Airlines and airports across the former Yugoslavia will be heading to the CONNECT Route Development Forum next week to negotiate the launch of new routes or the expansion of existing services. The event, which takes place from February 17 – 19 in Lublin in Poland, will bring together airline, airport and tourism stakeholders. From the former Yugoslavia, the event will be attended by Air Serbia, Air Montenegro, Croatia Airlines and ETF Airways, as well as airports from Belgrade, Banja Luka, Dubrovnik, Kraljevo, Mostar, Niš, Ohrid, Osijek, Pristina, Pula, Sarajevo, Skopje, Zagreb and Zadar. So far, the top three companies by confirmed meetings are easyJet, Wizz Air and Volotea, while Ryanair has the most active meeting requests.
Croatia Airlines has said it is seeking new opportunities as it ramps up its fleet renewal process with seven Airbus A220 aircraft to be delivered this year, complementing the seven active jets of the same type. This year it will introduce services to Nantes and Stuttgart from the Croatian coast. However, the airline notes that seasonality remains an issue. “Demand on the Croatian market continues to grow but remains strongly shaped by seasonality. Demand retains a distinctly seasonal character and is increasing year after year, yet the gap between the summer and winter seasons shows no signs of narrowing”, the carrier said. While some of Zagreb Airport’s top unserved routes remain those to distant markets in the North America and Asia, its busiest unserved destinations in Europe include the likes of Lisbon, Geneva, Porto, Riga and Vilnius.
Air Serbia plans to add seven new routes to its network this year but has indicated it could further grow that number in 2026. “During the comprehensive evaluation process for any new destination, we develop a detailed business case that is required to demonstrate a positive financial outcome. This assessment incorporates a wide set of criteria, including projected passenger demand, anticipated average fare levels, the existence of visa‑free travel arrangements, the presence and distribution of diaspora communities, as well as the broader potential for economic and tourism cooperation”, the airline noted. Some of Belgrade’s top unserved destinations in Europe remain Manchester, Yerevan, Dublin, Luxembourg, Marseille and Bilbao.
Air Montenegro faces considerable competition this year, with Wizz Air launching seventeen new routes from its Podgorica base. The flag carrier plans to launch flights to Bari during the summer in cooperation with the Maestral Resort and Casino in Budva. “We will unveil the details together and inform the public when the time is right. Last year’s traffic levels are not expected to undergo any major changes this year, provided there are no unforeseen circumstances that could have an impact. At this moment, nothing suggests that such a scenario will occur, and we are also reviewing several additional destinations that we could potentially serve this year”, the airline said. It added, “Due to certain ongoing discussions and negotiations, we are not in a position to announce them just yet, as we are not entirely certain how easily they can be brought to fruition. A number of factors could influence this, foremost among them the anticipated congestion at Podgorica Airport, which will make it challenging to add additional flights”.
Sarajevo Airport has been courting new routes, primarily from its partner Ryanair. The airport has recently held discussions with the low cost airline over potential expansion. It has shown particular interest in new services to Dublin and Prague. Some of its top unserved routes on the continent include Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Munich, Helsinki, Hamburg and Geneva.
TAV Macedonia, which manages Skopje and Ohrid airports, is currently targeting new services from Skopje to Denmark, Finland and destinations in the Middle East. In addition, from the markets already served, it is focusing on greater connectivity with Spain and the United Kingdom. Over the past several months, Wizz Air has introduced a number of new routes from the Macedonian capital, with a particular emphasis on leisure services.
Pristina Airport is proactively targeting leisure markets, specifically in Spain and France, as part of its 2026 growth agenda. “We are currently in active discussions with both low cost and scheduled carriers regarding seasonal leisure routes to Spain and France, and we are optimistic that these efforts will result in new services”, the airport said, Ex Yu Aviation news writes.
