NEWS FLASH
Belgrade Airport welcomed 556.281 passengers through its doors in March, representing an decrease of 0.4% on the same month last year. This is despite the number of aircraft movements increasing by 2.7%, although capacity was down 0.2%. During the first quarter, Belgrade Airport handled 1.616.677 travellers, representing an improvement of 0.4% on the same period in 2024, or an additional 6.107 passengers. The airport is set to return to growth in April with current scheduled capacity up 10.3% compared to last year.
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Belgrade’s largest airlines by scheduled seat capacity, March 2025
What an underwhelming result. I am certain a whole new management team is needed at BEG. Basically all growth is secured by existing customers. If it weren't for JU....there would be barely any growth.
ReplyDeleteThe CEO changed relatively recently.
DeleteThe previous one is now managing BUD.
Well, let's see if he does anything spectacular. I flew BEG-LCA roughly two weeks ago and there is a lot of work to be done at the airport, starting with more shops that need to be opened.
DeleteIf they are incapable of bringing new carriers then they might encourage existing ones to expand their presence. They can encourage:
1. LOT to introduce an overnight flight to BEG which would connect onto their European morning network.
2. Make sure MUC-BEG has an overnight connection.
3. Encourage JU to boost BCN to double daily and Wizz Air to resume daily flights.
4. Lobby for QR to grow in BEG. This might require a delegation to be sent to Doha but I think it's absolutely worth it.
So on and so forth.
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the new manager to drastically improve things.
DeleteHis previous job was managing the Toulon airport which has less passengers than INI...
@Nemjee
DeleteAll are solid suggestions!
Also I would try to incentivize JU returning to TLV, BEY and CAI.
They would get lots of connecting traffic that would boost the airport's numbers.
Those destinations are tricky due to a longer flight time. If TBS becomes a success then they might use that schedule to resume Middle East flights.
DeleteI have heard the protests seriously impact the tourist numbers. However this is a tiny drop.
ReplyDeleteI think that is just an easy excuse to use. Wizz Air and Air Serbia cut capacity long before protets started.
DeleteAir Serbia has more passengers than ever.
DeleteWizz Air is returning to growth this summer.
I did not say Air Serbia had a decline in passenger numbers, I said they cut capacity which no doubt affected BEG's passenger numbers. Also didn't they have minimal growth in March?
DeleteAir Serbia had 2600 more passengers than in March 2024. All other airlines at BEG combined lost about 4800 passengers. Protests did affect this and impact on April could be worrisome.
DeleteOr maybe its the fact that BA is no longer around and that QR has 7 instead of 10 weekly flights.
Delete@20:56 and how many more routes have been added since last March?
DeleteOr how many existing routes have seen increases?
If you read the text, you would notice that capacity in March 2025 was below capacity in March 2024.
DeleteCapacity is -0.2% but passenger numbers are -0.4%.
DeleteLast year catholic Easter was end of March, so last week of March was much bussier due to transfer pax and our diaspora who had a short vacation in many European countries...So that's why there is slight decrease in pax numbers
ReplyDeleteOther airports in Europe and the region did much better. VIE, BUD, PRG, OTP, TIA, ZAG, SJJ, ATH, SKG all did a lot better and they had the same date their Easter holiday.
DeleteAnd a year and a half ago when BEG was up 30% and Zagreb at 1% growth you were nowhere to be seen.
Delete^^^ How do you know where I was?
DeleteWe have the political unrest in the country. The result is perfect to be honest.
DeletePeople here are crazy. The numbers went down by a tiny bit.
DeleteSo? We shouldn't be happy with any kind of decrease especially since BEG management seems to be doing next to nothing to stimulate growth and bring new customers.
DeleteWhen does BEG plan to continue extension of new terminal for another 4 gates?
ReplyDeleteWith stats like that I think it is too early.
DeleteIt's not too early, they are already late. This summer season BEG will have serious gate restrictions during the morning rush hour.
DeleteWas at the BEG airport ladt week for the first time since the renovations started and i do not remember being in a darker, more uglier airport in my 50 years of life.
ReplyDeleteLow cieling, those disgusting foil like panels in the main waiting room, just horrible. Zero restaurant variety, no major fast food chains. Security guys giving zero fs about their behavior, one was singing loudly, one was riding an electric scooter fast and with no signal light, so i guess it was his personal ride. Bathrooms by A gates have 10 sinks and one working blowdrier. Idk who can say this airport looks modern.
Low ceilings are present at many passenger areas at most airports. Tesla Square at Belgrade airside zone or check-in hall at BEG T1 actually have more headroom than some larger airports.
Delete@anon2036, I cannot agree more. What Vinci did with the airport is really sad. In the main departure area (“Tesla Square”) they sprayed the old ceiling in black!! Unbelievable. All materials used are of poor quality, the design is tragic - just terrible and hardly repairable.
DeleteExactly like Amsterdam Schiphol:
Deletehttps://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-departure-lounge-2-at-schiphol-amsterdam-airport-112987698.html
Who cares if it is like Schiphol?! BEG is as ugly as hell. And lso that, I don't know, like 1.5 kilometer walk on arrival, as if it was indeed Sciphol is ridiculous.
DeleteNormal people care if it's same as one of top airports in Europe. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, for many passengers function is more important than form. Distance from A10 to passport control upon arrival is around 570m, meaning less than 300m on average. That's far less than on largest airports. Now you know it's not 1.5km.
DeleteUgly or not, it's matter of taste, but saying it's the ugliest certainly means you haven't seen Lisbon. I don't know how that airport handles 10, not to mention 30 millions.
DeleteBeg looks like Schiphol ordered off of Aliexpress. Dark ceilings, with brown laminate flooring (which is already showing sings of wear from the wheels) and dark blue/green carpets around gates. Horrible and an eyesore.
DeleteAnd then that disorganized duty free with a bar in the middle (lol) and dozen anti theft detrctors in plain view. Plus three secuirtas guys singing songs and fliriting loudly with every female employe that passes them.
Cringiest of all are the motivational messages and fake Einstein quotes about Tesla.
Duty free actually looks great. You need to travel more.
DeleteThat means lf is worse than last year
ReplyDeleteI cancelled my family trip because of the protesters. I have enough BS to deal with and don't need roadblocks.
ReplyDeleteIt is more than obvious that political turmoil is affecting passenger numbers as well. Just look at the statistics report of the Statistics Office, tourism numbers are down in all segments.
ReplyDeleteKada ce se poceti dogradnja novog dela Terminala sa jos tri ili cetiri mosta? EXPO 2027 je samo 24 meseca daleko. Predpostavljan da ce realan broj putnika na tom aerodromu u vreme EXPO-a i tokom te godine biti veci za dva ipo do tri miliona putnika. Dali moze na sadasnjem kapacitetu Tesla primiti 12 miliona putnika?. ✈🌐🛬
ReplyDelete