British Airways, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways will record the largest year-on-year reductions in available capacity across the former Yugoslavia this coming winter season, which begins on October 26 and runs until the end of March. British Airways will cut nearly 23.000 seats as a result of suspending its London Heathrow - Zagreb service during the winter months. The carrier will maintain just twenty flights in the region over the season, operating between London Gatwick and Dubrovnik. This continues the airline’s gradual winter retreat from the market, following last year’s suspension of services to Ljubljana as well.
Lufthansa will shed 22.600 seats from the region this coming winter, representing a 4.8% decrease. The reduction is primarily driven by the transfer of six out of ten weekly flights between Munich and Ljubljana to its regional subsidiary Air Dolomiti. These services will not be operated under a wet-lease arrangement; instead, Air Dolomiti will run the flights using its own flight numbers. In addition, Lufthansa will significantly scale back operations to Skopje, maintaining just three weekly flights in February and March, down from ten weekly last winter. The German flag carrier had initially planned to suspend the route entirely during this two-month period but has since opted to retain a limited service.
Qatar Airways will cut 18.500 seats from the market this winter as a result of reduced frequencies to both Zagreb and Belgrade. In the Croatian capital, the Oneworld member will operate daily flights, down from ten weekly rotations during the previous winter. In Belgrade, the airline will maintain its daily service for most of the season, in line with last year’s schedule. However, between February 17 and March 17, frequencies will be reduced to five weekly flights, compared to daily operations during the same period last winter.
Odd to see Qatar do so poorly on winter flights
ReplyDeleteLack of planes so narrow body routes are impacted.
Delete+ good fares from flydubai and more frequencies. In OTP and SOF is same.
DeleteIt's actually not related to competition at all. Their load factors on the Zagreb and Belgrade route are over 90% (ANNUALLY!). Much better than flydubai's 70% loads.
DeleteThat's right here. But in Belgrade or Bucharest FZ is stronger. Before the pandemic QR had twice daily flights to OTP and even SOF, which is a smaller market than Romania.
DeleteIsn't ZAG LF around 75% for FZ?
DeleteTurkish is also taking transfers away from them.
DeleteBut I'll put it down mostly to shortage of equipment.
I think they were too passive in our region, not just ex-YU but also in Albania, Romania and Bulgaria. Meanwhile other carriers such as TK and EK/FZ expanded and further consolidated their position. It also doesn't help QR that Pegasus has been growing thus taking away some of the Middle Eastern passengers from QR.
DeleteAll in all, our region was never a priority for them... which kind of makes sense. Personally I do not mind as I'd rather have FZ fly to BEG triple daily down the road than to have double daily to DXB and daily to DOH.
Except during Covid, if I recall well, they were quick to reestablish flights? Also, their top transfer destination back then from Belgrade was Shanghai who got direct flights meanwhile...
DeleteSo both Transavia and Eurowings are out of Ljubljana?
ReplyDeleteTransavia is replaced by KLM
DeleteSo Eurowings isn't returning to Ljubljana at all? Shame, I was excited about Berlin
DeleteThey both flew to LJU this summer without a problem, while Transavia will discontinue AMS this winter and won't return next year. ORY-LJU is also down from 4 weekly to 3 weekly. LJU keeps winning?
DeleteORY was schedule as 2x weekly until February this year, then they adjusted the schedule to 2-4x weekly
DeleteI hope EasyJet comes back with Berlin
Deleteas far as i know fraport plans berlin for SS26 ... but lets see if they get someone actually to fly the route.
DeleteThey also plan for LAX connection by 2030 so...
DeleteAnd I say we will get DOH flights before 2100 😃
DeleteYou lot can make fun of LAX but the reality is that Krašnja said that's his goal in the recent podcast
DeleteHis goal? Didn't he say airport has nothing to do with attracting airlines?
Deletehttps://youtu.be/2AJHI4vXHn0?si=ZbJDqUriqGzUyimd
DeleteHow is British performing so badly in the region?
ReplyDeleteThey aren't, their net loads were at around 88% in Ljubljana...they just scale down for winter for some reason; They go from 8x weekly no nothing in 3 weeks
DeleteExpensive country to visit with minimal winter offering for tourists.
DeleteEconomic problems in the UK!
DeleteMaybe Fraport should attract Ryanair or Wizz? Oh I forgot, these airlines don't fit into their business model :)
DeleteThey are cutting less profitable routes, and they have Rolls Royce engine problems also.
DeleteThere are no economic problems in the EU or the UK, that's what we are told here
DeleteYeah, looking at the table the worst economic situation is in Abu Dhabi :) Cmon...
DeleteDon't forget we all need visas to enter the UK, except HR and SI. And we don't have large diaspora like AL. So it is economic reasons, just not from their side :)
DeleteBravo Golob
DeleteLJU is a shame. It's going to get overtaken by TRS this year. Probably by a lot.
DeleteIt's time to see new airlines in Belgrade. Israir or other israeli airlines are possible, israeli peoples flies more and more. There are and flights to Debrecen, Sarajevo.... Tivat/Tirana also sees growth from TLV.
ReplyDeleteSKY Express to ATH 😁😉
DeleteThe last thing JU wants is for more airlines to come to BEG.
DeleteLuckily no one is asking JU anymore. It's not bad for them as well since it is forcing them to be competitive.
DeleteAnon 10:53 if JU needs to get protected with just 22 airlines serving BEG and on the other hand in ATH with 60 airlines Aegean is thriving then something is wrong with JU management
Delete^ But no one is protecting them so there is no need to go on a rant about made up things. Any EU registered airline can launch flights to BEG. They can even open a base if they want to. Non-EU airlines are subject to bilaterals like everywhere else in the world. The sheer number of airlines that have launched flights to BEG over the past 5 years (over 10) shows no one is protecting anyone. It is a different thing that JU reacts to competition and actually competes and often beats these airlines, unlike some other airlines in the region.
Delete11:33
Delete25 airlines are now in BEG plus Air Serbia.
They leave ZAG, but but stay in DBV in winter...
ReplyDeleteThey will operate in NOV and MAR. This makes perfect sense because Zagreb has OU and FR while the tourism season in DBV is expanding
Deletethis does not make sensce at all. Advent will be on and no flights?! what are you mumbling that DBV has more to offer than ZAG in winter? Are you delulu??
DeleteIm not saying that DBV has more to offer but ZAG will have flights regardless. Also I think they can sell DBV for more in NOV and MAR than ZAG as they are the sole carrier
DeleteLufthansa did a huge mistake with suspending flights for almost no booking option all summer for Skopje , in that time if they didnt do that for sure they would be able to handle 5x weekly instead of 3x now , they could just reduce flights and thats all , not suspending the route , very big amateur mistake for airline of size of Lufti
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI also don't understand what the point of suspending ticket sales for several months. How are they going to fill those flights in February and March now.
Deleteand also because they suspended flights they moved all passengers that were already booked onto Austrian.
DeleteYeah but if they had a lot of passengers then they wouldn't have cut those flights in the first place.
DeleteIt's the slowest part of the year so we shouldn't be shocked. My guess is that SKP gave them some discounts for them to keep three weekly flights.
For SKP it's important to have these LH flights.
Hope BA puts a bit more focus and effort in the region in the future.
ReplyDeleteDon't think they are too interested in this region.
DeleteMaybe, but it's not like there aren't other players as well.
DeleteHaven't used BA, but I don't mind backtracking to IST with TK for a flight to North America, because I like their product.
Not to mention that I don't need to bother with visas
What equipment does BA use on Zagreb route?
ReplyDeleteA320 family
DeleteDoes it use the A321 too?
DeleteMuch better than last year when Wizz cut 300,000 seats.
ReplyDeleteAnd this winter they are probably adding the most seats in ex-Yu
DeleteNot surprising to see BA cutting back again. They’ve been reducing their presence in the region for years
ReplyDeleteThere are major slot constraints at LHR. They dedicate slots to routes they think can make more money.
DeleteInteresting that Lufthansa is handing Ljubljana flights to Air Dolomiti. I wonder if this is a test before a full transfer of the route in the future.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very possible.
DeleteAdria used to handle these routes for Lufthansa more ore less. Now they are offloading to Air Dolomiti.
DeleteIt’s a shame that the region keeps losing capacity from legacy carriers while low cost airlines are expanding. The balance is shifting more and more every year.
ReplyDeleteLJU is losing both 😃
DeleteWell there are just two legacies on that table.
DeleteLufthansa and BA are cutting, while Turkish keeps gaining.
ReplyDeletegaining? more or less status quo
DeleteNot really, they have increased frequencies to ZAG and LJU this winter.
Deletethe Dolomiti route brings an capacity increase
DeleteTo be honest, did not expect to see these three in the top.
ReplyDeletePeculiar about Condor in Pristina
ReplyDeleteLocal tour operator stopped working with them (or vice versa).
Deletethey found cheaper airlines for contracting
DeleteHow safe is to book my April flight LJU-MUC with Lufthansa? Will they fly it or will i be moved to AirDolomiti flight seeing that they are operating winter flights to LJU...And do I get my miles even if I get rebooked to AriDolomiti?
ReplyDeleteYou can ask for ORC (original routing credit) if they rebook you, but you will not get any status benefits on Air Dolomiti if you have any.
DeleteDo we think they'll offload flights to Munich in the summer too?
DeleteYes, this is expected. I expect all MUC and FRA from LJu flights will be operated by Air Dolomiti next summer.
DeleteI hope BEG management becomes proactive and encourage LH to keep their overnight BEG-MUC flights in the winter. It could work with 4-5 weekly flights on the CRJ.
ReplyDeleteMUC is so much better than FRA (or VIE) and connecting there is a much better experience.