Eurowings plans major expansion into EX-YU markets

Lufthansa’s low cost subsidiary Eurowings is gearing up for a major expansion across markets of the former Yugoslavia during the upcoming 2025 summer season. The carrier will inaugurate a two weekly year-round service between Berlin and Sarajevo, complementing its existing operations from Cologne and Stuttgart. The low cost airline last served the route between the two capitals in January 2020, with operations discontinued prior to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This will be its third attempt at operating the route, with its predecessor Germanwings also having maintained services from April 2014 until March 2015. Beforehand, in 2009, B&H Airlines maintained flights between the two capitals. Eurowings will further grow in Sarajevo in 2026 with the addition of services from Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Hannover.

Eurowings plans to enter the Slovenian market next year with flights from Berlin and Dusseldorf to Ljubljana. The airline was the only one to apply to the most recent public call issued by the Slovenian government aimed at attracting new carriers to the country in return for subsidies. The aid granting commission will now determine if Eurowings has met the necessary conditions. The budget carrier aims to launch operations from the German capital to Ljubljana on April 11 and from Dusseldorf on April 12. Previously, the Berlin - Ljubljana route was operated by easyJet on two occasions, from November 2003 until March 2006, as well as from August 2018 until September 2020. Furthermore, Adria Airways maintained services between the two in 2015 and 2016. On the other hand, flights between Dusseldorf were last served by Adria in 2018 and 2019.

During the summer of 2025, Mostar Airport will boast two new routes from Germany - from Stuttgart and Dusseldorf. Although the operating carrier is yet to be announced, Eurowings is tipped to maintain both services, which would mark its return to Mostar after almost six years. The carrier had previously operated both routes in 2018 and 2019. Common to all the abovementioned planned new Eurowings services is that they will be subsidised. Elsewhere, Eurowings is believed to be in negotiations with Niš Airport over potential flights, with the airline reportedly also being approached over a potential base at the airport as well.

For the upcoming summer season, Eurowings has scheduled 1.896 departures from Croatia, which is slightly down on this year, although the timetable for next summer is still being finalised. The budget airline also has 578 scheduled departures planned from Pristina, which is the same as this year, and 136 from Belgrade, maintaining this summer’s operations. Eurowings also plans to run 98 departures from Tivat, as was the case over the summer of 2024.