All but two capital city airports in the former Yugoslav region are set to record capacity growth in April, despite the continued impact of reduced operations from the Middle East. Wizz Air remains the region’s largest carrier.
Belgrade Airport has the most available seats on scheduled flights in April, standing at 934.728. The figure represents an increase of 12% on 2025. Air Serbia will continue to maintain its position as the largest carrier with 453.502 seats, up 3.8%. Wizz Air will add 87.428 seats, growing by 68.6%. Zagreb follows as the second largest with 560.052 available seats on scheduled flights during the month. It represents a decrease of 0.8% on the previous year. Croatia Airlines, which will grow its seat count by 11.472 or 5.9%, will be its largest carrier with 36.6% of total capacity followed closely by Ryanair with 34.8%. The low cost airline will reduce its seat count by 0.9%.
Skopje Airport will boast 400.221 seats in April, up 34.3% on the back of Wizz Air’s expansion. The low cost carrier will grow by 103.722 seats or 68% on the same month in 2025. It will hold the largest share at 64%. It is followed by Pegasus Airlines with a 9.1% share. Pristina Airport will have 398.025 available seats, with capacity growth currently projected at 2.8%. GP Aviation has the largest volume, holding a 30.9% share. It is followed by easyJet with 13.8% of total capacity. Sarajevo will have 230.394 scheduled seats on the market in April, representing a decrease of 2.2% on 2025. Ryanair is the largest carrier with 21.9% of total capacity, followed by Turkish Airlines with 13.4%.
Podgorica Airport, which will see the launch of Wizz Air’s first batch of new routes following the opening of its base in the Montenegrin capital in late March, has 207.824 seats on scheduled flights during the month, up 16%. Wizz Air becomes the largest carrier by adding 29.184 seats, representing growth of 91%, for a total capacity share of 29.4%. It is followed by Ryanair with 15.6% of the market. Finally, Ljubljana has a total of 203.170 seats on scheduled services, up 23.9% on April 2025. Lufthansa will be the airport’s largest, holding 16.4% of all seats, followed by Turkish Airlines with a 13.1% share.
Largest carriers by scheduled seat capacity in the former Yugoslavia, April 2026
Please note that the above figures are correct as of the date of publication. As the month progresses, they may change due to schedule revisions or equipment adjustments, particularly at times of geopolitical uncertainty in some regions. Nevertheless, they provide a reliable indication of overall capacity trends across the airports.
I'm positively surprised that BEG will have very decent growth despite decreases from Gulf.
ReplyDeleteNearly a million seats in April is very good.
DeleteMight have been a million if there was not the loss of 5x weekly QR, 9 weekly FZ and 2 weekly RJ.
Delete^ true
DeleteLet's see if the million can be reached in May
DeleteBelgrade has organic growth, due other factors, like increasing of population income, tourism, business travel etc
DeleteLjubljana with the second biggest increase in percentage is nice to see.
ReplyDeletePercentage alone doesn't mean anything. Having 1000 seats available and adding 1000 more is 100% increase. Big number percentage wise, but nothing in the overall seats number, especially compared to other airports. What airports need are increase in the available seats numbers. That's where big numbers actually mean something.
DeleteThat's true. In LJU's case it's coming off a low base number.
DeleteThey add 40.000 sits on April and this is second high number of adding sits. Only Belgrade is front of it.
Deleteare you sure? Its the third
DeleteZAG down even with all the capacity increase from Croatia Airlines.
ReplyDeleteCapacity increase only with larger planes
DeleteHow come will Ljubljana have such a strong growth? What will make such a change compared to 2025?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2026/01/ljubljana-airport-aims-to-surpass-adria.html
DeleteSubstantial capacity or frequency increase from Swiss and Lufthansa, new routes to MAN, EDI, BCN and SAW, many other airlines also increasing frequencies or capacity.
DeleteThe only decrease for this year is the loss of Eurowings to DUS and Transavia to AMS, but that was replaced by increased frequencies of KLM.
DeleteLjubljana’s growth is encouraging, but still relatively small numbers compared to others. The 22% growth is probably less new seats than other airport with single digit growth.
DeleteThe subsidy tender which was announced to have 4 bids will generate further growth. Even if routes are launched in winter.
DeleteWishing all airports and natl. carriers all the best.
ReplyDeleteUnless this mess in the middle east does not get sorted out soon, these numbers will change to the worse.
Wishing ALL airlines the best.
DeleteThe more choice we have as passengers the better!
+1
Delete+1
Delete+1
DeleteSJJ's strong run seems to be over :(
ReplyDeleteShould have focused on getting more FR flights instead of game of throne games within SJJ management.
DeleteIndeed. Ryanair was interested in opening a base.
DeleteThere will be Ryanair growth, but probably this winter.
DeleteYeah winter is more likely. Also a 2% capacity reduction doesn't mean the passenger count won't grow
DeleteW6 growing in BEG by 68.6% is huge!
ReplyDeleteIt is now the main driver of its growth.
Base number is low so percentile growth does not give you the real picture.
DeleteIt actually does since it is adding more seats to the market than any other carrier.
DeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteWizz Air’s growth is massive again, especially in Skopje and now Podgorica.
ReplyDeleteThey are growing all over Europe. Seems that aircraft deliveries from Airbus have picked up.
DeleteThe pink sheriff is back in business!
DeleteInteresting to see Zagreb slightly down despite Croatia Airlines growing. Ryanair trimming capacity is probably the reason for it.
ReplyDeleteRyanair trim is pretty minuscule, it has to be other carriers reducing flights as well.
DeleteSurprised Sarajevo is down again. I expected stronger growth.
ReplyDeleteIt is very reliant on Gulf carriers which are grounded at the moment.
DeleteThey will be grounded for a long time .... it will take alot of time to be back on the stage
DeleteSkopje overtakes Pristina.
ReplyDelete347.683 seats vs 398.025 seats
DeleteNo it is 400.221 vs 398.025
Deleteadmin updated it now
DeleteWizz Air basically owns Skopje now. That’s both good and risky at the same time.
Deletebut there are propably stil some charter flights at PRN under the radar :)
DeleteAs well as charter flights from Skopje every day with Freebird Airlines :)
DeleteSame as ryanair and wizz air owns most of the Ex-yu markets , and whole europe , SKP is achieving massive numbers and thats fact.
DeleteSKP is the greatest city on earth lol
DeleteThe impact from the Middle East situation is clearly visible. Without it, both SJJ and ZAG would probably be up on last year.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat!
DeleteGood numbers for Belgrade
ReplyDeleteFantastic numbers for Ljubljana!
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how this translates into passenger numbers. Zagreb will probably still see growth but Sarajevo likely a decline.
ReplyDeleteOverall the region seems to be growing steadily
ReplyDeleteThanks for the numbers
ReplyDeleteWhat about Split?
ReplyDeletenot a capital
DeleteIt is capital. Of Dalmatia 🙂
DeleteFantastic growth for Ljubljana
ReplyDeleteIt will finally overtake 2019. 2018 probably not.
Deleteit will overtake both... 1.85-1.9 MIO this year
DeleteThe Middle East situation is clearly impacting the region.
ReplyDeleteIt is impacting the whole world
DeleteSkopje numbers are crazy
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteBelgrade close to 1 million seats in April alone. Unthinkable just 2 years ago.
ReplyDelete@Admin it seems something odd as April 2025 PRN had 399,348 passengers and capacity for April 2026 you say is 398,025. So the new capacity can not be lower than 2025 and still have a growth of 2.8%! All this while assuming a LF of 100%, which is never achieved anywhere. So, some charters still missing I think.
ReplyDeleteIt literally says at the end of the text that capacity is constantly changing. Obviously the April 25 capacity level was not reached.
DeleteWhen you are the only place in Europe relying on no name airlines that sell through travel agencies owned by murky people it is unlikely that the numbers can be 100% accurate.
DeleteAnything and everything about PRN is murky and no name to you.
DeleteNo you are right. A no name airline GP Aviation is the leading carrier in Europe being filled by local tourist agencies. That is how it works across Europe.
DeleteBeing sarcastic and nasty does not make you right. It is not LH or BA but there's nothing murky about it. It does not have the newest airplanes but it flies me in commodity to where I want to go, with my luggage included in the price. And it only has 30 pc of the share. You go ahead and fly your "legit" legacies , no one stopping you, but don't try to tell me how I should fly !
DeleteWhere exactly did I try to tell you how you should fly and where exactly did I tell you which airlines I fly with? And yes, GP Aviation is virtually unknown with a very odd ownership structure.
Deleteis that Vienna in the background?
ReplyDeletewould be ironic, given they just closed their base there 😄
BUD
DeleteThey do these low level city passes for Hungary's national day I believe.
DeleteGood month for most considering the situation.
ReplyDeleteSkopje numbers are crazy this year.
ReplyDeleteThey will get close to ZAG.
Deleteyou mean SPU
DeleteGet close to PRN , possible ZAG next year
DeleteNe se zanesuvaj
DeleteSKP is on fire✈️💪
DeleteFinally North Macedonians have enough money to travel by air
DeleteThere are no North Macedonians, there are Macedonians ethnicity people living in North Macedonia country, just educate yourself before commenting and spreading disseas here ;)
DeleteWhat is North Macedonians average salary per month ?
DeleteWill Wizz surpass a million seats in May in EX-YU?
ReplyDeleteCurrently its capacity is under 900.000 in May.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteWizz air surpass a million in May?
ReplyDeleteIf the existing network stays in tact, it is not expected to reach a million per month this summer, however, it will be close.
Delete^ surprising with all the expansion
DeleteI think both SJJ and ZAG will manage to have more passengers despite lower capacity. Especially since it's Easter so planed will be fuller.
ReplyDeleteAgree
DeleteSJJ especially never reached its planned number so that is mission impossible. Also dont compare it with ZAG please
DeleteIf those April numbers are correct, Belgrade will add over 100k seats while Zagreb will reduce by about 5k. How can this be true?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean how is it true? AIr Serbia is increasing frequencies on 40 routes, Air Baltic is launching new flights, Wizz Air has huge increase in capacity and routes, Royal Jordanian is launching Belgrade too and all this just in April.
DeleteBelgrade Airport has 101.000 additional seats this April compared to last. Airlines with considerable growth compared to last April include Wizz Air, Air Serbia, Lufthansa, easyJet, SCAT Airlines (new entrant), AJet, airBaltic (new entrant), Air Cairo and LOT Polish Airlines.
DeleteZagreb would have had growth of around 0.4% in capacity had Qatar Airways kept operations to the city in April. With the loss of its planned 50 movements, which was already lower than last year's 60, as well as notable decreases by Eurowings, KLM, Ryanair and Austrian Airlines, overall capacity is down.
Thank you EX-YU Aviation for clarification.
DeleteThank you admin.
DeleteHowever "expert" says it is not true that ZAG will have a decline in April.
That's the difference between self-proclaimed "experts" and real experts.
DeleteAgree.
DeleteSKP growth is huge, if in April the airport come close to 400k as planned, than July/August/September we can expect 400k + which is amazing numbers👏
ReplyDelete520.000 seats on sale for August.
DeleteI remember back in the days 2009/2010 the airport for whole year handle 500-600k , now that numbers will be almost reached in one single month, thats amazing achievement for 15 years!!!
Delete15 years ? Gosh thats a horribly long time tbh. Lets face it the numbers are still tiny on the larger european aviation map
DeleteOf course, Macedonia is just 1.8 million country, you cannot compare this country with the rest European countries. For the size of the country and the economic situation, those numbers are massive in compare as I said 15 years ago. So you cannot said this is not achievement!!
DeleteWell of course its an achievement. Starting from a very low base and low mobility society to one better connected is a positive thing.
DeleteWow SKP, WOW!!!
ReplyDeleteWho would ever think about this a :)))
DeleteWell connectivity with increasing development is fairly obvious. It was always bound to be.
Delete