The airports in Dubrovnik, Sarajevo and Zagreb will be the fastest growing in the former Yugoslavia during the third quarter (July - October).

The trio will add the most scheduled capacity on the same period last year. Dubrovnik Airport will lead the way, with an additional 171.203 seats. The strong growth comes on the back of the opening of Ryanair’s base in the city this summer, with the airport to boast a total of 891.385 seats during the three-month period. Ryanair alone will account for 252.688 seats or some 28% of total capacity, whereas last year its share stood at just 4.6%. The majority of other airlines operating into Dubrovnik will also grow their capacity during the third quarter, with some of the biggest increases coming from Volotea, easyJet and Iberia, reports Ex-Yu Aviation.

Sarajevo Airport is set to continue posting record passenger results with the airport adding 125.359 seats during Q3 2024 for total scheduled capacity of 438.761. The growth is being fuelled by the introduction of new flights by numerous airlines, led by Ryanair with the addition of 62.844 seats, followed by Pegasus Airlines, Air Arabia, and Jazeera Airways. Over in Zagreb, the airport is adding an additional 119.450 seats during the third quarter, with Ryanair alone increasing its capacity by 96.698 seats and being one of the main catalysts for growth. However, a number of other airlines have also increased operations, including Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, and Iberia, while South Korea’s T’Way Air will contribute as well, adding 13.533 seats on the market during the quarter.

On the other hand, not all airports will be growing when compared to the third quarter of last year. Tuzla Airport will be hardest hit, loosing 72.545 seats, or around 78% of its total capacity. It comes as a result of the closure of Wizz Air’s base in the city last September. It will be followed by Niš, which has been impacted by Wizz Air’s capacity cuts over engine troubles, losing 23.326 seats on Q3 2023. Similarly, Ohrid will have 15.516 fewer seats and Banja Luka 15.131 for the same reason. Overall, the destination which which will see the most capacity added out of the former Yugoslavia during the third quarter is Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, followed by London Stansted and Munich, while those that will loose the most seats are Dortmund, Malmo, and Stockholm Skavsta. Airlines modify capacity on a daily basis and changes remain likely.