New Route of the Day (1 May 2023): Jet2.com between Manchester and Tivat
Jet2.com introduced a seasonal service between Manchester and Tivat on Monday 1 May, marking the airline’s entry onto the Montenegrin market. The 1,975-kilometre route will be maintained 2-weekly on Mondays and Thursdays with the 737-800 aircraft. Jet2.com faces no competition.
The service was initially scheduled to launch in S20 but was delayed due to the pandemic until S22, when it was again postponed until S23. Jet2.com plans to further grow its network to Tivat with the introduction of flights from London STN on 2 May in 2024.
What they said
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com, said: “We are delighted to see our first flight to Tivat take off from Manchester Airport. Feedback from customers and independent travel agents in the North West has been telling us that flights and holidays to Montenegro are very much in demand for Summer 23, and we know that Montenegro is a destination that customers want to get to. Since putting services on sale to this destination from Manchester Airport, local customers and independent travel agents have been booking getaways to Montenegro in their numbers. As the UK’s largest tour operator, we are giving customers and independent travel agents in the region unrivalled choice when it comes to enjoying a holiday this summer.”
Vladan Draskovic, CEO of operator Airports of Montenegro, added: “We at Airports of Montenegro are delighted to welcome one of the leading leisure airlines to Tivat Airport. At the mention, Jet2.com evokes the spirit of holiday, adventure and discovery. This summer is the right time for the UK travellers to revisit and rediscover once well-loved spots in Montenegro. With the first spectacular views of Tivat Airport from the sky and warm welcome of our staff on the ground every traveller will know this is the place to be.”
Tivat recovery impacted by war in Ukraine
Tivat is one of Montenegro’s two international airports and the only one on the country’s Adriatic coastline. Its other international airport is in the capital Podgorica. Due to its seasonal nature, Tivat’s recovery from the pandemic has been hit hard by Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, as Montenegro was a popular holiday destination for Russian, Ukrainian and Belarussian tourists.
In 2019, 46% of Tivat Airport’s 1.3 million passengers flew on nonstop flights to and from Moscow, with Russia being the source market of over 50% of its passengers. Last year, Tivat handled just over 652,000 passengers. Tivat has been targeting distant markets in an attempt to make up for this loss. This year, Saudi Arabia’s flynas and flyadeal will both commence operations from Riyadh, while Jazeera Airways will launch flights from Kuwait.