22 November 2018 - The national carriers from the former Yugoslavia handled over 5,2 million passengers during the first three quarters of 2018. Croatia Airlines, Adria Airways, and Montenegro Airlines all recorded growth when compared to last year’s results, while Air Serbia's figures declined, with the airline also operating fewer flights.
Air Serbia continues to maintain its position as the busiest national airline in the former Yugoslavia, despite a drop in the number of passengers handled. According to Belgrade Airport's quarterly report, the carrier welcomed roughly 2,043,000 travellers during the first three quarters of the year, representing a decrease of 4,9%. The number of operated flights was reduced by 1,5% over the same period. The report suggests that the airline held a passenger share of 46,4% at Belgrade Airport. At the same time, foreign carriers recorded significant passenger growth amounting to 17,8%. Air Serbia itself is yet to publish any official operational results for the year so far.
Croatia Airlines handled a record of 1,705,470 passengers during the January - September period, which is an increase of 3,1%. Out of the record number of passengers, 412,420 travellers were carried on domestic flights, which is a growth of 1,4%, while 1,223,170 passengers flew on international services, an improvement of 2,5%. The remaining 69,880 passengers were carried on charter flights, which is a yearly increase of 24,4%. However, charters accounted for only 4% of overall traffic. The airline operated on 21,891 flights during the first three quarters of the year, which is a growth of 1,7% compared to the same period in 2017. The average cabin load factor stood at 73,7%, a fall of 0,5 points. Cabin loads were decreased on international flights by 0,2 points which is an average of 73,9%, while they declined 0,1 points to 72.4% on domestic services.
Adria Airways welcomed 982,597 passengers during the first three quarters of the year, representing an increase of 5,1%. The Slovenian carrier introduced seven new routes this summer, while the number of operated flights also grew. Unlike a part of last summer season, the airline did not maintain services out of its former base in Lodz in Poland but it recently stationed an aircraft in Paderborn in Germany, which will have an impact on its fourth quarter figures. Earlier this year, the carrier said, "Figures show we are on the right track, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us."
Montenegro Airlines handled 527,532 passengers during the January - September period, representing an increase of 13,6% from 2017, thus making it the fastest growing in the former Yugoslavia based on percentile growth. "The growth in all sectors of traffic comes as a result of the implementation of the optimal commercial strategy, as well as the responsible planning of resources and costs, which all had a positive impact on our operating results during the year," the airline said in a statement recently. Montenegro Airlines accounted for almost a quarter of all passengers passing through the country's two international airports - Podgorica and Tivat.
