I believe
Delete*in ZAG
Zagreb did not have 15 new routes in 15 last years so therefore all these routes must have brought much, much better results. And they didn't.
DeleteWhoever calculated this LF is not important as long as HE published it.
Later on he tried to correct himself claiming that "high person" in ZAG confirmed to him that LF got increased to 55%. Even if we assume it is true (and I doubt it) it is still terrible LF for FR.
The result of Croatian aviation you can clearly find in above spreadsheet saying your country lost 62,7% passengers. One of the worst results in the region and especially in eastern Europe.
Thay did. Zagreb only fell 2% in comparation to August. Its obviously did positive effect. Also you should consider that many OU routes didnt resume and long haul routes didnt resume. In comparasiom, Sofia fell 15% in comparation to August. Ryan did have positive effect.
DeleteHis LF is wrong. You should not refer to it.
You are obviously blind. Croatia lost 62.7%, Italy 69.1%, Spain 64.2%, Malta 72%, Portugal 64%. Better then Croatia did only Greece, Turkey and Montenegro. Croatia did no better and no worse then other Mediterranian countries. Its quite an average. And still bunch of negative predictions here were wrong about Croatia.
What did they? Received 15 new routes ? Which? There was Toronto, Dublin, Seoul, Dubai, St. Petersburg, Lisbon and that's it. Quite soon after launching Zagreb Emirates and Korean stopped flying during the winter as soon as financial support from Zagreb dried out.
DeleteAnd how do you now he is wrong? Cristal ball? Or you strongly wish to believe he is wrong, kid?
Which part of my sentence didn't you understand? I said one of the worst result in the region and in eastern Europe. Since when Spain, Italy, Malta and Portugal belong to eastern Europe and the region?
Next time try to read the words carefully, otherwise you might be ridiculed.
Croatia didnt resume LIS, TLV, OTP, HEL, OSL, ARN, PRG, MXP, OMO, LED while many routes were reduced. Korean didnt return, same as Emirates, Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat because of restrictions. This is 14 routes + you have some more like BRU with Bruxelles.
DeleteBecause his LF was calculated with wrong information, kid.
Croatia is one of the mediterranian countries because it has more similar aviation market with these countries. It is its region. And of course that countries like Ukraine, Kosovo, Albania, Moldova will not fall that much because even before the pandemic there werent a lot of passengers or they were mainly concetraded on few markets.
And you know that Ryan introduced more flights around winter holidays? Obviosly they are doing great.
So, not so many new destination, right? At least we cleared that out. Everything else is nothing but spin.
DeleteYou still haven't replied how you know what is LF of Ryanair in ZAG. Maca pojela jezik?
All the destinations you mentioned were either quite new or seasonal so these routes were all but serious. How long did OU fly to OTP, HEL or LED? Was it only seasonally? When was the last time OU flew to ARN? Pathetic, kid. Just pathetic.
Croatia belongs to Eastern Europe no matter if you like it or not and you are very, very far away from countries like Spain or Portugal. In every sense.
I wonder in which hole will you hide once you see how "big success" Ryan is having in ZAG? At the time when I mentioned here that KE had terrible LF in ZAG there were here smart guys just like you telling me it is BS. Quite soon it became cruel reality for ZAG.
You just wait.
What do you even want to point? That ZAG didnt positive effect of Ryanairs 15 routes which were in operation in September? Ok, if you want to think that is true ok, but you should also consider that there was only 2% fall in September in comparasion with August. Other airports didnt do that good.
DeleteThere were more then 15 routes that didnt resume this year because of OUs stupidity and travel restrictions towards many markets. Whats your point? These routes didnt exist? They didnt have any effect on ZAG? This is really pathetic, kid.
Croatia does not belongs in any sense to Eastern Europe. Same as any exyu country. Croatia is mediterranian country with many aviation market similarities with other mediterranian countries. And these countries had similar results as Croatia so its obviously that Croatia did as good result as similar markets. Many times we hear here that you should not compare Croatia with Serbia in passenger number because Croatia has a coast. Where did this logic disapear?
Where you will hide? You where metioning how Malaga will not be succesful but sudenly FR is introducing additional flights during the holidays. Im waiting.
"You still haven't replied how you know what is LF of Ryanair in ZAG. Maca pojela jezik?"
DeleteA eto ti znaš koliki je. Evo ja kažem da ne znam, ali također znam da je onaj LF krivo izračunat tako što je informacija da Ryan ima 14.2% letova u ZAGu shvaćena kao daa Ryan ima 14.2% putnika. Je li ti onda znaš da dokažeš svoju poantu ili je sve što imaš informaciju onog nazovi bože analitičara?
Ryanair has terrible results and terrible LF in ZAG. No need to point anything out, it is clear. Full stop.
DeleteAlso there are other countries in the region which also did not return all their flights but they are even with Ryan in ZAG in much better position than Croatia and especially Zagreb.
Listen, kid. If there was any effect of FR flights in ZAG September would go on 220.000 and it did not even reach 200.000. So, wake up and smell the roses.
Whole ex Yugoslavia belongs and belonged to eastern Europe, except in the dreams. There it can be anything you want it to be.
Oh, boy, I will be right here, proving you wrong for "great" FR results in ZAG.
Ja ne tvrdim da znam koliki je Ryanov LF u Zagrebu vec navodim izjavu vaseg vrsnog analiticara. A ti to pobijas a da istovremeno nemas nikakav drugi podatak. Takav nacin komunikacije je na nivou deteta i ja sam tim ne zelim da imam nikakve veze.
Ok great, so you know obviously know that Ryan had positive effect on ZAG.
DeleteWe are currently discusing effects of Ryanair. If there were no Ryanair there wouldnt be only 2% fall in comparation to August. Which exyu airport had that results? No one i suppose.
Listen kid, if you had only 2% fall in September in comparasion to August there is obviosly something good that happend and had positive effect. You are obviously blind if you dont see it.
Exyu is not Eastern Europe. No one, except you, considers it as a part of Eastern Europe. Still, Croatia is more similar to Mediterranian countries so comparing its results to Eastern European countries to prove bad results in Croatia is pointless. Croatian market is similar to other EU mediterranian countrie who didint do nothing much better or worse this year.
Ok. Did you said that Malaga will fail while reality is that they are introducing so more flights around winter holidays? Lol.
Dolaziš ovdje mi objasniti kako Ryan ima loš LF u Zagrebu bez iti jednog legitimnog izvora. Točnije, jedini izvor ti je izbrisani tekst samoprozvanog analitičara gdje mu je dopisnik iz Srbije izvadio podatak sa ovog portala o 14.2% udjela u broju letova i shvatio ga kao 14.2% putnika, a onda je s tim izračunao LF. Kažeš da Ryan ima užasne rezultate? Ok, što podržava tu tvoju teoriju? Koji su ti dokazi, logika?
Kažeš Ryan nije imao utjecaj u Zagrebu u 9. mjesecu i da je imao utjecaja imao bi 220.000 putnika. Ok, što drži tu tvoju teoriju? Koje kalkulacije? Ne vidiš da je pad bio tek 2% u usporedbi sa 8. mj. a na ostalim aerodromima razlika je daleko veća? Nisi naveo ama baš ništa već konstantno spominješ kako je rezlutat katastrofalan, kako nema putnika, bla bla. Sve bez ikakvog izvora, kalkulacije, dokaza... U međuvremenu je Ryan povisio frekvencije na svojim linijama tijekom zime uključujući Malagu.
Belgrade really clearly stands out from the competition and surely does not belong to the same league as other ex-Yugoslav airports.
ReplyDeleteBEG is a big guy 🙏🏾✌🏾
DeleteBEG is in a league of its own.
DeleteComparing to other ex-yu airports BEG is in much higher league.
DeleteWhat league is that?
DeleteLeague of 5-15 million passengers airports.
DeleteWhy is Zadar not included? As far as I can see, Zadar had 430 811 pax from 1.1.2021. to 30.9.2021?
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeletesomeone knows which airport 99 and 100. position now?
Thanks.