Passenger increase for Niš Airport

Niš Constantine the Great Airport has seen improved figures in 2011 compared to 2010 by handling 25.124 passengers. The figure represents an increase 6.3% compared to 2010 with August being the airport’s busiest month. The number is still down on 35.518 passengers handled in 2006, the airport’s record since it reopened its doors in 2004. During last year, Niš Airport was only served by daily Montenegro Airlines flights from Podgorica. Unlike previous years, there were no summer charters in 2011. Furthermore, in 2010 the airport was served by the low cost Italian airline Wind Jet.

Niš will hope to attract new airlines in 2012. At a meeting late last year the airport’s management announced that it was working on bringing seasonal summer flights between the city and Rijeka, to commence in 2012. Furthermore, Sky Work Airlines from Switzerland has shown interest in launching flights from Bern. The airport should see a spike in traffic this January as the city co-hosts the European Handball Championships. However, in a few months a new commercial airport in Kraljevo, only some 140 kilometres away, is set to open.

Niš Airport was opened for commercial use in 1986, with Adria Airways being the first to launch charter flights. Soon after, JAT Yugoslav Airlines commenced scheduled services to Belgrade. The airport was deserted after the breakup of Yugoslavia and bombed in 1999. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2004.

SkyWork plans Bern - Niš flights

SkyWork Airlines will begin flights to Niš Constantine the Great Airport in the summer of 2012 if a common ground is found between the airport and the Swiss based airline, its Chief Commercial Officer says. Niš Airport, which has so far this year seen a 30% increase in passenger numbers, is served by a daily flight to Podgorica operated by Montenegro Airlines. The service is subsidised by the local authorities. Similarly, future SkyWork flights would also be subsidised with negations under way between the two sides. Last year, the Italian low cost airline Wind Jet suspended services to Serbia’s third largest city after the money used to subsidise the flights dried up. Several years ago, Jat Airways operated two weekly flights from Niš to Zurich with a Boeing 737-300. However, the airline suspended the route citing poor passenger figures.

SkyWork recently launched two weekly flights from Bern to Belgrade. According to its Chief Commercial Officer, Rolf Hartleb, the new route is a hit. “Ticket sales are going extremely well. From the start of next year we will progressively increase our frequencies. Flights will operate every other day after which daily flights will be introduced”, Hartleb states. Since the start of 2011, Jat Airways and Swiss International Airlines have carried over 200.000 passengers both ways between Belgrade and Zurich.

SkyWork Airlines operates a fleet of five regional aircraft including the Dash 8 and Dornier 328. The airline’s fleet is set to expand next year. The airline has already announced that it will be launching seasonal summer flights from Bern to Split on May 5, 2012. By the end of October Niš Airport handled 20.748 passengers.

Belgrade figures continue to rise

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport recorded strong growth in October 2011 despite a fall in the number of operated flights. The airport handled 272.673 passengers, an increase of 20.6% compared to the same month last year. The figure is even more impressive when it is taken into account that the airport saw a total of 3.750 arrivals and departures compared to 3.849 last year, a decrease of 2.5%. The airport is hoping that the strong figures will continue with SkyWork Airlines inaugurating flights from Bern yesterday while Flydubai will begin services to Belgrade on November 10 with four weekly flights. On the other hand, Tunisair, which was to launch flights from Monastir to the Serbian capital for the winter season has decided against the move and will keep its Tunis - Belgrade service instead. So far this year, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has recorded a total of 2.691.836 passengers and, as a result, should just surpass its goal of three million passengers by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Niš Constantine the Great Airport handled 2.683 passengers in October. With its only scheduled flights being services from Podgorica operated by Montenegro Airlines, Niš welcomed a total of 20.748 passengers so far this year. It is on course to surpass last year’s result when it saw a total of 23.627 passengers.

Construction of the new passenger terminal at Morava Airport in Kraljevo is in full swing with all construction deadlines to be met. Although the airport has been officially opened, it should handle its first flights from April 1, if it manages to attract customers. Work on the extension of the existing runway should begin early next year.

Adria considering Niš flights

Despite the prospect of bankruptcy, cost cutting and state aid, Slovenia’s national carrier, Adria Airways, is considering commencing flights to Niš this winter. The service would be subsidised by the local city authorities. Slovenia’s logistics company, Intereuropa has begun negotiations with the state carrier for the route to take off. Adria has previously announced that it was interested in flying to Niš. A similar service was launched last year, to Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The airline operates the service 4 times per week with an average load factor of 6 passengers per flight. Despite subsidies by local authorities in Banja Luka, Adria has managed to record a loss of 50.000 Euros in the first 5 months since the service was launched.

Meanwhile, Executive Director, Robert Vuga, has announced Adria will revise contracts with all travel agents who sell their tickets after the airline’s losses per destination were leaked on the web. The list was also posted by a visitor to this blog on August 13, 2011 in the news item “Adria considering Copenhagen suspension”. It shows that only flights to Brussels, Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich made a profit for Adria in 2010. On the other hand, the airline’s flights to Istanbul accumulated a loss of over 3 million Euros.

Adria will continue its talks with Slovenian banks on September 21. The airline is hoping for the banks to convert debt owed by Adria into shares. Slovenia’s largest bank has refused to play part in the deal which is why negations will continue next week. Furthermore, other banks have now requested for Adria’s workers to sign a new collective agreement which will see their wages significantly cut. On top of the bad news, the airline saw a passenger decrease in the busy month of August A similar scenario was seen this July as well.

Work begins on Kraljevo’s Morava Airport terminal

The construction of a 3.000 square metre terminal building in Kraljevo has begun and is set to be completed this October, allowing the airport to open in time for the 2011/2012 winter season. Three local companies have been given the job to construct the building. The price tag for the entire project amounts to 22.2 million Euros, while necessary equipment needed for the control tower and terminal building will be provided by both the Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency and Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.

Local authorities have stated that interest has been shown for flights to commence from Kraljevo to Turkey and Germany once the airport is completed. The Turkish Embassy in Serbia has donated 10 million Euros for the project. Furthermore, there is hope that due to the relative closeness of the Kopaonik Mountain resort and the city of Kragujevac, which is home to the Fiat car maker factory, the airport could secure decent passenger figures. Similar hopes were held for Niš Airport as well, which opened for commercial traffic in 2004, following its reconstruction. However, the airport handled only 23.627 passengers last year and in the first six months of 2011 welcomed 9.847 passengers. Montenegro Airlines, the airport’s sole operator, is subsidised for its flights to the city in Serbia’s east.

Kraljevo is located in central Serbia, 125 kilometres from Belgrade and Priština, 185 kilometres from Sarajevo and 200 kilometres from Skopje. It remains to be seen whether it will manage to attract any airlines or passenger. Kraljevo was rocked by a strong earthquake last year which caused city wide damage. The airport’s opening should coincide with the first anniversary since the earthquake.

Montenegro Airlines remains Niš’s only customer for now

Niš Constantine the Great Airport is still looking for airlines to commence services to the East Serbian city as the 2011 summer season ticks away. The Mayor of Niš, Miloš Simonović, has said that local authorities have secured almost 2 million Euros to subsidise airlines to fly to Serbia’s third largest city. He added that talks have been finalised with one airline, which will commence flights to Niš next summer, but failed to mention the airline’s name. Simonović said that city authorities are negotiating with another two airlines but no concrete agreements have been made yet. Last year, Niš forked out 1.1 million Euros to the low cost Italian Airline Wind Jet for its 69 flights from Forli. The service ultimately ended as the authorities could no longer support the financial subsidies.

Montenegro Airlines is currently the only airline offering flights to the struggling airport where 40 seats are pre-booked on each flight by the local governance. The airport still hasn’t signed a new agreement with the Montenegrin carrier, which would see it continue flying to Niš, but is expected to do so soon. The subsidies in the new agreement are expected to amount to 1.4 million Euros, which is less than in previous contracts with the same airline.

Some sources state Niš Airport has held talks with Carpatair from Romania, Adria Airways and Atlasjet from Turkey while interest has also been shown on behalf of Belavia, the national carrier of Belarus.

Smaller EX-YU airports continue to struggle

Niš Constantine the Great Airport in Serbia is negotiating with several airlines to commence flights to the city, the CEO of the airport told Serbian media. The airport currently only has 7 weekly flights to Podgorica, operated by Montenegro Airlines, which are subsidised by the local authorities. “I cannot disclose which airlines are in question but I am optimistic that talks will be finalised soon”, Dragan Bugarinović, the airport’s CEO says. Recently, Adria Airways announced it was considering introducing flights from Ljubljana to Niš.

In 2010 the airport handled 23.650 passengers, an increase of 38% compared to 2009. In the first few months of 2011, the airport is continuing to report passenger growth, with a 40% jump compared to the same period last year. In 2010, the low cost Italian airline, Wind Jet, operated flights to the city but were eventually suspended as subsidies for the route dried up. The airport also had financial problems last year, although Belgrade Airport eventually bailed it out by providing much needed funds. Jat Airways has refused to operate flights from Niš in the past few years saying that it is unprofitable to operate services to the city (unsubsidised).

Small secondary airports in the EX-YU region, such as Niš, have been struggling for years. Banja Luka, Mali Lošinj, Portorož, Tuzla, Mostar and Maribor all report minimal services throughout the year and most are struggling financially. However, governments continue to open airports throughout the region with the Croatian Government recently announcing it will go ahead with plans to construct an airport on the island of Korčula. The Serbian Government is funding the construction of an airport in Kraljevo while Montenegro is keen on building an airport in Berane.

Adria to step up Serbia bound flights

Slovenia’s Adria Airways is considering introducing services from Ljubljana to Niš Constantine the Great Airport, a press release issued to Source : EXYU aviation news : http://exyuaviation.blogspot.com states. The Slovenian carrier is interested in starting services to Niš this summer. Similar intentions for this summer were announced back in November last year. Currently, Montenegro Airlines is the only airline to operate scheduled services to Niš with 1 daily flight from Podgorica.

Adria is also planning to introduce more flights to Belgrade, as the airline now has complete control over the route, being the only operating carrier. Starting April 05, the airline will introduce 2 additional frequencies, bringing the total number of weekly flights to 8. From September, the airline plans to introduce even more frequencies to the Serbian capital. Adria says that the flights have been scheduled so as to best suit business people from both countries.

Adria Airways has a strong EX-YU network serving Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Podgorica, Belgrade, Priština, Skopje and Split from this summer season.

Will Niš keep the momentum?

Niš Constantine the Great Airport in Serbia handled 23.627 passengers in 2010, up by 37.6% on 2009, thanks mostly to Montenegro Airlines. In 2010, Niš was predominantly served by 2 airlines, the low cost Italian Wind Jet and Montenegro Airlines. Despite subsidies from the city authorities, Wind Jet suspended flights from Forli to Niš back in October 2010. The city provided some 1.1 million Euros to Wind Jet and bought out 50 seats per flight, although there was an average of only 25 passengers during the peak summer season. It is Montenegro Airlines that has transported the bulk of passengers heading to and from Niš. The Podgorica – Niš – Podgorica service, which operates 5 times per week, is also subsidised, as the city purchases 40 seats per flight.

While Niš handled the most passengers since 2007, the airport will have to find new airlines if it wishes to attract more passengers. In late 2010 the airport was closed for several days due to a dire financial situation until its rival, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, provided it with some much needed cash. Last year, Adria Airways’ regional director for Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Orhan Hodžić, said the airline was planning to introduce flights from Ljubljana to Niš in the summer of 2011, although there is no evidence that the Slovenian carrier, which is struggling with its own finances, will be doing so. It is believed that the city authorities no longer have funds in order to subsidise airlines to commence flights to Niš.

Niš Constantine the Great Airport is currently advertising itself on the market, claiming that flights from Niš to Frankfurt Hahn, Zurich (4 times per week), Paris (2 times per week), London (2 times per week), Vienna (3 times per week), Munich (2 – 3 times per week), Istanbul (2 times per week) and Moscow would be a success.

Further regional expansion planned

Adria Airways’ regional director for Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Orhan Hodžić, has told the “SEEbiz” portal that the Slovenian national carrier plans to introduce flights to Serbia’s second airport - Niš. “The Niš region is in constant development and has a large number of potential passengers”, he said. Hodžić also believes that Adria is a regional leader with a strong regional network. He states that a recent codeshare agreement with Jat Airways on the Belgrade – Ljubljana service has further strengthened Adria’s position on the market. In the EX-YU region, Adria operates flights to Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Podgorica, Belgrade, Skopje and Priština.

Touching on the topic of low cost airlines, Hodžić states that they have their own customer base. “We are a serious company which will celebrate 50 years of existence next year. Low cost airlines are appealing to passengers but above all passengers value safety, comfort, tradition and reliability”, he says. Unlike other carriers in the region Adria Airways has managed to take on low cost airlines with much success. Following Slovenia’s accession to the European Union in 2004, many low costers found the country as an attractive new destination. However, most were forced to suspend flights. In December, easyJet will try to buck the trend by introducing flights from Milan and Paris, to accompany the existing London service.

Visit tomorrow to view Adria’s winter season timetable changes.

Wind Jet dumps Niš

The low cost Italian airline Wind Jet will suspend flights from Forli to Serbia’s second international airport, Niš, with the final service operating this morning, city authorities announced yesterday. Poor loads have led the airline to cancel its two weekly service until, at least, the 2011 summer season, which begins on the very last Sunday in March. The City of Niš has been subsidising the Italian airline, providing 1.1 million Euros and purchasing 50 seats per flight. Unofficial sources claim that the city can no longer afford to subsidise the airline, thus explaining Wind Jet’s withdrawal. The “Novosti” newspaper reports that, on average, there were less than 25 passengers onboard the flights this summer.

Meanwhile, Montenegro Airlines will continue serving Niš with daily flights from Podgorica this winter, after the city managed to fork out a significant chunk of cash to the Montenegrin carrier. The city will purchase 40 seats per flight at a return ticket price of 199 Euros. It has also been reported that the airport is drowning in debt.

Wind Jet commenced flights from Forli to Niš on December 26, 2009. Flights were operated with an Airbus A319 every Monday and Friday. Forli is located in Northern Italy, close to Bologna. Montenegro Airlines will become the sole carrier operating out of Niš Constantine the Great Airport. Several weeks ago, the Kopaonik Tourist Board announced that the Belorussian national carrier, Belavia, would operate flights from Minsk to Niš during the winter. However, there is no evidence that the flights will go ahead.

Another low cost airline interested in Belgrade flights

The Serbian Civil Aviation Directorate has said that it has held meetings with an extremely successful and popular low cost airline which is interested in commencing flights to Belgrade. Spokeswomen, Katarina Andrić Milosavljević, told the national newspaper “Politika” that the airline is interested in what Serbia has to offer to tourists. “They inquired about the facilities at Belgrade Airport and the most popular destinations from the Serbian capital. Every airline conducts detailed research before commencing flights to a certain destination”, Andrić Milosavljević said. She also said that no new airline has applied for a license to fly to Serbia during the 2010/2011 winter season but expects applications to be handed in during this month and October. The spokeswomen also revealed that the low cost airline Niki is interested in expanding its flights out of Belgrade. The airline currently operates flights from Vienna but it is being beaten by Jat Airways and Austrian on the route.

Meanwhile, the director of Serbia’s second airport, Niš Constantine the Great, says that he is “in contact” with low cost airlines interested in commencing flights to the city. Currently, Wind Jet operates low cost flights between Forli and Niš. Montenegro Airlines CEO recently stated that the new alliance between his airline and Jat Airways will allow them to expand services from Niš. During the 2010/11 winter season, the national carrier of Belarus, Belavia, will commence charter flights from Minsk to Niš in order to transport tourists to the nearby Kopaonik Mountain resort.

Montenegro Airlines in Niš

Jat Airways’ CEO, Srdjan Radovanović, announced that the Serbian national carrier has struck a deal with Montenegro Airlines, which will see the two co-operate on key routes between Serbia and Montenegro. In a vague press conference on Wednesday, Radovanović said that the two airlines would no longer overlap each other on routes between Belgrade, Niš, Tivat and Podgorica. This way the airlines would cut costs on fuel and fees and as a result ticket prices between Serbia and Montenegro would be significantly reduced. It is unclear whether the new agreement will lead to the cancelation of some Montenegro bound flights.

Montenegro Airlines has suffered a big passenger decrease on flights to and from Serbia. On the other hand, Jat has managed to claw back passengers on the route and report a big passenger increase. Last year, Jat suffered badly on the route when the airline’s previous management signed a damaging agreement with Montenegro Airlines, which saw Jat practically hand passengers over to its rival. In a recent industry evaluation, Serbian tour operators ranked Jat ahead of Montenegro Airlines on flights to Podgorica and Tivat. While Montenegro was firmly ahead in the evaluation when it came to aircraft, comfort and scheduling, Jat moved ahead with connecting flights and additional services.

Most of Jat’s and Montenegro Airlines’ flights between Serbia and Montenegro depart within a ten minute interval from each other. The two airlines have held a monopoly on the route and have had matching prices, around 110 Euros (return ticket with taxes). Radovanović says that the new agreement is the first step in the formation of a regional alliance and called upon all interested to join.

The new look Montenegro schedule will step into force on October 31, for the 2010/11 winter season. Both airlines are yet to release their winter schedules.

Windjet – the saviour of Niš

Niš Constantine the Great Airport in Serbia has handled 16.000 passengers in the first seven months of the year, an increase of 25%. The airport has already handled the same number of passengers as it did for the whole of 2009. The big increase is mostly due to new airlines operating out of the airport, in particular the low cost Italian airline Windjet. Besides Windjet, the airport is also used by Montenegro Airline and Atlasjet. The authorities at Niš Airport are hoping to persuade Montenegro Airlines to commence flights from Niš to other cities, on top of the current service to Podgorica.

Although the airport is recording financial losses, the Government of Serbia recently created an airport investment fund. While Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport will receive 118 million Euros from the fund, Niš is second in line. The airport also has exemplary relations with its rival Belgrade, which has donated equipment to its Niš counterpart and is training Niš Airport’s staff. The airport has received more funds as the European Union recently donated 150.000 Euros. Niš also recorded a big increase in the number of handled cargo, with a total of 820 tonnes handled, more than in the past three years combined.

Soon flights from Rijeka to Niš

Those that believed that there would be no flights between Croatia and Serbia this summer might be surprised to learn that the Croatian charter airline Adria Wings will commence flights between Rijeka and Niš as early as May. The news comes after Niš’s recent tourism fair where the city authorities and the management of Rijeka Airport agreed on the terms of the new service. Rijeka Airport’s management hopes that passengers from Niš will not only visit Rijeka but will also use the airport as a transit point towards Western European destinations.

Adria Wings was once known as Air Adriatic, which was Croatia’s first privately owned airline. Air Adriatic lost its operating license in 2007. The city authorities in Niš have come under fire for large subsidies it has given to low cost airline Wind Jet and Montenegro Airlines for their operations from the city. According to a report by “Balkan Insight”, Niš is obliged to cover the cost of 40 seats on each Montenegro Airlines flight and 100 seats on every Wind Jet flight. Critics say that tax payer’s money should be spent on more pressing issues as the city suffers from underdevelopment and unemployment.

From the courts to the sky

Four years ago, following the breakup of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, Montenegro Airlines created Master Airways, its Serbian offspring which would allow it to keep all its lucrative Belgrade – Zurich flights as well as charters from Belgrade. However, the airline was denied a license and the Montenegrin high court filed charges against Zoran Djurišić, Montenegro Airlines CEO and the CEO of Master Airways for the unlawful lease of aircraft which are not fully owned by Montenegro Airlines. The court proceedings are still ongoing.

Times have changed and Montenegro Airlines has once again sent in documentation to the Serbian Aviation Directorate for the registration of Master Airways. This time it is expected to receive all necessary licenses. Nebojša Stračević, the chief of the Serbian Aviation Director told “Blic” newspapers that all documentation has been received. Starčević, a former Jat Airways CEO who was run out of the company in 2008, was once a staunch opponent to the liberation of Serbia’s skies but now says that competition will do Jat good. Master Airways will have the same conditions as Jat Airways because it will be a Serbian registered company.

Montenegro Airlines plans to base Master Airways in Niš with 2 Fokker F100 aircraft. It plans on setting up flights from Niš Constantine the Great Airport to Budapest and Paris at first. Whether these flights would operate via Belgrade remains to be seen. The airline hopes to launch services in June. Master Airways has the full support of the city authorities in Niš which would allow the airline free handling of its aircraft at the airport and possibly subsidise certain routes. Montenegro Airlines and the mayor of Niš recently signed an agreement of cooperation.

Soon in Niš

After several delays, Montenegro Airlines will commence flights from the Montenegrin capital Podgorica to Niš, located in Eastern Serbia. The airline will operate 6 weekly flights in hope that it will attract transit passengers via Podgorica. The news comes as the airline signs a strategic partnership agreement with the city authorities of Niš. The Montenegrin carrier is also planing to set up an airline in Niš by the 2010 summer season. Gaining an air operators certificate from Serbia would also allow it to operate flights from the more lucrative Belgrade.

Montenegro Airlines had anticipated to commence flights from Niš to Zurich in November 2009, however the airline was turned down by Swiss authorities. Montenegro Airlines regularly operates seasonal summer flights from Tivat to Niš. Niš Constantine the Great Airport is currently served by 1 airline - the low cost Wind Jet.

All flight details can be found on the right hand side in the new route launches section.

Montenegro spreads its wings

Montenegro Airlines has given up trying to secure a license to operate flights between the Serbian city of Niš and Zurich. Even though the airline received necessary licenses from Serbian authorise, their Swiss counterparts refused to do the same. Despite this setback, the Montenegrin national carrier will go ahead with the planed 2 weekly Podgorica – Niš service operated by the airline’s Fokker F100. After establishing flights from Niš to Zurich, Montenegro Airlines hoped to commence services between Niš and Paris and Budapest.

Montenegro Airlines is now planning to create an airline which would be registered in Serbia and based at Niš Constantine the Great Airport, using 1 aircraft. The airline already tried to do the same in 2006 when it infamously set up Master Airways in hope of reinstating flights from Niš and Belgrade to Zurich, which it lost rights to when the state union of Serbia and Montenegro dissolved and Montenegro Airlines was considered a foreign airline in Serbia’s skies. In 2009, a Montenegrin court accused the CEO’s of Montenegro Airlines and Master Airways of corruption concerning illegally leased aircraft.

Nevertheless, the city of Niš supports Montenegro Airlines’ future plans. The new airline is expected to be set up by the 2010 summer season which begins in late March. Registering and starting up an airline in Serbia would allow it to operate flights out of Belgrade as well.

Recently, the low cost Italian airline Wind Jet began flights from Forli to Niš. It is the only airline currently serving the airport which has the capacity to handle 100.000 passengers per year.

Yet another déjà vu

Just a month after Jat terminated services from the eastern Serbian city of Niš, the national carrier announced its return. Jat’s CEO, Srdjan Radovanović, announced yesterday that the airline will operate flights once per week from Niš to Zurich. Radovanović said, “we terminated flights to Niš because they were unprofitable. However, we have reached an agreement with the city authorities and we will jointly share the risks of this new service. The city of Niš will cover half of the operating costs and Jat would cover the other half. We will look into launching flights to other cities from Niš only if there is a need for them”, Radovanić said.

Montenegro Airlines which hoped to begin flights from Niš to Zurich has been denied the right to do so by Swiss authorities. The airline is also expected to shelve plans for a Podgorica – Niš service.

The resumption date for Jat’s service to Zurich is still unknown, although it has been announced that it will commence before the end of the year. It is expected that flights will operate just after midday every Saturday.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia received good news yesterday as the European Union abolished visa restrictions that the 3 countries have endured for the past 18 years. Experts predict a rise in air traffic and passenger numbers in all three countries. Citizens will be able to travel visa free from December 19.

Soon in Niš

On Thursday, after weeks of negotiations, the Italian low cost airline Wind Jet confirmed that it will commence services from Forli to Niš Constantine the Great Airport in Serbia. The agreement was signed between the airport’s and airline’s management in the Serbian city. Wind Jet will operate flights every Thursday, once per week. This excludes the inaugural flight which will operate on Saturday, December 26. A return ticket from Forli to Niš will set passengers back between 83 and 200 Euros (depending if the passenger decides to choose greater flexibility with ticketing) – all taxes included. Fares above or below this price range won’t be found until June next year as the prices have been fixed during the promotional trial period.

Forli is located South-East of Bologna and will take passengers an extra hour to arrive there by bus, if they choose to do so. The management of Niš Airport is hoping that Swiss authorities will issue a license to Montenegro Airlines so that it can begin services from the airport to Zurich. Although, this seems unlikely at this point. The CEO of Jat Airways, which terminated all services from Niš this winter, said that the Serbian national carrier is interested in restarting flights from the city if it is economically viable. After a meeting with the mayor of Niš, Srdjan Radovanović said that the airline will look into possible routes that could be launched during the 2010 summer season.

All flight details for the new Forli – Niš service can be found on the right hand side in the “new route launches” section.