Ryanair will discontinue flights between Zagreb and Thessaloniki at the end of the summer season due to high fees at the Greek airport. The carrier confirmed the route from the Croatian capital will be among nine casualties this winter following the closure of its three-aircraft base in Thessaloniki. The budget airline has maintained year-round operations between the two cities, offering up to six weekly flights this summer. “This devastating loss in off-peak winter connectivity is the direct result of the hopelessly uncompetitive costs charged at the German-run Fraport Greece monopoly and Athens Airport”, Ryanair said in a statement. Other routes that will be discontinued include Berlin, Chania, Hahn, Gothenburg, Heraklion, Weeze, Poznan, Stockholm and Treviso. The airline is also ending flights from Athens to Milan Malpensa and from Chania to Paphos.
Commenting on its decision further, Ryanair noted, “The Greek government made the wise decision to reduce the Airport Development Fee (ADF) by 75% (from twelve to three euros per passenger) from November 2024, which should have directly stimulated year-round connectivity and tourism across Greece. However, most Greek airports, particularly those run by Fraport Greece, refused to pass the tax cut onto passengers and instead have pocketed the tax cut for themselves. Since then, Fraport Greece have continued to increase charges, which are now +66% above their pre-Covid levels. Likewise, Athens Airport will hike charges this winter”.
For its part, Fraport Greece responded, “Any claims linking this decision to airport charges or the Airport Development Fee (ADF) imposed by the Greek state are entirely unfounded. The decision to reduce winter operations at Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia” is exclusively related to Ryanair’s commercial strategy, business model and profitability considerations”. It added, “Fraport Greece respects Ryanair’s business decisions. Ryanair remains an important partner, alongside more than forty other airlines currently operating at Thessaloniki Airport, which connects the city and the wider region of Macedonia with over 33 countries and 93 destinations”. There is no other operator between Zagreb and Thessaloniki. Prior to its launch, the service was one of Zagreb’s busiest unserved routes in Europe.
Typical Ryanair
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteGet over it
DeleteWhat does your comment even mean? Typical Ryanair? Yes, that's how they are able to get us all cheap flight tickets. They don't tolerate expensive airports.
DeleteYes, that typical Ryanair carries more than 200 mil passengers per year.
DeleteThey have a certain business model that is clearly paying off.
Typical Fraport.
DeleteYes typical serious airports who do not open their legs for Ryanair.
DeleteProbably bad negotiations on both sides, but let's be honest, it is typical Ryanair. Expecting the fees to be 3€ per passanger is quite low.
DeleteRyanair most of the time they're not low cost airline. I flew from Memmingen to Zadar, flight dates were 6-9 April and I booked the flights 45 days ahead, and the tickets were 92€ . That's not cheap for such a short trip.
DeleteIts cheaper than the bus mate
DeleteDude €92 is a lot if you take into consideration average FR fare is €50. Also FMM-ZAD is barely an hour flight.
DeleteApril 5 was catholic Easter. All Germans went for trip for Ferien and our people living in D went home for visit. These days equal summer peak season with much increased demand. Price for this period is OK
Delete€92 is lunch for two in Munch. Its hardly expensive by any measure.
DeleteSay what you want about Ryanair but I think we can all agree that what they say about Fraport is also true. It’s a very bad airport operator. Hasn’t even broken its own record yet, yet it wants to run other airports. The Germans pushed Fraport onto Greece back then and they invest little, but charge a lot. So yes, typical Fraport.
DeleteIf you think €92 for a flight is expensive how did you survive in ZAD, one nights dinner is easily €100
DeleteIt's expensive for a glorified bus like FR. That amount for OU or LH is more than ok.
DeleteIf FR is bus then OU is a combi mate. 92euros for an hours flight is not a huge amount.
DeleteIt would be nice if OU jumped in on the route now but I know it's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteHighly doubt they could even make it work
DeleteWelp, now that subsidies are over, FR is doing business as usual
ReplyDeleteI think you need to read the article
DeleteMost people don't unfortunately
DeleteThere are also people who read articles and then deliberately write lies, especially in case of "no demand in ZAGf for anything "
DeleteWell my friend, SKG-ZAG was operated by a ZAG based plane. If demand and yield was there they would keep it like they kept STN-SKG.
DeleteAlso Sky Express, Astra, Aegean... are all staying away from this market so what does that tell us?
So, if aircraft is from the other base, it's tax-free 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
DeleteAegean does not "stay away from this market". It operates to both ZAG and DBV
But you are more than welcome to go on with your hate. Although, it's not so good for health
They why did FR keep STN-SKG?!
DeleteA3 doesn't fly from SKG to ZAG, it flies from ATH which is a much larger market and they offer connections there.
If there was demand they would continue to fly.
ReplyDeleteYeah you're right. There's no demand. Zero passengers flew the route :/
DeleteThat's why they had 6 weekly flights. Also because of no demand in ZAG they cut 20 other routes from SKG. Some people here!!!!
DeleteHow many routes has ZAG lost this year?
DeleteAs mentioned above this route was operated by a ZAG based plane. FR kept STN so that is obviously the only market that made money for them from SKG.
DeleteAegean is more than welcome to step in and serve this massive market flying between ZAG and SKG. Some people on here ...
They are keeping 15 routes during winter out of 25 .. Summer routes are more but stay unaffected..They cut Berlin from both bases but they're up against easyjet and aegean..Weeze gone but they face Aegean, Eurowings and Sky Express..HER has Aegean and Sky Express. The real losses of monopoly in winter are Poznan, Zagreb, Stockholm and Chania which is flown by A3
DeleteJust look at the prices FR charge in an attempt to fill the plane from ZAG. Very marginal route
DeleteA beef between Fraport and Ryanair, which from Germany is now going to Greece.
ReplyDeleteAirports are becoming unreasonably expensive. I was shocked when I saw that a bottle of a water in FRA costs between €5.50 and €7.50! Things are getting out of control.
DeleteBring your own empty bottle then..simple
DeleteExactly. I've been doing it lately. Everything else, I agree prices at the airports must be higher than average. But water is something body needs more when flying and something people can't live without. Charging 7 euros for 1/2 l water is not just greed, it's legalized crime. The only problem is not all airports offer drinking water spots/fountains
DeleteWhy should I bring my own bottle? I don't want to. I want to buy water at a reasonable price. This is something we can't live without and it shouldn't cost €7.5!
DeleteIts bad for the environment. Bring or bottle or pay up. Simple as that. Not very hard is it?
DeleteIts bad for the environment. Bring or bottle or pay up. Simple as that. Not very hard is it?
DeleteHow easy it is for all of you always blaming the passengers and never the corporations. That’s why they get away with it, the environment has nothing to do with it. It’s greed. Going to the toilet is bad for the environment, will Fraport stop cleaning those now? Oh, wait, they already have.
DeleteAnd I won’t even go into the general services at FRA, they are beyond words.
Why should I bring my own bottle if my company is forced to pay all these environmental taxes? When the government cuts them I will start bringing my own bottle. Until then they should be punished for this kind of extortion.
DeleteAll airports need to diversify away from being reliant on one LCC carrier. Especially if it is Ryanair.
ReplyDeleteAirports literally beg Ryanair to come to them.
DeleteWhat kind of airports do that?
DeleteSmall airports, regional airports, airports where national flag carriers don't operate for whatever reason, airports close to big hubs that suck away their traffic etc
DeleteBut you knew that already
So only desperate airports.
DeleteSKG seems is not one of those.
Just shows how ZAG is desperate but LJU is not. Bravo Fraport!
DeleteRyanair is in ZAG to kill off Croatia. Once that happens, lets see if their prices stay that tempting.
DeleteRyanair is in ZAG to make money and offer cheap flights to public. Croatia Airlines is killing itself, and on expenses of the public. As simple as that.
DeleteYes but they will make even more once they murder OU. They could then operate daily ZAG-DBV flights.
DeleteFR just cutting marginal routes and blaming taxes. OU are renting lots of new planes, perfect opportunity for Jasmin to step in.
ReplyDeleteAthens-Malpensa and Thessaloniki-Heraklion (and a few others on the list) are absolutely not margins routes. Even Zagreb is not marginal. They operate ZAG-SKG five times weekly!
DeleteThey could operate it triple daily, if they cut it then it means money wasn't there. They were also flying full to Podgorica but they didn't make money my friend.
DeleteTypical Ryanair, Fraport is right, if they were making money they wouldn't be leaving. Ryanair never did too well in Greece. This is just them withdrawing from a market which aborted them.
ReplyDeleteIs it that difficult for you to understand that it is possible to make money when fees are low and not possible when fees are high?
DeleteThis, they are also withdrawing from domestic Greek routes after the summer.
DeleteStrong competition from Aegean and Sky Express is the real reason for this.
@09:30
Delete+1
Anon 09.24 I think you are the one who doesn't understand the situation, you are falling for Fr propaganda.
DeleteDoes it mean that the Thessaloniki - Sarajevo route will continue?
ReplyDeleteSeems like it
DeleteIt's too early to know. They just finalised the schedule for winter from SKG. Summer 2027 is a completely different story.
DeleteFR is still refusing to understand that inflation is huge and every price is getting higher and higher. Their business model is pre covid and current time is after covid. They will cease to exist before they realize that times changed
ReplyDeleteThey will just adjust to the current costs by raising prices.
Delete2019 is not coming back and neither should 9.99€ fares.
Amazing chance for OU and Jasmin to cut one more route.
ReplyDeleteMy proposal: Athens. Then they can say: hey, even Ryanair can't make it in Greece, of course we can't as well 🙂
DeleteGood idea. Maybe SKP and SSJ
DeleteFinally. Ryanair is reinforcing JU's regional network.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteThese are great news for JU. More transfer pax.
Do you know that Michael Oleary (Ryanair CEO) once proposed a standing section on his planes?!?! that he would charge for starting at 1£.
ReplyDeleteI bet that if he was to manage OU, the company will be profitable in the first year...
He also had idea to put automated locks on toilet doors which would open when 2 euros coin is inserted 🙂. About OU, fully agree, only think he would make it in 6 months 🙂
DeleteIf Jasmin cant, nobody else cant
DeleteJasmin our pride!
DeleteLast time Ryan was throwing these tantrums in ATH, not only did they not get what they wanted, but they permanently lost their market share as Sky Express massively expanded.
ReplyDeleteI’m not feeling sad about them
DeleteGood for you
DeleteSKG is not ATH. SKG is smaller than BEG or SOF.
DeleteThey are cutting these routes for winter, 10 to be precise, after Fraport decided to raise airport usage fees by 15% ..And Athens Airport increased passenger fees also. They said they woud be re-opening the base seasonally, like they do at Chania..So these routes might come back at Spring, with a based aircraft at SKG..
ReplyDeleteRyanair: about to cancel one of its most popular flights to/from Zagreb
ReplyDeleteCroatia Airlines: great opportunity! But let’s rather pick a random new destination that won’t generate any profit
Just imagine if Croatia Airlines’ new-destination-strategy was even half as good as Air Serbia’s…
JU should send OU a gift basket. ZAG-BEG-SKG just became the fastest and most convenient path between the two cities.
DeleteGreat opportunity that Croatia Airlines close ATH. They opened 2 destinations in this yaer. Nantes is the last one. Smart strategy. They almost kicked Volotea from that route. Jasmin the Lion do the best he can. He is the best strategist in airline business in Croatia.
DeleteFraport GR vs FR / Fraport SI vs FR / Fraport DE vs FR
ReplyDeleteWhen Aegean gets all of their neos back I’m pretty sure they’re gonna expand more from SKG. Recently they launched SKG- PRG, IST, ADB and now DBV and CAI I don’t think Ryanair is gonna be missed… Same think happened to ATH where Aegean and Sky express filled the gaps and now ATH is thriving.
ReplyDeleteYeah but they also cut many routes from SKG. Also A3 tends to be very expensive, they are not a cheap airline.
Deletehm Skopje airport is only a 2,5 hours drive from Thessaloniki (not during summer school holidays obviously ) or even less for folks north of it. Those cheap Wizzair flights might be interesting to some now
ReplyDeleteThat means two border crossings, parking fees and motorway tolls. Unlikely to be worth it for the vast majority of passengers.
DeleteLiterally no one will travel from Thessaloniki to SKP to catch a flight. lol
Delete