Air Montenegro’s initial route network revealed
Air Montenegro plans to launch commercial operations by June 1 with its initial destination network being Belgrade, Ljubljana and Frankfurt, the Montenegrin Ministry for Capital Investment has said. “These routes are confirmed and safe. Based on entry restrictions and slot availability, a final timetable will be drafted”, State Secretary, Zoran Radunović, said. He added, “There is a lot of interest from Slovenian tour operators for flights from Ljubljana. We will also definitely have services to Belgrade from both Podgorica and Tivat. The management is in talks over potential additional destinations and the final timetable will be made public in the coming days”. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, Istanbul is also likely to be part of the initial line up of routes.
Air Montenegro’s first aircraft, an Embraer E195, has been serviced in Bratislava and ferried to Maastricht where it will be painted in the carrier’s new livery, which is yet to be made public. “The exact launch date has not been determined yet. Flights can commence as soon as the first aircraft comes back from the paint shop, which is expected next week. We will certainly launch by June”, Mr Radunović said. The airline was granted an Air Operator’s Certificate earlier this week, enabling it to commence operations. The country’s former flag carrier, Montenegro Airlines, operated its last flight on December 25, 2020, after the government determined it no longer had the means to keep the indebted company afloat.
Belgrade was Montenegro Airlines’ busiest and most profitable route. In 2019, the carrier, along with Air Serbia, handled 548.679 passengers between Belgrade, Podgorica and Tivat. In 2020 that figure stood at 154.677 travellers, despite flights being suspended for five months. Air Serbia is preparing for Air Montenegro’s imminent launch and will be increasing its operations between Belgrade and Tivat to fifteen per week starting next week, while a total of 24 weekly rotations will be maintained from mid-June. Almost all flights will be operated by Airbus-family aircraft. In the pre-pandemic 2019, a total of 55.758 passengers flew between Podgorica and Ljubljana with Montenegro Airlines and Adria Airways, while the Montenegrin carrier transported 27.569 travellers between Podgorica and Frankfurt that same year. Both routes have remained unserved since Montenegro Airlines' demise.
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