Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is close to handling eight million passengers within a single year. Regardless of whether the milestone is achieved this year, it will add over 1.5 passengers in 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic 2019, marking the first time it has managed to increase its number of travellers by a similar amount year-on-year since 2014 (excluding the pandemic-impacted years of 2021/2022). Similar to nine years ago, the growth was driven in large part due to Air Serbia, which in 2023 increased its Belgrade capacity by 50.2%. Another airline which played an important role in Belgrade’s growth is Wizz Air, which based a fourth aircraft in the Serbian capital during the year and increased its overall capacity by 132.8% on 2019.
Other carriers to have grown their capacity levels this year include Turkish Airlines, Swiss, Austrian, Flydubai, Pegasus Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Aegean Airlines and Air Cairo, while airlines that maintained services to Belgrade this year but were not present in 2019 include KLM, Hainan Airlines, Eurowings, AnadoluJet, airBaltic, British Airways, Luxair, Nouvelair, and Jazeera Airways. On the other hand, several carriers that maintained operations in 2019 no longer fly to Belgrade. These include several airlines from Russia, Belavia, Etihad Airways, Alitalia, which has since declared bankruptcy and been replaced by ITA Airways, Croatia Airlines, Air France, and Tunisair.
Commenting on its results, Belgrade Airport’s General Manager, Francois Berisot, said, “This result has been achieved, in large part, due to Air Serbia, which is also breaking records in terms of passengers carried and destinations launched, as well as the significant contribution by other airline partners. The dynamic traffic recovery and constant work on the expansion, modernisation and capacity growth show that we are on the right path for our airport to become a key regional hub”. The airport is continuing its expansion and modernisation drive, with key infrastructure projects scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2024.
Looking ahead, Belgrade Airport anticipates more new routes and the continuing development of its long-haul network. It previously noted, “We observe how the market is developing, as well as customer demand, in order to grow the destination network and connectivity. Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is already well connected to major European hubs with several large legacy companies present. We are in regular contact with other carriers and are open for cooperation. Still, it comes down to the airline’s decision whether to introduce flights, based on their business plans”. It added, “Air Serbia’s hub strategy is aligned with Belgrade Airport’s efforts to support long-haul traffic. Of course, we are in constant talks with all the companies that could potentially serve the existing demand for intercontinental flights. Major infrastructure works at the airport are aimed at supporting traffic growth and our expansion program is adding both landside and airside capacity. VINCI Airports is pursuing its proactive policy to boost traffic and to meet passengers’ expectations by accelerating further improvements at Nikola Tesla Airport”.
Congrats
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about 2024? What number should we expect?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is around 8.8 million
DeleteI think it's too early to tell. One thing is certain and that is that we will have growth, we still need to wait a bit longer to see to what extent. Foreign carriers have already introduced additional flights but now we are waiting on two local ones to do the same.
DeleteWill Wizz Air add another plane to its base? Will JU find an additional A330? Will they find enough pilots to sustain the growth momentum they had since covid?
Probably in January we will hear the first new routes for 2024. Let's hope for something new like - Finnair, Sky Express, SAS, flynas, Gulf Air, Jazeera return.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia will announce their new routes next month or in February
DeleteOr March.
DeleteJU usually announces new routes in mid-late January for late May, early June launch.
DeleteThey have said there won't be too many new routes and that there is little left from BEG to launch in Europe that can be viable.
DeleteAir Serbia has reached an agreement with OMO so the first new route announced should be Mostar. It will be made public in the following days. Can't wait! 😁
DeleteNice :)
DeleteHope they bring another airline for long haul as well.
ReplyDeleteI believe that airports like BEG should primarily support their national airlines and give them more favorable terms and conditions than to foreign/low cost carriers.
DeleteJU gets plenty of support from all parties involved.
DeleteThat's right, and I'm of the same opinion. But it looks like JU won't start YYZ or YUL, so it would be nice to see a Canadian airline after they(JU) go to Beijing, Shanghai, Miami.
DeleteWhat if that was the case at other airports, supporting their national airline?
DeleteApparently JU failed to find A332s so I guess long-haul will be postponed to next year.
DeleteConsidering there are 3 days until next year, yes further long haul expansion is planned in 2024. Your "apparently" is not correct.
DeleteThat's right.
DeleteNext year JU will announce their new long haul routes.
I think BEG should encourage JU to expand in the US while its wiser to base their growth in China on Chinese carriers.
DeleteDo remember, BEG is increasing fees in a few days.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/11/belgrade-airport-to-increase-fees-and.html
It is just leveling Eurozone Inflation since dinar is basically fixed to Euro. On the other hand with JU, Airport is not blackmailed by certain ultra low cost carriers.
DeleteKnowing BEG management I think they need extra income to cover all the expenses they had related to the terminal expansion. Maybe they should get their act together and actually open those coffee shops and duty free shops so that they can generate extra income.
DeleteThey should put a bit more focus on Africa. Other than charters to Tunisia and schefules flights/charters to Egypt, there is nothing.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAfrica is generally ignored by ex-Yu states and markets which is a shame. It holds huge travel potential.
Uganda flights are coming in 2024. You will see.
DeleteFo sures
DeleteZanzibar or Mombasa will work. Also Seychelles, Mauritius, Gambia, Cabo Verde, Senegal - they are new popular destinations for Europeans.
DeleteLagos!
DeleteGaborone, Mbabane, Kinshasa, Moroni, Bujumbura, Bangui.
Delete^^^
DeleteLOL!
Lagos, then Toronto
DeleteAnd still no charters to Zanzibar, Maldives, Thailand..... Even KIV has long haul charters.
ReplyDeleteflydubai can we consider it long? How long is the BEG-DXB flight?
Delete^Can we count it as a long flight? ******
Delete6 hours - it's long.
DeleteBlock hours for FZ flights
DeleteDXB-BEG 360 minutes (6 hours )
BEG-DXB 320 minutes (5 hours 20)
Long haul junior
DeleteNot pleasent on a packed MAX on Flydubai in economy
DeleteI hope that Wizz will expand as well and base more planes in BEG.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteCould BEG reach 10m by 2025?
ReplyDeleteYes. They will go to 9,5 in 2024.
Delete^ that's a bit too optimistic
DeleteOk - 9,1😄
Delete9.2m in 2024, and 10.3 in 2025. Garantujem.
Delete10.3m for 2025 may be a tad too optimistic.
DeleteWhy? 25%+ growth this year, and this trend will continue. Even at 15% in 2024 and 10% in 2025 BEG reaches 10mm. So quite realistic.
DeleteTrend wont continue…
DeleteYes it will
DeleteLike I said, even if it doesn't continue at 20%+ it definitely will at 10% to 15%. It takes a simple excel calc. to figure out that 2025 will definitely see 10 million or more. Regards.
DeleteWhich new cities dou you would like that can operate for the first time in Belgrade? I Would like Dublín, Manchester and Alicante
ReplyDeleteMIA & CAN :3
DeleteI would also love MIA :)
DeleteLong haul:
DeleteMiami, Toronto, Shanghai, Bangkok, Seoul.
Leisure: Phuket, Havana, Male, Zanzibar, Mauritius, Mahe, Punta Cana.
EU, CIS, MENA:
Beirut, Amman, Bahrain, Muscat, Baku, Yerevan, Tunis, Marrakesh, Dublin, Manchester, Helsinki, Seville, Tbilisi, Tenerife, Alicante, Ibiza, Pisa, Verona, Turin, Bilbao, Funchal.
That would be very beautiful.
Deleteas AirSerbia is going for hub: there would be several german cities which are poorly connected with southern Europe holiday destinations. AirBerlin had its central hub in PMI and was transporting passengers from Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Hannover, Stuttgart …. via PMI to spanish, italian and greek destinations. BEG and AirSerbia could take over that role as especially FRA is fee expensive and problematic for transboarding.
DeleteStill waiting on more flights from China.
ReplyDeleteComing in 2024.
Delete"The airport is continuing its expansion and modernisation drive, with key infrastructure projects scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of 2024."
ReplyDeleteThe airport is not small but, they should get a new terminal near the Runway 12R. It would get more traffic and less late departure.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PMRgitncBGA46j4A8g3aEl6_B-EF4I9F/view?usp=drivesdk (Udapted Charts from 28 December)
They should plan to add more remote stands especially if JU plans on adding more Stars.
Delete@ilijabgc unfortunately, not possible, the L extension would be on the runway (landing/take off) path. It's too close to the runway.
DeleteI think we will see Air France back in BEG next year.
ReplyDeleteITA is a possibility. The issue they have codeshares with Air Serbia which served both FCO and CDG with high frequencies so both airlines would rather use planes on other routes.
DeleteAF had really bad fares on BEG route.
DeleteI think with the Olympics coming their main focus won't be markets where they already have good coverage with a partner airline.
DeleteWell done, Beg! Congrats!!
ReplyDeleteBEG+INI+KVO 10 000 000 in 2024?
ReplyDeleteLet hope. If Airport Morava - KVO upgrading to Airbus and Boeing aircrafts. Well. Where is Ponikve airport? Krusevac i Kragujevac? Airport Serbia have to be parts of commercial aviation. Neo, and in the future.
Delete🇷🇸✈🌐🛬
Bravo rođo.
DeleteThat's right rodni!
DeleteKraljevo have potential for A320/737 and Wizz Air and Ryanair. But the airport is not ready for this.
Hvala Vam Anon 10:57. na primedbi mojeg teksta. Mozda sam nestrpljiv u zelji za razvojem aerodromske mreze Srbije. Ipak politicari i prioriteti koje Vlada odobrava i realizuje su projekti kpji su na njihovoj agendi. Iskreno receno, razvoj avio mreze Srbije gotovo pretice predvidjanja eksperata. I mogucnost brzog razvoja. Sama dinamika porasta putnika na Nikoli Tesli vec nagovestava dodatal jos jednog terminala sa cetiri, pet gejtova. Shodno tome i sekundarni aerodromi u sastavu Aerodroma Srbije su vec na pocetku razvoja i maksimalnog doprinosa samoodrzivosti. Koliko je to god moguce...
DeleteSrecna Vam Nova Godina. ✈😀🛬
In terms of infrastructure developments, I'm primarily looking forward to the new train connection to the city.
ReplyDeleteAre they considering a proper hotel nearby?
DeleteWhat do you mean by a proper hotel? Is there such a thing as an improper hotel?
DeleteAnyway, a nice 3* hotel would be nice.
Any hotel would be nice. But it it's not up to the airport to build a hotel there
DeleteI'm surprised that a train terminal hasn't been constructed yet given the favourable flat as a pancake geography and existing rail infrastructure that it can connect to. Wouldn't cost much and most people would gladly pay 10EUR extra on top of their air fare for a hop-on hop-off service.
DeleteAny plans to develop cargo?
ReplyDeleteAny plans to fix the loos in the arrivals area?
Delete^ the loos in arrivals are currently under reconstruction.
DeleteNo, they closed at the start of December as that area is currently being remodelled.
DeleteHere's the toilet guy, again.Spending a lot of time in the loo when flying, the most important feature of any airport. At least for some, lol.
DeleteYeah, anybody knows anything about cargo development at BEG?
ReplyDeleteAirport said 2-3 yrs ago that ot is not a major priority for them.
DeleteWhy would it not be? BEG could become regional hub for DHL, UPS, and other špediters.
DeleteThat's what they said
DeleteAmazing results although in 2024, it would be maybe a bit difficult. The JU several route cuts in winter might affect the first 3 months, but could be compensated in spring. Perhaps BEG can negotiate with FR and launch routes by October 2024. easyJet are also quite passive in BEG with barely 3 weekly flights to GVA. Perhaps Vueling should return as well and to try bringing back AF and TP.
ReplyDeleteJU's traffic in Q1 24 is 35% above Q1 23. 5 out of 6 suspended routes were not even in operation last winter.
DeleteAh, that's true 12:24 :) still gonna be a good year 2024.
DeleteEasyjet has 4 weekly flights to BEG.
DeleteJust curious on how is the internal construction progressing? Airport desperately lacks shops/DF/ coffees/restaurants, central section for all of that. All still looks in 'construction mode' which is dragging a bit.
ReplyDeleteWhen I passed through there some two weeks ago there was no construction going on past the immigration control. Shops downstairs are still closed off and I have no idea why it's taking that long to open them. BEG desperately needs more coffee shops in the check-in area.
Delete1. When does BEG plan to start construction of additional four gates at the end of Pier C?
ReplyDelete2. If BEG adds 1M pax each year, it will achieve 15M (maximum) pax until 2030. They should start thinking of additional capacity upgrade!
Apparently, the extension of Pier C will only start in 2026 (or will be opened in 2026) one of those two.
DeleteThat makes sense. If they start building it next year it will be done by 2026.
DeleteMind you I recently landed at BEG and the old runway refurbishment seems to be almost complete.
DeleteVery impressive year for BEG
ReplyDeleteThanks in big part to JU.
DeleteOf course it's their hone airport.
DeleteI would like work in progress to be faster. It is nice to see that Brussels is going better for Air Serbia as well as Thessaloniki. Hope that Air Serbia will solve "aircraft situation" soon, and announce e.g.10 new routes in 2024. It would be nice to see AF back in Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteHow do you know BRU its performing better? Not saying it isn't, just wondering.
DeleteProbably because JU introduced third weekly flight.
DeleteWonder if they will get to 8 million this year
ReplyDeleteGreat news
ReplyDeleteIt will be 7940000. Some insider info for you ;)
ReplyDeleteHahahahahh ....
DeleteAs if you know. Ahahahh
@09:03 Guess you'll have to wait and see :)
DeleteFunny how people were saying that BA will fail in BEG because of visas and not enough gasto but today they are sending A321neo again! This is not the first time they are sending this plane to BEG.
ReplyDeleteVery good.
Yes, Nemjee!
DeleteYou mean his comment at 10.19?
Delete