Wizz Air to launch Mostar flights in 2023


Low cost carrier Wizz Air will launch operations out of Mostar next summer season after the two inked an agreement following years of talks. The exact number of routes are yet to be revealed and scheduled, however, the two sides have previously discussed services from Scandinavia and Germany, with Malmo and Dortmund initially suggested. “Mostar Airport has signed an important agreement with Wizz Air, Europe’s fastest growing airline, that will enable the introduction of scheduled flights next summer. This will help in connecting Mostar and the entire Herzegovina region with popular European destination and will stimulate economic development and tourism”, Mostar Airport said.


The government of the Herzegovina - Neretva Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina had previously expressed its willingness to provide financial assistance to airlines serving Mostar. On the other hand, the airport has struggled to attract customers over the past years and has been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Its main source of traffic - European charters serving religious pilgrims - were all but wiped out. In 2020 the airport handled just 1.374 passengers, while in 2021 figures barely improved with a total of 1.942 travellers passing through its doors. During the January - August period in 2022 it welcomed 7.809 customers. Its best year remains 2014 when it processed 78.055 passengers.

Mostar will now become Bosnia and Herzegovina's fourth airport with scheduled commercial flights. Furthermore, it will become Wizz Air's fourth destination in the country, complementing Banja Luka, Sarajevo and Tuzla, with the latter two serving as the airline’s bases. The carrier's CEO, Jozsef Varadi, said last year, "From our perspective, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a market in which to invest. This, combined with all the development I see going on, encourages us to think of what’s next in terms of increasing the number of aircraft, employees and services. That is something we are working on, and I am pretty sure that Bosnia and Herzegovina can be a winner in all of this”.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    Finally!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous09:01

    Let's hope it actually happens and isn't some preelection gimmick

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:12

      Well they did sign an agreement in Budapest. But you are right. One never knows. I will believe it when I see it.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:21

      It's good that politicians are finally not blocking Mostar Airport like they have done so many times in the past.

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    3. Anonymous09:30

      Yes, the local HDZ politcians, in order to benefit Spllit and Dubrovnik.

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    4. Anonymous17:33

      It must have been a great privilege to sign a document at the waiting area of the reception of the Wizz Air headquarters.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:02

    It's fantastic that BiH will have four functioning airports.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:11

      I think it may become the third largest market in ex-Yu.

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    2. Anonymous09:15

      Wonder how OMO getting traffic might impact Dubrovnik which profits quite a bit from the pilgrim traffic.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:18

      With so many subsidies, you have to wonder at what loss these airports are operating at. I know Tuzla has been loss making every single year since Wizz Air came and I doubt the situation is much better in Banja Luka.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:27

      Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia also subsidize its flights, what's wrong with that?

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:33

      @9.15 you mean Split?

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    6. Anonymous10:35

      Bosnia just skipped N Macedonia with the total number of pax this year. Let's not forget, a few years back, Bosnia was 7th out of 7 in Ex Yu with its numbers, it's currently 4th. Seems quite soon it will be 3rd, where it actually belongs.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous11:29

      @10:35 - You mean SJJ overtook SKP?

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    8. Anonymous11:44

      It has not overtaken SKP and won't overtake it this year at least.

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    9. Anonymous12:01

      "You mean SJJ overtook SKP?"

      No no, total number of pax for the whole country. SJJ is still far from SKP, however getting closer. (SKP used to double numbers compared to SJJ: not anymore.)

      Delete
    10. Anonymous14:14

      Ah, true. Yes general number of visitors is now definitely higher in BiH compared to North Macedonia.

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    11. Anonymous14:38

      Until July Macedonia had 65k passengers more than Bosnia so it's not overtaken yet but there is a high chance that it will this year or next year(we will see).

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:02

    Which routes could we see?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:04

      Germany and Sweden year round and Poland and Italy seasonal would make sense.

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    2. Anonymous09:14

      Italy, Germany and the Netherlands could be the first markets.

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    3. Anonymous09:20

      Herzegovina diaspora is huge. Mostly in Germany

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    4. Anonymous09:22

      Dublin, London, Barcelona, Manchester, Eindhoven, Oslo, Copenhagen are all potential routes in my opinion.

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    5. Anonymous09:23

      Two routes would be enough for a start

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    6. Anonymous09:35

      Flights to Poland could work too. Lots of Christian pilgrims are coming from Poland.

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    7. Anonymous10:08

      Maybe Vienna?

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    8. Anonymous10:11

      Could work

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    9. Anonymous10:16

      Vienna would be amazing.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:03

    Happy to sse this. Mostar can only thrive with a proper LCC like Wizz Air.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:11

      Well Eurowings was a proper LCC too but it didn't last.

      Delete
    2. Eurowings is a joke, not a proper LCC

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:04

    Wonder if Ryanair will respond.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:08

      Why would they resound?

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    2. Anonymous09:08

      *respond

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    3. Anonymous09:11

      Because they are attacking each other in Bosnia. Wizz Air launched flights to Banja Luka in an attack on Ryan. Ryan has responded by launching Tuzla flights this winter.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:06

    How will flights function in winter? I don't think Mostar has propper ILS.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Maybe it will be seasonal summer flights.

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    2. Anonymous09:29

      There's a good chance it will be seasonal. OMO suffers from wind in the winter. Pilots need special training due to the terrain in winter.

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    3. Anonymous17:31

      To be honest Mostar didn't had any wind problems for the years. Maybe in the past.

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    4. Anonymous17:35

      Like Kukes. Everyone tell them it will be a suicide operationally, they still go ahead because of the money they get, then cancel it altogether (quietly) when it turns out it was indeed a suicide.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous18:30

      It was expected there would only be seasonal operations (from Kukës).

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    6. Anonymous21:00

      I could not find any news item mentioning these flights being seasonal when they announced them.

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    7. Anonymous21:24

      It was just part of the publicity stunt. Wizz changes schedules whenever and however they want. The fact is Kukës is non operational during winter and it was already obvious from the previous year.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:10

    Wizz will rule the BiH market now.

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  9. Anonymous09:12

    If Eurowings didn't make it flying Q400s I don't see how Wizz will with the A320s.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:13

      Wizz Air is much better than Eurowings in generating demand.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous09:13

    So after wasting millions upon millions to keep this airport open with no traffic, now millions will be spent on Wizz Air.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:22

      At least with Wizz it will actually benefit the local population.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:25

      I wonder how much will the Wizz Air subsidies amount to.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:26

      Eurowings got 250,000 EUR for two seasonal routes.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:14

    Very good news for BiH indeed. 4 operational airports is simply superb. Lets hope they don't begin cancelling again. I don't know if they have enough planes. With Blue Air still struuggling in Romania the vultures are gradually launching the stopped routes and it seems Wizzair wants to further dominate in Romania but they will need the planes.
    That being said, lets see how SJJ will perform this year. Can't wait for the final results.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous09:15

    Too many airports in short proximity. They will cannibalize each other.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:31

      Not really true, now there are three working airports without affecting each other. Maybe Tuzla and Sarajevo a bit, but still these two work fine. Geographic locations of 4 BH airports is excellent: each covers its macro regions.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:27

      They all work on government or kantonal subsidy. I do not worry for them.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:16

    It will be nice to see Mostar growing again after so many years.

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  14. Anonymous09:17

    Great work Mostar. I am really optimistic that brighter days are ahead :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous09:21

    Can't wait to see the destinations.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous09:24

    This is brilliant news for Croatian coast as well

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:25

      +1
      Although some people do fear it could take away some passengers from Croatian coastal airports.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous09:24

    This is the saviour Mostar has been waiting for.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:33

      Let's hope they actually start flights. I remember when Mostar Airport was saying they have a "done deal" with Ryanair and nothing happened.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous09:25

    Nice. We will have four airports with traffic, four airports offering LCC options and four airports with renewed terminals.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:27

      Bosnia becoming popular with LCCs

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    2. Anonymous09:30

      It's an exciting time for aviation in BiH. Record number of pax at Sarajevo, Mostar finally getting serious and getting flights, Banja Luka with a record year, Tuzla getting Ryanair flights next month...

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:26

    An airport in such location really shouldn't be struggling to get airlines and passengers and shouldn't be subsidising every airline to fly there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:32

      Seems like it does

      Delete
  20. Anonymous09:28

    Mostar is located about two hours from both SPU and SJJ. I can see it serving quite a market out there.

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  21. Anonymous09:31

    The right decision

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous09:32

    Well done Mostar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:34

      Finally the overstaffed Mostar Airport and its employees will have something to do other than drink coffee all day.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:12

      Well done for negotiating some flights after how many decades?

      Delete
  23. Anonymous09:36

    Apart from pilgrims and diaspora, Mostar Airport should try and get some of the tour packaged tourists going to the Adriatic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:16

      Wait for Trebinje airport.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous09:36

    Great news. Btw did Austrian use to fly to Mostar? I have a bague recollection they used to fly there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:41

      Yes. Austrian used to fly to all airports in Bosnia, except Tuzla, which just opened for commercial use around that time. OS and Vienna Airport profited massively from the break up of YU.

      Delete
  25. Anonymous09:41

    IMHO they should be launching flights to the Roman Catholic world primarilly, and not to Scandinavia and Dortmund...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:42

      Scandinavia and Germany is where the diaspora is located.

      Delete
  26. Anonymous10:06

    Knowing that more then a half of city's prewar population lives elsewhere today (many of which in West), and that Međugorje receives high 6-digit number of pilgrims each year, I am certain that flights to Mostar will be viable

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:09

      True. Herzegovina Diaspora is huge. Mostly in Germany, but also in other western european countries and North America as well.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous10:10

    Majority of those pilgrims are coming from Italy – so Rome, Milan or some other major Italian city should be launched.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:12

      During the summer, yes.

      Delete
  28. Anonymous10:10

    Does anyone know the hours and if this airport is open during night?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous10:11

    I really hope they have more success than Croatia Airlines and Eurowings did.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:15

      They certainly will.

      Delete
  30. Anonymous10:13

    So no one would consider the airport without subsidies...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:14

      Yes, just like many other small ex-Yu airports.

      Delete
  31. Anonymous11:00

    It would be nice to see a TZL-OMO or a BEG-OMO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:15

      TZL-OMO?? How long would that flight take? 10 minutes?

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    2. Anonymous17:38

      11:14 Mostar - Tuzla woth the car is around 4 hours.

      Delete
  32. Anonymous11:14

    Malmo-Mostar would be a great start.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:17

      Why Malmö?

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    2. Anonymous11:23

      Big concentration of the diaspora from the Mostar area living there.

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    3. Anonymous17:39

      Thatbis true. A half of Mostar is in the Malmo.

      Delete
  33. Anonymous11:45

    What about Bihać? When will it open and become the 5th airport?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:09

      After Trebinje

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:32

      Trebinje airport project has been reported as opposed by the Federation. This helps understand why.

      Delete
  34. Anonymous11:59

    Ans what about basel-mostar ?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous15:10

    Some seasonal flights to Greece would be great !

    ReplyDelete
  36. Anonymous15:22

    Surprised Berlin hasn't been mentioned yet. It seems to get a mention that every airport in the region needs Berlin flights, yet it's only the Croatian coast that has success.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous17:10

    These flights can be used by local population in Dubrovnik in winter when there is a limited offer from DBV.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Anonymous17:55

    Mostar airport is under concession by some Israeli guy who already privatised half of the city

    ReplyDelete
  39. Anonymous10:35

    They said that They will open Belgrad - Cologne flight but, we are still waiting........

    ReplyDelete
  40. Anonymous23:20

    Great news for Mostar

    ReplyDelete
  41. Anonymous01:50

    Fantastic news, they are an utterly horrible airline and I had an awful experience flying with them at DBV this summer & I won’t be flying them into SJJ when I visit soon even though they are the only airline flying direct from my city I would rather go via Vienna but I would fly them into Mostar just to support the route if they ran it from where I live.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Anonymous12:38

    I agree. Absolute waste of my time.Always late due to some unbelievable problem, caused by someone else. There is never anyone to communicate with. There website is non functional for compensation, but will be perfectly operational to extracting money from your account. Ground staff where ever I have been with them, just kick the can down the road. Just as bad as Ryan air, but soon to overtake them. My advise, pay the extra and have a decent flight with a national carrier.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous14:28

    If there are to be flights from Mostar to Germany, then the south of Germany should be preferred, because there are unfortunately very few offers.
    Stuttgart, Munich, Nuremberg should be the destinations.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Anonymous21:04

    Finally! And hopefully it will be a operated to OMO in the long run as well!

    ReplyDelete

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