This year has witnessed the highest level of connectivity across the former Yugoslavia since the country's dissolution, with nearly all of the busiest routes experiencing year-on-year growth in the first half of 2024. However, some have yet to return to their pre-pandemic passenger numbers. The busiest intra-EX-YU route during this period was Belgrade - Podgorica, followed by Belgrade - Tivat. Despite a 3.3% drop compared to last year, the Belgrade - Tivat service still handled 30% more travellers than in 2019. Air Serbia and Air Montenegro are the sole two commercial carriers on the two routes, handling a combined total of 265.296 passengers in H1 2024.
Busiest intra-EX-YU routes, H1 2024
Two domestic routes in Croatia follow, operated by the country’s flag carrier Croatia Airlines. Both the Zagreb - Dubrovnik service and flights between the country’s two largest cities have seen growth of almost 8% and 5% compared to last year, respectively, although both lag behind 2019. Percentage-wise, the fastest growing route within the former Yugoslavia during the first half of the year was Belgrade - Zagreb, followed by Zagreb - Sarajevo, while the biggest growth on 2019 was achieved on the Belgrade - Skopje and Belgrade - Zagreb routes.
Wizz Air’s service between Skopje and Ljubljana has performed strongly since its launch in September last year, surpassing the passenger numbers handled by Slovenia’s former flag carrier Adria Airways during the same period in 2019. Whereas Adria relied heavily on transfer passengers on the route, Wizz Air primarily caters for point-to-point travellers.
Travel patterns today have shifted significantly compared to those during the time of a unified Yugoslavia. In 1990, the largest flow of passengers between the republics within the federation was between Serbia and Croatia, followed by travel within Croatia itself, then Serbia - Slovenia, Serbia - Macedonia, Serbia - Montenegro, Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia - Macedonia.
Crazy what little difference there is between Croatia Airlines and Air Serbia on SKP and SJJ routes when you take into consideration that Croatia Airlines has double the number of flights to SJJ and double the capacity to SKP.
ReplyDeleteBecause their loads are like 50%.
DeleteLufthansa numbers are also still down on 2019 figures, so this has a knock on effect on Croatia Airlines also.
DeleteOffering few transport options via Zagreb also doesn't help.
DeleteI really don't get OU. For example for Mostar, their flight arrives 20 minutes late to connect onto many routes. And even on some it can connect on they actually don't sell the connecting tickets on their site.
DeleteA lot things don't make sense at OU.
DeleteImagine the load factor when the A220 takes over the routes.
DeleteIt won't take over routes like Sarajevo. In fact they used Sarajevo as an example when they said they would lease turboprops to replace Dashes.
DeleteTotally surprised not more pax on Skopje and Sarajevo route to Zagreb, same with Belgrade Zagreb , considering how many guest workers from these countries work in Croatia atm, From Bosnia it is over 250 000, from Serbia over 110 000 and from Macedonia over 60 000. In Croatia currently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in recent history, with only 86000 out of work, or less than 4.7% of the total workforce.
DeleteWith Slavonia and Dalmatinska Zagora emptied. Cunning.
DeleteWhy cunning? You talk as if this was the strategy.
Delete@anon 11:01 Consider that JU operates seasonly to DBV/SPU/ZAD/PUY at total season capacity of close to 200.000 seats. Seasonal workers mostly use coastal flights I guess.
DeleteOU is lacking strategy on every corner including in their sales on regional ops. These results show. In 2024 they are still nowhere near reaching pre Covid traffic levels on these routes.
Deletethey predicted OU to go backwards after LH started SKP but they have more pax than 2023
DeleteInteresting numbers to see
ReplyDeleteWell done to Wizz on the SKP-LJU route. They managed to surpass Adria's numbers within months.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the high density/no demand expert?
DeleteAnd they managed to do it with mostly P2P pax.
DeleteCould we see wizz go to 5pw on ljubljana skopje route?
DeleteI think it's likely considering their loads are over 90%. Probably when they win the next new route tender in Macedonia and they add another aircraft.
DeleteThe power of LCC
DeleteThe power of LCC is creating demand even when there isnt any. We all knew this route will do great.
Deleteonly with P2P pax
DeleteI'm surprised at the strong growth on TIV route compared to 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteLot more transfer passengers now for Tivat. Montenegro coast is more well known now compared to 5 years ago as word spreads from people visiting.
DeleteRussian transfers also had a role there. Remember, no flights between Russia and Tivat anymore even though it was the busiest market from Tivat.
DeleteBusier than BEG?
DeleteYes, Moscow-Tivat alone had over 600,000 passengers
DeleteFound an article with exact number
Delete" In 2019, a total of 631.561 passengers flew between Moscow and Tivat alone, with services from a number of other Russian cities, including Saint Petersburg, which accounted for 62.147 travellers."
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/03/tivat-airport-faces-loss-of-key-summer.html
Wow. Didn't know it was that high for RUS - MNE.
DeleteThese mini countries like ours will never stop amazing me. We will do everything to represent ourselves to some bigger guy even if its bad for us, and for what.. its not like americans because of that started coming to us..
DeleteHow do we represent ourselves?
DeleteWhat about Ljubljana pristina
ReplyDeleteIt had like 6,000 passengers. It's now among the busiest.
Delete* not
DeleteA friend flew in may with the 42.Said it was full on the first flight, and 15 passengers on the way back.
DeleteSorry, my 00:03 comment supposed to be for the SKP-SJJ :)
DeleteIs the Skopje-Sarajevo route preforming well?
ReplyDeleteIt runs 2 times per week on a ATR. It can't have too many passengers.
DeleteWhat about Ryanair Zagreb-Podgorica?
ReplyDeleteZagreb-Podgorica didn't operate during winter season. How do you expect it to be among the busiest routes?
DeleteBcos Ryanair doubled its flights this summer, and from next year they start from beginning of STT with 4pw
DeleteWhen TGD was a yesround destination, the figures counts more than 21k
DeleteLast year Ryanair had 26,835 passengers on Zagre-Podgorica for the entire year. So obviously not among the busiest.
Deletenot one of the top routes, but in the table above it would be in the middle, which is not bad for a pure p2p connection
Delete@9:32 source??!!
Delete"not one of the top routes, but in the table above it would be in the middle, which is not bad for a pure p2p connection"
DeleteHow can't you realize? Last year for the whole of 2023 it handled 26,835 passengers. So how do you think it would be in the middle of the table for the first half of 2024 when it started from April? You think it had more than 20,000 passengers between April and June? The table says "Busiest intra-EX-YU routes, H1 2024". Had ZAG-TGD been in the middle, it would have been displayed in the middle of the table.
@9.32
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2024/03/ryanair-key-in-zagrebs-recovery-as.html
Mea culpa. Was confused by H1 and yeararound figures
DeleteAnd what about Belgrade-Niš?
ReplyDeleteShall we ever get any data on the domestic traffic in Serbia?
why?
DeleteI am genuinely intrigued.
great to see all of them growing
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteLove all these number articles. Puts a lot of things into perspective.
ReplyDelete+1 that's why I like this site. Actual numbers and facts. Not editorials with the author's vendetta against an airline and strong dispise of his own readership, like on another site :)
DeleteTako je 100%
DeleteWhich you regularly follow. Ccccc
DeleteWe need more LCCs operating intra EX-YU flights.
ReplyDeleteWon't happen before more ex-Yu countries join EU because like this, they can't operate between two non EU nations.
DeleteNone of them is interested in operating Macedonia-Montengro-Bosnia-Serbia anyway. Maybe Belgrade-Tivat will make sense but nothing more.
DeleteI'm sure an LCC would jump at an opportunity to operate BEG-TGD/TIV if it could.
DeleteLCCs are not interested in flying. They can fly number 3 route on that list ZAG-DBV but they don't.
DeleteDo remember that ZAG-DBV route is heavily subsidized through PSO funding. BEG-TGD, BEG-TIV are not.
DeleteLCCs don't have appropriate aircraft for these routes to offer high frequency service.
DeleteLCCs do have appropriate aircraft for these routes to offer high frequency service. Ryanair flies STN-DUB eight times a day with 737. Route is only 42nm longer than ZAG-DBV.
DeleteWould love to see the Air Serbia-Air Montenegro duopoly broken up.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not!
DeleteWhy not? You enjoy high fares?
Deleteme2. 200-300EUR RT for 30ish minute flight is a rip off..
Delete"Would love to see the Air Serbia-Air Montenegro duopoly broken up."
DeleteHow come you would like to see duopoly broken up but not MONOPOLY on the ZAG-DBV or ZAG-SPU?
Problem is most carriers that would come in would be just interested in summer months. Whilst sometimes fares can be high both those airlines are committed all year round. Would a LCC have this same attitude?
DeleteLegit.
DeleteNot bad. What are the average loads?
ReplyDeleteThe fares on all intra ex Yu routes are very high. Maybe only exception s SKP-LJU.
ReplyDeleteYes but 80% is transfer
Delete80% is transfer on what?
DeleteJU and OU
DeleteThat's definitely not the case
DeleteCan anybody remember what were the JAT domestic passenger numbers ? Thanks a lot .
ReplyDeleteDuring JAT's busiest year, in 1987, it handled 2.255.000 passengers on domestic flights.
DeleteThank you Admin !
DeleteAdria also used to fly domestic routes back then.
DeleteYes, did Aviogenex also fly domestic flights?
DeleteI don't think they did
DeleteNo.
DeleteInterestingly no impact on JU and OU in Skopje due to Lufthansa entry.
ReplyDeleteOr Ryanair entry in Sarajevo.
DeleteThe lesser comfortable and / or more pricey the road connection the higher the demand for short haul flights.
ReplyDeleteTrue
DeleteWtf happened with OU? Everything down on 2019. If it weren't for Ryanair and its base, ZAG would probably still be blow pre Covid numbers.
ReplyDeleteBecause Croatia Airlines culled its operations from Zagreb, offering fewer transfer options.
DeleteThese numbers perfectly show the state of Croatia Airlines.
DeleteI'm guessing Podgorica is one of the busiest routes from Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteYes it is. In top 3
DeleteNumbers for Belgrade- Trst route should also be included in list.
ReplyDeleteThere is no Belgrade-Trieste route.
DeleteI know it's not very realistic in near future, but SkyAlps should consider OMO-LJU flights with their Q400. Currently the only means of transport between BiH and Slovenia are car and bus. Mostar is geographically farthest away from SLO of all four Bosnian airports, so it could make very good sense.
ReplyDeleteI think it could work as a seasonal summer route.
DeleteThe result of OU is shocking. It is clear without a stronger European network for transfers, their regional routes will be unprofitable, as there is no demand for enough P2P routes to fill those planes.
ReplyDeleteAre the Skopje routes to ZAG and BEG mostly used by transfers or point to point passengers?
ReplyDeleteMix of both but I would say predominately transfers.
DeleteAny idea which destinations people mostly transfer onto from these routes?
DeleteFrom belgrade mostly to New york,Chicago in summer and Amsterdam,Paris,London heathrow,Dubai and Madrid during all year. Zagreb is also used for main hubs in Europe.
DeleteThe fares to all these local destinations are larger than most other destinations to western Europe.
ReplyDeleteJU used to struggle in ZAG but stayed committed to the route and now they are doing well.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Air Serbia announced BEG-ZAG route in Nov 2014, just weeks before starting operations. Some "analysts" were furious, predicting service would fail anyway as "no one from Zagreb wants to fly to Belgrade".
DeleteI remember it too. Another fail in a series of massive fails by that dimwit.
Deletehope the success of LJU-SKP encourages Wizz to think further and add some other ex-Yu routes.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see Skopje-Tivat summer flights!!
DeleteSkopje - Rijeka is the only unserved one that I think can function as year round
Delete