Sarajevo Airport has indicated that it will soon unveil new developments in its partnership with Ryanair, hinting at further network growth and expansion plans for the upcoming seasons. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the airport said it is working with the Irish low cost carrier on a joint announcement that will outline future cooperation and planned additions to its route network. The carrier currently has no tickets on sale for the upcoming 2026/27 winter season, which begins on October 25.
In a statement, Sarajevo Airport noted, "Ryanair launched operations in Sarajevo in March 2024. Since then, our partnership has delivered significant results, both in terms of passenger growth, the expansion of the destination network and improved connectivity between Bosnia and Herzegovina and European markets". It added that the cooperation has been recognised as "one of the region's most successful examples of low cost aviation development".
The airport noted that it is currently coordinating with Ryanair to finalise all necessary arrangements before making the announcement public. "We are preparing a joint announcement that will outline our plans for the upcoming seasons, including details on the further development of our partnership and route network. In coordination with our partner, we are finalising all necessary arrangements to ensure the public receives complete, confirmed and transparent information in a timely manner", it said.
Sarajevo Airport did not disclose any further details but urged patience until the announcement is made. Ryanair is Sarajevo’s largest carrier and currently serves eleven destinations from the airport. Sarajevo Airport is seeking to further expand its destination portfolio as it works with authorities on a new programme and public call aimed at financially supporting the launch of new routes during the 2027–2029 period. Airlines are expected to be given the opportunity to apply for the tender and plan new services to Sarajevo from around September.
What new routes could we see from them?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is another three or four new routes.
DeleteSouthern Europe could use more options.
DeleteI'm expecting at least one route to Germany and one to Scandinavia.
DeleteA route to Dublin would be fantastic.
DeleteI'd love to see Madrid, Berlin and Copenhagen added.
DeleteMaybe they'll finally introduce flights to Prague.
DeleteWeek of LCCs balkan expansion. It's time for Zagreb and Ljubljana
ReplyDeleteOr in the case of todays news Sarajevo
DeleteWill they open a base in Sarajevo?
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the airport says "upcoming seasons". My guess is we could get some new routes this winter but a base next summer.
DeleteGood, I was wondering about the reason why Ryanair's winter schedule flights from Sarajevo are not bookable yet.
ReplyDeletedelay in putting winter tickets on sale is probably because Ryanair is still negotiating airport charges and airport is trying to freeze the departure tax.
DeleteGood. I was getting worried why they had no flights on sale for the winter.
ReplyDeleteLooks that we'll see some new key routes!
ReplyDeleteThe biggest question is whether they'll finally base an aircraft in Sarajevo. Without a base, growth will always be more limited.
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily.
DeleteA base would be a game changer. Early morning departures and late evening arrivals would open up many more possibilities.
DeleteIndeed. But they could have dozens of routes served from elsewhere also. So there is also significant room for growth without a base.
DeleteIf they really want to become the leading airline in Bosnia, a base is inevitable.
DeleteHopefully this also means increased frequencies on the existing routes
ReplyDeleteRyanair is now Sarajevo's largest airline. Hard to believe considering they only arrived in 2024.
ReplyDeleteRyanair has done well but let's not become too dependent on one airline.
DeleteIt's amazing how quickly Sarajevo has changed compared to just five years ago.
Deleteboth the airport and the city. Love visiting there.
DeleteLet's hope this is announced soon. Winter schedules are approaching quickly and people need to book their trips.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteInterestingly, whenever some airport in our region has a decline in passengers they run to an LCC to open a base.
ReplyDeleteNot LJU :)
DeleteWell airports should be in the game of attracting passengers? No?
DeleteNo. You can ask Palalalalić from RJK. There passenger numbers Dropbox year by year and airport is used for ACMI companies parking. No link to any important hub at all, no meaningful domestic connections, Transavia, Condor, LOT, Norwegian, Easyjet, Air Baltic left completely, some of them operating for more than 10 years, flights for tourists operate over peak season only, 3-4 months, local people don't even look at possibility to fly from RJK, they search for connections from ZAG, LJU, TRS, VCE, PUY and the airport looks like it looked in 1970s when it was opened. It's so sad and disappointing
DeleteDropbox = drop; autocorrect
Delete@11:17 i don' think they serviced the aircon in that place since about 1980 too. Agree completely, such bad management.
DeleteIt sounds like Ryanair is happy with its performance in Sarajevo. That's good news
ReplyDeleteImagine where Sarajevo would be today without them.
DeleteRyanair seems to have more confidence in Sarajevo than many legacy airlines.
DeleteRather legacy airlines do not make money from a market such as BiH is another way to frame it. The KLMs, BA and Air Frances of this world are not going to utilise slots and equipment for Sarajevo as thing stand. Hence FR being a godsend.
DeleteThe airport seems much more proactive than it was a few years ago. Credit where it's due.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest challenge now is terminal capacity during peak hours.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWhat is the annual capacity of the terminal?
DeleteIf Ryanair bases an aircraft, I can see the network growing to 15 or even 20 destinations over the next few years.
ReplyDeletelet's see what the actual announcement looks like.
ReplyDeleteThis shows that incentives work when they're designed properly.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the ones in Tuzla...
DeleteFinally! Well done Sarajevo :)
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the announcement. It's refreshing to see a lot of positive aviation news from the region.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteI'll believe it when the tickets are actually on sale.
ReplyDeleteThe airport has built up expectations now. Hopefully they can deliver :)
DeleteRyanair currently serves 11 destinations from the Sarajevo, not 10 (Girona, Brisel-Charleroi, Goteborg, Karlsruhe-Baden Baden, London, Memmingen, Bergamo, Pariz-Beauvais, Stockholm, Solun i Weeze)
ReplyDeleteLots more opportunities to expand
DeleteAnd no one from this route are on sale after October 🙄
DeleteIs there any chance Wizz Air might expand from Sarajevo as a counterbalance to Ryanair?
ReplyDeleteIsn't Tuzla the counter balance?
DeleteI don't Tuzla can ever financially work out as well as Sarajevo.
Delete*don't think
DeleteGreat news
ReplyDeletePeople were saying they would open a base this winter.
ReplyDeleteThey could
Deletewhat about VIE or BTS?
ReplyDeleteThey reduced all Vienna flights and moved to BTS
DeleteThe airport should be careful not to neglect legacy carriers while focusing on Ryanair.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get the impression they are neglecting legacy airlines?
DeleteEurope's 'legacy' carriers that could make money there are essentially there already. I can't see many others being overly interested in the near future.
DeleteLooking forward to seeing the route map grow again
ReplyDeleteWhat's the reason for them not having tickets on sale for winter yet?
ReplyDeleteWell it says in the article that they are finalising an agreement with SJJ.
Deletewinter sales should already be underway.
DeleteThis is either they remove current routes that are in bad demand and add couple new ones. It is almost August and they still dont have any routes for sale after October, and all other airlines finalise their winter schedule 3 weeks ago
DeleteIt might be this new development is they are pulling out of Sarajevo altogether and airport authorities have no clue how to break the news to the public.
Delete16:25 Their results are too good even without subsidies, they're closer to a base
Delete@18.11 - I wish you were right and I was wrong, but O'Leary has been a disruptor all his life (one of the reasons he has stayed in this job for so long ), and I think the things might go south for Sarajevo when Ryanair is in question. I've been following all his interviews, BiH news and sources how it relates to dynamics in BiH civil aviation, call it a hunch or whatever, but I think they are closer to terminate SJJ, than to expand it. Fuel hedging won't last forever in this geo-political circumstances that are not getting better short to medium term, new aircraft with more capacity are coming in and he ll try everything to maximize profits. Sarajevo might be profitable with decent loads, but there are destinations with even better ones. I am saying this as someone who really wants Sarajevo to succeeds because it deserves as a city and the destination, but just saying the shock might be coming.
DeleteGiven its July 23 and nothing, literally nothing is bookable out of Sarajevo its a very strange sign. Banja Luka flights are bookable into 2027. So either they are going to cut the lot (which I think we would have warning of) or they are going to go in with an expansion.
DeleteThe late notice is very weird however.
Hopefully this encourages tourism authorities to invest more in promoting Bosnia and Herzegovina abroad.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed for at least one destination in France.
ReplyDeleteI am going to wax nostalgic here, but I miss the times comments were mostly about Adria, JAT, Croatia Airlines, Montenegro Airlines and B&H Airlines. Now it's mostly Wizz, Easy and Ryan. How times have changed.
ReplyDeleteA time of terrible connectivity tho
DeleteOn paper, connectivity to Girona and connectivity to LJU, AMS, LHR or CDG look the same.
DeleteIts unlikely that Sarajevo will be linked to any of those airports in the near future.
DeleteHopefully they'll expand the route with GRO; we've been following it for a long time and it seems like the two weekly ones aren't enough.
ReplyDeleteIt is very weird they dont have any routes for sale after October , this seems like they will remove some of the currenr , and add couple new ones. Airlines completed their winter schedulr 3 weeks ago, and they haven't even a sale of tickets
ReplyDeleteRyanair often adds new routes just a month or two before they launch.
DeleteBut the comment was about why no flights are listed yet. It is weird indeed.
DeleteI hope this isn't just marketing hype
ReplyDelete