Air Montenegro is close to reaching an agreement with Tuzla Airport to launch operations from the city this coming winter season, although a deal is yet to be confirmed by either side. Cologne Airport has already listed the launch of Air Montenegro’s two weekly service between Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second busiest airport and Cologne starting November 1, while both Tuzla and Air Montenegro have previously confirmed they were in negotiations over potential flights aimed at alleviating the impact of Wizz Air’s base closure earlier this month. The Montenegrin flag carrier had previously submitted a Letter of Intent to Tuzla Airport’s management over plans to commence services from the city.
Air Montenegro has increasingly looked at expanding its reach in other markets in recent months. Over the summer it commenced operating charter services between Sarajevo and Tirana. Air Montenegro’s CEO, Mark Anžur, previously spearheaded a strategy at Slovenia’s national airline Adria Airways to develop bases outside of the country. Montenegro’s former flag carrier, Montenegro Airlines, had also attempted at operating out of Tuzla, running flights to Vienna over the 2015/16 winter season, while selling tickets through local tour operators. However, the route was discontinued only a few weeks later.
Wizz Air closed its base at Tuzla Airport last week, just over eight years after stationing its first aircraft in the city. The airline has discontinued the majority of its operations out of Tuzla and relocated its two stationed aircraft. Wizz Air will continue to maintain operations from Basel, Dortmund and Memmingen to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second busiest airport, which it has deemed as its three most profitable routes to Tuzla. Services to Hahn, the only other remaining route in addition to the abovementioned trio will end in late October. This coming winter season, Wizz Air will provide a total of 82.100 seats on its Tuzla operations (both inbound and outbound combined) down 72.7% on the previous winter. Furthermore, the figure is down 75.9% on the 340.200 seats it initially put on sale on its Tuzla services for the coming winter before deciding to shut its base. Wizz Air has said a “challenging macroeconomic environment, along with complicated weather conditions, such as frequent fogs” have made it impossible to operate a large network from Tuzla Airport.
This won't end well
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with original poster....
DeleteI could not understand that MGX has one or two planes, two base airports and market and than finds solution in going to third airport / market where they think that it will be success! Balkan business from A to Z....
Delete* and then
DeleteIf you use code for an airline, then use it correctly. Air Montenegro is MNE, not MGX.
DeleteI don't see enough logic in this route. Wizz already has route to Dortmund that is around 1 hour far from Cologne. I think the deal with MNE is just prašina u oči jer je pritisak javnosti prisutan.
DeleteIf this happened, it will last no long. Tuzla has no any options. Maybe to start talks with Air Pink. Pink owner has announced Air Pink entering in public aviation with buying 2-4 Embraer jets. First they will start with regional flights
DeleteE195 is perfect aircraft for Tuzla, good for the airport and good for the airline.
ReplyDeleteNothing more to add
+1
DeleteActually it's not. The best plane for such a market is a high density A321 with a low cost base. That is why Wizz was the best and only solution for Tuzla. With a lot of seats on offer they can sell cheap fares which is a must in a price sensitive market like Bosnia.
DeleteAir Montenegro will be expensive because they will operate a plane with 100 seats. I expect CGN flights to sell for no less than €150 unless the government gives large subsidies.
This will be a disaster for Tuzla.
E195 is literally the worst aircraft for Tuzla.
DeletePerhaps they will continue wet leasing A320?
DeleteIn the real world €150 is not expensive and perfectly normal.
DeleteYes and for people i Tuzla it's a lot of money. That is why Wizz Air packed and left. They couldn't make money there so now you think Air Montenegro can?
DeleteLol demand isn't the reason Wizz left, it's fog that's worse than Sarajevo since SJJ at least has devices to fight it and will enable autopilot landings when the runway is extended next year. Second reason is the BHDCA tax that was retroactively imposed and the government didn't want to cover it.
DeleteIf there was sufficient demand in Tuzla, the small tax and the occasional diversions would have been absorbed by the revenue that Wizz makes.
DeleteI agree that E195 perfectly suit to Tzl but I am expecting higher ticket prices because MNE is legacy carrier. A321 is to large for Tuzla and Wizz had insufficient LF on some rotes even with A320
DeleteThere is no sense that this will be expensive for atizla region if everyone knows that only diaspora is using these flights.
DeleteThis is waistline money and time. Wizzair has a route Tzl Dortmund and will have always better tickets prices than MNE. Dortmund is only around 1 hour with train from Cologne. Do people at Tzl airport use maps or Google. They can only try to win with routes that are cancelled at BNX, like Malmö
DeleteIs it really possible that non EU company make a base in other non EU country and flies to EU countries?
ReplyDeleteThey can if it is marketed as a charter flight. In any case it is easier for a company that is part of the European Common Aviation Area to get a permit to operate scheduled flights than it is for a non European company.
DeleteI do not think Air Montenegro planned to fly charters from Tuzla.
DeleteSince no Bosnian or German/EU entity wants to fly the route(s), it will not be too hard to get the permits.
DeleteIt would make more sense for them to focus on the Montenegrin market. Their network is half the size of what Montenegro Airlines' used to be.
ReplyDeleteThey should make code share with JU on their domestic market as they were heavily beaten there by JU.
DeleteMontenegro Airlines was a huge loss maker with enormous debt. I would not recommend anyone to follow their business model.
DeleteWell, this is not about a base, but about several routes.
DeleteSeveral routes on regular basis.
DeleteAir Serbia is not interested in signing a code-share agreement with Air Montenegro. They have been aggressive towards them from the start. JU's goal is to kill them off so that they can enjoy a monopoly on this massive and highly lucrative market.
DeleteAir Montenegro was unable to conclude a codeshare with any airline until a few weeks ago when they got an IATA code.
DeleteJU's goal is not to kill anyone, please use more appropriate language.
DeleteEvery business' goal is to kill off their competition. Seems like you are too soft for capitalism.
DeleteNo, every business' goal is to create value, please read some business books.
DeleteFurthermore, competition is in the very heart of capitalism. Killing off competition is pretty communist strategy. Seems like you are too illiberal for capitalism.
DeleteYou create value by killing off competition.
Deleteyes thats why China is being targeted by sanctions becuase capitalism loves competition so much.
Deletetry to start an aircraft manufacturing business and see if Boeing or Airbus allow you to be successful and take market share away from their duopoly.
commercial aircraft are too expensive designed for only western/ rich nations to use and especially impede the global south from developing thier air connectivity and trade. boeing and airbus keep it that way.
no JU isnt trying to kill off 40. they are seperate businesses that compete over a market. just like JU competes with TK and LH. Market share was being taken by LH mostly until JU worked to grow and get their own market back.
China is not under sanctions, please check your source.
DeleteHope it happens! A great addition to Tuzla's schedule. Now Trade Air and we're done. Personally, I think something will come out of Air Montenegro.
ReplyDeleteIt was confirmed today that Trade Air gave up the idea flying from Tuzla.
DeleteWow, em ok 👍
DeleteAnyone know the schedule for the planned Cologne flights?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone find the schedule listed on the Cologne Airport website? I can't find it
ReplyDeleteThey confirmed to be on negotiations but nothing is confirmed official( but high chance it will happen). So it also not scheduled yet.
DeleteThey are listed on CGN website. Wednesdays and Saturdays
DeleteAnn 9:17,any links?
DeleteThis will help soften the blow from Wizz's exit but I doubt they will manage to cover all routes.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThere is talk in the media about something like "Bingo Airlines". Could this have anything to do with it?
ReplyDeleteMaybe joint venture Airport and Air Montenegro? If they can get their 3rd E-195 flying that would be great
DeleteThis was just a meme…
DeleteAviation in Bosnia is in such a state that a meme joke ends up being taken seriously
DeleteBingo Airlines 😂
DeleteSo now both SJJ and TZL will have flights to Cologne.
ReplyDeleteBetter 4O than W6.
ReplyDeleteReally?
DeleteHowever, I think it will be something like FlyBosnia... It will not be directly organized by Air Montenegro.
ReplyDeleteSo Air Montenegro is not gonna base a plane in Tuzla, that means they need on the selected days first fly from Podgorica to Tuzla. If it’s on me why not launch Podgorica-Tuzla. Every ticket you sell on that route is a Win. I think if they offer competitive prices they can attract passengers from Serbia( Loznica district) maybe even more and there lives a Bosnian diaspora in Montenegro and they can also boost local tourism in Bosnia and Montenegro.
ReplyDeleteOrrr just open Podgorica - Cologne?
DeleteThey probably will schedule Podgorica-Tuzla, same way as they did Podgorica-Sarajevo which was just a ferry flight to operate Sarajevo-Tirana.
DeleteWhat were the fares for TGD-SJJ?
Delete49e
DeleteNot bad
DeleteIs there really any demand between TGD and TZL? I doubt it.
DeleteYes, TGD-TZL is a high volume route.
DeleteHaha how yes no! TGD-TZL is a prehigh prevolume route 😂
DeleteDo not laugh, my friend has an aunt married in Tuzi, next to Podgorica, who wants to visit her family in Živinice (next to Tuzla airport), and she would be coming every year, at least once. Maybe there are few other aunts and cousins there :)
DeleteI guess for some people from Bijeljina, Zvornik, Loznica this could be better option than travelling to Belgrade, but I don't think there are many of them in the catchment area, not even for the summer flights, and for November I'm sure there would be flights with zero pax.
DeleteJust because of your aunt it would be profitable to launch flights. Some here should write some comics
DeleteHope it works
ReplyDeleteI wonder what other routes might be part of the deal
ReplyDeleteSome of the ones Wizz discontinued.
DeleteWell obviously but they certainly won't cover all of the route Wizz discontinued.
Delete*routes
Delete09:36
DeleteScandinavian countries.
Why do these airports in B&H always find some half ass solutions. Same with Sarajevo's genius idea with Jordan Aviation.
ReplyDeleteBecause there is no national carrier and LCCs closed their bases? What would be full ass solution in your opinion, calling British Airways to establish base in Tuzla?
DeleteFinding a suitable and established LCC.
DeleteObviously easier said than done.
DeleteIt's not hard to do, it's simply impossible. There's no other LCC with bases in our part of the world and most certainly no LCC will change its business model because of Tuzla.
Delete"There's no other LCC with bases in our part of the world..."
DeleteW6 base in Skopje with 6 planes
W6 base in Belgrade with 4 planes
FR base in Zagreb with 3 planes
Yes, Wizz and Ryan are those two mentioned in the first comment - they had the bases in BIH, they recently closed them, and they are most certainly not opening them again soon. Unlike these two, there's no other LCC with bases in the region, hence the chance of finding a "suitable and established" LCC who will station AC in Bosnia is, at the moment, zero.
DeleteRyanair didnt have a base in BIH.
DeleteEven if they strike a deal I don't think this is going to be a long-term solution. It will last one season at best.
ReplyDeleteI get Tuzla Airport's interest in this. I don't get Air Montenegro's though.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they will get subsidized
DeleteDoubt Tuzla Airport has the money to subsidize anyone. They will just offer them free handling and landing like for Wizz Air.
DeleteSo they failed at their home market but now they think they will make TZL work? Good luck, you'll need that or maybe even a miracle.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't exactly say Air Montenegro failed on their home market. They will probably be profitable by the end of the year.
DeleteBetter something than nothing.
ReplyDeleteUnless Ryanair comes back, there is no hope for Tuzla Airport.
ReplyDeleteAgree, unfortunately days of high level traffic are over.
DeleteDuring the winter, they should schedule only afternoon flights, because foggy weather is almost certain every morning at TZL.
ReplyDeleteFlights to Gothenborg were always full. Great for low cost carriers, because the passangers are long enough in the sky so they can make good earnings by selling them food and other stuff.
ReplyDeleteCompared to its population, GDP per capita and size, MNE has its own carrier and has 2 airports which is simply very impressive...
ReplyDeleteIt's not impressive, it's poor planning. If they planned right then TGD and TIV would not exist but an airport somewhere between the two would exist so that it can serve both the coast and the more continental part of the country. TIV is not covenient if you are heading to the southern part of the coast.
DeleteO, yeah, poor planning, to have an airport by the sea. It`s proven bad for Tivat, as it is among the least developed municipalities in Montenegro... Not.
DeleteYes, it's well known that airports stationed "somewhere in between" work amazing :) Sorry, but this is pure nonsense.
Deleteor maybe just build highways like every other ...
DeletePoor guys. Tuzla is a disaster weather-wise in the winter season.
ReplyDeleteCGN-TZL Flight number: MNE 375 Departure time: 15:50
ReplyDeleteTZL-CGN Flight number MNE 374 Arrival time: 15:10
Tuzla-Cologne, Tuzla-Vienna and Tuzla-Zurich were added but then quickly removed
ReplyDeleteIf they launch those three and if Ryanair returns then Tuzla shouldnt have a problem anymore.
DeleteMark Anžur is again developing routes and bases outside of the country, leading Air Montenegro down the path proven effective in driving Adria to bankrupcy.
ReplyDeleteAdria was the most profitable when they opened up Pristina...
DeleteHistory shows it was all downhill from there
DeleteA sta je sa Traffic Rights za non EU Operatoren kao sto je Montenegro Airlines? Nece valjda svaki let preko TGD ici?!?
ReplyDeleteIf they are smart enough they should do TGD-TZL-CGN.
DeleteThis is going to end about as well as Lodz and Vinnytsia... but of course it was never going to be any different with the same CEO. What were/are they thinking???...
ReplyDeleteMaybe they will fly it with TDR leased unit ? :)
ReplyDelete