Croatia is making efforts to expand its nonstop connectivity with the United States. The country’s Foreign Minister, Gordan Grlić Radman, discussed the “potential establishment of nonstop flights between Croatian and American airports” during meetings with local leaders in Florida recently. The Croatian National Tourist Board noted that long-haul markets like the US are crucial for growth and that “we must actively encourage the launch of new routes” to improve accessibility. During the first half of the year, over 260.000 Americans visited Croatia, representing an increase of 16% on the same period last year.
Dubrovnik, which is currently the only Croatian airport with nonstop flights to the US served by United’s daily rotation from Newark over most of the summer, is leading efforts to secure more flights to the country. In the past, it has also been served by Delta, which maintained flights from New York’s JFK Airport for a single season in 2021, and by American Airlines with a route from Philadelphia in 2019. “We are the only airport in Croatia with a nonstop service to the US. While we are currently connected to New York, one route is proving insufficient. We need another one, similar to what we had a few years ago”, the CEO of Dubrovnik Airport, Viktor Šober, said in late 2024. He added, “The primary challenge is the shortage of aircraft and delays in the arrival of new jets due to manufacturing and supply chain issues. It's a complex situation, making it difficult to secure these flights. However, I am confident that within the next year or two, we will have something concrete”.
US carriers are due to announce their network additions for the 2026 summer season over the coming weeks. American Airlines has already done so, adding new seasonal services from Philadelphia to Budapest and Prague, as well as flights between Dallas and Athens, all of which will run on a daily basis with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Delta has announced new routes from the US West Coast, with flights from Los Angeles to Barcelona and Rome launching next year, however, its more comprehensive network expansion plans are due in September. On the other hand, United usually outlines its growth for the coming year in early October.
They have national carrier. Of they can't operate a A330 or two while we pay them tens of millions of Euros per year... What are they good for?
ReplyDeleteIt's too early
DeleteI'm sorry but you are wrong. We pay them nothing exempt PSO.
DeleteWe paid over 100 million for restructuring a day before EU entry, but they remained loss making (and have smaller network today than in 2012)
DeleteWe pay through various udruzeno oglasavanje through the tourist board
We paid them during covid over 80 million which have still not been repaid (not a single cent)
We entered EU 12 years ago.
DeleteYou weren't a Croatian taxpayer back then?
DeleteOU is public interest company not a for profit company. It serves Croatia and Croatian coastline during winter season with a lot of PSO services. It's really "GAS" flying to Croatia on OU, love the airline great people great vibes! And yes, it's great promotional tool for Croatia as people first experience OU. Summer season is not 365 days! A220 Roks
DeleteWhen you have people like 10.04 believing that all OU gets is PSO and who cheers on their losses, what is the incentive for them to expand and become profitable, or maybe even schedule flights so they can connect and build ZAG into a hub? None.
DeleteHow can an airline with 12 aircraft and 20 destinations be a promotional tool for anything?
DeletePublic interest company? Wow, give me some of your stuff, please
DeleteWould be great to get United to Zagreb
ReplyDeleteReally hope so. They have been talking about more US flights for yeara.
ReplyDeleteImpressive number of US tourists.
ReplyDeleteI agree, US tourists are very high spenders (up to 500 eur daily per person) and they are more than appreciated
DeleteI heard it was 1500, not eur but Kuwait dinars.
DeleteWhat does you're comment have to to with this? I said that US tourists have started discovering several destinations in Croatia and are one of the countries highest spenders, around 300-500 eur daily
Deleteit has to do with exaggeration.
DeleteI guess you don't listen to facts, US tourists spend an average of 300 eur daily
Deletehttps://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/news/croatia/item/17714-croatia-s-american-tourist-surge-could-trump-s-policies-change-the-trend
It's not exaggeration. They usually stay in 4 and 5 star and boutique hotels which are approximately 200 euros per day. Excursions, dinners at good restaurants, taxi, shopping. Sorry the amount is correct, no matter how difficult for you is to accept it.
DeleteYou sound like a gold digger from Eastern Europe that believes every 'westerner' is rich. There are a lot of American tourist and the very small subset that does spend those amounts might give you an impression all of them come to Europe with huge budgets.
DeleteI think Dubrovnik is way closer to getting new flights than Zagreb, Americans have now also started discovering not just the beauty of Dubrovnik but also surrounding cities and islands
ReplyDeleteI am from Zagreb ! Seeking flights ? What a heck Croatia Airlines is doing !? Like always....nothing ! No brains at all...just sucking the money out !
ReplyDeleteThey do not even have codes on United flights. Meanwhile UA put it's own in OUs.
DeleteYou have flights via LH hubs, no need for direct.
DeleteHahahahahahahaha Croatia Airlines.... 09.27 Croatia Airlines is hostage of Ivan Mišetić who surrendered croatian market to LHG, for his personal benefits. He is still in control of OU and the deal for OU to remain LHG feeder forever is still on. Highly corruptive deal with BCG which was instructed to consult how to remain feeder, resulted in catastrophal decision on single type fleet. Croatia as a country is not democracy. It is Partitocracy. The Party is deliberately placing aparatchiks for OU management in order to prevent it from real development and use of market potentials, especially in long-haul. And Ivan Mišetić, as ex president Franjo Tuđman chief of office, and later OU CEO is untouchable. If it was not the case, OU could have operated today, as minimum of the minimum, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, Delhi, Bangkok, Beijing and Tokyo.
Delete09.35
DeleteHalf of million of the richest tourists on the planet and no need for direct flights? Bravo! You must be genius. Big greetings for 3 rd floor in Buzin and for Središnjica.
Excellent news
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Air Transat hasn't tried Dubrovnik from Toronto. Seems like a good fit for them.
ReplyDeleteAirTransat can not even fill-up one full flight to ZAG this year. They did try by cancellation of one weekly flight, however it still left unsold flights on the route.Dubrovnik would never work out well from YYZ.. Canadians are more poor then even before, as well Croatian diaspora is older and not travelling as often.
DeleteAC restarted YYZ-PRG this summer on A333 and it should not be a surprise if YYZ-BUD is next.
DeleteAir Transat operates not one but 3 weekly flights ZAG-YYZ with LF of over 80 %. If it hadn't been so and if they weren't satisfied, they would have withdrawn from the service. Or maybe you think they are "public interest company" satisfied with 50 % LF and constant heavy losses?
DeleteAgree with Annon 13:22
DeleteI've seen several similar comments saying how the Toronto service is underperforming
And,how exactly would you know if the service is underperforming?
DeleteThey should focus on Asia. Crazy that Croatia has no flights from China.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it crazy? Croatia has weaker trade with china than what Serbia has. Besides, most Asian tourists are Koreans, I see several big groups around Zagreb and the coast each day
DeleteI wasn't comparing the two countries at all. I was talking in general. Croatia is one of the most visited countries in Europe so I think having flights to one of the biggest source of tourists in the world would be a priroity.
DeleteChina, Japan, South Korea, Singapore. All markets that could work.
DeleteZagreb not even trying to get US flights.
ReplyDeleteZagreb does not need US flights
Delete^ sure
DeleteNot going to hap
ReplyDeleteWhy not
DeleteNext year ATH will be linked to 10 US airports (at least) while ZAG, OTP, SOF, SKG, TIA with none.
ReplyDeleteWe need to start doing things differently and attract the highest spending visitors to the greater region.
US carriers should be incentivized to fly here.
I agree with Americans being high spenders (300-500 eur daily) but I think DBV will get more flights rather than Zagreb due to its proximity to the popular islands and Split. That being said I do think Zagreb could support at least seasonal services
DeleteAre there any direct flight from Croatia ti the US?
ReplyDeleteIt says in the article
Delete"Dubrovnik, which is currently the only Croatian airport with nonstop flights to the US served by United’s daily rotation from Newark over most of the summer"
EK. DXB-ZAG-JFK(EWR). Daily in summer, 3 weekly in winter. Once Dreamliner arrive. Success guaranteed.
ReplyDelete