Ryanair, Wizz Air and Pegasus Airlines have emerged as the fastest-growing carriers in the former Yugoslav markets in terms of seat capacity during the second quarter of the year (April - June), compared to the same period in 2024. Ryanair is leading the expansion, adding 194.088 seats, a 10.5% increase year-on-year. The bulk of this growth is driven by the airline’s operations in Sarajevo, where it has launched five new routes and boosted frequencies on several others, resulting in a 166% increase in capacity from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital this summer. In addition to Sarajevo, Ryanair is also expanding capacity in Zagreb, Niš, Banja Luka and Rijeka. However, the airline is reducing seat availability in Podgorica, Zadar, Split and Pula during the same period.
Fastest-growing airlines in the former Yugoslavia, Q2 2025
Wizz Air is making a strong comeback after a challenging 2024 marked by engine inspections affecting its A320neo-family fleet, and is set to add over 190.000 seats to the market during the second quarter. The airline’s biggest growth is concentrated in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it is adding 72.272 seats, primarily through frequency increases in Sarajevo, which will see a 150% capacity rise compared to the same period last year. Significant growth is also being recorded in Banja Luka (+104%) and Tuzla (+91%). Wizz Air is also expanding its capacity in Belgrade, while its Skopje base will continue to operate below last year’s levels in Q2. Despite new route launches planned for May, they are not enough to offset the impact of five routes being dropped from the network. Overall, Wizz Air is expected to increase its capacity across the former Yugoslav markets by 10.2% during the second quarter.
Pegasus Airlines continues to record strong growth across the former Yugoslavia, driven by the launch of flights to Tuzla and increased services from secondary Turkish airports to the region. During the second quarter, the airline is adding 136,408 seats, representing a 52.8% increase compared to the same period last year. In addition to the Tuzla service introduced last August, the largest capacity growth is being recorded in Skopje (up 82%) followed by Pristina (+64%). The Turkish low-cost carrier is also boosting seat capacity in Zagreb, Sarajevo and Podgorica.
Impressive stuff by Pegasus considering they are a non-EU airline!
ReplyDeleteAJet too.
DeleteI am really interested in how AJet will operate on the Mostar–Istanbul route.
DeleteGood to see Wizz Air finally waking up.
ReplyDeleteAbout time. Very little difference with Ryanair in second quarter.
DeleteThey need to be ahead of FR to catch up to them.
DeleteWho is bigger now in ex-Yu? Wizz or Ryanair?
DeleteRyanair
DeleteAir Serbia seems to have nice growth overall. Only non LCC in the top 5.
ReplyDeleteWell they are adding five new routes so no surprise.
DeleteIt's actually 7 additional routes because they have Shanghai and Nice which did not operate in Q2 2024.
DeleteThe capacity growth in the second quarter is not primarily from new routes. Most of the new routes start mid June.
DeleteSo Q3 should be even stronger then.
DeleteYes
DeleteNice
DeleteWow all of them LCCs.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see so much growth from low-cost carriers in the region. More choice and better fares for everyone.
DeleteReality of the region.
Delete^ What are you talking about? LCCs dominate as largest airlines in many markets. I will mention Spain and Italy where Ryanair is the largest airline. Is this their reality too?
DeleteThe Ex-Yu racists don't care. They hate LCCs and think that the Balkans is a cultural dump. That's why we get people from Zagreb commenting that it's a "prestigious airport" and Belgrade commenting "we don't need/want an airline like Ryanair".
DeleteNobody is against Ryanair, but against their arrogant behaviour. They are asking special terms and conditions which even homeland Air Serbia haven't. When they accept normal market rules, they are more than welcome
DeletePeople are just tired of Ryanair because whenever they try to enter a new market, they're just very arrogant. Slowly running out of airports to swindle in Spain, though
DeleteSo happy to Sarajevo top the growth for many of them.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteSJJ could soon become one of Ryanair's key cities in the Balkans.
DeleteRyanair clearly sees Sarajevo as a future base.
DeleteC'mon dude. Just look at FR's operation in ZAG, TIA, SOF, OTP, SKG,
DeleteSJJ won't become a key city.
It can become a nice Ryanair base. The only thing that can derail that is incompetence from politicians.
DeleteThe problem for SJJ is that it reached 1 million passengers a couple of years ago and expanded the airport to a 2 million capacity, which will be reached this year. Honestly, it was a very short-sighted plan.
Delete^ agree. That was a very short sighted expansion.
DeleteI think Sarajevo will eventually need a completely new airport. I don't think it has room much more room to expand.
DeleteActual Master plan of Sarajevo Airport determined terminal expansion up to 2,5M passengers, expanding it to the south side (instead of those hangars). Having that in mind, full potential of existing Terminal still has to be reached, before we start looking for the new terminal building. 2,5M projected capacity is easily 3M/year passengers
DeleteSkopje used to be Wizz’s stronghold. Surprising to see it still underperforming.
ReplyDeleteIt's like that because they can afford to underperform there. They don't have any direct competition while in other markets they are going against Ryanair, Norwegian, easyjet etc.
DeleteMakes sense
DeleteW6 will come back really stronger in SKP next year.. slowly they will start doing it , there is some talks that they will launch alot of routes in once , but its just talks nothing confirmed
DeleteSame was said for this year. Then they discontinued 5 routes.
DeleteInteresting that Ryanair is mostly cutting capacity in coastal cities.
ReplyDeleteAnd they still have less capacity in TGD. Wonder if Podgorica's passenger decline will continue in summer.
DeleteIt won't because other airlines are growing.
DeleteSuch as?
DeleteAir Montenegro for starters.
DeleteAir Montenegro is not growing this summer, they are declining. They even have one aircraft less in the fleet.
DeleteThere is no better insight into tourists trends than Ryan's destination managment
Delete@19.24 they are growing schedule capacity. Charter maybe not.
DeleteBravo AirSerbia
ReplyDeleteOnly non LCC on the list
+1
DeleteIt's crazy how strong Ryanair has become in the region. Before covid they just mostly served the Croatian coast.
ReplyDeleteW6's NEO/Pratt engine troubles really opened up an opportunity for FR to attack them and the Irish took it.
DeleteI don't understand why they didn't take the same opportunity in SKP
DeleteThey were chased off once and Ryanair does not forget easily.
DeleteI don't think so. I think at this point they just don't see it as being worth competing against them in SKP. Wizz is too big. But in my opinion they have a big unused opportunity in PRN, where they would also compete for Skopje passengers.
DeleteWizz is very powerful in Skopje and the market is small. It's not like Vienna or Rome.
DeleteWizz relations with our Macedonian governments especially with current one is the number 1 problem why Ryanair is not coming to out country and thats tbe reality nothing else.
DeleteRyan and Wizz for diaspora. Pegasus for local tourists, Turkish toursts and Turkish construction workers.
ReplyDeleteRyanair and Wizz are also used for holiday travel.
DeleteWhat was capacity increase for Croatia Airlines?
ReplyDelete72.332
DeleteWas OU's growth the 6th largest or is there some other airline?
DeleteI published the top five, but Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and KLM are in front of Croatia Airlines in terms of capacity growth during the second quarter. So, it ranks ninth.
DeleteThank you
DeleteLjubljana not having flights from 2 out of top 3 growers while having only ONE destination of thrid one and not having a national carrier is a tragedy
ReplyDeleteCould not agree mow :( sad reality
DeleteAnd out of the top 5 just two serve it.
DeleteNot having a national carrier is a blessing for Slovenian tax payers.
DeleteYes, I guess that's why it has the worst connectivity in Europe.
DeleteThe airport yes, the country, no. The country is about it's people, not about couch commanders measuring the size of their testicles.
DeleteI didn't measure anything. I read the ACI report about European connectivity and Slovenia was dead last. I read the same report for the year 2018 and guess what, it was nowhere near the bottom.
DeleteI think meanwhile we can say that ZAG and TRS have become somehow SLO airports too. They are so close to Slovenia and are important for Slovenians but Slovenian tourism too. By the way, I just spent these days in the Cinque Terre and I think of all the tourists I heard talking, Slovenians were among the top 5. Slovenia is lucky to be geographically well located. A few hours driving and they are in Italy, Austria, Hungary or the Adriatic Coast of Croatia.
DeleteSlovenians are also number 1 tourists in Istria where they own houses, have their own entertainment venues, etc etc. Why would these people want to fly to Antalya?
DeleteGood to see smaller airports like Niš, Banja Luka and Rijeka getting more seats from FR.
ReplyDeleteThis is how the region should grow.
DeleteAnd at least none of the three depends only on FR which is good.
DeletePegasus is building a solid Balkan network without making too much noise. One of the most underrated players in the region.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteThat is true
DeleteNot in Serbia..
Delete^ ignorant anon. Had you bothered to read the air service agreement between Serbia and Turkey you would know why they can't grow beyond current frequencies. They already operate all flights with A321 to Belgrade. But don't you worry, there were close to 1 million passengers between Serbia and Turkey last year and flights to 6 cities in Turkey.
DeleteBosnia and Herzegovina has become a battleground for low cost carriers.
ReplyDeleteI think Wizz will stage a big comeback in BiH soon in form of a base. They gave it up too easily to Ryanair.
DeleteThey shut two bases overnight. They are no longer wanted in Bosnia.
Delete^Haha I very much doubt the airports see it that way.
DeleteOr any prospective passenger...
Deleteairports there should have more self esteem, its somehow easy to blackmail them
DeleteWhat self-esteem? Who flies to Tuzla now?
DeletePegasus, Ajet and Wizz.
Delete^ not bad for a city like TZL tbh.
DeleteSarajevo's growth is off the charts. From almost no LCC presence a few years ago
ReplyDeleteYes I remember all the criticism of Sarajevo not having any LCCs and look at it now.
DeleteWhy is Middle East not interested in visiting other Balkan places? For example Montenegro has coast in the South and mountains and rivers in the North. It's affordable and welcoming.
DeleteHad you bothered to check, there are flights from Dubai, Kuwait and soon Riyadh to Montenegro.
Delete@exyuaviation Dear Admin, could you please explain the reasons for removing my comment?
DeleteEvery year Ryan and Wizz are fastest growing.
ReplyDeleteWizz had no growth last year.
DeleteWizz Air’s comeback is impressive after last year’s engine mess. Good to see Sarajevo and Tuzla finally getting more love from them.
ReplyDeleteJust hope they don’t overdo it again and start cutting routes six months later like usual
DeletePegasus quietly doing big things! Skopje and Pristina clearly paying off for them. Curious to see how long they can maintain that growth.
ReplyDeletePegasus has been super smart with the secondary airports. They’re offering decent prices and solid connections. Quietly eating into Turkish’s share too.
DeleteRyanair cutting capacity in the Croatian coast cities during summer is surprising. That’s peak season.
ReplyDeletemust be chasing better yields elsewhere.
DeleteOr less demand? Croatian coast is super expensive, even for western Europeans with economy declining.
Delete