SkyAlps and Mostar inked an agreement yesterday which will see the Italian regional carrier base one of its Dash 8 turboprops at the city’s airport and launch several new routes. This partnership was established following a successful bid by SkyAlps in a tender designed to attract carriers by providing subsidies for basing aircraft in the city. The development was anticipated as Mostar Airport’s CEO had indicated as early as last year the airline would establish a base in 2025. Currently, SkyAlps operates seasonal summer flights to Mostar from Rome, Munich, and Verona. Under the agreement it will maintain flights to eight destinations, including Stuttgart, Bari, Naples, Catania and Palermo, in addition to Rome and Munich, while Verona will be swapped for another route, which is yet to be selected. The emphasis on the Italian market comes as Italians make up the largest portion of Mostar’s visitors, primarily as religious pilgrims.
The establishment of the SkyAlps base was marked by a signing ceremony attended by local and regional officials. The Mayor of Mostar, Mario Kordić, said, “You have witnessed over the past three and a half years the tremendous effort, growth, and positive results achieved by Mostar Airport under this management and administration. From practically no passengers, we are now talking about 40.000 travellers this year across six routes connecting the City of Mostar with the rest of Europe and the world”. The government of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton has set aside just over 176.000 euros for SkyAlps to open its base. Alex Spinato. SkyAlps' General Director for Aviation and Operations, said, “None of this would have been possible without the support of the local authorities and the management of Mostar Airport. Mostar and its surroundings are among the smallest regions, but it is a region with enormous potential. That is why we decided to make Mostar our second base, and I am confident that this cooperation will continue for a long time”.
Mostar Airport anticipates handling 65.000 passengers next year, up from the estimated 44.000 in 2024. In addition to SkyAlps, both Air Serbia and Croatia Airlines will continue to maintain their subsidised services from Belgrade and Zagreb respectively, while talks are ongoing with Pegasus Airlines over flights from Istanbul. SkyAlps started operations in June 2021 as a virtual airline and secured its Air Operator's Certificate in January 2023. It aims to expand its all-Dash 8 fleet to fourteen aircraft within the next year, positioning itself for further growth. With its hub in Bolzano, the carrier now links over twenty European cities with nonstop flights.
So the subsidiaries worked, damn. Good for Mostar, though. We're probably gonna see a record year in 2025
ReplyDeleteIf they estimate 65,000 pax next year it will be a bit short of 2012 nunbers but close.
DeleteTrue. But if Pegasus launches flights twice per week, it would be close
DeleteRecord year was 1991 I believe with the airport handling 86K PAX.
Delete^ Thank you
Delete9:54 No problem man :)
DeleteWill it be a seasonal or year round base?
ReplyDeleteI think so. They might keep some routes in winter but I think it will only be the diaspora ones, not the flights for Italian pilgrims.
DeleteHow can a person with at least one day od school believe in Medjugorje?
DeleteI can't believe it is only 176k.
ReplyDeleteIs it only for base opening and each flight will be additionally subsidized or is it whole amount that SkyAlps is getting?
That's for the base. So they're getting paid 170k for having an aircraft and then another idk 15k or so per destination
DeleteIt's most likely per route but the minister was on purpose not clear when she said it.
DeleteThis is for snacks on flights.
DeleteThe total amount will be much higher. Millions.
DeleteLol, even Sarajevo doesn't pay millions
DeleteBravo 🇮🇱
ReplyDeleteBravo!
ReplyDeleteExcellent. Exciting times for Mostar
ReplyDeleteIs there no longer any new route to Bosnia and Herzegovina that is not subsidized? What is the strategy? Endlessly paying airlines money to start new routes?
ReplyDeleteThat does seem to the new tactic.
DeleteSays random Anon
DeleteThere are quite a few that aren't subsidized, plus the subsidies are much smaller than in Slovenia or N. Macedonia
DeleteYou realize! This is fantastic news! to think that three years ago and more ago I saw my airport empty... but thanks to a splandide direction we can achieve everything
ReplyDeleteSo splandide!
DeleteHope it does not turn out like Lumiwings base in Tuzla.
ReplyDeleteSky Alps and this whole arrangement is much more serious then what happened in Tuzla.
DeleteThe Lumiwings project in Tuzla was based on totally different premises. They had a 149-seat Boeing 737 (they could also have chosen a 118-seat Embraer) based in Tuzla during the least popular part of the year for travelling, and flew to highly unattractive airports some of which hardly have any routes whatsoever. The SkyAlps Mostar project consists of a 76-seat Q400, starting to be based in Mostar in the beginning of the summer season and will fly to attractive airports in Europe. Very good business by OMO.
DeleteI visited Mostar this summer and had a great time but Mostar really needs more hotels and especially more upscale hotels. The offer is quite bad at the moment. At least that was the impression I got when I was searching for accommodation.
ReplyDeleteHilton is opening next year
DeleteExcellent news
DeleteWhy I can not find any news at Hiltons website new openings?
DeleteIsn't it Marriott?
DeleteMaybe Mostar lacks some more Hotels, but you have so many private apartments that are among best hotels in the Europe.
DeleteAnon 13:30: google for “ Hilton Set for Bosnia & Herzegovina Entry with Dual Signing” its on stories.hilton.com they are opening two hotels in Bosnia, one in Sarajevo and one in Mostar
DeleteConsidering traffic between Italy and Mostar it is fitting that an Italian airline is opening a base.
ReplyDeleteRyanair or Wizz Air would have been more valuable.
ReplyDeleteThe airport would become a hostage to either of them if they opened a base. Look at what happened in Tuzla.
DeleteBut they're not hostage to SkyAlps?
DeleteThey would be perfect for Ljubljana honestly. Congrats Mostar.
ReplyDeleteLjubljana or Trieste would work.
DeleteI guess Treviso or Venice can be also. People are so religious there...
DeleteMostar Ljubljana could potentially work on account of diaspora and Medjugorje
DeleteGood luck to them
ReplyDeleteAnyone flown with Sky Alps? What are they like? Do they have lcc service?
ReplyDeleteNo, they actually offer drinks and snacks for free.
DeleteThat's better than most legacy airlines in Europe
DeleteThe Skyalps base in Mostar could be a real game changer for the airport.
ReplyDeleteThat could have been Croatia Airlines. A base was offered to them for subsidies.
Deletewhat would aviation in the region be without subventions...
ReplyDeleteIt's the same story with all smaller airports across Europe.
Delete