All but one capital city airport in the former Yugoslav region are set to record capacity growth in May, despite the continued impact of the conflict in the Middle East. Wizz Air remains by far the region’s largest carrier, replacing Ryanair, which dominated throughout the summer of 2025.
Belgrade Airport has the most available seats on scheduled flights in May, standing at 997.884. The figure represents an increase of 7.4% on 2025. Air Serbia will continue to maintain its position as the largest carrier with 511.346 seats, up 4.5%. Wizz Air will add 71.602 seats, growing by 49.2%. Zagreb follows as the second largest with 577.320 available seats on scheduled flights during the month. It represents an increase of 1.1% on the previous year. Ryanair, which will grow its capacity by 0.2%, will be the airport’s largest carrier with 203.804 seats. It is just ahead of Croatia Airlines with 203.632 seats. The Croatian flag carrier will grow its seat count by 15.340 or 8.1%
Skopje Airport will boast 411.140 seats in May, up 29.7% on the back of Wizz Air’s expansion. The low cost carrier will grow by 100.957 seats or 64.5% on the same month in 2025. It will hold the largest share at 62.6%. It is followed by Pegasus Airlines with a 9.6% share. Pristina Airport will have 398.039 available seats, with capacity growth currently projected at 5.3%. GP Aviation has the largest volume, holding a 32.8% share. It is followed by Wizz Air with 12.4% of total capacity. Sarajevo will have 251.006 scheduled seats on the market in May, representing a decrease of 2.6% on 2025. Ryanair is the largest carrier with 14.8% of total capacity, followed by Pegasus Airlines with 12.3%.
Podgorica Airport will benefit from Wizz Air’s new routes following the opening of its base in the Montenegrin capital in late March. It has 230.912 seats on scheduled flights during the month, up 20.7%. Wizz Air will be the largest carrier by adding 37.284 seats, representing growth of 111.4%, for a total capacity share of 30.6%. It is followed by Ryanair with 16.1% of the market. Finally, Ljubljana has a total of 204.936 seats on scheduled services, up 11.5% on May 2025. Lufthansa will still be the airport’s largest, despite the suspension of flights from Munich, holding 12.8% of all seats. It is followed closely by Turkish Airlines with a 12.2% share.
Largest carriers by scheduled seat capacity in the former Yugoslavia, May 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.
inb4 WhY nO wIzZ LJU BaSe?
ReplyDeleteNo need. We have prestigious LH. Bravo Fraport! Bravo Fanboys!
DeleteFraport Derangement Syndrome sufferer is at it again!
DeleteBecause the biggest clown of slovenian aviation decided so. Because their incentive scheme are useless, unless you are Lufti.
DeleteI've been hearing moaning about new airlines in LJU for years now, but to tell the truth such a small airport looks quite well connected. I was there last summer, looks pretty much like a bigger train station. Can't expect to have 100 destinations from an airport of that size...
DeleteYou can’t with that management. Actual problem is that it’s still small and will remain small, although it’s one of higher EU’s GDP capital
DeleteThat high GDP per capita doesn't mean much if nearly 90% of travellers go for holidays to Croatia with a car.
DeleteGood to see most growing despite all the airline flight cancellations.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteExactly. The big takeaway is that despite geopolitical turmoil, the region is still growing. Other regions are much more affected.
DeleteWell growing is relative. Losing population by the month and balloning and unworkable debts on the other hand. So bravo for a few more flights. But fundermentally the region is not in rude health.
DeleteLJU was projected to have 20% growth before LH suspended Munich.
ReplyDeleteAlso flyDubai is gonna, Turkish and Pegasus have some reductions. Not the best but an ok growth after all. Hopefully the things stabilise in the 2nd part of thr summer.
DeleteLjubljana’s recovery continues quietly. It doesn’t get much attention, but 11.5% growth is solid, especially without a home carrier.
DeleteIts funny how the same people who did whatever it was needed to prevent the formation of the new national carrier now use this same argument as a proof of how successful Fraport is. Sick.
Delete@9.41 not that many others airports in ExYu have home carriers
Delete@13:00 are you referring to the success of Tuzla and Banja Luka?
DeleteBEG would have had a million seats this months if it wasn't for the war.
ReplyDeleteAnd if Lufthansa didn't shut CityLine.
DeleteJU could go double daily to MUC with the E-jets and prevent LH relaunching the route with someone like Discover or Air Dolomity.
DeleteI don't think JU is that adventurous to go double daily even though there is demand. I think they will wait for next summer to increase it to 9.
DeletePeople forget that most LH traffic between BEG and MUC is transfer traffic (roughly 70%). Double daily is unnecessary.
DeleteI'm sure LH will keep MUC-BEG, despite JU or what they do.
DeleteAnd turn into another pathetic LH feeder? No, thanks
DeleteWhat?
DeleteWhat is happening in Sarajevo? Why is scheduled capacity suddenly down for a second month in a row?
ReplyDeleteNo new Ryanair routes and not a lot of growth from other airlines.
DeleteI do wonder if Wizz Air's expansion in Tuzla had some impact on Sarajevo?
Deletewow that's a small difference between FR and OU in Zagreb.
ReplyDeletePink sheriff in the region.
ReplyDeleteWith new bases and a lot of new aircraft in the region, there is no chance for Ryanair to be ahead.
DeleteLet's just hope they don't collapse. Their finances are far from great.
DeleteSo Podgorica is the only ex-Yu capital with 2 ULCCs as its biggest airlines.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought a year ago.
DeleteIf a second Wizz aircraft comes Montenegro’s market could look very different by next summer.
DeleteThey should have first expanded the terminal before inviting Wizz. The situation at the airport is unsustainable with this much traffic.
DeleteThey need the concession desperately!
DeleteThey don't need concession at all...TGD and TIV are making loads of money, they don't need to be privately operated enterprize..Why would anyone sell zlatnu koku? Tourism is the biggest engine of Montenegrin economy, who normal, for God sake, would give the key lever of tourism into foreign hands?
DeleteNo, they dont need a concession at all. They need a better state owned operator!
DeleteIt's not possible to have good state-owned operator in the region. Why, must one ask, since this is not the nuclear plant management? Because here the foreign investor must be perceived as better and desirable solution.
DeleteZAG had better results while it was state-owned operator/enterprise. Mr. Matković was very successful CEO and had plans for ZAG to build new terminal and expand traffic on its own, without concession. Despite huge limitation factor in form of useless and corrupt midget Croatia Airlines. He was fired, and everything that came later is result of greed of politicians, crime and corruption on national level
DeleteSo Air Serbia has 51.2% share in BEG even with all the Wizz growth. Didn't some people say here how they are losing market share?
ReplyDeleteA lot of people claim things in the comments without any evidence.
DeleteIt's mathematics, not opinion. Your competitor adds more seats than you - you lose the share. But that's yet to become market share, it's just a share in what's offered for now.
DeleteNo people did not say that
DeleteI didn't write the original comment but they definitely did say that. I remember comments how their share is below 50%.
DeleteI remember reading an article here where Marek said that they are happy with keeping market share between 47% and 50% and said it is rather impossible to go much over 50%.
DeleteAgain, by the basic math, their share in offered seats (again, not market share) must be lower than year before, if they add less seats than their competitor.
DeleteHave they added less than competitors? Wizz may have just replaced Lufthansa, Flydubai, TAROM and others that have reduced flights.
DeleteWith the last cuts, could be that Wizz and JU just replaced those decreases and even made their shares go up. Wouldn't be great news for BEG but could be much worse.
DeleteI remember when people wrote that but it was during the month when JU's share was 42%.
DeleteAlso don't forget that in May there is no CityLine so JU's share grew thanks to that.
Three daily flights is quite a capacity.
They absolutely never had 42% share. The lowest they have gone to is 47% (at least in recent years)
DeleteHahahahaha, imagine Croatia Airlines speaking of market share of 42-52 percent. Instead of shameful 13 %. But hey, Bright and Shiny will change it. Uuups...
DeleteSkopje keeps winning
ReplyDeleteIn this climate, 30 percent growth. Absolutely bonkers!
Delete98% of it is being generated by Wizz.
Delete^So?
DeleteSo, God forbid that Wizz gets into trouble!
DeleteIf they did, they would likely get replaced by Ryanair, which would get even better conditions than Wizz since they would be able to blackmail the airport and authorities.
Deleteplease leave keeps winning to MNE. Izmisli nesto drugo
DeleteBravo MNE??? Like brother in mindset?
DeleteForgot to put crying smileys above 🤣🤣🤣
DeleteSKP is killiiiing it✈️✈️👏👏🇲🇰🇲🇰🇲🇰
DeleteI'm surprised that Pegasus is in the top 10 in ex-Yu!
ReplyDeleteWhy?
DeleteThey are one of the few airlines that serve every single ex-Yu market. Not so surprising.
DeleteSKP and ZAG difference is just 100.000 seats!
ReplyDeleteActually it's probably less. Freebird airlines has several daily charters to Skopje every day. Since these are charters they are not counted. As far as I'm aware, ZAG does not have many charters.
DeleteWizz will likely come to ZAG this year and things will change again.
DeleteSkoplje and Zagreb are very similar cities. Same population, capitals of small countries. Difference is that ZAG has national carrier, higher wages and probably more tourists. And that is why have more pax.
DeleteZAG also has transfer passengers.
DeleteYeah like 15 transfers per day since OU doesn't have normal waves.
Delete^ That does apply to the international network but people overlook that OU and Zagreb have quite a few transfers onto the domestic network. Particularly Dubrovnik and Split (and not just through OU but through Star Alliance partners)
Delete^ some people are really obsessed with Skopje. Its not a race or competition guys. It screams a bit strange to be so obsessed with comparisons.
Delete@10:53 "Probably" more tourists? What are you on ?
DeleteLove these :D thanks
ReplyDeleteSkopje’s numbers are remarkable. Nearly 30% overall growth and Wizz up 64% is huge. The airport may be one of the biggest winners in the region this year.
ReplyDeleteIt is already winner since January 😇
DeleteI wonder how much of this capacity will actually materialise if fuel prices stay elevated. We have already seen schedules cut back several times this year.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat!
DeleteGP Aviation being the largest carrier in Pristina still feels unusual.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Airlines are airlines. Its about allowing populations to move following and forging travel patterns. Nothing strange about that
Delete+1
DeleteSo OU is now only 2/5 of capacity behind JU!! WAY TO GO OU! Can imagine diff will be even smaller in June, July, August.
ReplyDeleteIn your face Ryan and JU
"in your face"? What is that supposed to mean? Adding seats on the market is easy. Filling them is much more difficult. Especially for Croatia Airlines.
Deleteeasyjet will have more capacity than OU in June, July and August.
DeleteJU is having 521,714 available seats for May, OU 321,171 seats. That is a 3/5 of JU's capacity.
DeleteOr am I missing something?
True, some people cant accept that Jasmin Lion is one the best airline CEOs in South Europe.
DeleteI thought you were sincere and objective. But I feel bad now that you underestimate and offend our Jasmin the Lion that much to be the best in SE Europe only. Cause he is at least the best all over entire Europe. Maybe even wider. Therefore, you should apologize, for the beginning
DeleteSerbia ❤️ Wizz!
ReplyDeleteThey were pretty despised last year when they were cancelling flights, abandoning passengers, doing diversion to Timisoara etc.
DeleteAnd it's all forgiven because they are back in BEG stronger than ever. <3
DeleteWizz Air loves Serbia just like Serbia loves Wizz Air.
Another month, another reminder that low cost carriers are now shaping the region far more than traditional airlines.
ReplyDeleteSome can't accept yet the new normal.
DeleteWhat is a traditional airline? Ryanair is older than all the countires of former Yugoslavia are as independent states. So perhaps they are the traditional airline..
DeleteNext step: local/regional LCC. Maybe not in a year or two but it happened everywhere and will happen here.
DeleteCan you outline where it has 'happened' everywhere ? And how and who would pay for a local LCC? Because there is no company i can imagine who would qualify as 'local' (e.g shareholders or private capitali from the exyu region) that could do such a thing on any scale. Ex yu has a regional lcc in wizzair.
DeleteWhy not, there are multi-million business in the region who could invest. Here's the list of some Euro LCCs: Norwegian, Smartwings, Pobeda, FlyOne, HiSky, Jet2, Aeroitalia (if alive), Buzz, Iberia Express etc.
DeleteThat list doesnt mean anything i'm afraid. Because behind most on that list are other airline groups or money. So think closer just how a 'local' lcc would be formed? Because you will find it very hard. But i like your strong belief in the regions abilities even if the combined population of the former yugoslavia is only slightly more than the Netherlands.
Deletelow cost are shaping ALL of Europe more than traditional airlines, the Balkans are finally part of it
DeleteExcatly! Well said
Delete12.14
DeleteAbout 15-20 years ago, there was a guy in Croatia, returned from Australia, where he worked for Ansett and Qantas. He had huuuge plans for local/regional LCC with neutral name "Dalmatian". I saw with my own eyes signed contract for lease of first aircraft, A320, I saw with my own eyes signed contract for lease of offices at Radnička str. in ZAG were HQ were supposed to be, internet ticket sales for first 10 destinations, Larnaca, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Prague, Geneve... already started and sales were performing excellently, positions were opened for personnel employment on all levels, and everything was just about to start. After some time, suddenly, literally over night, everything disappeared from the net. All passengers with bought ticket were instantly refunded. And about two weeks later, I received a call from the guy, excusing, and telling me, I will quote: "I had to do it in order to keep my head on my shoulders." He was treathened to be eliminated if the things go on. Therefore, when I speak about Mafia which prevents aviation in Croatia to develop and grow, it's not just a figure of speech. It us brutal and sad reality
interesting
DeleteSKP had 37% growth in March, just saying
ReplyDeleteTo whom?
Delete