Sep 24-28 2025
Every time I travel around the region, I am reminded just how poor regional air connectivity still is. This year especially, mainly due to my job, I have been travelling a lot across the Balkans, particularly to Skopje. And each time, I am stuck with the same two frustrating options: either drive through the endless Balkan mountains or spend 5-6 hours in Zagreb, just to get to Skopje.
This time, I chose to fly. So once again, I got booked to my usual Croatia Airlines route to Skopje via Zagreb, with a massive layover both ways. I was heading to a big conference.
First leg: Sarajevo - Zagreb
It started with a late afternoon flight from Sarajevo. That short 45-minute hop to Zagreb almost feels like a routine by now.
The weather in Sarajevo on September 24 was rainy and a bit windy. Croatia Airlines was (unsurprisingly) late again, but since I had a long layover ahead, I honestly did not mind. I have flown with Croatia Airlines quite a lot this year and, maybe just once, it was actually on time.
Sarajevo Airport is cosy and much better looking than what we used to have. It finally looks like a proper, although still small, airport now, with a nice shop and a few bars. In the quiet late afternoon hours, I grabbed a coffee and waited for the delayed flight. Some other passengers were not so patient and directed their frustration at the local airport staff, who just calmly ignored frustrated passengers since the delay was not their fault. I also met my colleague who decided to arrive by local Centrotrans Baščaršija - Airport bus: it is nice to have this option, but I keep forgetting, like many other passengers, we actually have a bus that can take us straight to the airport.
Eventually, Croatia Airlines arrived with an Airbus A319 this time. There were only around 45 passengers on board, so it felt spacious. Despite some turbulence from the rainy weather, the flight was uneventful.
We landed in a very busy Zagreb Airport with about a 45-minute delay. I did not have the energy to head into the city, so I pre-booked lounge access the day before for €25 (it is €45 for walk in). I would not be surprised if these prices go up soon, it is a pretty good deal.
Even though I like Zagreb Airport overall, the lounge is not its strongest feature. It is small, crowded and has only one men’s toilet, so hygiene is not that great. Still, the staff were kind and welcoming. I chatted with the front desk lady and some of the cleaning ladies. When I commented on how busy it seemed, one of them just rolled her eyes and said, “It is like this every day.”
After a few beers and two rounds of food, I boarded the flight to Skopje at 22:15. It was Dash and while most people dislike it, I actually do not mind this little aircraft. It is small, so it always feels full. I fell asleep shortly after takeoff and before I knew it, we landed in Skopje close to midnight.
I was completely exhausted, so I forgot to take any photos at Skopje Airport. But since the airport operates 24/7, there was still some activity even at that late hour.
Return leg: Skopje - Zagreb
On the way back, I had another long layover in Zagreb. This time, I took an early morning Croatia Airlines flight from Skopje. I was happy to see a new Airbus A220 and I even got an emergency exit seat- plenty of legroom!
Skopje Airport is pretty spacious, with a huge parking lot and lots of car rental agencies, but the food and drink options are limited. I was already half-asleep, but I enjoyed watching the airport slowly come to life as more people started arriving.
While waiting for my flight, five different people came up to me asking where the gates 205 and 105 were. For some reason, the gate numbering at Skopje seems quite confusing for those passengers. For example, gates 101 and 201 are across each other, but 103-105 are way on the other end, next to 205 and 206. Maybe it is time for Skopje Airport to rethink its layout?!
The Wizz Air flights to diaspora destinations seemed packed, but my Croatia Airlines flight had only about 30 passengers. Again, plenty of space. I fell asleep again and woke up in Zagreb.
Another Zagreb layover
It was 7:00 AM. Time for another 7-hour layover... I feel like this trip back home will never end!
Zagreb Airport was already bustling with early morning traffic. With not much else to do, I headed back to the lounge. This time, the front desk lady remembered me from my previous visit, four days ago. There was an issue with my pass, but she just waved me through - I guess we are amigos now. Thankfully, there is still no time limit in the lounge, so I stayed the full 7 hours trying to nap, eat, repeat... although it did not really work.
I watched waves of passengers come and go, ate multiple rounds of food, drank coffee (and beer) and waited for my final leg back home.
Finally, the little Dash to Sarajevo is here, but this time full. We’re leaving on time and after less than 45 minutes we touched the Bosnian ground.
Cold and rainy Sarajevo welcomed me and I went quickly through passport and customs control (although there is still no separate line for Bosnian citizens).
Beside the horrible long layovers, flights between Sarajevo and Zagreb feel like home to me by now. Although, I will be a bit sad once Dash is gone.
Sarajevo-Zagreb, see you again, I guess (already in 20 days!).
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Load factors are disaster
ReplyDeleteSKP is getting more European hubs and options for people to choose especially W6 flights and ZAG is not as popular anymore like it used to be before...
DeleteDeservedly
DeleteI don't think it's so much about increased competition at SKP as is with limited offer by OU. Other carriers such as JU, OS, TK... do well in SkP.
Delete10:42 before we didnt have AMS and FRA, now we do , that time all our passengers used ZAG as transfer point to those European hubs , not anymore , plus this year and this winter season as we all know we getting more new routes..
DeleteI hope OU can catch some connections to ARN, BER and BCN
DeleteLiterally all routes that OU offers from ZAG are directly served from SKP. Maybe not CDG and LHR but still there is direct connection to Paris via BVA and ORY as well as LTN in London, everything else is covered.
DeleteI would not say food and drink are limited at SKP , you have one restaurant in the arriving lower level of the terminal with a choice of hot food such as burek , pastries , and cold sendwiches as well any coffe and drinks like any other airprot. Upper where the gates are you have Burger king as well one smaller shop next to duty free with also with variants of food and drinks , for the size of SKP airport is pretty okay , TAV announce they will open one more restaurant soon somewhere close to Burger king area. What I dont really like there is no water dispenser for reffiling water bottles so you must buy .. I see them only in Zagreb , I also have been to Belgrade and Pristina but didnt see any , speaking for. EX-YU airpots
ReplyDeleteAlso if you want to enjoy really with options of food you have the lounge forget to mention :)))
DeleteThey introduced water despensers in BEG this summer.
DeleteI was in BEG in March I was looking for them but didnt find any. Since then havent been there , thank you for the info.
DeleteThere’s one water dispenser on the further left side (once you pass security) right next to the toilet entrance. It worked back in August, hopefully it’s still there.
DeleteAlthough I do agree that food options at the SKP airport are limited, they are still 10 times better than the options at the SAJ airport.
Delete14:16 I was last time at SKP this March , that time I didnt see the dispenser , now this is new information for me , if its true than good job , it was time!!
Delete16:05 what does other airports with size of SKP have and SKP doesnt have with the food ? Be more specific
DeleteThe water dispenser is next to the toilets at gate 201 and the smoking area.
DeleteI agree the Q400 is fun to fly on.
ReplyDeleteNice to see brand new A220 on regular basis from SKP to ZAG , for someone like me who dont prefer Atr and Dash is amazing :D
ReplyDeleteMy flight on Air Serbia’s ATR Beg-Lju returning from Cyprus, was very pleasant. Sorry you don’t like them. :/
DeleteNo I have flew air serbia and olympic both from SKP believe me after flights I still had problems with my ears , I dont know what happend , but my experience with those planes is very bad , even though I am frequent flyer...
DeleteATR is an absolute disaster and anyone who is defending it is motivated by some other reasons. We are in 2025 and standards of travel are way different than 20 years ago when the level of noise produced by an ATR may have been acceptable. I took a Finnair ATR a few years ago for just 30 minutes and I barely managed. And the flight was almost empty!
DeleteThe noise coming from the atr is still affecting my ears , even that happend 4 years ago , plus when landing if there is even the smallest wind the plane is shaking and you are ready to throw up after landing :D
DeleteFlying economy on OU and you get business class space. LF is a disaster. If they had proper waves at ZAG timekeeping would be better
ReplyDeleteI love Croatia Airlines flights because it really is like business class. You get the seat next to you free, sometimes the whole row.
DeleteLet's see if OU reduces SKP and SJJ this winter. They will bleed money if something doesn't change.
ReplyDeleteThey do and they will, but the local taxpayer can cover the losses.
DeleteOU will not reduce SKP as at this point there is no any signals for that
DeleteSJJ is usually increased during the winter months.
DeleteWhy didn't you try to fly via BEG with JU?
ReplyDeletePrice :) (and I got booked by my work so didn't have too many options to influence how I fly)
DeletePs the report is mine ;)
Would the drive really be that bad and long? Google says it’s 619km via Serbia, which is about the same as LJU-BEG distance, isn’t it?
DeleteDriving eastward (from Sarajevo) is exhausting until you get to highways in Serbia. Even Google says its a 7-8 hr long drive, each time it took me longer due to trucks, long waiting times at 2 borders, constant police controls by Republika Srpska road traffic police, tractors on the road etc. Flying or driving to Skopje is almost equally annoying when you go from Sarajevo.
DeleteBut driving to SKP from SJJ should be easier once Moravski koridor is completed. Then you need to reach Valjevo or Uzice and from there take the highway all the way to SKP
DeleteOnce when highway reach Mackat junction (near Zlatibor) it would be easier. Border crossing Kotroman is always empty so that border is easy.
DeleteSeems like a lot of hassle just to get from Sarajevo to Skopje. It goes to show how bad the infrastructure actually is in this part of the Balkans; bad roads, no railway connection and lousy air connection.
ReplyDeleteAnd one would think that 35 years after the end of communist rule there would be a little more progress.
Exactly. We keep competing who is the best when truthfully this region is often behind Africa.
DeleteDepends where you live. If you are in Belgrade, Athens or Istanbul then you have fantastic connections to the Balkans. If you live in Bucharest, Sofia, Zagreb etc then not so much.
DeleteSorry, please explain to me the "fantastic" connection from Belgrade to Sarajevo or from Athens to Tuzla?
DeleteBEG to SJJ is a daily flight in the middle of the day, throughout the year. More than decent.
Delete@Miroslav Smederevo
DeleteDuring "communist rule" 2 airline companies, JAT and Adria, had operated daily flights between Sarajevo and Skopje, and between many many city pairs throughout ex-yu. Mpstlt with jets. Some 40 or 50 years ago. So please, give me a break with your negativity about "communist rule" because today's "democrats" lowered standards on many many fields, aviation included.
You could've used SJJ-IST-SKP connection by TK (A321+B737). Less expensive than OU ZAG, with 2hr shorter total trip time and only 1:25 layover in IST.
Deletea nightmare to reach SJJ from SKP
ReplyDeletedid you fly Aegean while the direct flights existed?
I did... I was disappointed when they stopped flying directly since flights were full each time I flew.
DeleteI miss that line too, I was in Skopje for an hour and 10 minutes. Back to Sarajevo it took me 9 hours by car, a disaster...
DeleteThanks for sharing. It really feels like the same story every time I travel around the region. I also used to fly with Aegean when they had the direct line, and I still don’t understand why it was stopped. It’s such a shame that Skopje gave subsidies for so many Wizz Air flights but never officially asked for that direct route to come back.
ReplyDeleteThose of us who travel this way often are the ones stuck with these long connections and lost hours. We should be the ones pushing for change, by writing emails, starting petitions, and speaking up in public forums to both the airlines and the authorities. If enough of us do it, maybe they will finally listen.
Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI was using Croatia airlines for a long time. The layover is more like ground time, as you are always tired to go downtown. The aircrafts themselves are not that bad given the fact that is only 50 minutes from Sarajevo to Zagreb. But the waiting time between flights, frequent delays made me switch to Pegasus.
Quite frankly I was happier with Aegean and the direct line SJJ-SKP, for obvious reasons. I hope they will schedule the line again. It was very convenient, and it was full load at every flight.
I suggest we start sending emails, and sign petitions to airlines and governmental institutions to re-establish a direct line to SKP again.
Thanks for sharing. Once, I travelled from DBV to ZAD via ZAG and the layover was 4h. Bit too long gor a domestic connection.
ReplyDelete