PREMIUM
Low cost carrier Ryanair, which is to introduce flights from Weeze and Baden Baden to Tuzla this September, is planning on adding new routes to the city. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the airline is drafting an agreement with Tuzla Airport for the launch of flights from London Stansted and Memmingen. The services would be maintained three and two times per week respectively. Furthermore, the agreement stipulates the addition of Malta and Stockholm Arlanda Airport to its Tuzla route network. As a result, Ryanair would compete head to head against Wizz Air, which currently maintains up to four flights per week to Memmingen. The carrier previously operated from Tuzla to London Luton, however, the service was cancelled due to poor loads. In addition, Wizz Air currently serves Stockholm from Tuzla twice per week but flies from the less convenient Skavsta Airport.
Commenting on Ryanair’s future operations, Tuzla Airport told EX-YU Aviation News, “Ryanair begins operations to Tuzla on September 2. For now, tickets are on sale to Dusseldorf [Weeze] and Baden Baden. Ryanair is planning to fly to Tuzla on a long-term basis and we are in discissions over new destinations. We are undertaking studies to identify the demand for certain destinations. Ryanair is more than welcome at Tuzla Airport in order to cover Wizz Air’s service reductions since it introduced flights from Sarajevo and Banja Luka”. The airport is also believed to be in talks with two other carriers over potential flights to France and Italy.
Tuzla Airport is slowly recovering from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and its 75-day closure last year. “In 2019 we had fifteen destinations from Tuzla. We negotiated an additional one, to Salzburg, for 2021. Currently, we offer fifteen destinations. Services to Salzburg and Baden Baden have not been restored. Therefore, there are fourteen Wizz Air destinations, as well as charters to Antalya”, the airport said. It estimates it could soon get close to handling 600.000 passengers, as was the case prior to the pandemic. During the January - May period it welcomed 66.320 travellers, down 53.1% on the same period last year, and down 68.6% on 2019. “Our goal is to handle a million passengers per year. The airport has both the capacity and opportunities do so. This can only be done once all epidemiological measures are lifted”, Tuzla Airport noted.