NEWS FLASH
Pristina’s largest carrier, GP Aviation, will reduce frequencies on select routes this coming winter when compared to last amid growing competition from low cost airlines. It will reduce flights between Pristina and Zurich from daily to four weekly as easyJet commences the route on October 26. Services to Geneva will be reduced from three to two weekly, where GP Aviation also faces easyJet. Services between Pristina and Memmingen will be decreased from three to two weekly, going up against daily Wizz Air flights, with the budget carrier also upgrading capacity on the route from the Airbus A320 to the larger A321 jet.
I guess we are reaching maximum market potential.
ReplyDeleteNot really. It's just that family tour operators have the most issue competing with LCCs.
DeleteSo what you are saying then is that the market from PRN can grow endlessly
DeleteI didn't say it can grow endlessly but Pristina has very few LCCs when compared to other markets. So there is much more potential.
DeleteMore precisely, there are many. The reason why the given airline does not have 10-20 destinations, but that the market is limited to Germany and Switzerland with small exceptions such as Sweden, Austria. Look at the frequencies, you have three to five daily flights of easyJet or Chair to Switzerland.
DeleteIt would be interesting if Wizz opened a base similar to the one in Tirana. I think it would work. By the way, I've been looking at old schedules on Wiki lately and it's surprising that Belle Air had so many destinations to Italy from PRN. It would be interesting to see the route to Tirana again, but we need something like Atr42/72, Dash.
DeleteWon't happen
DeleteI think an airline with E2s or A220s could do wonders in PRN. There some many untapped or underserved markets which are too big for A320s or B737s.
DeleteBoth E2s and A220s are very expensive aircraft. Who exactly would be able to establish an airline using those? GP aviation actually fly some of the oldest aircraft in the region which i assume helps keep operating costs low and a good opportunity to fly on a classic 737-400.
DeleteI'm sure that the future connectivity of Pristina will be dominated by more LCCs, with their low operating costs, and as purchasing power increases more leisure destinations which are currently very few in number.
Tour operators have revenues of more than 200m and leasing them cannot be that out of question.
DeleteLeasing E2s and A220s (neither of which is very common on the wet lease market) is not something any serious tour operator would find attractive for the Kosovo market right now.
DeleteIf you checked other posts, today we got the news that Air Serbia is leasing A220s from airBaltic. So, it is possible to find A220s to lease. Helvetic also leases E2s to Swiss. My point was that small aircrafts with low trip cost, might be great for opening new markets in PRN and densifying the current routes. The PRN market is unique. 5 routes account for 60% of all PAX. So high density aircrafts are needed for such routes for the lowest cost, think A321s or 737max-200. For the rest of routes, they are too big for keeping the route year round or offering adequate frequencies. So, E2s/A220s might be great for the airports growth.
DeleteThere is limited demand from PRN for non gasto routes. Many tried to operate them and failed. Didn't even easyJet or someone else fail on routes like CDG?
DeleteMy point was that what airline would want to take that risk of leasing such expensive 'small' aircraft to use in PRN. Of course i know its possible. But for for now i cant see any airline doing that.
DeleteMaybe is time they could upgrade LJU service
ReplyDeleteIt's strange how a small airline can be a market leader with a huge number of competitors - easyJet, Wizz Air, Chair Airlines, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Condor.....
ReplyDeleteEven stranger is that GP Aviation is now a bigger airline than Chair😆
DeleteIt simply explains how the market operates in Kosovo. What I find strange is that they allow those airplanes to fly to the EEA.
DeleteOf course it is. Sipi Aviejsn is basically a holding group now, like mini Wizz Air. You never know which offshore investment is keeping the lights on.
DeleteImma need to call my GP.
ReplyDeleteGanesh Piga is an aviation doctor haha
DeleteThe kind of aviation doctor who’s fully certified in Kosovo and Bulgaria… but in a normal country, he’d probably still be waiting for his internship.
DeleteReally strange how PRN still does not offer LCC to base aircraft there!
ReplyDeleteWhy should they lower their revenue to get LCC there when the market is going up.. when there is stagnation or less travel an airport should consider offering cheaper conditions.. but right now everything is fine.. if the market is interesting enough every company would be interested in expanding.. same with Wizz.. the prices that they are asking from memmingen to pristhina is crazy considering they are a LCC..
DeleteWhat are the prices they're asking off-season? Because, I've used FMM quiet some times and I've paid between 20-80 euros return ticket and that is ridiculously cheap for me. Regardless what people think and talk about Wizz and other LCCs, if it weren't for them, my family and I wouldn't travel as much as we did in last 10 years (30-40 times). I personally use PRN, SKP and TIA (used it 3-4 times in total as is 3 hrs drive, but cheap tickets and direct flight make it worthwhile sometimes).
DeleteWhat were the loads on all the PRN-FMM that you have used? Find this subject really interesting so feel free to be detailled
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