Pegasus Airlines will commence a new scheduled service between Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport and Tuzla on August 24. It will become the first established carrier to launch operations to the airport since Ryanair maintained its short-lived flights to Tuzla between November 2022 and June 2023. Pegasus Airlines is currently scheduled to operate one weekly year-round service to Tuzla, each Saturday. Tickets for the new route are currently available for purchase through the carrier’s mobile app although sales through its website are yet to commence.
Tuzla Airport has been struggling since its sole scheduled carrier, Wizz Air, closed its base in the city in September last year, citing a challenging macroeconomic environment, along with complicated weather conditions, such as frequent fogs. As a result, it discontinued thirteen of its sixteen routes from Tuzla. Since then, local authorities have held public calls in an attempt to secure the arrival of new airlines in return for subsidies. A short-lived agreement was struck with Greek carrier Lumiwings for the stationing of an aircraft in the city and the launch of six new routes in return for 1.5 million euros in subsidies over the 2023/24 winter season. However, just a month and a half after introducing flights, operations were cancelled and the airline pulled out of the arrangement, citing poor loads and a spat with the airport over financing.
Tuzla Airport handled 90.942 passengers during the first half of the year, representing a decrease of 67.1% on the same period in 2023. Last month, the Tuzla Canton government said it would provide financial assistance to the tune of 1.3 million euros to airlines that commence services to the city. “The funds the government has secured will not be utilised until we receive firm guarantees they will be used adequately, meaning they will have a positive impact on the community and full aircraft. We don’t want a repeat of what we had with the previous airline [Lumiwings]. We were faced with pressure to secure flights, and we went into that arrangement on the recommendations of the airport and relevant ministry. We ended up with half empty planes and even more than that”.
Further flight details for Pegasus Airlines’ Tuzla service can be found here.
Finally some good news for Tuzla
ReplyDeleteSomething is better than nothing
ReplyDeleteAgree, won't change the situation much but Tuzla needs all the flights it can get at the moment.
DeleteThe only solution I see is that they manage to get Ryanair to return. It would be Tuzla's only savior.
DeleteTuzla Airport's gold days are over. Now we have to be happy with anything we can get.
DeleteThere are way too many airports and bases in and around Bosnia.
Delete> 9:59 actually it makes sense to have many airports in mountainous country. If you need to drive for many hours to get to the airport in nearby city, small local airport becomes viable option. Even if it is more expensive.
DeleteTuzla is not listed on the site of Pegasus
Delete^ read the article
DeleteThis is nice but they need an airline to open a base in TZL.
ReplyDeleteMost airlines have never even heard of TZL.
DeleteIf they managed to get Wizz Air 10 years ago and for it to fly so long, I'm sure they can find someone else.
DeleteThat is for sure. And the 1,5€ tax has been removed by the government.
DeleteThat tax is only temporarily removed. It will be returned in 1 or 2 years, but it's possible it will be lower
DeleteFantastic news
ReplyDeleteit's not going to last long in TZL
ReplyDeleteWhy?
DeleteLook at their track record with new airlines.
DeleteI will believe it when I see it.
ReplyDeleteWizz Air leaving is a big loss for the city of Tuzla. Although these flights catered for diaspora it also brought in tourists and money to the local economy. A lot of Tuzla Airport suppliers were also affected. So I'm happy for these flights, but we need more.
ReplyDeleteSad but true
DeleteThe diaspora is contributing most to the economy. Ofc foreign tourists are nice but they spend much less than the diaspora
DeleteI think Wizz Air will return with a base once the problems with the neo planes end.
DeleteHope so but highly doubt it.
DeleteHopefully they eventually increase frequencies.
ReplyDeleteThey should open a base.
ReplyDeleteWhat good would that do? They would be unable to fly from Tuzla to any EU city.
Deletewow nice
ReplyDeletePegasus is doing a great job in the region. They fly everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThey only fly to SJJ, BEG, ZAG, SKP, TGD, PRN and TIA. No LJU, no INI, OHD, TIV or any airport on the croatian coast.
DeleteI wouldn't say seven airports in the region is "only"
DeleteThey can't fly to INI and TIV for bureaucratic reasons (issues with bilateral).
DeleteThey must have got a fat subsidy.
ReplyDeleteSo? It is the only way TZL can get flights at the moment.
Deleteno, these flights are not subsided
DeleteThe flights are most definitely subsidized lol
DeleteHow many weekly Wizz Air flights does Tuzla have now?
ReplyDelete8 weekly in total
DeleteThank you.
DeleteSlim pickings.
DeleteYeah but FMM will be increased to five weekly, DTM to four and BSL to three weekly in August or September i am not sure.
DeleteSo this is it? Almost a year after Wizz closed a base and this is all they got to show for it? The first thing local government should have done when Wizz Air left was fire the entire management.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteDon't forget the Lumiwings fiasco.
DeleteThe joys of having a politically appointed management.
DeleteTZL has continually had one of the worst airport management in the region.
Deleteyou can't fire your family members
DeleteWhy are the tickets on sale through the app but not on the website?
ReplyDeleteFinally flights to Turkey. They have been announcing how they are working on these for years.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the fares like?
ReplyDeleteCheck the app
DeleteTuzla market is huge so I am sure there will be way more airlines coming.
ReplyDeleteTuzla market is huge? Is this sarcasm?
DeleteThere have been comments how TZL market is 2x bigger than LJU, which for example had around 1,7-1,8 million passengers before covid.
DeleteWell it certainly had almost the same passengers as Ljubljana at one point. Which goes to show what a poor job LJU did as a EU/NATO capital and capital of one of the more wealthier countries in Europe
DeleteHow dare you criticize Fraport!
DeleteWho is going to use these flights?
ReplyDeleteTurkish tourists primarily.
DeleteWhat is there to see in Tuzla?
DeleteBtw I am genuinely asking that, not sarcastically.
DeleteSalt mine visit?
DeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteExpected and unfortunately they will be the only new airline at TZL.
ReplyDeleteOne weekly. Groundbreaking.
ReplyDeleteThis will be a life saver for Tuzla
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteDidn't see that one coming.
ReplyDeleteHow? They said many times they were in talks with a Turkish airline.
DeleteWhere did majority of Tuzla's passengers go? Sarajevo?
ReplyDeleteYes, mostly.
DeleteSome to BEG too.
DeleteThere is only 50 min difference in driving from Tuzla to Sarajevo or to Belgrade.
And the difference between SJJ and BEG is also 50 routes.
DeleteWizz Air is badly needed back in TZL.
ReplyDeleteIndeed
DeleteThat passenger decline is spectacular and sad. I really hope more airlines launch flights.
ReplyDeleteHope these flights will work out and that there will be demand.
ReplyDeleteHad Tuzla flights to BEG in old Yugoslavia in some period?
ReplyDeleteNo.
DeleteIn old Yugoslavia TZL was only military airport.
How about new Yugoslavia?😂
DeleteThe airport should first get those runway approach lights they have been promising for the past 10 years.
ReplyDeleteAnyone think Ryanair will make Sarajevo a base in the future?
ReplyDeleteThey generally hate bases outside EU
DeleteThey don't need to open a base. They could do what they do in TIA. Have big scale ops but with all flights originating from other bases.
DeleteVery nice.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it make sense to work with JU or other regional airlines to have a daily flight to connect to their network? This is done in US all the time, smaller airports fly to hun and connect. Travel times are usually nice, just my 2 sense.
ReplyDeleteIt would make sense. Similar to what Mostar has done.
DeleteYeah and Banja Luka too in BiH, also most places inCroatiaas well. In US, all Midwestern towns/cities have flights to ORD, MSP and some to Detroit, Denver, Dallas, ATL etc...Basically via 1 connection you can go most places.
DeleteThis is really good. Pegasus has a load of connecting flights to the Middle East.
ReplyDeleteHow about west dude?
DeleteIt does not show prices yet through the app. They added Tuzla on the list and there are dates but when you click to check the prices, it is not shown.
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDelete