easyJet decimates EX-YU network


Low cost carrier easyJet is significantly reducing its operations to cities in the former Yugoslavia over the coming months with some routes to be either discontinued or temporarily suspended. Within the region, the airline maintains winter operations to Pristina, Belgrade, Skopje and Ljubljana, with its flights to Kosovo the only ones to be unaffected. The airline will implement the most cuts out of Belgrade, from which it will be temporarily suspending all of its operations from mid-January until early February. Flights from Basel and Geneva will be put on hiatus for just over two weeks, while services from Berlin will be terminated based on the airline’s existing plans. The last service is scheduled for January 10. The route will continue to be maintained by Air Serbia.

easyJet’s recently launched service between Geneva and Skopje will be temporarily suspended between January 17 and February 4. However, at this point, the budget carrier has not scheduled any flights between the two cities over the 2022 summer season, with the last service set to operate on March 25. Flights are due to return from the 2022/2023 winter season in late October of next year. Further changes remain highly likely. Elsewhere, easyJet will reduce its operations between London Gatwick and Ljubljana to just one flight per week between January 9 and February 11, after which services will grow back to between four and five per week.

easyJet recently announced it was terminating its seasonal summer flights from London Luton, Milan Malpensa and Toulouse to Dubrovnik, while services from Belfast to Split have also been cut. This is on top of the routes that were discontinued earlier this year, which included services from Venice and London Stansted to both Dubrovnik and Split, as well as from Southend to Dubrovnik and Newcastle to Split. easyJet has also cancelled plans to introduce flights from London Luton to Ljubljana. Services were initially scheduled to commence last year but have been constantly delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, easyJet’s sole remaining service to Ljubljana is London Gatwick. This represents a significant retreat for the airline from the Slovenian market, which, prior to the pandemic and following the collapse of Adria Airways in September 2019, was the country’s largest carrier. Last year, easyJet terminated its flights from both London Stansted and Berlin to Ljubljana.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:02

    Sad, especially considering their presence in ex-Yu rather small outside of summer in Croatia.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous09:03

    Why doesn't Berlin seem to work for them in this region? Furst they cut Ljubljana, not BEG.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:17

      Seems to be working for them to PRN.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:03

    We can now all be honest and say that it's not ljubljanas management to blame. Low cost carriers are becoming more and more unreliable and more and more revenue hungry.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:06

      tbh i was hoping summer 22 will be close to normal but it looks like it will be far from that.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:12

      Aviation will never return to how it was pre-pandemic.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:04

    wow that's a shame :(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous09:04

    Just another example of how corona will have a long lasting impact on airlines. For those that think everything will magically go back to normal.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:05

    Could Wizz Air take over these routes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:06

      I don't see W6 taking over the Berlin route. As for the others, perhaps.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:09

      Why not? They fly there from Skopje and Tuzla

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:10

      Wizz will operate BSL-BEG without discontinuations.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:12

      ^ How is that related to Berlin?

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:05

    Depressing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous09:06

    LJU keeps on winning!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:08

      LOL

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:08

      At least the flights aren't suspended. Could have been worse. Last winter we had no LCCs.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:09

    I don't get their approach with Skopje. They won't fly there the whole of summer?? What are they smoking?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      It is very odd. Even on their website it says route won't operate during summer 2022 :/

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:41

      You would think that is when they would have the most traffic.

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    3. Anonymous09:42

      Also one would guess they got the incentive from TAV to operate at least for the full year.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:47

      Maybe they are simply not performing well on the route.

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    5. Anonymous09:50

      If that was the case they would not have scheduled flights from winter 2022/23 already.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:55

      Same happened to MXP from TIA and they ended up terminating it completely. Hopefully it won't happen in this case.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:57

      The winter flights are loaded because they just initially copy the previous winter timetable and then they manually make changes.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:00

      I guess the majority of passengers from Switzerland to Skopje are from Kosovo, and Kosovo is very well served to Switzerland so there is no point.

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    9. Anonymous10:06

      Is there no Macedonian diaspora in Switzerland? With all these flights to PRN nowadays i don't see the point of flying to SKP.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous11:33

      @10.06 why do you even reply to him trolling?

      Delete
    11. Anonymous12:02

      It was just a question. I genuinely don't know if there are many Macedonians living around GVA that can supply these flights. Albanians maybe?

      Delete
    12. Anonymous12:34

      the approach is simple they use the summer slots for other seasonal routes for swiss citizens. Balkans routes is always the second choice. Edelweiss did the same (they have more freq in winter then in summer to SKP). Wizz and Chair are pretty much very happy about it.

      I agree tho. my first reaction was as well "they must be insane"

      Delete
    13. Anonymous13:06

      Thanks for the explanation. Makes a bit more sense now.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous13:33

      That makes no sense. They will either publish the summer schedule soon or terminate the flights altogether.

      Delete
    15. Anonymous16:16

      Just checked that easyJet fares from SKP to GVA are dirty cheap. Don't think there might be much demand after all?

      Delete
    16. easy jet have to fly Skopje-Basel ..it's a bigger market than Geneve....on The euroairport home page they are 4 Weekly flight from Basel to Skopje beging 28 march EZS1149/1150

      Delete
    17. 17 comments in and nobody has any clue yet, with highlights being kafana-like market assumptions. Never change, anonymous crowd @ exyu.

      SKP is closed for month and a half during spring and that clashed with their scheduling so they left it to be resolved in a couple of months. It's likely they will put peak summer in the schedule once they've dealt with the current Omicron onslaught.

      Delete
    18. Anonymous01:03

      Really unprofessional for an airline of easyjet's size not to already have a flight schedule in place for summer for Skopje just because airport will inaccessible to them for 2 months.

      Delete
    19. Anonymous01:03

      And btw Ohrid will be offered as alternative, which they could use.

      Delete
    20. Anonymous03:38

      Oh Anon 22:06 - come on, man....why are you twisting the facts? easyJet was quite optimistic about GVA but they should have tried BSL instead just like anon 20:17 said.
      Also if they know the airport will be closed as you say, why launch "temporary" flights and then leave it just like that until October 2022 when the new flights are bookable (IF they are bookable). The fact is that SKP has already been covered 97% by Wizzair and the rest and it would be difficult to secure new flights like we saw what happened with Kyiv, Peterburg, Barcelona, Dubai and Doha to name a few.....

      Delete
  10. Anonymous09:09

    Now we will get again 250+ Euro fares to Berlin from Belgrade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:10

      Yes it would be interesting to monitor JU prices on this route now. They were very competitive and rather cheap.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:41

      Well I guess their tactic worked. They got rid of easy.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:04

      If you can't afford it, don't fly. There is no god given route to over cheap flights.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:11

    What's going on with easyjet? Last year they also cut a lot of routes to ex-Yu. None of them were restored.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:15

      It's affected by Covid like every other airline in the world.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:53

      Their finances are quite poor.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:53

      easyjet's that is.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:17

    Good news for JU I guess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:39

      Certainly. One less competitor to Germany.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:20

    Crazy how easyjet has withdrawn from the Slovenian market more and more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:40

      It is reflective of their treatment from the Slovenian government. They were the only one "disqualified" from receiving state subsidy while other airlines like Swiss, which did not even meet the subsidy criteria as they did not fly to Ljubljana got money.

      Delete
    2. Easyjet is just broke and can not afford flying everywhere. Now they only want to fly to a specific airport if governments give them money or if there is a huge opportunity. Easyjet is loosing big against Ryanair and Wizzair

      Delete
  14. Anonymous09:21

    Easyjet is losing to Wizz Air.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:25

      I don't think they were ever "wining" against easyjet in ex-Yu anyway.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:31

      Wasn't Wizz Air offering to buy them just a few months ago?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:32

      It was more of a dummy offer for PR purposes.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:39

      How was it PR? I mean we are talking about big money potentially being lost for a PR stunt had easyjet accepted.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:54

      They knew the offer would never be accepted.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous09:22

    demand is still soft and getting worse at the moment.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous09:23

    I have a feeling they will schedule flights Berlin-Belgrade in a month or two. Also I think they will eventually schedule Geneva flights to Skopje for the summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:37

      Fingers crossed.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:38

      Fingers crossed. They did that once with GVA-BEG. They didn't load schedule around 2 weeks before.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous09:26

    wow they have a very light presence in ex-Yu in winter in general. I can't believe they don't fly a single route to Croatia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:31

      They used to fly to ZAG once upon a time.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:55

      ex-Yu markets are not an area of interest to them unlike FR and W6.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:56

      Their costs are also higher than those two, meaning they have to performance much better to make money.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous09:32

    So pretty much all of the main LCCs - Ryan, Wizz and easy - have all heavily reduced flights to ex-Yu republics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:35

      They have heavily reduced schedules from everywhere in Europe, not just ex-Yu. In fact, ex-Yu got off better than others.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:53

      The only difference is that Ryanair's and Wizz Air's suspensions are temporary. EasyJet are usually permanent.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:37

    They have no flights to BEG at all for a few weeks in January :O

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous09:51

    These LCC suspensions are not good at all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:59

      That's what you get with companies focused on profit and nothing else but profit. Sevice and loyalty are non-exisiting words in their dictionary.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:10

      Just like the word profit is absent from the dictionary of exyu national carriers.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous01:19

      true haha

      Delete
  21. Anonymous10:04

    Come to Bosnia please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:06

      With Wizz in SJJ I doubt it.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous10:06

    What I find funny is that the situation is not as bad as last year demand wise yet airlines are still cutting routes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:06

      Airlines were in a better financial state last year.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:09

      Last winter easy cut almost everything.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:11

      Yes but they were temporary suspension.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:25

      Well it's definitely not good either. Cases are exploding right now and with omicron scam it will only get worse this winter. These airlines know exactly what they're doing.

      Delete
  23. Anonymous10:14

    Either way, BEG-GVA was always a route with issues even before Corona. Either way too many carriers or cuts or withdrawals. This was ever since Baboo or Etihad region, etc, etc

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:20

      But BEG-GVA will keep operating from early February.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous10:20

    Good news for Croatia Airlines from Split at least. More pax for their seasonal Gatwick and Heathrow flights.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous10:20

    :(

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous10:24

    Not good but primarily for easyjet. I'm sure the airports will find an alternative.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:35

      Like LJU found an alternative for Berlin?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:39

      And London?

      Delete
  27. Anonymous10:24

    Unfortunately, I fear there will be more such announcements by various airlines.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:29

      Definitely

      Delete
    2. Anonymous01:05

      More to come this winter sadly.

      Delete
  28. Anonymous12:07

    Are they launching any new route next summer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:14

      Only Glasgow - Pula in June for a grand total of 2 months.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous01:02

      Hopefully more routes will be added.

      Delete
  29. I worked in travel..based UK specialising in ex YU countries..all are fantastic. Covid ended my career. I cannot tell you how the pandemic is affecting traveller confidence. it is massive. Dubrovnik is always top from UK. by this point in December flights to DBV for April onwards would be 25-30 p cent full.
    many many people have decided not to fly. UK hotels and seaside houses are renting well..people staying in uk for next holiday. it is awful.
    I use Easyjet LGW-PUY often..they have already changed/ cancelled my flights on this route 4 times for April.
    not good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous01:12

      I can imagine. Hope things imporve

      Delete
  30. Anonymous17:05

    Easyjet Switzerland seems to be the only one in the Easyjet family to have a basic understanding of the Ex Yu market .
    Easyjet Europe on the other side seems to prefer cancelling as soon as possible after a short half-hearted try .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous19:02

      basic understanding?

      by not flying Basel-Skopje while Wizz has daily flights plus a few weekly from Ohrid. not convinced at all ...

      add every other ExYu airport with Basel flights on the list

      Delete
  31. Doesn't surprise me in the least, they've shown a lack of concern for U.K. travellers for some time. As far as they're concerned travellers from North of Stansted or South of Manchester simply don't exist, and are easy prey for disrupting their travel plans.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:58

      Really? Why is that?

      Delete
    2. i think that easy will fly basel-skopje next summer..on the euroairport timetable there are load EZS1149/1150 4/7

      Delete
  32. Anonymous01:00

    It seems all LCCs are cutting schedules and it is unfortunate travel has again been turned upside down because of this new variant which has now been proven to cause mild forms of disease and, like in South Africa, case numbers have gone down drastically very quickly (without any measures whatsoever). Within a few weeks same will happen in Europe.

    ReplyDelete

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