Tuzla Airport’s management has said it is surprised by Wizz Air’s decision to close its base in the city in mid-September. The carrier is the airport’s only scheduled operator. In a statement, Tuzla Airport’s management said, “We are surprised by the latest information because we do not see any reason for such a decision. Namely, this is a record year for Tuzla Airport in terms of the number of passengers handled, because we have served more than 400.000 travellers by July 15. Based on this, there is no economic reason for Wizz Air to close its base. They told us it is because of global economic factors. There was nothing we could do to change that”.
As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the budget carrier warned Tuzla Airport several years ago about serious disruptions to its network out of the city due to fog over the winter months. The airline requested for the airport to install runway centreline lighting, however, it has not done so to this day despite numerous announcements concerning the project over the past few years. Since 2019 the airport has been plagued by frequent managerial changes, while its former General Manager is under investigation by authorities for embezzlement. Wizz Air said that operational challenges caused by weather in the region played a role in its decision to close its Tuzla base, which will lead to the termination of eleven routes.
The airport has said the base closure will have a significant impact on its operations, however, it is seeking alternatives. “Wizz Air is not the only airline. We are holding talks and seeking a way to overcome this situation. It is obvious there is significant potential that can be taken advantage of by another interested airline. It is important that we have passenger potential”, Tuzla Airport said. Last November, Ryanair launched operations to Tuzla, however, flights were discontinued this June over a state-imposed tax. Tuzla Airport said the agreement signed with Ryanair is still valid and they may restore operations to the city if issues over the tax payments are overcome.
Excuses
ReplyDeletePretty valid ones. Corruption and lack of investment in critical infrastructure - sounds like the Balkans I know!!
DeleteI don't see any potential replacement with Ryanair gone as well. Or at least no one that will match Wizz's volume of flights.
ReplyDeleteLet's face it. Tuzla is doomed.
ReplyDeleteTuzla can close its door.
DeleteRyanair is the last hope for TZL.
DeleteWho else could they possibly attract after FR and W6 withdrawal?
ReplyDeleteThey really are deluded
DeleteEurowings or easyJet
DeleteLOL
DeleteYou seriously think Eazyjet wqill launch TZL?
It is the absolute last LCC who would do that.
And Eurowings fleet is extra buzy flying to Med. destinations.
Tuzla Airport may focus on attracting flights, not being a hub for any airline. I doubt that Eurowings or EasyJet will respond. They have an inadequate cost structure for ultra-low-cost operations.
DeleteI doubt any airline want to fly to Tuzla year-round as W6 did. Which airlines you think can operate scheduled flights out of Tuzla?
DeleteGood luck with that
ReplyDeleteRecord number of passengers means nothing to Wizzair.
ReplyDeleteNot if its planes and crews can achieve higher wields on other airports.
DeletePlus fares were cheap so yields were probably trash. Bosnia lacks a clear aviation policy and now they are paying the price for it. A small, poor country like Bosnia doesn't need more than two airports: SJJ and BNX. All other airports need to be shut down as there is no commercial justification for them.
DeleteIt's not like B&H was big, rich country for the past 10 years and suddenly had economic problems. Tuzla worked well for Wizz for many years when it had a lot less passengers even during covid years. Wizz changed, not Tuzla.
DeleteYes and now we are seeing the full potential of Bosnian airports. Too much capacity resulted in all these cancellations. Just because they had so many passengers doesn't mean the airline was making money. Wizz needs to maximize its profits and it obviously feels like Tuzla is a drain on their finances. They can make more money in Belgrade or Tirana in our region.
DeleteTZL worked good when there were no flights and LCCs at BNX, SJJ and BEG. TZL can in future can only have around 5 routes
DeleteRealistically, Tuzla took the opportunity at the time when Belgrade (and Zagreb to a certain degree) were much weaker. In normal circumstances, it is difficult to maintain that level of operations in a small city, in a generally poor market, while you have big airports 3 and 3.5 hours away. This will probably help Sarajevo, as it had limited traffic for years due to Tuzla. Once Sarajevo pick up pace, there will no longer be any chances for Tuzla to significantly inrease traffic.
ReplyDeleteand now imagine having even bigger and better connected airports max 2 hours away (with many more direct flights and most of the time cheap af)
DeleteOnly Tuzla airport management is surprised.
DeleteTuzla had good results in the past when Banja Luka Had almost no flights and Wizz was not in Belgrade. If Ryanair opened new routes from Osijek and new lcc comes to Sarajevo, Tuzla can close the door. Surrounded by BEG, OSI, BNX i SJJ Tuzla has no chance
DeleteYou forgot BNX. Many pax from BNX catchment area have used TZL when there were no LCC flights from BNX.
DeleteWe are witnessing the sad reality of low-cost carriers' business operations. They come, reap the benefits and leave, deploying aircraft where the return on the investment is higher. They monitor the profitability of every single aircraft and act accordingly. Everything else is a PR fairy tale.
ReplyDeleteSad reality? Tuzla had hundreds of thousands of passengers for a decade thanks to Wizz Air.
DeleteAnd low yield.
DeleteWell, it is a sad reality. Wizzair came, and Tuzla did have many passengers for a decade, thanks to Wizzair. Now Wizzair killed the hub and will switch operations to inbound flights. It is effectively gone, eliminating financial contribution to the local community.
DeleteHow many pax will they be sble to reach? This year and next?
DeleteJust like any other airline would do. Stop pretending that only LCC are working for money.
DeleteSome people here should first learn the difference between hub and base before they make smart comments
DeleteThey will reach max 200.000 passengers in 2024
DeleteThat is true because flag carriers become money from the government and LCCs not. Big diference. Lufthansa and others would be today past tense without big finance help from the state.
DeleteActually LCCs like Wizz are getting more tax breaks, report from 3 days ago says:
Delete...European governments and institutions are effectively subsidizing the aviation industry's planet-warming emissions. Low-cost airlines in particular have benefited from government subsidies and less regulation. Greenpeace's analysis shows that "incentives for new routes from an airport are mainly designed for low-cost carriers, which are typically flying to small airports near large airports, which are considered new destinations (Paris-Beauvais, Frankfurt-Hahn…)." "Thanks to the outrageous subsidies that airlines benefit from, they can offer unreasonably low prices—low-cost airlines are at the forefront with their aggressive pricing strategies," Greenpeace said.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/greenpeace-airline-industry
I wonder if JU should just step in with 3-4 weekly flights and channel all of the local pax via Belgrade.
ReplyDeletelol
DeleteSeriously lol
DeleteNo problem, Serbian tax payers could finance the idea.
DeleteWhy would they? JU can just use some of their large profits to invest in this route. Didn't you see that they were almost as profitable as LO which is twice their size.
DeleteAgree with Anon 11:03, JU should fly to TZL definitely
DeleteWasn't a Wizzair flight bound for Tuzla almost overtaken by angry passengers when they learnt their flight was diverting to Belgrade?
DeleteNo, it was only ONE confused maybe drunk passanger who was aggresive
DeleteSerously now, Tuzla is one of the closest airports to BEG via road
DeleteOU can start with flights TZL ZAG
DeleteAs I told you, very few people know, true owners (especially Hungary and other EE countries) are US private equity funds. Those care only about profits and are brutal, they are not as regulated as i.e. mutual funds or open end funds. Hence, chasing profits and efficiency is the only game. They are even faster in moves and predict future trends fast. Most carry money of very wealthy people, old money from US.
ReplyDeleteYet they managed to reach a loss of EUR 535 million last fiscal year and 643 million the year before. That's a loss of EUR 1,178 billion in two years when every airline made money left and right. And it will only get worse from here with the weakening global demand. They dropped the ball big time at the start of covid and never found it again. The only thing they are good at is releasing announcements about planned routes and new bases (and being quiet about eventually cancelling and closing them, most of the time even before they happen eventually).
DeleteYeah sure. Tuzla is a regional powerhouse while Wizz Air is an unsuccessful company.
DeleteNo, Wizz is an unsuccessful company and Tuzla is a bad airport.
DeleteTime for a national airline
ReplyDeleteTried multiple times and failed
DeleteThe airports in Tuzla and Mostar and badly mismanaged and you expect a national airline with politically appointed management would be any different?
Delete"Since 2019 the airport has been plagued by frequent managerial changes, while its former General Manager is under investigation by authorities for embezzlement."
ReplyDeleteLovely
Like I said a few days ago, it was a matter of time before Wizz left due to the incompeteny and corrupt management at Tuzla Airport
DeleteCorrupt or not, the first thing that shows the airport is poorly managed is that they handed over all of its traffic to one airline, which has no decided to pack up and leave.
Delete* now
DeleteTuzla now has the best chance of attracting someone like Pegasus or Anadolujet with a 2 weekly flights from IST. Other than that I don't see anyone jumping in to replace Wizz.
ReplyDeleteThey best chance is to get BHANSA to drop the tax that Ryanair won't pay.
DeleteAnd than to fly from Istanbul to west Europe
Deleteto be honest, I dont see much potential at Tuzla airport. Airport management should immediately start with works that hasnt been done so far, like lights, gate etc. They should focus on that. There is no airline that will come under present circumstances. Wizz air hasnt gone completely. Stil they will fly 4 routes out of Tuzla. There is no base at Banja Luka airport and they function pretty good and with more airlines and leisure destinations. So, management should use this time after September to do necessary works at the airport.
ReplyDeleteThe airport is about to lose all of its traffics and you want them to invest money in expanding? Money that they will need just to pay salaries.
DeleteThey still have 4 routes after September. Inform yourself
DeleteWizz Air has been operating from Tuzla for the past decade. If what they state is accurate, i.e., that they made a request to the airport multiple times to improve the systems on landing in the conditions of lower visibility and the airport never made any progress in completing so, then this decision to close the Tuzla base cannot be classified as sudden. Just my two cents…
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct anonymous 18:27. In my opinion, Tuzla should have updated the systems for landing first. Then they should have increased the size of the terminal. Now they will just have a large terminal, with less passengers using it.
DeleteWizz has closed bases at airports with those systems. So much for that argument...
Delete@Anonymous 19:13, sure, but we’re talking here about the reason they’re closing the Tuzla base and not why they closed other bases.
DeleteOr it could be that Wizz was enraged when TZL invited FR. What if Wizz is now serving TZL a cold dish called revenge?
DeleteWizzair still serves Tuzla.
ReplyDeleteBy this they will draw away pax from neighbouring airports, in case of Belgrade even from their own base...
Oh okay, less work for me then dealing with tuzla departures and arrivals as an ATC in Zagreb FIR 😁
ReplyDeleteWatch now Jasmin basing brand new shiny A220 in Tuzla for Minken and Vrankvurt feed. As soon as holidays are completed and permission granted by AP 😃
ReplyDeleteAnd one in Mostar. For Minken and Vrankvurt as well.
DeleteJasmin Genius
DeleteTuzla Airport’s management has said it is surprised by Wizz Air’s decision. Why surprised - they have done nothing to improve services. The staff continualy display a lack of courtesy, the security checks are inadequate, and the departure lounge is too small and overcrowded. The check-in process lacks efficiency, the parking area is ill-maintained, and the restrooms are unclean. To top it off, despite levying a Covid Tax, they fail to provide even basic hand sanitizers. What about the necessary technical specifications an airport should meet? Perhaps in 25 years.
ReplyDelete