Ryanair eyes Montenegro expansion
Low cost carrier Ryanair is looking into further expanding its operations in Montenegro. The airline's Route Development Manager, Gary Butler, met with the General Manager of Airports of Montenegro, Danilo Orlandić, to discuss growth potential. The budget airline will introduce its sixth destination to Podgorica this summer season, with flights from Bologna to launch on April 1. Services will run twice per week, each Monday and Friday, throughout the year. Ryanair faces no direct competition on the route, with Alitalia and Montenegro Airlines maintaining services between Rome and Podgorica, while Wizz Air operates flights from Milan Malpensa to the Montenegrin capital. Furthermore, Ryanair's subsidiary, Laudamotion, will be adding services between Stuttgart and Podgorica from April 2.
Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, the airline said it expects to handle 175.000 passengers on its operations to and from the Montenegrin capital. "We look forward to carrying more than 175.000 annual customers through Podgorica airport this year. Ryanair offers six routes in total operating from Podgorica Airport. Customers can fly twice weekly from Podgorica to Stockholm Skavsta, Brussels Charleroi, London Stansted, Berlin Schonefeld, Bologna and Wroclaw". The carrier launched services to the Montenegrin capital in the summer of 2013 following two years of negotiations with the government. On Thursday it handled its 500.000th passenger in Montenegro since it commenced operations to Podgorica. It has expanded its network from the city each year ever since. The company previously noted its Podgorica flights "continue to perform strongly".
Ryanair offers the most capacity out of Montenegro among low cost carriers. Overall, it is third in terms of the number of seats it puts on sale from the country, behind only Montenegro Airlines and Air Serbia. Previously, the budget airline said, "We are extremely interested in including Tivat to our network as well. It is one of the airports that is very appealing to us. During the summer, flights heading to Montenegro are in demand, while during the winter, services from Montenegro are more popular, which is a good combination. Those travelling to Montenegro for a holiday on our flights usually stay for six days". According to the Montenegrin government, Ryanair has not received any subsidies or incentives and is paying full landing and handling fees in Podgorica.
0 Response to "Ryanair eyes Montenegro expansion"
Post a Comment