Slow start for Trade Air's scheduled flights

New Osijek - Zagreb route struggles to attract passengers

Trade Air, which recently launched its first scheduled flights by operating services between Osijek and Zagreb, has recorded disappointing passenger numbers on the route so far. The airline welcomed only 43 passengers from Osijek to the Croatian capital in its first week of operations. The return service saw a combined weekly total of 44 passengers, or an average of eight passengers per flight. The Trade Air flights operate with a leased Embraer 120 aircraft from Budapest Air Service with the capacity to seat thirty passengers. A total of five weekly flights will be maintained between the two cities this winter. In the coming period the airline will also launch Rijeka - Split - Dubrovnik - Rijeka flights.

The Osijek – Zagreb service is being subsidised to the tune of 1.1 million euros over the next three years by the Croatian government. Croatia Airlines has previously refused to operate the flights, stating they would be unprofitable. However, the CEO of Osijek Airport, Domagoj Marinić, believes the numbers are not all that bad, “We expect that it will take at least six months for the route to settle. These flights are a really big challenge for Trade Air and Osijek Airport. It opens many business opportunities and we will give our best to meet expected targets”, Mr Marinić says. In the past, Osijek Airport has struggled to attract customers and the new service will provide much needed passengers, especially during the winter.

The majority of travellers using the new service are transit passengers coming from abroad. Trade Air has said it plans to reduce ticket prices in an attempt to attract more passengers. The Osijek - Zagreb service was inaugurated on September 30, with the new flights announced only a few days prior to their launch. Tickets are on sale on the Croatia Airlines website at 49.5 euros. Soon, tickets will also be available for purchase via the Trade Air website. Trade Air, launched in 1994, has two Fokker F100 jets in its fleet and has only operated charter flights in the past.

Comments

  1. Anonymous10:33

    Not surprised really but it will take time

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:31

    You wrote disappointing passenger numbers in first line but in the text you wrote that tickets were on sale just a few days before launch, don't you think it is contradictory?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Purger12:41

    Croatian police has received a new helicopter Eurocopterc EC-135 (9A-HBA). Base of that chopper is in Lucko.

    So today Croatia police air force:

    1x Agusta Bell 212
    1x Bell 206B JetRanger
    2x Bell 206B-3 JetRanger III
    1x Robinson R22 Beta
    1x Eurocopter EC135
    = 6 coppers

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:20

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_police_helicopter_unit

      Delete
  4. Anonymous13:06

    why so less? There is non marketing for this route anywhere....check croatia airlines website - nothing of this route is publiced....croatia is a sleeping airline - its a blame!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:09

      no newsletter from the airline...I am getting the OU newsletter maybe 3-5 in the year - always the same, nothing especially....when they started to see the tickets, who would buy the tickets, when nobody knows about this route...no newsletter, no headline on the website....NOTHING, NADA, NICHTS, NISTA

      Delete
  5. Aэrologic13:13

    OT: IR720 (Iran Air) Airbus A300-600 FRANKFURT-TEHRAN in technical stop at BEG tomorrow 1555CEST.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:15

      Should that mean a restart of their refuelling operations in Belgrade at the detriment of Budapest and Ljubljana?

      Does anyone has some more in-depth info?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous14:05

      OT: Munich sent their A319 to BEG today on the arriving 12:30 pm flight. So most likely in winter they will use one daily flight at least by their A319

      Delete
  6. Anonymous15:56

    It's not true that TDR has 2 Fokker 100's - it has 3 fully operational and airworthy F100's.
    Today, one is arriving to ZAG back from Bastia (Corse) with tourists, the other is arriving this night (early morning) from Glasgow (Scotland-Croatia football match today), and the third has been flying for Libyan Petroair on-long term contract, since June. All three units were flying for CTN while it was on strike back in May.

    And E120 timetable which could be profitable during summer season, would be the following :

    123456- morning OSI-ZAG-RJK-SPU-DBV-OSI

    12345-7 afternoon OSI-DBV-SPU-RJK-ZAG-OSI

    ReplyDelete
  7. JU520 BEGLAX20:16

    http://youtu.be/YAExfkyrawU

    new IB livery

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:56

      I really like the new IB look! And the commercial is great too.

      Delete
  8. JU520 BEGLAX21:03

    http://mobile2.tagesanzeiger.ch/#/articles/525d7a8387da8b3777000001

    first report of swiss caa to the OU crash landing in ZRH

    ReplyDelete
  9. JU520 BEGLAX21:10

    Congratulations to Bosnia!!!! U made it to Brazil. Bravo!!!!!!!!

    We re so proud of!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much !!!

      We were making some party yesterday in Sarajevo - due to police office, there were more than 200.000 people on the streets and about 50.000 people were around Sarajevo International Airport waiting for "ZMAJEVI" to land from Kaunas at about 01:30

      Greedz

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:29

      Did B&H Airlines fly them to Kaunas? lol

      Delete
  10. Anonymous00:29

    Why did Aviokarta take down the article about Air Serbia's licence? Was it a hoax? :O

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous01:16

      It's back on now.

      Delete
  11. Via Budapest - Osijek - Sarajevo motorway and Belgrade - Lipovac - Zagreb, it takes JUST 2:15 h to get from Osijek to Zagreb.

    Considering flying from Osijek to Zagreb:
    - 15 Min. to get by car from Osijek to Airport
    - 60 Min. for Check In.
    - 30 Min. flight to Zagreb
    - 20 - 30 Min. waiting for baggage
    - 30 Min. to get to Zagreb City Center

    SO, WHY WOULD SOMEONE FLY ON THIS ROUTE? :S

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JU520 BEGLAX10:28

      that s a good question. I remember being in Slavonia 3 years ago and I took the Intercity. I was surprised how well everything was and it took me around 2 hoiurs and something to Durdenovac. But of course if someone wants to fly from Osijek via ZAG to the world, than it s def convenient to have a flight

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:15

      Cause Zagreb is very much of a 'world airport'...LOL.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous12:00

    I love to fly on nearly emppty birds.

    Once I was the only paying pax from Ljubljana to Banja Luka (Adria with subventions).

    I feel so important
    lol

    They do not cancel the flight as on the way back they were 3 (three) Rep. Srbska officials.

    Good old times.

    Is it Adria still around?

    ReplyDelete

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