Sarajevo Airport is expected to see the introduction of several additional new routes this coming summer season, complementing the six new destinations to be launched by Ryanair, two by SunExpress and one new service by Pegasus Airlines. Wizz Air, which was recently selected as one of the winners of a public call for the introduction of new routes to Sarajevo in return for subsidies, plans to commence flights from Italy. Although the carrier is yet to finalise which Italian city the service will originate from, the carrier is expected to inaugurate flights from Rome to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital. The route was last maintained by the now defunct FlyBosnia in March 2020.
The latest public call for the introduction of subsidised new routes was concluded just before the new year, with its outcome expected to be made public next week. “We didn’t have time to focus on the results of the latest tender due to the holidays, but I expect that next week we will be able to go public with the results. We were mainly targeting Scandinavian destinations and we expect the introduction of Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm”, Haris Fazlagić, the head of the Sarajevo Canton Tourism Board, which is providing funds for the new routes, said. The public call was launched after both Norwegian and SAS Scandinavian Airlines expressed interest in the introduction of new flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital.
Sarajevo Airport handled 1.362.007 passengers in 2023. The figure represents a decrease of 1.1% on the previous record held in 2022, during which Wizz Air operated a base out of Sarajevo prior to its closure. During the first quarter of 2024, Sarajevo Airport will boast 350.530 seats on the market. This represents an increase of 19.2% on last year or an additional 56.367 seats. During the same period, a total of 2.422 Sarajevo flights will be maintained (both inbound and outbound included) up 21% on last year, or an additional 420 operations. Pegasus Airlines will be the largest carrier in Sarajevo during Q1 in terms of capacity, just ahead of Turkish Airlines.
It's going to be a big year for SJJ!
ReplyDeleteI imagine all these airlines leaving in four years when the money runs out. The sad reality of the Bosnian market.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you expect? Plane tickets cost money and Bosnia isn't exactly a rich country with a developed tourism industry.
DeleteIn the end I think it is good to subsidize existing routes like FRA, VIE, ZRH. What SJJ lacks are flights to Scandinavian countries. Sun Express, to Antalya is a waste of money...
DeleteBut what does that tell you about a market if you need to subsidize flights to places like FRA, VIE, ZRH...?
DeleteThis tells me that the only stable destinations are Vienna, Frankfurt, Zurich, Istanbul, Zagreb, Belgrade and Stockholm. It's sad but it's a fact.
DeleteExactly and that is why it's crazy when some complain how SJJ is not served. It is. There is just very limited demand.
DeleteSkopje had 1.7 million passengers 5 years ago, now almost 3 million passengers. Why couldn't Sarajevo do something similar? Already this year, an increase of around 400,000 passengers is expected.
Delete@KUM as if you have forgotten that Wizz wanted to do the exact same thing but they didnt succeed. There are 3 small airports in BiH taking away pax from each other and especially from the biggest one
Delete@K U M
DeleteSJJ can do the same thing, trolls here love to bash every article regardless of country. Bosnian people do travel a lot, probably even more than Macedonians. LCCs will kill it because Bosnia is still a cheapish rising tourist destination with something different and young people will be able to travel cheaper and faster as opposed to buses and 10-20 hour drives
21.29 that why Wizz left after one year
DeleteWizz left after one year because of internal reorganization lol, they lost Orban's support at the time and the Budapest-Sarajevo route was scrapped, they did business with Sarajevo for a long while before that. Even so Abu Dhabi and London routes continued to exist, same as 4-5 routes from Tuzla now after they closed their base there.
DeleteSJJ is literally unstoppable. I expect there to be between 1.7 and 2 million passengers in 2024!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Tuzla, I wonder how Lumiwings is doing
DeleteVery good, flights are full.
Deletelol unstoppable, wait until the incentives "stop"
DeleteSarajevo will smoke Ljubljana next year in passenger numbers
ReplyDeleteTuzla too
Deleteit would be great to start comparing also financial results among all airports. in the end, its a business.
DeleteMy man, you are talking about Balkans here. If I have money, I drink tonight all night. Tomorrow is another day, another problem.
DeleteThat’s actually a very good point, 9:21.
DeleteDo you think the operations of Wizz Air, Ryanair and Lumiwings compare to when W6 was based in TZL? I mean that the capacity has been reached in numbers (when Wizz base was also +SJJ)?
ReplyDeleteI think Copenhagen would be the most needed. Nice to see SAS. I think they had flights to Sarajevo years ago?
ReplyDeleteYes, I think through Snowflake subsidiary
DeleteThat Snowflake adventure was very short lived. I think the subsidiary lasted a year.
Deletewhat were terms? and what do they get?
ReplyDeleteLots of taxpayer money with no strings attached.
Delete@9.19 no one knows. It's a secret.
DeletePlease refrain from spreading misinformation about Bosnia and Herzegovina. The details are well-known: around 600k euros for Mostar and Sarajevo, and 1.27 million for Tuzla.
DeleteProvide a link where the tender conditions are public. For every other tender in every other country there was a direct application link where all terms and condition were visible.
DeleteIf these details aren't widely known, how is it that five European aviation companies are aware of them and have applied? Did they predict this inflation for the tender through intuition?
DeleteInformation*
DeleteI'm asking you where is it publicly available, as you claim, as it is for any other tender in Europe
DeleteIt's available on the website of the government of Sarajevo Canton. You can download the application form and check everything there. - https://mp.ks.gov.ba/aktuelno/novosti-sa-vlade/otvoren-javni-poziv-za-subvencioniranje-avio-saobracaja-na-podrucju
DeleteYou van use a Google as well man. It is a well known tool.
DeleteTheae are not terms and conditions. No need to act dumb.
DeleteThese are not terms and conditions? Can you please just open a document? https://www.visitsarajevo.ba/tenders/
DeleteWhere is the value of the subsidies? Not to mention an airline ia getting money for a route already operated.
DeleteMan why you arw wasting my time? Please download a document - Public call for subsidizing of air traffic. Then second page - Criteria for selection of application and allocation o founds. if you have a problems to understand this calculation and you are from some airline please send the an email.
DeleteEvery single European country says the amount of the subsidies and how much they are valued. Why is this a secret in BiH for every single tender - Tuzla, Sarajevo and Mostar?
ReplyDeleteIf you followed ex-YU civil aviation news, you would know that SJJ allocated about $280,00 back in August last year for carriers to open designated routes from the airport. [S.K]
DeleteYes, subsequently we saw that none of the rules from that tender were being followed and the particular tender you site failed (because the funds were too small).
DeleteAll of those numbers are public, around 600k euros for Mostar and Sarajevo and 1.27 million for Tuzla
DeleteI don't understand the logic of subsidizing Sun Express routes which are already served from Sarajevo. Bizarre waste of money that could have been used to subsidize routes that are actually not served.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteHow it is served? One of the stipulations of tender is that the line was not served in last 12 months. If that is the case, what are you talking about?
DeleteAntalya is most certainly served so I don't understand your surprise. The official tender was never revealed and Sun Express was declared the winner and will get money for flights to Antalya and Izmir.
DeleteSurprising to see Pegasus ahead of Turkish in SJJ.
ReplyDeleteI noticed it has been that way for a while
DeleteThey're a cheaper airline with a younger fleet and good connections, why not
DeleteTo be honest, for half the price of Turkish Airlines, you can find better planes. A tall person like me could sit comfortably without touching my knees to the front seat. The only advantage with Turkish Airlines is that you get food for double price.
DeleteSJJ will hands over 10 new routes this summer. Great work!
ReplyDelete*have
DeleteThey will have over two million passengers next year without an issue.
Delete* meant this year :D I'm still in 2023
DeleteQ1 capacity growth is impressive, and that's without the new routes.
ReplyDeleteYou have to consider subsidies from a broader perspective beyond the " We are losing taxpayer money." Firstly, the influx of new travelers to Sarajevo translates into increased spending across different sectors such as hotels, restaurants, accommodation, and entertainment, contributing to Sarajevo's economy. Secondly, these visitors are likely to explore other destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, subsequently sharing their experiences with friends and bringing their families on future trips.
ReplyDeleteThirdly, this can alleviate the isolation of Sarajevo Airport, potentially serving as a catalyst for its growth and more services at the airport, including expanded rental car options, extended operating hours, and more retail/shops due increased passenger traffic.
Yes, but all flights with tourists are unsubsidized. Flights to Antalya are subsidized...
Delete@ 12:25
DeleteVery well written.
Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm will mostly serve diaspora, not tourist demand. Government is subsidizing diaspora routes. There will be some tourists to go along but that's just an excuse.
DeleteFR's routes are even more diaspora
DeleteHow are Izmir and Antalya which will be launched by Sun Express and subsidized diaspora routes? Not to mention they are already served.
DeleteIzmir and Antalya were not served, Izmir wasn't served at all and Antalya was served by charters and Anadolujet, tickets that the tourist agencies used to buy out within 72h of launch. There are so many Turkish people wanting to come here and many Bosnians also own property in Turkey, it's been a trend for some 5 years now.
DeleteBergamo, Memmingen, Thessaloniki and Stockholm will bring tourists as well from Ryanair side as will Wizz's Italy routes
Anadolujet flights from/to Antalya were not charters. They were scheduled flights with tickets available for purchase months in advance
DeleteThe diaspora living in Scandinavian countries sometimes contributes more than tourists. Instead of paying for hotels, they invest in properties here, spending more money than tourists. They bring in billions of money to this country. Why not support and maintain that connection? Unfortunately, it's challenging to explain this to haters.
DeleteBut even if it's diaspora, they spend more than an average tourist in Bosnia. If there is no flight, they drive once a year from Scandinavia. With subsidied flights they come 4-5 times a year and leave money every time. There was no serious rent a car company in Bosnia 10 years ago. Now just pick the world name, and they are there through local companies. Plus milion other examples. Compare Tuzla before Wizz, during Wizz and after it.
DeleteSarajevo is on fire this year, well done! :)
ReplyDeleteAll BiH airports are doing relatively well.
DeleteReally?
ReplyDeleteWhat?
DeleteYeah bruh
DeleteAny airport that has to subsidise flights is a complete and utter failure.
ReplyDeleteSaid by who? Can you please explain?
DeleteSubsidies are a completely normal thing in the aviation industry all across the world.
DeleteI am a Portuguese citizen, since 2015 I am a frequent traveler to SJJ.
ReplyDeletebut seems SJJ is very special case, from Lisbon I can fly to Dublin, LHR/STN/LGW, CDC/ORY, and many more stations for around 10-20€ but my cheapest tkt to SJJ was 250€.
Even once my one-way tkt to SJJ was almost 400€ and a one-way tkt for my son from GRU Sao Paulo to LIS was exactly 400€