KLM will expand its operations across the former Yugoslavia this summer season, from March 30 until October 25, with the carrier scheduled to operate 3.493 flights (return services included), offering 482.368 seats on the market. The figures represent a 27% increase in operations compared to the summer of 2024 and a 34.8% increase in available capacity. Driving the growth will be the carrier’s entry onto the Slovenian market with the introduction of daily flights to Ljubljana on March 30. The majority of operations on the new route are currently scheduled on the 100-seat Embraer E190 jet, although a total of nine rotations are planned with the slightly smaller 88-seat E175 over the course of the season. Slovenia becomes the third market in the former Yugoslavia to be served by the SkyTeam member, complementing Croatia and Serbia.
KLM will maintain the largest volume of traffic in the region to Croatia this coming summer, serving Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split. Its number of flights from Amsterdam to the Croatian market will grow 15.5% this summer, while capacity levels will increase 24.3% to 344.008 seats. Frequencies to Zagreb will remain unchanged at double daily, although it will represent an increase of one weekly rotation compared to a limited period in August last year when the airline maintained thirteen weekly services. Some 56% of flights will be operated by the E195-E2 aircraft, 21% with the Boeing 737-700, 14% with the B737-800 and the remainder with the E190. Capacity on the route will grow primarily due to the 132-seat E195-E2, which will double in use compared to the summer of 2024 over the smaller E190.
In Dubrovnik, KLM will maintain daily operations from Amsterdam, increasing to nine weekly during the peak summer travel period in July and August. The peak summer frequencies have been reduced by seven weekly rotations compared to last year when they were maintained sixteen times per week. During the remaining months, KLM will boast operations by five weekly rotations to a daily service. Capacity levels on the route are set to grow by 31.7% over the course of the summer. It will primarily deploy the B737-800 and E195-E2 jet on the route, increasing its usage on last year. In Split, the carrier will run double daily flights in April, May, June, September and October. This represents an increase of seven weekly flights for the first three months of the summer season. In July and August, the carrier will run 20 weekly services, matching last year’s frequencies. Some 54% of flights will be operated by the B737-800 aircraft, 28% with the Boeing 737-700, and the remainder with a mix of E195s, E195-E2s and B737-900s.
KLM plans to increase capacity on its Belgrade operations this coming summer with frequencies remaining mostly unchanged. The carrier will run a double daily service to the Serbian capital throughout summer, representing an increase of one flight per week compared to a limited period in May and June of last year. However, the number of available seats will grow by 19% for the duration of the summer. KLM will deploy the E190 on 54% of services and the E195-E2 on the remaining 46%. This is in comparison to 2024 when 94% of flights were on the E190 and the remaining 6% on the E175. However, plans to deploy the B737-800 on one of the two daily Belgrade
operations this summer have been scrapped.
A great alternative to Lufthansa.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAnyone have an idea how sales are performing on LJU route?
ReplyDeleteProbably well if Transavia is also keeping their flights.
DeleteHow many weekly flights does Transavia have to LJU?
Delete4 weekly
DeleteBravo Fraport!
DeleteJudging by the prices the flights are selling well
DeleteWhat could be the next destination for them in Croatia? Pula maybe?
ReplyDeletewill sound weird, but Osijek would be great!
DeleteWhy Osijek???
DeleteMakes no sense
DeleteZadar makes more sense than Pula.
DeleteYes you are right, Zadar is more likely than Pula. Hope they star flights there eventually.
DeleteZadar has Transavia from RTM already, which serves the local market well.
DeleteGood news
ReplyDeleteNice to see more options from Amsterdam to the Balkans, but I’d love to see KLM add Sarajevo to the network. The demand is there!
ReplyDeleteAgree. They are missing a huge opportunity. The demand is definitely there, and connections via AMS would be fantastic.
DeleteTurkish Airlines and Lufthansa completely control long-haul connections from Sarajevo, and it’s frustrating. KLM should step in.
DeleteThere is also Austrian.
Delete@09:47 who is also LH group member
DeleteTrue LH group and Austrian pretty much control all long haul transfers especially since QR only flies seasonal after covid.
DeleteI’m surprised they reduced peak summer flights in Dubrovnik compared to last year.
ReplyDeleteProbably need aircraft elsewhere.
DeleteI think now Air France has double daily and they are same group
DeleteHad no idea the E195-E2 had so many seats.
ReplyDeleteI fly KLM often, and the move from E190 to more E195-E2 flights is a good upgrade. More comfort.
DeleteGood plane
DeleteThe E-jets are great planes and I would love to see JU making a serious investment to them. They are perfect for so many of its routes.
DeleteI flew the E2 from Zagreb to Amsterdam and I have to say it was an extraordinary upgrade from the normal Embraer. It is a fantastic aircraft.
Delete+1000
DeleteWhat's the main difference between E190 and he E2 in terms of passenger comfort?
DeleteUSB sockets
DeleteBetter seats and generally nicer aircraft too. Love the big windows on the Embraer.
DeleteAmsterdam to Montenegro should be a thing. Either Podgorica or Tivat. There’s plenty of Dutch tourists coming here, and KLM is missing out.
ReplyDeletewhat you mean by plenty? most of them come with RVs not by plan.
DeleteThey could consider seasonal to Tivat like Lufthansa.
DeleteI think they will first start Skopje, then Sarajevo in ex-yu. Don't think Montenegro is on their radar for the time being.
DeleteDutch tourists spend very little in the local economy.
DeleteThey just go to the cheapest supermarket in town and that's it.
KLM is important for all the North and South American tourists in Split.
DeleteIt’s great to see Split getting more flights in the shoulder season. Airlines need to realize Dalmatia is beautiful beyond just July and August.
ReplyDeleteYess! Everybody wants sunbath in our Dalmatia!
DeleteI agree. Good to see growth in lower season.
DeleteI would even say it's far more beautiful outside of July & August!
DeleteDalmatia is always beautiful but the weather is not. It was 15 degrees last year in May. Who wants to pay hundreds of euros to go on such a holiday?
DeleteDalmatia is boring during off season, nothing to offer. Local people combine with local authority will have to offer more then sea and sun. Problem is that they earn lot of money during June September period
DeleteWhy would you work more than you need to? These people work 7 days a week for four months and then do not need to do very much work for the remaining 8 months.
Deletein short terms yes but in long terms you need to make changes. This kind of life is boring for young people and now they can easily find jobs wherever they want
DeleteI'm not sure in which century some commentators here live, but tourism in Croatia is long time ago extend to at least 7-8 months. I've booked a hotel in Opatija for the end of February and in Dubrovnik for the end of October. Reason: Carnival in Rijeka and Spartan Trail Run in Dubrovnik. There is a bit more than sun and sea in Croatia. You just need to want more than that.
DeleteOpatija and Istria are not the same as Dalmatia.
DeleteGood move by KLM. Amsterdam is a great hub, and more flights mean more competition and hopefully lower fares.
ReplyDeleteAnother year, another disappointment. No Skopje flights. KLM, we exist too.
ReplyDeleteBut Transavia is launching flights in a few weeks...
DeleteNot the same
DeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteWasn't KLM planning B737-800s to BEG this summer?
ReplyDeleteYes, it says so in the last sentence.
DeleteUnfortunate
DeleteToo much capacity. Remember JU also flies to AMS more than daily in summer.
DeleteYes, JU has 9 weekly to Amsterdam.
DeleteWow over 70% of capacity is to Croatia.
ReplyDeleteWell they have 3 destinations in Croatia and one in the other two countries.
DeleteAnd majority to Split and Dubrovnik.
DeleteSo glad they are starting Ljubljana ... since prices are already quite high i assume they are performing well. fingers crossed and hopefully see double daily on some days soon.
ReplyDeleteNo prices are high because they are stimulating transfer traffic.
DeleteWonder which transfer destinations are currently at top
DeleteAnd also how KLM will impact Air France. I know they are the same company but I think they will take some passengers away from AF in LJU.
DeleteTill March I'm using Zagreb as starting point to any US destinations, it will change from March onwards, although I would much prefer a morning departure flights.
DeleteTalking a bit with some folks that are frequently flying too, seems like everyone will either switch from Zagreb or from 11am Frankfurt departure to KLM.
This is probably the most important new addition since FlyDubai
Anonymous10:19 - not true. you can clearly see what dates are already full. first example around 1st of may when we are free first and second and also on 27th of April. so Slovenians will travel.
DeleteSkyTeam needs stronger presence in the region.
ReplyDeleteJU should try and join them since is unwilling to offer a frequent flyer program on its own and Avios would be a good offer for its loyal pax.
DeleteBut I'm afraid Tarom would object.
Avios is Oneworld.
DeleteJU was offered to join Flyingblue which is the Air France-KLM frequent flyer program but they decided to create their own, which we will endlessly have to wait for.
DeleteI'm stunned at how successful KLM has been in Split. 20 weekly in peak season for legacy airline on leisure route. Wow
ReplyDeleteAgree! Especially if you consider that to places like Palma de Mallorca they only have daily flight in peak season or to Ibiza 10 weekly.
DeleteeasyJet also flies Split-Amsterdam, as does Croatia Airlines. Transavia too. There are 5 flights per day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
DeleteDutchies love Hrvatska
DeleteIt's not just Dutchies. And it's not just KLM. KLM is just one of the airlines that take care of passengers and tourists who come to Croatia from distant marketing, predominantely North America, what miserable feeder Croatia Airlines failed to do
Deletenot marketing, markets, idiotic autocorrect
DeleteDon't get why they don't try SJJ with Transavia at least. I'm sure they would do well.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago they put tickets on sale for AMS-SJJ for the holiday period - Christmas and New Year but they cancelled the flights and sales. Seems that tickets were not selling that well.
DeleteSJJ is off the radar for most European legacy airlines. Even these subsidies don't help.
DeleteMaybe not the most related question, but does anyone know, why is the seatmap not displaying when booking flights from LJU to AMS? I get an error: Please try again, or contact us if the problem persists.. (ID: f3bd5a39-094b-40e0-982d-943b65db47a6)
ReplyDeleteThey probably forgot to load the seat maps for the new route.
DeleteOdd. Have you tried doing it through their app?
DeleteGood to see. Hope they include more new routes soon.
ReplyDeleteIn ten years all we will have left in Europe are low cost airlines, Lufthansa, IAG and Air France-KLM.
ReplyDeleteIt is certainly starting to look like it.
DeleteDoes OU still send its Dashes from Zagreb to Amsterdam or have they come to their senses and begun using jet engine planes on this route?
ReplyDeleteThey use only A319/A320 now and A220 on occasion.
DeleteThey sent the Dashes just a few times 5-6 years ago in winter. And I think it was because they had a lack Airbuses as they were undergoing maintenance. It was never a regular occurrence.
DeleteCorrect. Croatia Airlines deserves all of the spitting of this World, but if there is one their service which is constantly full and maybe even ptofitable, that's AMS
DeleteFunnily enough Kresimir Kucko was OU's representative of Benelux region for many many years before he became CEO.
DeleteSo Belgrade will not get upgraded to 737-8.
ReplyDeleteThis year will be not a good one for the airport.
Love the selective cheery picking
Delete"However, the number of available seats will grow by 19% for the duration of the summer."
Bravo Croatia, you are smashing potatoes in 2024!
ReplyDeleteWhat are they waiting with ZAD? They should start a route from Netherlands asap.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy they are finally coming to Ljubljana. Have they ever flown to Ljubljana in the past?
ReplyDeleteYes. During Yugo times they used to operate AMS-LJU-DBV twice weekly on DC-9. And one year they even had four-engine DC-8 scheduled and actually operated the route, if I remember correctly it was 1978
Delete