Wizz Air was Pristina Airport’s busiest airline in 2023 for a second year in a row as three major European low cost carriers handled the bulk of its traffic despite the significant use of tour operators utilising ACMI providers. Wizz Air welcomed 526.572 passengers on its Pristina operations, improving its performance by 27% on the year before. The carrier also outperformed its pre-pandemic traffic levels, as it handled 253.282 passengers in 2019. GP Aviation, which transports customers on behalf of tour operators, was the second busiest overtaking easyJet which came third with 438.692 travellers, up 6.6% on 2023. Eurowings positioned itself as the fourth busiest by handling 314.080 passengers.
Pristina Airport's ten busiest airlines in 2023
Wizz Air had initially targeted 600.000 travellers on its Pristina operations in 2023 but fell short of the number after it discontinued services to Basel and Baden Baden on August 31 last year. It now maintains five routes out of the city. Wizz Air’s President, Robert Carey, previously noted, “It is very important for us that travellers from Kosovo, but also those from nearby markets, fly with Wizz Air when they need to. Part of our job is to add as many new destinations as possible. We hope to build a base here in the future”.
Low cost carriers and flights sold through tour operators again took a leading role at Pristina Airport, which saw its busiest year on record in 2023. Turkish Airlines was once again Pristina’s busiest legacy carrier, handling 216.844 passengers on its flights from Istanbul last year. It was followed by Austrian Airlines with 133.596 travellers and Swiss International Air Lines, which managed 36.918 passengers on its service between Geneva and Pristina. Pristina Airport is poised for another record year in 2024, with the recent European visa liberalisation for Kosovo passport holders, the launch of Albawings' base, the upcoming arrival of airBaltic, as well as the introduction of new routes by Pegasus Airlines, SunExpress and Norwegian.
This is probably the weirdest set of top 10 airlines at any airport in Europe.
ReplyDeleteMost of them are swiss carriers. Germany and Switzerland are the largest markets for PRN. Normal.
DeleteI wonder if Wizz will open a base in PRN
ReplyDeleteWizzair will never open a base in PRN, for the reason that it has its base in SKP and this would harm Wizzair in SKP, and for the other reason that PRN has very high airport taxes.
DeleteThe reason Wizz does not have a base in PRN (as the article correctly cites the CEO's desire to have one), is because the Government does not offer subsidies, unlike SKP, or other exYU airports.
DeletePRN did very well last year
ReplyDeleteWhen Albawings will start?
ReplyDelete1 february
DeleteAlbawings' base already started 10 days ago.
Deletei dont think it has
DeleteIt hasnt started, all flights are shown as sold out and there arent any departures of Albawings from PRN.
DeleteThat's strange.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2024/01/albanias-albawings-to-open-pristina.html
ZA-ALD, one of Albawings' B737-400s arrived in Pristina last Wednesday.
DeleteGood mix of airlines.
ReplyDeleteThere is a big lack of legacy carriers.
DeletePegasus and Eurowings are not legacy carriers.
DeleteThe legacy airlines flying to PRN are Turkish, Swiss and Austrian
Deleteits Edelweiss not Swiss
DeleteSwiss flies to Pristina from Geneva. Read the article
DeleteWill WizzAir inaugurate new flights to Basel?
ReplyDeleteThey pulled out from Basel-Prishtina
DeleteWhen Adria was still kicking about, what were their numbers out of Pristina?
ReplyDeleteGP Aviation seems to be doing very well?
ReplyDeleteWhy they don't have online booking, which tour operator sells tickets?
Prishtinaticket
Delete1. WizzAir (Airline)
ReplyDelete2. GP/PrishtinaTicket (Tour Operator)
3. Chair&Enter/Airprishtina (Touroperator)
4. Easyjet (Airline)
5. Eurowings/Eurokoha (Tour Operator)
6. TradeAir/AirMunich&ReisebüroPrishtina,.. (Touroperator)
7. Edelweiss/MalesiaReisen&Eurokoha (Touroperator)
8. Pegasus (Airline)
Crazy
Delete:D
DeleteGP Aviation will probably overtake Wizz this year.
ReplyDeleteBased on what?
DeleteThey have plans to expand and they will also start their own ticket sales.
DeleteThey added another aircraft and swapped B733 for A320
DeleteNow:
Delete1X 737-400 own
1X A319 leased from Bulgaria Air
2X A320 leased from European Air Charter.
Expected
ReplyDeleteThere are rumors that GP Aviation has applied to be announced as the official designated Flag Carrier of Kosovo. Looking at the numbers, rightly so. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThat would be great
DeleteWhere is GP aviation from? Bulgaria?
DeleteWould they rebrand? Quite a lot is missing, if nothing else online reservation system connected to Google.
Delete11:50 a.m
DeleteThey are a Swiss airline, but to have access to the EU their AOC is Bulgarian. Officially they are a Swiss airline, the main office is in Zurich.
11:15 Where did you hear it, read it? Very interesting!!!! And hopefully it will happen.
DeleteAir Albania is the national carrier😁
Delete@16:02
DeletePossibpy they may shift to PRN like Albawings and try their chances. It seems won't be able to keep up with Wizz/Ryan in TIA for too long.
+1
DeleteThat's not happening
DeletePrices are way to high for Prishtina. If you book with these Tour-operators you at least get luggage included
ReplyDeletehow does a tour operator compete with a regular carrier, especially a LCC?
ReplyDeleteWhat would be the advantage to e.g. book through them, than to book, I suppose a cheaper flight with Wizzair directly (on their webpage)?
its more of a habbit of the diaspora than about advantages. Its also a relatively closed community and uses their own travel agencies
DeleteLack of other options is the answer. PRN is the only Airport in the region which does not provide any subsidies to LCCs.
DeleteLjubljana
DeletePrices are almost the same and the Tour-operators fly to major airports with included luggage. ( and you can pay your ticket in cash😉)
DeleteAnon 12:41 +1, If you travel with luggage (most of diaspora does), then tour operators are mostly cheaper than LCC's. On top of it, its bias toward these agencies (they've been there forever) and used to travel with them. You can book them online (main tour-operators are known for most of Kosovars), by phone or go to office. LCC's aren't really a competition for them. Personally use SKP (preference due to proximity) and just started using TIA for ridiculous prices ( 40 euros RTN to Barcelona!!!, around 250 from PRN-BCN X 4 people). If Wizz or Ryanair would introduce more routes with similar prices (+taxes) to SKP and TIA, tour operators would collapse within 6-12 months.
DeleteAs it is, PRN will reach 4 mlm PAX this year.
ReplyDeleteShould the Government allow Wizz to open base, maybe even reach 5 mln by the years end.
With the PW engine crisis? Good luck
Delete@Anon 12:56 For 5m pax, its to late this year already. 4 will be more reasonable. Wizz might open base, only if it gets kicked out from TIA by RYANAIR.
DeleteIsn't GP Airlines (and all others that sell only via tour operators) rather a Charter flight, not ACMI? Technically ACMI is defined as an airline leasing aircraft to another airline, no? None of those tour operators do have an AOC... so why use the term ACMI instead of charter?
ReplyDeleteBecause the airlines are all ACMI operators.
DeleteTo me it is simply charter flying, as they do not operate for another AOC-holder. On the other hand European Air Charter operating on behalf of GP Airways is an ACMI deal un my understanding.
Delete