Coastal airports outperform Zagreb in August
Zagreb Airport has recorded its third consecutive month of passenger decline. Croatia’s busiest airport welcomed 243.954 passengers in August, a decrease of 6.5% compared to last year’s 260.809 passengers. The number of operated flights to and from the airport decreased mildly, by 24 operations, from 1.884 last year to 1.860 in 2013. The decrease is being driven by several factors, primarily due to Croatia Airlines’ network reductions. However, following the country’s entry into the European Union, passenger numbers from Russia and Turkey have also been affected due to new European Union visa regulations. As a result, Aeroflot will reduce its daily flights from Moscow to Zagreb to four weekly this winter season.
So far this year, Zagreb Airport has welcomed 1.555.200 passengers, only a slight 1% decline compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, Croatia’s coastal airports outperformed Zagreb in August. Split Airport welcomed a record breaking 344.358 passengers, and thus secured its position as the second busiest airport in the former Yugoslavia in August. The numbers represent an 18.7% increase compared to the same month last year. So far in 2013 Split has handled 1.198.080 passengers, up 12.5%.
Other airports along the coast also did well. Dubrovnik Airport handled 293.983 passengers, an increase of 5.1%. So far this year Dubrovnik Airport has welcomed 1.117.759 passengers through its doors, an increase of 4.9% compared to the same period last year. Dubrovnik Airport has been the most vocal about Croatia Airlines’ planned network reductions which will hit the airport hard this winter. The national carrier plans to suspend flights from Dubrovnik to Frankfurt and Paris and reduce the number of frequencies between the coastal airport and Zagreb. However, the airport is on the verge of securing long haul flights. You will be able to read more about that in the coming days at EX-YU Aviation News.
There is something wrong with pax numbers in the first paragraph. pls check.
ReplyDeleteFixed. Thanks.
DeleteI don’t get what’s going on at ZAG. I mean Croatia Airlines did not cut that many flights so I don’t think that’s the real reason. Unlike ZAG, SPU is really impressive this summer. Well done.
ReplyDeleteCTN cuts 30 fligts per week. That is 40.000 potential passangeres, and 17.000 is missing.
DeleteDisappointing news for Zagreb but well done to Split and Dubrovnik. Does anyone think there could ever be a chance where Split could overtake Zagreb?
ReplyDeleteNothing works in Zagreb as usual. ZAG should seriously start considering to become a regional airport rather than being the main capital airport.
ReplyDeleteBecause 1% of decline? And that is after last year record results. For sure reason for change strategy.
DeleteI don't think OU should focus only on Split and Dubrovnik airport, because during the winter those airports practically die and Zagreb is only connection with European cities.
DeleteI think during the autumn and winter Zagreb will see much more passengers because of the reason I stated above and I'm sure they will end year with 2.400.000 - 2.450.000 passengers.
I was flying first to ZAG from SKP with OU this August. The cabin was only half full. However I was totally disappointed by the condition ZAG is in. It was total mess. There was only one security check gate that served all passengers with connecting flights to EU. The terminal area looked like a big bus station. Something should be done immediately if they want to see pax increase. I, for sure, will avoid ZAG until some major improvements are done. I had pleasant flight with OU however
ReplyDeleteHopefully improvements with start this month with construction starting of the new terminal.(fingers crossed)
DeleteSo for you price of ticket is not important, that you had pleasant flight, but few minutes in transit make you dicision not to fly with OU any more! Sure...
DeleteThen you should never fly via LHR, ORY, LGW...
or MXP
Deletei know many who enjoy transiting through ZAG cause its so very simple :)
And you should see Cardiff. When you see Cardiff, Zagreb looks so nice, big and functional! Or Trieste, it is new but so ugly. Or old terminal in Cluj, than Varna (Fraport), Varadero (especially during rain when you have to run to find dry place), or Roma Fiumicino main lobby, or Orly, or La Rochelle, or old terminal (arrivals) in Taipei...
Delete@AnonymousSeptember 6, 2013 at 10:23 AM
DeleteU never seen Zagreb airport let alone flew on OU to Zagreb from Skopje.
U're troll, highly likely, and current terminal at Zagreb airport is quite nice, and despite its age, decent for what it is. sure its cramped cause of size, but if you look at google earth you'd see its not that small or that bad as you describe it, which indicated you've never been inside or visited Zagreb to start with, you're just trolling.
First of all that was my honest first impression of my transit through ZAG. Q400, I truly wish all the best.
DeleteTo clarify couple of things (1) I was transiting through ZAG and ZRH to PMI. So I don't really care about the cost of the particular segment between SKP and ZAG, since the price of my ticket was absolutely acceptable. (2) I travel frequently and I've been to many airports. My comparison was truly a reflection of my experience. Maybe I am too picky. I didn't mean to offend anyone it was just my humble opinion.
Honestly ZAG needs some improvements. SKP was in need in improvements which apparently were recently done. I've never traveled through Cardiff so I cannot comment on that one. However regarding the rest of the airports mentioned, I've traveled through some of them and yes, they are busy but you don't see only one security gate that serves all the transit passengers. Especially not one that you access through one hallway.
For the reader that suspects I am a troll. Well, when we got to the airport building with bus ahead was the exit for domestic flights. On the left was the "hallway" that gets you to the security gate I was referring to. In the middle between these two exists was a police office. On the terminal there is a bar in the middle and one free shop store right across the bar. There was one small kids playground area at the far end of the terminal. Do you still believe I've never been there?
Maybe I was in some old terminal. Someone referred a new one. As I said it was my first transit through ZAG.
I truly hope ZAG gets better terminal building (better than the one I transited through). That was the hole point of my comment.
Regards to everyone.
New 72000sqm airport terminal is being constructed 1.5km east of present terminal, we talked about it a lot, check wikipedia for more info on it, make sure you look at references, there's a link to designs and architects behind the project.
DeleteBeing constructed? Did not even start with construction worm. Hkpefully soon
DeleteWork...typo
Deleteyeah this month, they alredy fenced off the area, they'll need to clear the land torn down anything that is standing/obstruction construction site and than proper construction should start in April next year, well whole thing will take 2-3 years to complete, its a really massive thing, 670x175m just the terminal footprint, than 250 000 platform to be also added, taxiways, 57m air traffic control tower, not sure if they'll move fuel tanks as well, no idea, current fuel tanks are around 1.6km from planned location of the terminal, it could be problematic, or not.
DeleteLooking really forward to new terminal, its gonna be good one.
Great numbers for Split, but they have to build another terminal because on Saturdays literally whole airport is filled with people waiting in lines to check-in. We in Croatia look at that as something good because more tourists means more money, but tourists don't like it at all. Dubrovnik has much bigger check-in area so it doesn't look so crowded even in rush hour.
ReplyDeleteI hope Dubrovnik will be first city in ex Yu to serve long haul flights. It can be easily seen that demand exists, at least during the 5 summer months.
Ovo je izaslo pre pola sata
ReplyDeletehttp://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Airbus/A319/4282,YU--JAT-Airways.php
Three and a half years old, not bad. I hope the average will be around 5-6 years overall.
DeleteOvo je odavno online na Planespotters... To su oni promenili jos na prolece kada je bio uplacen depozit.
DeleteNe obracaj paznju na stvari koje pisu kod JAT Airways, gledaj samo Air Serbia. A tamo za sada samo jedan avion (onaj od Volarisa).
Pozdrav!
I guess that this will be another one that will go to Air Serbia.
Deletehttp://www.planespotters.net/Production_List/Airbus/A319/1159,N474TA-Volaris.php
First Airbus in new Air Serbia livery. Photo is published on Tango Six and B92. It looks very nice and it's 13.8 years old. I think now they will change interior and then send it to Belgrade on Oct 21st.
ReplyDeleteTreci A319 za AirSerbia stize takodje od JP!Star je 3,4 godine
ReplyDeleteLOL JP will be left without any planes if this continues.
DeleteYU- 4282 Airbus A319-132 Due S5-AAP lsf Adria Airways 3.4 Years
ReplyDeleteYU- 4301 Airbus A319-132 Due S5-AAR lsf Adria Airways 3.4 Years
(Advertisement)
http://www.alo.rs/vesti/aktuelno/pogledajte-fotografije-prvog-aviona-air-serbije/29982
ReplyDeleteSo in the end the first 2 planes are being leased from Adria?
DeleteNo, first one being leased from VOLARIS and it is 13,4 years old, i was talking about another 2 from JP
DeleteLooks like we who were hoping EU membership would see improved passenger numbers at Zagreb missed the impact visa requirements have on passenger numbers. Also this has had an impact at Dubrovnik as well which despite having a record tourist season saw 50% less tourist from Russia and Turkey.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of long haul flights to Dubrovnik, this was always going to happen sooner or later. There will be even more demand for such flight if Dubrovnik becomes a starting point for cruise ship operators.
no some here predicted massive growth, Admin of this blog did so as well, passengers numbers for 2013 were never expected to be high cause of OU's cutbacks, and poor preparation by Zagreb airport is another factor to consider.
Delete2014 on the other hand will be spectacular for Zagreb airport and much of Croatia.
And you base that on wishful thinking or?
Delete@AnonymousSeptember 6, 2013 at 11:22 PM
Deleteair Serbia, they are launching flights to the moon and connecting flights via Belgrade super hub will bring million pax.
Compared to Croatia airlines, that is exactly what we are doing at air Serbia :)
Delete@AnonymousSeptember 7, 2013 at 4:17 AM
Deleteywah I know, massive Serb ex-pat community on Moon, all part part of Greater Serbia.
What about Sarajevo...what are the figures like there
ReplyDeleteI am still amazed by results of Split - I flew in and out in August and wow....it is like big garage with check in desks. My admiration for the staff working there
ReplyDeleteHere is a picture of the gate A2 being installed. :)
ReplyDeleteReally nice to see so many positive things in Serbian aviation.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/812647_590220637697292_781397507_o.jpg
Sarajevo 08/2013 = 79.796 pax (+31% compared to 08/2012)
ReplyDeletehttps://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1234959_10151688634957155_680134803_n.jpg
ReplyDeleteBelly of airSerbia :)) Nice
I hope Dubrovnik will be first city in ex Yu to serve long haul flights. It can be easily seen that demand exists, at least during the 5 summer months. And also there will be even more demand for such flight if Dubrovnik becomes a starting point for cruise ship operators.Gatwick Meet and Greet
ReplyDeleteHuh? Ex-Yugoslavia served long-haul flights in the future. If I am not mistaken Pristina had a link with New York while Belgrade had links to both New York and Toronto.
DeleteZagreb preliminary tourist numbers for first 7 months of this year are superb, 12.5% increase in nights and 15% in arrivals, 767 000 visitors visited Zagreb in 2012, thus far city was visited by 12.5$ more tourists than last year, if this continues for the rest of this year number of visitors should be up by around 100 000, and Zagreb could end up with 870 000 tourist and 1.4 million nights, still well below its best year 1990, when 1.02 million foreign visitors visited Zagreb, but this number should be surpassed in 2015 or 2016.
ReplyDeletehttp://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/gospodarstvo/iza-hrvatske-najbolja-sezona-evo-tko-su-rekorderi-izvrsne-turisticke-sezone---302021.html
Ideal Zagreb needs around 3 million overnights and 1.75 million foreign visitors to brake in to top 100 most visited cities in the world.
some of the nearby cities that are similar to Zagreb in their tourism offer (competition).
Ljubljana - 550 000
Bratislava - 784 000
Zürich - 1.4 million
Munich - 2.2 million,
Budapest - 2.65 million
Vienna - 3.55 million
Prague - 3.85 million