Turkish Airlines plans to increase frequencies on several routes in the region during the 2024 summer season, which begins on March 31 of next year, but has ruled out the introduction of flights to Banja Luka following talks with airports officials. Apart from its recently announced plans to boost operations to Zagreb from fourteen to eighteen weekly, Turkish will also increase services on its other destination in Croatia – Dubrovnik – from the five weekly rotations operated during the summer of 2023, to daily. The additional service on Mondays and Wednesdays will be introduced from March 31.
Turkish Airlines will increase flights from Istanbul to both Podgorica and Tivat after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Air Montenegro earlier this year, enabling both flag carriers to grow their frequencies in each other’s markets.
The Turkish carrier will initially increase operations between Istanbul and Podgorica from double daily to seventeen weekly, growing to eighteen weekly from mid-August. Similarly, it will boost frequencies on flights to Tivat, which it launched this summer, from six weekly to nine weekly, increasing to ten weekly from mid-August.
The carrier will also grow its Sarajevo operations with the addition of an extra weekly rotation for a total of 21 weekly flights. Despite talks between Turkish Airlines and authorities from Banja Luka Airport, the carrier has ruled out the introduction of its second destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“There are commercial and structural assessments of the airport, and the airport is still working on it. However, we have no plans to start operations to or from Banja Luka Airport in the short-term”, Turkish Airlines said. Commenting further on its presence in the region, the carrier said, “With the recent launch of flights to Tivat, the total number of destinations in the entire Balkan region has reached seventeen. We are working closely with local authorities to develop tourism and business relations. In addition, we are continuously expanding our presence in this region by investing in innovative technologies and the passenger experience”, Ex Yu Aviation reports.
