Summer changes for Adria, B&H and Montenegro Airlines

Tomorrow, the 2012 Northern Hemisphere summer season begins. Following on from last week, when changes and additions were published for Croatia Airlines and Jat Airways, this week amendments for Adria Airways, B&H Airlines and Montenegro Airlines can be viewed.

Adria Airways’ summer season sees a big reduction in operations compared to last year. Flights to Paris, Warsaw, Toulon and Banja Luka were all suspended last year. Seasonal flights to Athens, Dublin, Kiev and Stockholm won’t be resuming this summer. The airline will reduce frequencies on regional flights with services to Priština, Tirana and Skopje taking a hit. On the other hand, the Slovenian carrier will launch new flights to London Luton Airport, increase frequencies to Copenhagen and operate numerous charters.

B&H Airlines will operate flights only to Istanbul, Copenhagen and Zurich via Banja Luka. The airline currently has a single ATR72 in operation. However, if its Turkish part owner manages to make amends with the Bosnian government other aircraft could be returned to the B&H fleet which would lead to some destinations being resumed.

Finally, Montenegro Airlines will reduce frequencies to several destinations. The most notable is a reduction of nine weekly flights from Podgorica to Zurich. The airline will also halve the number of flights to Moscow. However, the Montenegrin carrier will introduce a new service from Tivat to London Gatwick and will strengthen frequencies to Paris.

By clicking on the links below, you can view the 2012 summer season changes in more detail.

Adria Airways • B&H Airlines • Croatia Airlines • Jat Airways • Montenegro Airlines

Déjà vu?

Adria Airways CEO, Klemen Boštjančič, has announced that if Adria Airways’ pending privatisation process fails, a single airline for the former Yugoslavia will need to be created as no carrier in the region has the chance to survive in the current economic climate. “If the sale of Adria to a foreign partner fails, then our last chance is for regional integration with Croatia Airlines, Jat Airways and Montenegro Airlines”, Boštjančič told one of Slovenia’s most popular web portals - “SiOL”. The news comes a week after the Association of European Airlines urged Adria Airways to take a leading role in the integration of the former Yugoslav aviation market.

Adria’s CEO notes that Brussels has already shown support for the creation of a single airline for the former Yugoslavia. “Croatia will soon become an EU member and Serbia and Montenegro are not far off”, Boštjančič adds. However, Adria will first attempt to put itself on the market to foreign airlines. By the end of the month a financial consultant will be chosen to assist the Slovenian carrier with its privatisation process. While Boštjančič says that there is interest in Adria, he notes, “We and the government have to do everything in order for Adria Airways to get a new owner but I do not know whether we will succeed”, adding that regional cooperation must develop simultaneously with the privatisation process. Currently, many bigger players in Europe such as LOT Polish Airlines and Czech Airlines are awaiting privatisation.

Adria Airways already enjoys cooperation with airlines in the former Yugoslavia. It has code share agreements with both Jat Airways and Montenegro Airlines. Klemen Boštjančič says that regional integration could fail out of purely political reasons. All of the national EX-YU airlines ended 2011 with multi million euro losses. Once again the debate over a single national carrier for the countries of the former Yugoslavia reopens, 21 years after its break up.

Scandinavian model for former Yugoslavia suggested

The Secretary General of the Association of European Airlines, Ulrich Schulte Strathaus, has told the Slovenian daily “Dnevnik” that in order for the national carriers of the former Yugoslavia to survive they will need to unite into a single airline. “The once single Yugoslav market is now fragmented and a regional solution is necessary. The region needs an airline that would cover local needs and connect with global hubs”, Strathaus says. He notes that he recently discussed the issue with Adria Airways’ management. “It would be great if Adria Airways, which has extensive knowledge of the Balkan market, were to initiate a regional summit which would be dedicated to this issue, however, due to political quarrels I doubt this could happen”, Strathaus adds.

The Association of European Airlines counts 34 members, mostly national carriers. Adria Airways, Croatia Airlines and Jat Airways are all members. Montenegro Airlines also used to be a member of the association but mysteriously left after a few months. Strathaus believes that certain markets in the former Yugoslavia are too small to have their own national carrier. He notes that Serbia can’t find an investor for Jat, Croatia Airlines and Montenegro Airlines are operating with mounting problems and that B&H Airlines will go bankrupt when Turkish Airlines ceases financing it.

Last year, an idea to unite the former Yugoslav aviation market was put on the table during talks between the Serbian government and Turkish Airlines. It was suggested that a regional airline, Balkan Airways, could serve as a national carrier for Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia. In September 2011, Croatia Airlines and Adria Airways reached an agreement over a common business plan model. The two airlines agreed to strengthen ties and cooperate on jet leasing as a means of improving efficiency and streamlining fleet utilisation.

B&H resumes operations

B&H Airlines has resumed operations with a single ATR72 and will operate flights to Istanbul. It’s Airbus A319, will soon rejoin Turkish Airlines’ fleet as the carrier abruptly ended its lease of the aircraft to B&H on February 27.

Government approves Montenegro Airlines privatisation

The Montenegrin government decided yesterday that Montenegro Airlines will be privatised during 2012. It follows a difficult year for the national carrier in 2011. Montenegrin Prime Minister Igor Lukšić said that the airline will be offered to investors through a public tender. Montenegro Airlines has become a costly business to keep running after the government agreed to provide 400.000 Euros to the carrier each month to cover operational costs and write off the airline’s debt to Podgorica and Tivat airports. In order to cover the debt owed to the Serbia and Montenegro Air Services Agency the government has offered them ownership of the Park Hotel in Bijela on the Montenegrin coast. Earlier in 2011, the government wrote off a further 3.2 million Euros in debt and ordered the country’s two international airports to lower its fees to the national carrier. Recently, there has been discontent amongst pilots unhappy with late wages. Unlike its regional rivals, the global economic gloom did not have an effect on Montenegro Airlines in either 2008 or 2009.

The Montenegrin carrier has faced sliding passenger numbers, handling under 600.000 passengers last year, although is reported to have had strong growth in January 2012. This summer the national airline will introduce flights to London from both Podgorica and Tivat and has announced plans to purchase another Embraer jet.

It will be the second time the government has attempted to privatise Montenegro Airlines. In 2010, it unsuccessfully tried to sell a 30% share in the airline. Although El Al Israel Airlines, Etihad Airways and Arkia Israel Airlines all purchased the tender documentation, none of them made an offer. The CEO of the airline, Zoran Djurišić, is firmly against the sale. Late last year he told the media, “The government knows my stance regarding the privatisation which is why I have been completely excluded from the process”. He added that privatising the airline will have long term negative effects on the country. Instead, Djurišić says the government should cover the airline’s losses and pressure Montenegro’s largest petroleum company, Jugopetrol, to reduce its unreasonably high costs.

EX-YU cities loose Budapest flights after Malev collapse

Following Malev’s demise on Friday, EX-YU cities have been left without direct air links to Hungary’s capital Budapest, which, amongst other things, attracted many transit passengers. None of the national carriers of the former Yugoslavia have attempted to introduce flights to Budapest and try to scoop stranded passengers. On Friday Lufthansa, easyJet, Wizz Air and Air Berlin were quick to react and increase frequencies while Ryanair announced over thirty new destinations to the Hungarian capital.

Malev had an extensive network in the former Yugoslavia operating flights to Belgrade, Priština, Podgorica, Sarajevo, Skopje and Zagreb. The Hungarian national carrier operated nine weekly flights to Belgrade. Recently, the airline had seen sliding passenger numbers on the route as more competition saw fewer transit passengers. The airline planed to reduce the service to one daily flight from the 2012 summer season. Malev operated two daily flights to Priština and thirteen weekly to Skopje, from which it saw numerous transit passengers. There were no plans to either increase or reduce flights over the coming summer. Sarajevo enjoyed daily flights and Podgorica six weekly while nearby Zagreb saw 18 weekly services between the two cities this winter. None of the former Yugoslav national carriers operate flights to the Hungarian capital and none have jumped at the opportunity to inaugurate services between the two cities since Malev’s demise. While the Hungarian low cost airline Wizz Air is based in Belgrade, it is unlikely it will be tempted to launch flights between the two cities as its aircraft are too big and inter Eastern European flights have proved unsuccessful for the airline in the past.

Officials at Budapest Airport, one of the biggest losers of Malev’s grounding, said it doubts the flights will ever be reinstated. "There are some estimates that over 20 or 23 routes of Malev will never be served by other airlines", airport spokesmen Mihaly Hardy said. It is believed that the Hungarian government will work to set up a new national carrier by the start of the 2012 summer season, which begins in over a month. It remains to be seen whether EX-YU destinations, on which Malev had a complete monopoly, will be resumed.

Flight delays and cancelations across EX-YU

UPDATED 21.00 CET

Snowstorms, fog and freezing weather have disrupted flight operations across the former Yugoslavia. Podgorica has been closed on and off for the past three days while Sarajevo Airport closed its doors this morning until 20.00 CET. In Belgrade meanwhile, the airport was evacuated when an anonymous call came that there was a bomb on board Air France's jet, which turned out to be false.

Both snow and fog are proving to be a problem at Sarajevo Airport. Sarajevo closed this morning with all departures cancelled for the day. Nearly all flights from Sarajevo were cancelled yesterday as well. Only early morning departures and B&H Airlines’ flights to Zurich and Istanbul were unaffected. Austrian was forced to divert its evening Sarajevo service to Belgrade. Operations resumed in the evening hours with Austrian, Jat and Croatia Airlines performing their flights as normal.

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport saw short delays throughout the day however there was some panic after an anonymous phone caller said there was a bomb onboard an Air France jet which was being prepared for its return flight to Paris. The airport was forced to evacuate and the flight cancelled although no bomb was found. The caller, a 62 year old from Bor, was later arrested. He said he was “only having some fun”. It was later disclosed that the man in question is mentally challenged.

In Montenegro, most flights to and from Podgorica Airport have been cancelled for the last three days due to heavy snowfall. There is now a big backlog of passengers on the Podgorica - Belgrade - Podgorica service with both Montenegro Airlines and Jat Airways cancelling most flights between the two cities. The two airlines attempted to operate flights to Tivat yesterday but before making their descent into the coastal city were forced to turn back to Belgrade. In order to clear the backlog of passengers Jat planned to operate an early morning service to the Montenegrin capital at 4.40 today but has cancelled the flight.

In Skopje, Priština and Ljubljana, flights have been operating normally (other than those to Montenegro) although all with an average forty minute delay. Out of all the airports in the former Yugoslav region, Zagreb was operating most smoothly with nearly all flights taking off from the airport yesterday, registering only minor delays. Split Airport has been closed due to snow and extreme winds reaching up to 180 kilometres per hour.

All of Eastern Europe is grappling with a Siberian freeze which is spreading westwards. Freezing conditions, which have claimed hundreds of lives across the continent, are set to persist for days to come.

Priština overtakes Ljubljana as third busiest airport in the former Yugoslavia

Priština has finished 2011 as the third busiest airport in the former Yugoslavia, for the first time since it opened its doors in 1965. The dethroned Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport fell into fourth place with Dubrovnik Airport hot on its heels. A total of six airports managed to handle more than one million passengers.

Ljubljana Airport was affected by Adria Airways’ crisis last year and its significant reduction of flights, which were felt during the months of August, November and December. Since January the airport has recorded declining or break even numbers compared to those from 2010, with the exception of April when the airport saw significant growth. As a result, Slovenia’s capital city airport welcomed just under 1.370.000 passengers, a decrease of 1.3% compared to 2010. It should be taken into account that Ljubljana was closed for almost an entire month in 2010. Since 2008, when Ljubljana saw record traffic by handling 1.673.050 passengers, its figures have steadily decreased each year. Ljubljana Airport expects lower traffic volumes and revenue in 2012. Still, the airport says that Adria’s decline should be substituted by foreign airlines and charter flights this year.

Priština Airport handled 1.422.302 passengers, an increase of almost 9%. The three busiest airlines operating out of Priština were Edelweiss, Adria Airways and Belle Air. The most popular destinations out of the city were Zurich, Vienna and Dusseldorf. As has previously been reported, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is well ahead of its competition and in 2011 strengthened its position as the busiest airport in the former Yugoslavia. Other notable achievements were recorded by Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Skopje, Ohrid and Tivat. Joining Ljubljana as the only EX-YU capital city airport to see its figures decline in 2011 was Podgorica.

Below you can review the number of handled passengers by the ten busiest airports in the former Yugoslavia in 2011:

Airport	Passengers 2011	Passengers 2010	Change (%)
Belgrade	3.124.633	2.698.730	▲ 15.8
Zagreb	2.319.098	2.071.561	▲ 11.9
Priština	1.422.302	1.305.532	▲ 8.9
Ljubljana	1.370.000	1.388.651	▼ 1.3
Dubrovnik	1.349.501	1.270.062	▲ 6.3
Split	1.300.381	1.219.741	▲ 8.1
Skopje	759.928	681.080	▲ 11.6
Tivat	647.169	542.000	▲ 19.4
Podgorica	611.666	651.478	▼ 6.1
Sarajevo	599.996	563.266	▲ 6.5

Soon at Gatwick

Serbia’s Jat Airways has made changes to its upcoming London Gatwick service. Flights to London’s second busiest airport will be inaugurated on June 15 and will operate on a seasonal summer basis (to September 14) to cope with high passenger demand experienced during the summer months on the existing Belgrade - London Heathrow route. In addition to the two weekly flights to London Gatwick, Jat will also serve London Heathrow nine times per week over the summer. Passengers departing from the Serbian capital will be spoilt for choice as they will also have the option of using Wizz Air’s four weekly service to London’s Luton Airport.

A return ticket with taxes included from Belgrade to both London Gatwick and Heathrow will set passengers back 175 Euros. Flight details for the upcoming service can be viewed here.

Meanwhile, Montenegro Airlines, which also recently announced its seasonal service launch from Tivat to London Gatwick, has now announced it will launch flights from its hub Podgorica to the British capital as well. Services will operate once per week and will launch on March 30 with details available here.

Montenegro Airlines back in London

Montenegro Airlines will launch services from Tivat to London during the 2012 summer season, as the airline looks to recover after underperforming in 2011. Flights from Tivat will be inaugurated on Sunday, March 25 and will operate every Wednesday and Sunday on a seasonal summer basis. The airline is hoping to attract British tourists on the route but also profit from the 2012 Olympic Games, being held in the British capital from July 27. This summer, all of the national carriers of the former Yugoslavia (with the exception of B&H Airlines) will be offering flights to either London Heathrow Airport or London Gatwick. Flight details for Montenegro Airlines’ new service can be viewed here.

Until the start of the 2011/2012 winter season, Montenegro’s national carrier operated regular all year round flights to London from its hub in Podgorica. However, the service was cancelled after it reported major losses on the route. Although the Montenegrin carrier is yet to report precise passenger figures for 2011, it carried just under 600.000 according to its CEO, a decrease of 5% compared to 2010 when it welcomed 630.000 passengers onboard.

Meanwhile, Tivat Airport handled approximately 645.000 passengers in 2011, an increase of 20% compared to 2010. It managed to finish the year off well ahead of EX-YU capital city airports such as Sarajevo and Podgorica. On the other hand, Podgorica handled approximately 615.000 passengers, down 4% on 2010.

The year that was … 2011

Historic passenger and traffic growth, a new airport, bankruptcies, government bailouts, failed privatisation and a bag of corporate corruption insured 2011 to be one of the more eventful years in commercial aviation in the former Yugoslavia. Read below for the most important Source : EXYU aviation news : http://exyuaviation.blogspot.com of 2011 by month.

~ JANUARY ~

• New CEO for Adria Airways chosen in face of financial trouble
• New terminal plans revealed for Priština Airport
• Tunisia flights suspended due to revolution

~ FEBRUARY ~

• Skywings International based in Skopje declares bankruptcy
• Wizz Air announces flights to Skopje
• Construction of Kraljevo’s Morava Airport begins
• B&H Airlines and Jat Airways begin evacuation flights from Tripoli
• Montenegro Airlines suspends Priština and Skopje due to unpaid debt

~ MARCH ~

• Tender for the construction of Zagreb’s new terminal begins
• Jat announces return to Spain after fourteen years
• Adria Airways expands Priština base operations
• Flights to Tripoli suspended as no fly zone introduced
• Iran Air begins refuelling stops at Belgrade Airport
• Wizz Air opens Belgrade base

~ APRIL ~

• Banja Luka Airport faces closure
• Montenegrin government bails out national carrier
• Overhaul of Ohrid Airport completed
• Chicago - Zagreb - Belgrade flights announced for summer months
• Air Arabia launches Tuzla flights

~ MAY ~

• Croatia Airlines turns twenty
• Ten companies in Zagreb terminal bid
• Montenegro Airlines orders new jet
• B&H Airlines suspends Vienna and Frankfurt flights
• Eagle flies into Montenegro Airlines Fokker nose cone

~ JUNE ~

• Adria celebrates fifty years
• Adria requests 50 million Euro bailout
• Jat Airways resumes Dubrovnik service after two decades
• Chicago - Zagreb - Belgrade flights cancelled hours before inauguration
• Croatia Airlines launches Belgrade service

~ JULY ~

• Mat Airways ceases operations
• Record year for Croatia Airlines
• Construction begins on new Priština Airport terminal
• B&H suspends Stockholm and Gothenburg

~ AUGUST ~

• The tender to find a partner for Serbia’s “new Jat” begins
• Flydubai announces Belgrade flights

~ SEPTEMBER ~

• A new era for Skopje Airport as new terminal opens
• Adria announces network suspensions
• B&H Airlines launches Pescara flights
• airBaltic expresses interest for the “new Jat”
• Croatia Airlines and Adria join forces
• Adria saved from bankruptcy

~ OCTOBER ~

• First flight to Kraljevo Airport
• New Maribor based airline Golden Air launches flights
• Source : EXYU aviation news : http://exyuaviation.blogspot.com reveals party politics at Jat Airways
• Golden Air grounded
• Dubrovnik Airline grounded
• Baltic Aviation System buys Jat tender documents

~ NOVEMBER ~

• Family rules at Montenegro’s airports
• Qatar Airways announces Zagreb flights in 2012
• Jat Airways announces Croatia expansion in 2012
• Qatar Airways announces Belgrade flights in 2012
• US blocks Adria jet sale to Iran

~ DECEMBER ~

• Baltic Aviation System looses Jat interest
• Single offer for Zagreb’s new terminal
• Record year for Tivat Airport
• Belgrade Airport tops three million passengers
• Belgrade Airport expansion begins

With 370.000 visits in 2011 and 365 news items, thank you for visiting, reading, contributing and interacting with Source : EXYU aviation news : http://exyuaviation.blogspot.com.
See you in 2012!

Tempers flare at Montenegro Airlines

Montenegro Airlines pilots have issued a public plea to the Government of Montenegro to save the embattled national carrier from “imminent collapse”. The airline’s pilots have requested an audience with the Montenegrin Prime Minister Igor Lukšić as “the company finds itself in a difficult financial state due to incompetent management”. Pilots say that they are just starting to receive their August salaries, meaning that they haven’t been paid for three full months of work. Some are also receiving lower salaries than outlined in their contracts. The Montenegrin judiciary has warned the airline against such actions.

Montenegro Airlines CEO, Zoran Djurišić, who has been at the helm of the company since its creation in 1994, hit back at the pilots saying that the airline’s financial woes are a result of the unstable economic climate across the globe. He adds that “a group of pilots have been creating a negative working environment within the airline for the past year and a half”. Djurišić claims that Montenegro Airlines is one of the most successful airlines in Europe and that its losses are less than those of its rivals Adria Airways, Croatia Airlines and Austrian. Meanwhile, a group of Montenegro Airlines’ most experienced pilots are staying loyal to their employer saying that they are proud to work for such an airline and are satisfied with their wages. On average, a pilot at Montenegro Airlines earns 4.500 Euros per month, according to the company.

Montenegro Airlines, which keeps most of its business operations a closely guarded secret, was forced to suspend flights to Priština and Skopje due to unpaid fees earlier in the year. The Montenegrin government has written off over 3 million Euros worth of the carrier’s debt and issued state guarantees for a 9.6 million Euro loan. It recently announced that it will restructure the flag carrier in order to return it to profitability. Montenegro Airlines said, several months ago, that it should carry 600.000 passengers by the end of 2011, a 5% decrease compared to last year.

Tivat Airport overtakes Sarajevo and Podgorica

For Tivat Airport 2011 is shaping up to be its busiest year on record since it opened its doors in 1971. By the end of November, Tivat welcomed 634.226 passengers, an impressive increase of up to 19.2%. The good figures come on top of a strong year for Montenegrin tourism. The airport handled a total of 4.413 flights which is up 11.5% on the same period last year. “We expect to end the year with a total of 645.000 passengers”, Tivat Airport CEO Ranko Bošković says.

With such strong figures, Tivat Airport will end the year ahead of larger airports such as Sarajevo and rival Podgorica. As a result, Tivat should take its place as the seventh busiest airport in the former Yugoslavia in 2011. On the other hand, by the end of November Podgorica Airport handled 572.272 passengers.

Montenegro Airlines was the busiest out if its hub airports this year followed by Jat Airways and the Russian charter airline Moskovia. Turkish Airlines managed fourth, while partner Star Alliance member Austrian only sixth. Belgrade continues to be the most popular destination from Montenegro in 2011, followed by Moscow in second and Vienna in third place.

Unlimited flights between United States and Montenegro made possible

The United States and Montenegro have signed an Open Skies air services agreement that will liberalise the two countries' bilateral aviation relationship. Representatives of the two governments inked the relevant documents on November 28 in Podgorica and on December 5 in Washington. The agreement allows the airlines from both countries to fly to, from and beyond the other’s territory, without restriction on how often carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said at a daily press briefing recently, "This agreement will strengthen and expand our strong trade and tourism links to Montenegro, benefiting US and Montenegrin businesses and travellers by expanding opportunities for air services".

As a result of the Open Skies agreement, Montenegro Airlines, the only commercial carrier based in Montenegro has been granted unlimited flying rights to the United States. However, Montenegro Airlines does not have the aircraft, finances or network to support transatlantic flights at this moment. Unfortunately, the number of incoming tourists from the United States to Montenegro is still low. All of these factors suggest that there will be no flights between the Unites States and Montenegro anytime soon, although, this agreement has done away with any possible bureaucratic procedures if room for such flights opens in the future.

The latest attempt to set up flights between the United States and the former Yugoslavia failed in 2011 when a US tour operator suspended its planned services to Zagreb and Belgrade over the summer, an hour before the first passengers were supposed to board, as the designated airline was grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration. Priština Airport was the last to serve flights from the United States, several years ago from New York. In, August Macedonia and the United States signed the Open Skies agreement as well.

Financial boost for Montenegro Airlines

The Government of Montenegro is coming to the national carrier’s rescue but has decided not to privatise Montenegro Airlines. The government will restructure the airline before any talks of a possible future sale is on the agenda. The airline’s mounting debt owed to its hub airports Podgorica and Tivat will be indirectly written off. In return, the state owned Airports of Montenegro, which runs Podgorica and Tivat airports, will be given a certain amount of shares in the national carrier. Furthermore, the airports have been ordered to slash their taxes and fees but only to Montenegro Airlines. The flag carrier owes 7.5 million Euros in unpaid fees to its hubs.

Montenegro Airlines will be given 400.000 Euros from the state budget on a monthly basis to cover operational costs. The debt Montenegro Airlines owes to the Serbia and Montenegro Air Services Agency will be covered through compensation. The Montenegrin government will offer the Agency ownership over the three star Park Hotel in the town of Bijela on the coast. Earlier in the year the government wrote off a total of 3.2 million Euros of debt and gave state guarantees for a 9.6 million Euro loan.

In February, Montenegro Airlines was forced to suspend flights to Priština and Skopje due to unpaid fess. An attempt to sell a 30% share in the airline last year failed despite interest from other airlines. All interested parties wanted Podgorica and Tivat airports in the sale package. In 2010 Montenegro Airlines recorded a loss of 3.7 million Euros. It is keeping this year’s financial results a closely guarded secret. In 2012 the airline plans to use its recently obtained loan to buy a new aircraft, open new routes and get one of its grounded Fokkers F100 back in the air.

No Ryanair flights to Montenegro until 2013

Europe’s largest low cost airline, Ryanair, won’t be commencing flights to Montenegro before 2013. Originally, the airline was planned to inaugurate flights to Podgorica this winter season but negotiations between Ryanair and the Montenegrin government broke down after it requested for the no frills airline carry 100.000 passengers out of Podgorica in one year and a further 50.000 passengers during the low season, from October until May. Petar Ivanović, the head of the Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Investments in Montenegro, said recently that Ryanair won’t start flights to the country next year either because the government has missed its opportunity to attract the carrier. He outlined that Ryanair has already compiled a list of destinations it will launch in 2013 and neither Podgorica nor Tivat is on it.

Ryanair flights to Montenegro would not only provide inexpensive travel but also allow for passenger growth at Montenegro’s airports. In the first ten months of the year Podgorica Airport handled 528.577 passengers while rival Tivat welcomed 624.009 passengers. Tivat has seen significant passenger growth, already surpassing the 2010 end of year result when it handled 541.386 passengers.

Currently, no low cost airline operates flights to Montenegro, with the exception of the semi low cost Air Berlin which maintains seasonal summer flights from Nuremberg to Tivat. It is estimated that many passengers looking for inexpensive travel to and from Montenegro are turning to Dubrovnik in Croatia instead.

Airports of Montenegro helps out family and friends

The CEO of Airport’s of Montenegro, which runs both Podgorica and Tivat airports, Milovan Djuričković, has employed half of his family and fellow party members at the airport in another show of corruption and political nepotism in the aviation industry in the EX-YU region.

Djuričković has employed his son to the position of vice Head of Security and his daughter’s husband at the airport’s Finance Department. Another three of the CEO’s cousins have also been employed at the airport since he took over at the helm of the company, one of which is the head of the Technical Division. Furthermore, Djuričković has extended a warm hand to fellow members of the governing Social Democratic Party of Montenegro. Ivana Brajović, wife of the Minister of the Interior, Dragan Brajović, recently found employment at Podgorica Airport while Hazera Rastoder, wife of Deputy Speaker of Parliament, has been awarded with a position at the airport’s Archives Department. Hazera previously worked at a newspaper stand. Over the 2011 summer season, thirty out of the total seventy seasonal workers at Podgorica Airport were members and activists of the capital city branch of the Social Democratic Party. The same party is in charge of the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs.

Djuričković has not found the latest revelations as worthy of a comment. The CEO of Airport’s of Montenegro recently spoke out against attempts to privatise the company. The Montenegrin daily “Dan” considers that Djuričković has already completed the privatisation himself by employing family and party members. By the end of October, Montenegro’s two airports handled a combined total of 1.152.586 passengers, an increase of 7.2% compared to the same period last year.

Major investments planned for airports in Tivat and Podgorica

The Government of Montenegro has proposed the construction of a new airport in Tivat to replace the current one as it is becoming too overcrowded and has long been labelled a risk to the local ecosystem. The proposed site of the new airport is south west of the site. The first phase of the project, according to the new master plan, is projected to be completed by 2017. The cost of the first phase of the project will amount to 22.6 million Euros, while the second and final phase, which would be completed by 2030, would add an extra 76 million Euros to the price tag. The European Investment Bank would provide part of the finances needed while the Montenegrin government has proposed for the rest of the project to be financed through a Public Private Partnership, a technique being used by Zagreb Airport for the construction of its new terminal. During the next three years, Airports of Montenegro, which runs Tivat, expects for passenger number to double at the airport but projects stagnation beyond 2015.

Meanwhile, Podgorica Airport has also been earmarked for major investments. It is planned for the airport to expand its runway, terminal building and apron by 2030. Until 2015 the airport should get 8 new parking spaces for both smaller and middle range aircraft. In the next twenty years it is expected that passenger numbers at Podgorica Airport will more than double.

None of the abovementioned investments have been approved by the government yet but the Ministry of Transport, Sea and Infrastructure believes the master plan is realistic.

Winter changes

The 2011/2012 winter season begins tomorrow.

As has been previously reported, B&H Airlines will suspend flights to Amsterdam this winter. Compared to the 2010/2011 winter season the airline has terminated a total of six destinations. Since flights to Copenhagen will now operate via Banja Luka and all four weekly frequencies from Sarajevo to Zurich will also make a stop in Banja Luka, the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina will see six weekly flights operated by B&H, which is an increase of one compared to last winter. The frequency for the airline’s Zurich service has decreased by one flight since last winter and will be served four times per week. Flights to Istanbul remain unchanged.

Croatia Airlines won’t be making too many changes to its winter line up of destinations and frequencies compared to last year. Flights from Zagreb to Istanbul, which were launched over the summer, will remain throughout the winter period while Priština will also see an extra weekly flight. Facing competition from easyJet, Croatia Airlines will decrease its Paris flights from daily last year to five per week. On the other hand, it will continue to operate to the French capital from Dubrovnik two times per week, which is a new addition. As has been the case in the past few years, the airline won’t operate flights from Rijeka and Osijek during the winter.

Montenegro Airlines will see frequency cuts across the board over the winter period. However, it should be noted that last winter the airline practically operated its 2010 summer season timetable. Flights from Podgorica to Belgrade, Frankfurt, Moscow, Rome and Zurich will all be decreased while flights to London suspended. However, the airline will continue to operate flights from Tivat to Moscow which were launched during the 2011 summer season.

By clicking on the links below, you can view the 2011/2012 winter season changes in more detail.

B&H Airlines • Croatia Airlines • Montenegro Airlines

Montenegro Airlines cancels London flights and sees passenger decrease

The CEO of Montenegro Airlines, Zoran Djurišić, has announced that the carrier will handle some 600.000 passengers this year, declaring the result a major success in the region in spite of the turbulent economic climate. However, Montenegro Airlines’ passenger numbers are on the slide. The airline carried 630.000 passengers in 2010, thus recording an almost 5% slump this year. “We are not magicians and we can’t escape the fate of bigger European airlines. However, we have devoted all of our efforts so the crisis does not impact on our business”, Djurišić said. He added that the airline has carried some 5 million passengers in its seventeen year history and has significantly contributed to Montenegro’s tourism industry. Below you can review Montenegro Airlines’ end of year passenger results for the past several years.

Meanwhile, Montenegro Airlines will suspend flights to London Gatwick this winter due to poor loads. The airline announced its plans to drop the route earlier this year as part of its cost cutting measures. The last service will operate tomorrow. So far this year the airline has also terminated flights to Priština and Skopje.

The Government of Montenegro has announced that it plans to sell a 30% stake in the airline by the end of the year. Some claim that a direct deal with the Turkish government will be made regarding a strategic partnership with the Montenegrin carrier.

Year	PAX
2008	502.758
2009	527.000
2010	630.000

No Ryanair flights to Podgorica this winter

Ryanair won’t be commencing flights to Montenegro this winter, despite earlier announcement from the government that the no frills airline would do so. It is believed the Government of Montenegro and Ryanair couldn’t find common ground on the strict terms laid out to the low cost airline. Ryanair was expected to commence flights to Podgorica at the start of the 2011/12 winter season and was obligated to carry 100.000 passengers out of Podgorica in one year and carry 50.000 passengers during the low season, from October until May. Furthermore, the airline was required to fly to and from Podgorica throughout the year, rather than during the high season only, so as not to receive special treatment over the national carrier Montenegro Airlines.

The two sides negotiated for the airline to operate flights to Podgorica out of Glasgow Prestwick Airport and London Stansted. The Montenegrin government is now hoping to sell Montenegro Airlines by the end of the year and then grant licenses to low cost airlines to operate flights to both Podgorica and Tivat which would in turn boost tourism numbers.

Meanwhile, Zadar Airport in Croatia, which has flourished since Ryanair introduced flights to the city, is expected to get a new direct service from Barcelona next year as Ryanair negotiates with airport officials. The service would accompany the airline’s existing seasonal summer flights from Charleroi, Dublin, Hahn, London, Moss, Stockholm and Weeze. The low cost airline is also expected to commence flights to the Slovenian capital next summer from Dusseldorf and Dublin.