Banja Luka Airport is looking to attract new carriers and is focusing on the launch of four new routes. The airport is drafting a new price list for its services, which it hopes will encourage airlines to launch operations to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second largest city. Its General Manager, Natalija Trivić, said the airport is working on securing flights to Istanbul, Copenhagen, Malmo, and Hamburg, which have sufficient demand out of Banja Luka. However, Ms Trivić warned the airport is operating in a competitive environment. “The aviation market in Bosnia and Herzegovina is distributed across four airports. There is also additional competition from Zagreb Airport due to its proximity”, the General Manager said.
Following a record 2023, during which Banja Luka Airport handled 460.720 passengers, it has seen a sluggish start to the year. During the January – April period, the airport handled 96.661 travellers through its doors, down 31.2% on the same period in 2023. The decline is the result of fewer flights operated by low cost carriers, with Ryanair slashing services by 45% over the four-month period and Wizz Air by 70%. Overall, capacity levels have been reduced by 45%. However, the airport anticipates for the decline to be offset by a number of summer charters, which will include flights to Monastir in Tunisia, Hurghada in Egypt and Athens in Greece.
Ms Trivić expects for the airport to be handling some 600.000 passengers per year by 2028. “The increase in the number of passengers at Banja Luka Airport has a direct impact on the economy and the development of tourism in Srpska, while research shows that each arriving tourist spends a minimum of 200 euros if they stay for three to four days. Therefore, Banja Luka Airport must inevitably be better positioned by its owner, the government of Republika Srpska, in terms of financial support but also by local communities too”, the General Manager concluded.
They really need to expand the terminal ASAP.
ReplyDeleteThey have a lot to invest if they want to continue operating. BHDCA nearly closed them last year because of the runway, which is why they had to shut and do urgent work.
DeleteAt least they are expanding the car park.
DeleteIs there really a chance that TK might launch IST?
ReplyDeleteNo chance. TK said last year it had no plans to fly to BNX. It likely Pegasus or Sun Express.
DeletePegasus rejected them too, doubt SunExpress has interest to fly there, maybe they can persuade Corendon
DeleteWizz made a good deal at IST airport.
DeleteWizz, as EU carrier can't fly between two non EU countries.
DeleteWhich airline is going to operate those charters? As I recall Air Serbia in the past was flying to Antalya
ReplyDeleteLast year Tailwind operated the Antalya charters.
Deletehttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banja_Luka_International_Airport
DeleteFor BNX you can book direct flights to Hurgada and Cairo from AirCairo website. Monastir will be operated by Tunisian airline
DeleteYes, Monastir is operated by Nouvelair.
DeleteBoth Copenhagen and Malmo?
ReplyDeleteIngenious.
Yea, there is a large Bh diaspora
DeleteMalmo is just a 20 minutes train ride from CPH airport. Does not make sense to have both.
DeleteWhy not just Copenhagen in that case. The cities are literally next door to each other
DeleteIt is possible that they are talking to two different airlines. Malmo most likely with Wizz, Copenhagen possibly with Norwegian.
DeleteMaybe for someone this doesnt make sense , but for me will be more then perfect to have flight from Copenhagen - Banja Luka.
DeleteBravo Republika Srpska!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteProbably mostly Trebinje. Otherwise it's diaspora or YouTubers and people who are curious in "different" places. I hate the fact that there is so much to see there but foreigners don't know about it. Nor is there any will to change that from the local government. It's pretty much the same for all Bosnia. The Federation attracts a lot of people to Sarajevo which is logical due to it being the biggest city and Mostar of course. Otherwise it's pretty much the same.
DeleteDo people actually go to Srpska for tourism?
ReplyDeleteWell, yes. But mostly Trebinje. Proximity to Croatian and Montenegrian coast, great food, affordable prices, big aquapark, amazing climate, small and silent town, perfect size Old town and great hiking trails
DeleteIn Banja Luka, the largest number of tourists come from Slovenia. On Friday afternoons you have dozens of buses coming for weekend tours. As far as the diaspora is concerned, BNX certainly misses the flights to Malmö, Berlin, Hamburg and Eindhoven the most.
DeleteMore people would go to Krajina part in the Federation and see Štrbački Buk, Japodski Otoci, Sanski Most and other nature. BNX should work with them to boost touristic offerings instead of people relying on private buses.
DeleteWent to Banja Luka last year and was pleasantly surprised how nice the city was.
DeleteProbably mostly Trebinje. Otherwise it's diaspora or YouTubers and people who are curious in "different" places. I hate the fact that there is so much to see there but foreigners don't know about it. Nor is there any will to change that from the local government. It's pretty much the same for all Bosnia. The Federation attracts a lot of people to Sarajevo which is logical due to it being the biggest city and Mostar of course. Otherwise it's pretty much the same.
DeleteBanja Luka needs flights to Berlin, Paris, Milano, Eindhoven, Moscow and Malmö and daily to Belgrade
DeleteWhen the market is ready and economics allow. 'Need' has to have econmic backing behind it to work. And daily flights to Belgrade would need passengers..which are not there at the moment
DeleteIt's just ridiculous how the government is spending money on useless things but they don't want to invest in it's only airport.. cmon Mr Dodik, give them needed money to build a new terminal building!
ReplyDelete600k per year by 2028 is a really low target, I understand they're cautious with LCCs after the cuts this year, but that's not a lot of growth, even OMO could do that by 2028 if they adopt a good strategy and SJJ will probably be between 2.5 and 3M by then.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming this was discussed befor, but I'm wondering if you could (legally) operate this fligths out of BNX and would this make financial sense?
ReplyDeleteWhat flight?
DeleteBravo Bosnia and Herzegovina!
ReplyDeleteCopenhagen, double daily Belgrade(Corfu,Thesaloniki and Tivat) as a leisure routes.
ReplyDeleteAll these flights could function. Especially Belgrade double daily and Tivat, Corfu, Thsaloniki during summer time, till the end of September
DeleteThe number of leisure routes is impressive
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteMore than some capiral city airports.
DeleteInteresting that airport CEO as former Minister in the government that is now in power too is saying the government should do more to finance the airport.
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad that people working in or educated in the aviation industry can't work at this airport because of these people (stranački uhljebi).
DeleteKeln
ReplyDeleteShe realy has no clue what she ist talkin about...
ReplyDeleteShame
ReplyDeleteFor what?
DeleteWhy Air Serbia did not introduce that 3rd weekly flight? At least during summer season..
ReplyDeleteIt's starting in winter
DeleteI hope Air Serbia will not repeat the things from last winter season. They introduced 3 weekly BNX BEG and flew only one month. And during this summer time only 2 per week? Air Serbia should sriously reconsider BNX flights. Thay should be incresed to minimum 3 times per wed two daily.
DeleteIt's Copenhagen/Malmo not both. She is right about boosting charters, great opportunity. No expansion/new building should be built until longer commitment is negotiated with lowcosters.
ReplyDelete...most importantly, don't listen to anything neighborhood analitičar is saying.
DeleteAnd just a year ago she said how they are targeting Istanbul, Athens, a destination in Spain and Cyprus. None have launched.
ReplyDeleteIt will be amazing to have direct flight from Copenhagen to Banja Luka. This will be great news if this really come to realisation to have flight like this.
ReplyDeletedon't forget that the lady in question is a journalist and that she somehow managed to praise herself, while the real drop in passengers is 30% with a further downward trend she literally didn't do anything and since his arrival at the airport it's even worse. without the serious support of the RS government and someone who knows how to do a job in aviation, the future is not bright for BNX and there is potential
ReplyDeleteWhat would you do better and how? It's easy being a critic.
DeleteFirst of all, I wouldn't hire Ščurić for consulting just because the man has his own portal and writes all sorts of things, and we have seen that he is not exactly an expert, let alone a good strategist. Since he was hired, the airport has been going downhill :)
Deleteafter all, I didn't come to the position of director of Airport to explain myself why I didn't do anything
Mrs. Trivić needs that
AirSERBIA should set a base there.
ReplyDeletethat train has long passed...
DeleteWizz will open base in BNX
ReplyDeleteEveryone from Banjaluka would like that
Deletebut, if you allude to the political relationship between Dodik and Orban, I'm afraid that's not enough.
however, there must be financial satisfaction
and this is where the Government of the RS has to show itself if it wants a base
Wizz will not open it unless it receives dangerous subsidies
and all this is possible after a complete engine inspection is done, which is not even an easy and quick process...
Hungary has nothing with ownership of Wizz. That is infact US company
DeleteWe will see in November
ReplyDelete