Wizz Air, Ryanair and Croatia Airlines will add the most new seats in the former Yugoslav markets during the upcoming first quarter (January – March), compared to the same period in 2025. Among them, Wizz Air and Ryanair, together with Air Serbia, will rank as the largest carriers by available seat capacity. Wizz Air will lead the growth, adding more than half a million extra seats. This growth stems from the expansion of its Skopje base, the reopening of its Tuzla base and further expansion in Belgrade. Overall, the airline’s capacity will rise by 47.4% year-on-year.

Ryanair will add 88.262 seats in Q1, increasing its capacity by 16%. Much of this growth comes from the expansion of its Sarajevo operations during the summer, with most of the new routes continuing throughout the winter. The airline has also grown frequencies from Banja Luka this winter. Croatia Airlines will add 79.784 seats, driven by its ongoing fleet renewal, with the carrier operating seven Airbus A220 aircraft during the first quarter. The airline has also expanded its network, with several routes which were launched during the summer maintained throughout the winter.

Largest airlines by available seat capacity in Q1, 2026

Wizz Air’s growth will position it as the largest carrier in the former Yugoslavia by available seat capacity during the first quarter. It will be followed by Air Serbia, which plans to add over 57.000 additional seats to the market, then Croatia Airlines, Ryanair and Turkish Airlines, with the latter maintaining extra frequencies introduced on select regional routes during the summer. In Q1, Croatia Airlines will be the largest carrier in Croatia, Air Serbia in Serbia, Turkish Airlines in Slovenia, Ryanair in Bosnia and Herzegovina, just ahead of a resurging Wizz Air, Air Montenegro in Montenegro, GP Aviation in Kosovo and Wizz Air in Macedonia.