Austrian Airlines plans to introduce a new seasonal service between Vienna and Tivat this summer as it continues to expand frequencies on its existing operations in the former Yugoslavia. According to the Montenegrin Minister for Economic Development, Jakov Milatovic, the Austrian carrier will launch the Tivat service, although the airline has not confirmed the claims. The airline is believed to be planning up to three weekly rotations between the two cities. It will complement its existing flights to Podgorica, which will be maintained twice per day during the peak summer months, with its Airbus A320-family aircraft. At the start of the summer season, in April, Austrian has 5.510 departing seats out of Podgorica, making Montenegro its fourth largest market in the former Yugoslavia.
Elsewhere in the region, Austrian Airlines plans to operate three daily flights to Belgrade, maintained by its Embraer E195 aircraft. At the start of this summer season, Serbia is Austrian’s biggest market in the former Yugoslavia with 12.934 departing seats per month. This will shift towards Croatia as the season progresses, with the Austrian carrier to run twelve weekly flights between Vienna and Zagreb, alongside a daily Split service, nine weekly Dubrovnik operation and daily Zadar flights during peak summer. In addition, Austrian will maintain a double daily Skopje, Sarajevo and Pristina rotation, although the latter will boast the most capacity, with both daily services to be run by A321 jets.
On the other hand, Austrian Airlines has notably skipped the opportunity to commence services between Vienna and Ljubljana, despite passenger figures indicating there is solid demand. Flights to the Austrian capital were one of Adria’s better performing routes, with double daily flights maintained over the summer months and an average of around 60.000 passengers per year. In late 2019, Ljubljana Airport expressed hope Austrian would commence operations from Vienna in the summer of 2020, which never materialised. Austrian Airlines had previously operated its own flights to Ljubljana, suspending its daily service at the end of the 2005 summer season. Adria Airways then increased its operations to the Austrian capital, maintaining four daily rotations until the 2009 global financial crisis.
Commenting on its summer operations, Austrian Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, Michael Trestl, noted, “After two years of the pandemic, we can see massive demand for travel. The booking numbers for holiday flights around Easter and in summer clearly prove: Austrian Airlines remains the most popular companion for your holiday and charms with typical Austrian hospitality”. The company added, “The booking curve for the upcoming summer months is currently on a steep upward trend. Austrian Airlines is reacting to this positive development: The national flag carrier flies again with its full fleet and plans a 20% improved summer offer to European holiday destinations compared to pre-Covid times”.
This would be great addition. TIV is really working hard to find alternatives to Russia/Ukraine market.
ReplyDeleteAnd LJU is doing nothing to find alternatives.
DeleteThey have an impressive line up of legacies this summer. Let's not forget that SAS is starting flights too.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/04/sas-to-launch-new-tivat-flights.html
Yes the actual SLO governement is doing nothing on connecting LJU and VIE. Sadly. If I was in charge, I'd bring and expand Air Dolomiti services to LJU and expand them in a similar way as Wizz does with SKP (other destination of course).
Delete@10.05 Turkish Airlines is also coming if they get a permit since Air Montenegro is trying to block them.
DeleteImpressive
DeleteIf they still had Dash-8 Ljubljana would be possible but now with their smallest plane being e95 I don't see them coming to ljubljana at all
ReplyDeleteDo you know what equipment they used up until 2005?
DeleteIf Adria flew twice a day with CRJs then there is no excuse for not having atleast daily E195.
DeleteAnn 9:05 i think fokkers, but lemme have a check.
DeleteIf 60k pax us not enough for them, than i don't know what us, as well as thise pax are transfering at vie so.
DeleteThe real question is who was JP carrying. Were they transfers or locals. If there were transfers then these passengers simply moved to FRA, ZRH, CDG ...
DeleteIf there were really that many locals then someone like Lauda or Austrian Airlines would have been all over the market.
I wonder if LJU-VIE/BTS would make sense for someone like FR.
Mostly transfer. But Vienna transfer network is much different from FRA/MUC, more oriented to the east and it was a great added value.
DeleteNo FR (Ryanair) in LJU pls. We have them in TRS.
DeleteWizz Air with new routes would be great though.
DeleteThere is also JU which took over a part of the market that JP served via VIE.
Delete@12.44 we need all the airlines we can get. All LCCs are at nearby airports.
DeleteI still can't believe they don't fly to Ljubljana, especially with those 60,000 passengers as mentioned in the article.
ReplyDeleteIn a sense, they do fly there. Since Austrian Airlines is just a brand in Lufthansa Group, they fly there from FRA, MUC, ZRH and BRU.
DeleteHow many of the 60,000 VIE pax were local traffic? They are the only pax that matter in this discussion since the transfer pax are served through those other LH Group hubs.
Ljubljana is yet again being ignored. I think LH has imposed this on OS so they can remain the more dominant German airline in the airport. It is simply not normal having Ljubljana being excluded or neglected all the f time. Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteYes, an irrational conspiracy is likely, right?
DeleteOr, wait, let's think. How big is the point-to-point demand between LJU and VIE? And what is the willingness to pay for those tickets? What is competition like from alternative modes of transport between the two cities? What are Austrian politicians and taxpayers saying about saving the airline through Covid to then have them fly short sectors where there are more environmentally friendly options? What is Austrian's fleet availability like? Just a few things to reflect upon. Maybe wise to do before resorting to conspiracy theories.
I remember when OS used to fly to places like Banja Luka and Mostar. They really were the number 1 foreign airline in ex-Yu.
ReplyDeleteAs an airine, they profited a lot from the break up of YU.
DeleteBoth OS and TK were smaller airlines than JAT on its top some 40 years ago. And both profited the most when Yugoslavia was destroyed. Not saying it was only dissapearance of JAT and Yugoslavia that enabled OS and TK exponential growth during last 3-4 decades, but it helped a lot. And that's, among other things, why I am so critical about current ex-yu airlines and their lost opportunities and potential, especially Croatia Airlines
DeleteDid they ever fly to Ohrid?
DeleteYes, they did.
DeleteTheir terminated routes in ex-Yu are Banja Luka, Mostar and Ohrid.
Did Montenegro Airlines used to fly Tivat-Vienna?
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteThey flew for one summer, in 2015.
DeleteWhat was the frequency?
DeleteJust one weekly
DeleteThanks
DeleteI'm surprised they didn't have greater success.
DeleteLJU keeps on winning, LJU keeps on getting new routes and airlines! Oh wait..
ReplyDeleteStop we have the biggest gdp per capita in the balkan
DeleteAnd what you wanted to say with that?
DeleteI think it was irony
DeleteSorry but we have sh.. not biggest gdp per capita in the Balkans.
DeleteMakes sense. So we will have LH and OS in TIV.
ReplyDeleteLH Group is becoming increasingly dominant in ex-Yu.
DeleteAnd WK (Edelweiss Air-part of LH group) is also present at TIV (flt to/from ZRH)
DeleteTheir frequencies are quite good across the board. Impressive to see double daily A321 to PRN.
ReplyDeleteYes but from LJU you can just see double daily LH RJ-900!
Delete"OS charms with typical Austrian hospitality" LOL LOL LOL!!!! OS has the most unfriendly and the most unprofessional cabin crew worldwide. They never smile, they have attitude, they are rude and they don't care about passengers at all. Flew with them 6 times and it was always the same, I always felt uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, they are worse even than the geriatric SAS crews.
Delete+1
DeleteOS crew is horrible! Arrogant and bored to do their job! Best airline in group is LX.
DeleteIn 2018 they won Skytrax awards for "Best Airline Staff in Europe“ and „Best Business Class onboard Catering"...
DeleteTells everything about Skytrash
DeleteThey are doing well in BEG. They often upgrade their planned equipment on the route in May/June/July/August.
ReplyDeleteThey seem to be back to pre-Covid frequencies on many ex-Yu routes.
ReplyDeleteGreat news for TIV and especially more connection opportunities to Austrian's network both European and transatlantic!
ReplyDeleteSurprising no one flies VIE-TIV already. None of the LCCs.
ReplyDelete