Carriers have started a wave of new route announcements to the region after the conclusion of this week’s IATA Slots Conference in Lisbon, where airlines and airports met to finalise slot timings and discuss fresh commercial opportunities for the 2026 summer season.
British Airways will launch a new seasonal service between London Heathrow and Tivat next year. Flights are set to begin on May 14 and will operate three times per week until September 26, with further details available here. The airline had previously planned to introduce a weekly summer route between Heathrow and Podgorica in 2020, but the service was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. A rescheduled launch in July 2021 also failed to materialise. Discussions between British Airways and the airport operator have been ongoing for more than a year. The last time Tivat and Heathrow were linked with a scheduled air service was in 2006 by Jat Airways, meaning services between the two will resume after twenty years.
Airports of Montenegro have also held discussions over potential new services, including Volotea to Marseille, Transavia to Amsterdam, easyJet to Basel, Jet2 to Glasgow and Liverpool, as well as Eurowings to Hamburg, Hanover and Dusseldorf.
The Pristina-based GP Aviation has announced plans for a major expansion of its network for the 2026 summer season. The airline intends to launch new services to Bergamo, Bremen, Brussels, Oslo, Salzburg and Vienna, adding to its existing network of seventeen destinations from Pristina.
In the coming weeks, Air Serbia is expected to unveil its 2026 summer expansion, with up to six new destinations under consideration. Similarly, Croatia Airlines is preparing to announce its own new routes, although its reveal may be somewhat later as the carrier contends with potential delays in Airbus A220 deliveries. Both flag carriers attended the slots conference. Meanwhile, Air Montenegro is also planning to introduce new routes next summer, with a Tivat - Tel Aviv service being one of its priorities.
Ljubljana Airport is also expected to secure additional new routes next summer. Negotiations are underway with Pegasus Airlines for a new Istanbul service, while easyJet is anticipated to add another destination to the Slovenian capital.
Skopje Airport is seeking to secure new flights to Finland, Denmark and the Middle East in the period ahead, and is also focused on further expanding its network of destinations in Spain and the United Kingdom.
Ljubljana desperately needs Berlin, Bucharest and either Rome or Milano. Once we have that, business routes are sorted out, apart ffom Geneva/Basel and only vacation routes remain
ReplyDeleteAny tips for new services?
Deletesoon ;)
DeleteHmm which ones? Can you give us a hint
DeleteIt has already been written which routes are expected in the article.
DeleteAre we only getting the easyJet and Pegasus route or something else as well?
DeleteEasy announced yday their new Summer flights fm UK Airports. LJU was not mentioned. So it seems it wont be an additional UK destination
Deleteit wont be UK ...
DeleteIt was reported here that its a destination outside of the UK
DeleteWhy does Ljubljana so desperately need Bucharest? Is demand so high?
DeleteIn the article from last week, it explicitly said it's NOT a destination in the UK. It is Berlin.
DeleteAnn 10:12, from my own experience (flying to Bucharest about 4-8x yearly so not a lot), yes - no idea if enough for A321, but surely for Animawings A220
DeleteFlying 4 - 8 times a year between LJ and Bucharest would surely be counted as a lot! Quite a lot considering the per capita flight figures for Europe, and especially in south east Europe.
DeleteAnimawings on their A220 might indeed be a perfect size aircraft for such a route. Maybe twice a week during summer.
I know 2-3 guys who during covid (2021/22) flown LJU-BEG-OTP in the morning (i think it was 8:40 departure) had meetings and departed OTP at 2 in the morning on the same day. 24h trip
DeleteSo I'm sure there is quite a lot of people who would be keen on seeing anyone, but especially Animawings (reviews seem superb) start operating at LJU
Still think that OU will start at least Dubrovnik-Ljubljana, if not even Split-Ljubljana and Brač-Ljubljana
Deletesince Freccia Rossa train starts at TRS, there is absolutely no need for flights to Italy
DeleteYes because from Jesenice to Trieste totally doesn't take you 4 hours to get to the aiport/train station...
Delete@11:19 yet TRS still has 10 destinations to Italy despite train. Do you guys even read what you write?
DeleteBucarest ? for who ? No turist, no diaspora, no students ?
DeleteThat's a big expansion from PRN. Is GP getting another plane?
ReplyDeleteMaybe again leased A320 from European Air Charter.
DeleteMost probably. They will also have to start thinking what to do with those B737-400s which are over 30 years old.
DeleteThey really have a strange fleet. Most of planes are on wet lease.
DeleteIsn't it expensive to rent so many machines? This is good for European Air Charter.
DeleteWell done TIV. BA is a good catch
ReplyDeleteCrazy to think Jat was the last one that operate this route.
DeleteThat’s a short wave only. BA proven can’t hold longer in this region
DeleteIts the height of the tourist season so makes sense. They are not going to get primum passengers or a good enough yield flying Heathrow-Tivat in March or April so its a good move. Heathrow operates at such full capacity that most Ex-Yu routes are just not yielding enough for BA. They have just dropped Riga and Stuttgart which is quite a shock.
DeleteGP entering Vienna after Wizz exit. Although 2x weekly is not enough, anything helps in Austrians would be monopoly.
ReplyDeleteFantastic news. Looking forward to more new routes!
ReplyDeleteGP Aviation should start flights to Kukes and Vlore. Why not to Skopje and Tirana. They already have a flight to Basel from Ohrid.
ReplyDeleteIsnt Kukes dead?
DeleteThanks but no thanks. We don't need that fake airline here.
DeleteThis GP hater says the same every single time!
DeleteIs OU getting paid for the delays? Surely they get something right?
ReplyDeleteThey are not the aircraft owners so I doubt it.
DeleteIf they were getting compensated, they would have mentioned it in their financial reports. They are definitely not.
DeleteWhich 6 destinations might be opened by JU?
ReplyDeleteProbably Baku, but remaining 5? Chisinau, Cluj, Yerevan, Tenerife, Manchester? Maybe Wroclaw?
Ibiza will most likely be new route, as well as Baku, maybe even Yerevan. Cairo would also make sense.
DeleteJU seems to do an OS strategy, by connecting Europe with the Caucasus
DeleteAgree about Ibiza but only if they get good slots not 4.00 AM as it was offered last summer.
DeleteNot sure about Cairo.
Cluj, Manchester and Chisinau I can't see happening for reasons people have stated many many times here. Baku would be a good route indeed.
DeleteMaybe Caligari as a summer route sea and sand route? In my opinion JU is certainly approaching the upper limits of its network and should focus on service quality and consistency as well as increased frequencies to mature and embed some of its routes.
Maybe Helsinki? Now they have good plane (E195) for that destination.
DeleteWell, JU does not have many left markets in Europe, so they need to expand somewhere else, and Caucasus makes perfect sense.
DeleteMAN maybe because of visas but it is one of the top unserved destinations from BEG and we know JU was looking at that information when they started new destinations.
DeleteChisinau maybe, JU would count here on transfer assengers and not on P2P.
Why not Cluj? I have no clue. ATR72 is perfect plane for that destination.
@9:36 that's a good call. They've tried it before, but perhaps its time to try again. Finnair have just launched twice weekly direct flights to Tirana and there is a demand between Finland and the region both for tourism and to serve the extensive range of communities who live there.
DeleteChisnau is potentially transfer destination,. I presume Baku, Helsinki, Manchester, Ibiza (again), Cairo, Miami. Yes, Wroclaw and Cluj with AT72 also make sense
Delete@09:36 because it would offer very little in the way of connectivity to Cluj. The airport is already well served to western Europe, and the numbers of passengers connecting out to Cluj to places with the EXYU will be minimal. Furthermore as a p2p destination it has very limited appeal for Serbs as it is possible to drive in just under 6hours. All these discussions have been had here many times before.
DeleteI believe that this long lists of fantasy routes people make will not occur this winter. I mean Cluj...come on..
DeleteFrom Cluj there are no direct flights to Amsterdam, Athens, Oslo, Prague, Budapest, Moscow, Nice, Thessaloniki, no single ex yu airport and especially not to destinations like New York, Chicago or Toronto.
DeleteIasi is better, as there is original demand from Serbia (pilgrimage).
Delete@anon 09:38
DeleteDo you know how many passengers Cluj had in 2024?
3,2 million. More than Sarajevo, Skopje, Ljubljana or Podgorica...
Yes, come on...
Whatever they announce, I just hope they include something outside of Europe this time. Demand is there.
Delete@09:40 none of that means that a flight from Belgrade to Cluj would provide efficient connections to such places. People forget that routes need to turn a profit rather than being interesting.
Delete@09:38 indeed. I've been to the city many times - a fine place.
Of course that the routes need to turn profit.
DeleteDo you think that JU flies to mostly transfer destinations like TIA, SOF, BUD because they do not turn profit? It would be the same with Cluj.
Unlike Cluj those cities have a degree of point to point appeal. If and when Cluj is launched I will bow my hat. If...and when..
DeleteTIA surely does not have P2P while SOF and BUD can reach BEG in 4 hours by car that makes them unattractive for flying.
DeleteSame as ZAG.
And these destinations are still profitable...
Sofia and Zagreb have established economic and travel links with Belgrade. There is actually point to point demand between Belgrade and Tirana, and JU provide competitive pricing to attract transfers. Have you actually been to Cluj, or you just believe it would work because is a sizeable city? Do you know anything about Romanian travel habits and flows?
DeleteAnyway, broken record conversation.
You forgot that Budapest too developed great links with Belgrade (maybe even more than ZAG and SOF), but it does not mean people chose to fly to BEG instead of driving (except in summer months) for P2P purpose.
DeleteReaching Belgrade is almost the same by driving or by flying where the costs are signifantly lower if more than 1 person gets in the car and additionally there are no baggage limitations (weight, fluids).
Driving to the airport (min 30 min), completing security and passport control (20-30 min) getting on the gate min 45 minutes before the flight, taxing & flying 45-60 min, getting from the airport including passport control 20 min, getting to the city 30 min. All in total almost the same like 4 hours drive. What is the point then???
I really do not intend discussing about P2P between Belgrade and Tirana as it makes no sense.
I think CLJ would work base on the potential of that city and there is no need to be there to know that. Romanian travel habits and flows seem to be quite acceptable for JU and RO flying BEG-OTP 11 weekly flights in winter. Please let me know how different these habits are in case of CLJ.
I also wasn't in New York. Does it mean JU should not fly there?
P2p passengers mostly use cars. Transfers mostly use plane connections. Cluj have more than 3 million passengers, so it’s a definitely huge catchment area. ATR is profitable with 35 passengers per flight, so do the math if you are able to.
Delete@11:05 your observations and comments are not constructive
Delete@11:03 If they launch Cluj you'll have the chance to visit. I don't think they will. You think they will. Lets see. All the best
DeleteI have visited both Cluj (business) and Iasi (religion) from Belgrade in last 2 years.
DeleteIMO, it makes to open them both
Iasi for strong pilgrim demand, Cluj as a business, tourism and IT center, i sure there is demand for two weekly ATR flights.
My suggestion to everyone: visit Romania — you'll be pleasantly surprised.
The BA Tivat route is long overdue, they should have been in Montenegro years ago. Let’s hope it actually launches this time.
ReplyDeleteSkopje needs that UK expansion ASAP. Wizz Air can’t be the only one forever. A second carrier on London or at least Manchester would be a game changer.
ReplyDeleteBut as people have said. The demand clearly not great if the route can only support three weekly at the moment. IF it was a money maker than airlines will enter the market. But it clearly is not and wishful thinking will not make it so.
DeleteTwenty years since the last Heathrow–Tivat flight? Hard to believe. Jat was ahead of its time with some of these routes.
ReplyDeleteThat was during a very different era both in aviation terms and in geopolitical terms! Tourism to Montenegro from the UK in 2006 was miniscule and getting there largely involved driving over from Croatia or flying via Belgrade. I think it was a once-weekly flight if i remember during the summer. Gosh JAT in that era was quite an experience.
Delete"Gosh JAT in that era was quite an experience."
DeleteYet they flew a route that took 20 years for someone else to launch.
Well JAT had Heathrow slots and Serbia and Montenegro remained in a state union. Nothing shocking about that is there? The lack of a flight since is because until now the route was considered low yielding. Its good to see BA committing to it now.
DeleteJAT had existed until 1992. It was the airline of SFRJ. Everything after 1992 was not JAT any more, even if formally called so. The same as "SRJ" and "Serbia and Montenegro" later were not SFRJ. JAT during SFRJ was one of the strongest and the most famous airlines in Europe, even wider. And later it became disaster. And that disaster corespond to the time you talk about. Maybe it doesn't mean a lot to you but it means a lot to us who were part of JAT. 20 years ago you can talk only Jat Airways, definitely not JAT.
DeletePreviously it was always Ljubljana missing out, now its starting to be Zagreb. Do you think it will get some new routes for the summer?
ReplyDeleteYeah, ZAG - LJU.
DeleteContrary to popular belief, Montenegro works hardest :) Good job so far, new base, new carriers and routes, it looks they understood Tirana (and Albania as a tourist market) is their toughest competitor now.
ReplyDeleteIndeed
DeleteDoes anyone know if BA summer schedule is final? If so, sad to see Ljubljana didn't get upgraded at all compared to the last year...what were the LFs?
ReplyDeleteEsyJet start with April 2026 with daily all summer not only in top months like this year.
DeleteThe LF to London (easyJet and BA combined) was around 92 % Jul, Aug and Sep. I would also be surprised if they wouldn't add some additional flights.
DeleteAny news about Sarajevo? Eurowings routes? Ryanair base? New Wizz flights?
ReplyDeleteNone of it will happen
Delete@10:51 why ask such questions? When news becomes clear it is posted in a proper fashion by Exyu and people can discuss properly.
DeleteI am wondering whether SKP-CPH can be expected to launch again this summer season. Does anyone know whether this is planned by Wizzair? Or would they have announced it by now? I was very surprised to see the route cut last year.
ReplyDeleteBoth MMX and CPH is overkill. I think they might consider BLL.
DeleteIt's a shame if that's the case, because there is no comparison between the two cities. Copenhagen is far superior as a tourist destination and connection point. Malmo is of interest only for the diaspora living there and no one else.
DeleteSkopje-Heathrow is almost certain as air transport agreement was signed between UK and Macedonia last month. The question is, will it be only seasonal or year-round?
ReplyDeleteMaybe next article could be top 10 unserved routes for capital airports?
ReplyDeleteExcellent news for PRN. More growth guaranteed for next year.
ReplyDeleteGrowth at the expense of average workers who pay 5x times more than neighbouring countries.
DeleteBravo criminal Pristina Airport Mgmt!
Where did you get this info?
DeleteBravo Montenegro!
ReplyDeletePRN is growing thanks to the proximity of the city of Skopje. Every year, several passengers come from that direction to Priština.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Macedonians are in love with our indian GP Aviation it seems. Border crossing is jammed daily.
DeleteActually SKP is growing thanks to the proximity of the city of Prishtina.
Delete