Three markets from the former Yugoslavia are set to see the number of available seats on aircraft grow in the double digits during the second quarter of the year compared to the same period during the pre-pandemic 2019 based on current data. Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia will all see their figures grow over 10%. The biggest increase will be registered in Macedonia, where capacity will increase 37% compared to four years ago. The main driving force will be Wizz Air, which plans to have six aircraft based in Skopje this summer. Also aiding the figures will be the arrival of Lufthansa with its ten weekly service from Frankfurt starting in April.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will see its capacity levels increase 35% during the second quarter when compared to the same period in 2019. Sarajevo Airport has significantly improved its connectivity over the past few years, despite Wizz Air closing its base in the city which was opened in late 2020. Furthermore,  other airports in the country have added flights as well. On the other hand, Serbia will see its seat capacity increase 16% on the same period in 2019, with Air Serbia to introduce a number of new routes from Belgrade during the second quarter. Overall, Albania will see the biggest capacity growth in Europe on four years ago with a 124% increase, generated primarily by Wizz Air’s rapid expansion in Tirana.

Most European markets are expected to reach or surpass pre-Covid capacity levels during the second quarter of the year, however, this will be more visible during the third quarter, which is traditionally the busiest in the aviation industry. Among larger European markets, Portugal will see the biggest growth during the second quarter of just over 10% on 2019, followed by the likes of Turkey, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Poland and Iceland. Recovery will be lagging in Russia, Germany and Sweden, which will reach 78.4%, 81.7% and 79.9% of their pre-Covid capacity levels respectively during the second quarter.