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| Zagreb Airport starts strong in 2016 |
Croatia's busiest airport kicked off 2016 on a high by posting its 23rd month of consecutive passenger growth. Zagreb Airport welcomed 156.947 travellers in January, an increase of 4.2% compared to the same month last year. As a result, the airport registered its busiest start to the year since opening its doors to the public 54 years ago, following on from a record 2015. January's passenger figures were achieved despite a dip in the number of operated flights, with a total of 2.878 aircraft movements recorded, down 2% on 2015. During the month, LOT Polish Airlines resumed flights from Warsaw, which helped boost numbers.
In January both Czech Airlines and Air Transat gave more detail of their upcoming services to Zagreb, launching on April 27 and June 14 respectively. Zagreb Airport's Managing Director, Jacques Feron, said he was pleased that flights between the Czech and Croatian capitals will resume following a four year hiatus. He added the service will mark the continuation of a long partnership between the two sides and expressed hope that the airline will make use of the airport's new terminal, which will open its doors next year. Zagreb was Czech Airlines' first international destination, launched in 1930. The route was suspended in 2012 due to the carrier's restructuring. Czech Airlines will maintain four weekly flights between the two cities with a mix of ATR 42 and 72 aircraft.
On the other hand, Air Transat will launch a one weekly seasonal service from Toronto, which will run until October 4. “Our expertise in European travel has once again led us to develop new markets: we’re building on the success of our Prague and Budapest routes by introducing Croatia to our customers this year. We’ve seen [Croatia] as an up-and-coming destination over the past five years”, Dan Prior, Air Transat’s Sales Manager for Ontario and Atlantic Canada said. “For Europe, Croatia has value. It still has a lot of well-priced, quality accommodation and it’s beautiful", Nicole Bursey, Air Transat's Commercial Director, added, noting the service has been scheduled so as to offer connector flights to and from Montreal as well. An Airbus A330 will be deployed on the route.
Meanwhile, work on Zagreb Airport's new multi million euro terminal is continuing. Construction is expected to be completed this year, with the opening scheduled to take place during the first quarter of 2017. You can review the latest developments by clicking on the pictures below.
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Poz iz Ljubljane
Svako dobro✈
Rodney & Son. Home of QANTASVILLE II Kraljevo✈Sydney✈
But I m happy that at least ZAG after having wait so long will finally get a piece of nice architecture for their convenience
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@45.740952,16.067701,2141m/data=!3m1!1e3
You get a good look into how busy Croatia Airlines maintenance is here too. The three hangers between the new and old terminal.
Also, if anyone could tell me what is being built in this area? Looks like another ramp and more hangers but I'm not sure.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/@45.738175,16.0692354,276m/data=!3m1!1e3
Then again Purger did say that it was an eastern destination that is currently not flown by any ex-YU airline.
Is there really a market between LED and ZAG? I mean, it would have to rely solely on O&D.
As with everything else, whether that's a clever move or not remains to be seen.
Someone has to pay for this truly world class facility. That someone should be passengers flying through ZAG and the airlines that use its facilities. This means higher fees both for passengers and for airlines, meaning higher cost of air fares and, in particular, for passengers transiting through the airport. As you can imagine, such moves hit the number of passengers and flights as, for example someone from TIA, PRN, SKP or TGD will find it cheaper to fly via LJU.
Now, what may happen is another SKP scenario where TAV told MK government: "You wanted a shiny new terminal, well we built it. Now, if you want passengers too you have to incentivize them." As a result MK government is having to pay money so that passengers are able to use the new and shiny terminal at SKP. No one can convince me that in the Balkans this incentive scheme is transparent because it's not, but I can assure you that it's not cheap.
I will predict that HR government will have to step in an set up a similar scheme. Airlines, in particular OU, will start screaming and shouting how their fees are higher than its competitors and the state should 'do something about it.' In the end the taxpayers will pay, of that I can assure you.
In LJU the approach was different. The taxpayer and SI government was sick and tired of having to subsidize almost every sector of the economy. It opted for a 'take it as it is' approach to LJU and as a result the new owners must run it as a commercial business in a market economy. SI taxpayers will probably not have to pay even more money to a private business for them to do well.
We shall see who turns out right in the long run, LJU or ZAG/SKP approach. But in my opinion it's way too early to call either one a 'clever move.'
#JustAnObservation
Solely O&D? Come on...
OU could and probably would offer LED via ZAG from VIE, SJJ, DBV, PUY, SPU, ZAD, VCE, FCO, MXP (tbc), PRN, SKP, and TIA (a guess as future destination). It all adds up.
On the other hand, they could possible offer onwards connections with SU for the rest of the eastward connections from LED.
It could work, it's not so hopeless are you may first think.
So will see... to run an airport today you need a commercial zone with offices, shops, restaurants.... the current facility in LJU do not allow this or by far not enough. So to run that airport profitable in the long run, Fraport will need to inject some cash
Service standards: last weekend 81 and 82 passengers on ZRHLJUZRH flights... 1 Bus in LJU on each of the flights. 2 7n ZRH... in terms of airport taxes I pay similar charges in ZRH or LJU. So what I definitely would like to see is more jetbridges. They shld hve built 6, now if you enlarge, you should build 8 in total, just 2 more makes no sense. So they hve 5-6 Schengen and 2-3 Non Schengen
Pozdrav od Skopje
In terms of offering connections to places such as PRN, SJJ, FCO, SKP, MXP... well,the thing is that they would be competing with Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Alitalia and even TK (in SKP).
There are so many other, more attractive destinations that they could have gone for. If OU wants to build a mini hub at ZAG then they must consider ATH, SOF and OTP as the next major destinations for expansion.
Sick of subsidising every sector of the economy? Maybe. But incidentally, LJU airport (the company) did not have a single year without a profit in its 50+ year history. We should keep that in mind when we talk about its sale.
Congrats fro Sofia.
INN--NS
E195 od CTN ce da leti i 1 pw za BCN.
INN-NS
A isto tako, ni leti ne povecavaju spektakularno vec 90% linija ostaje isto kao i lane.
Dakle, nagli rast nije pametan. I OS je krenula da leti za IKA 3x pa ce ovog leta imati 13. Dakle ne treba se zaletati.
Move on.
Any word on Air Serbia JFK flights? Beyond annoyed it is February 6 and the flight begins in less than 4 months or is announced to begin, and no sale of tickets...
Any word on the TSA checks?
Ridiculous.. can't believe I'm waiting for this.
Also, don't forget Aeroflot is at T1 @ JFK and they offer connections with AA which is at terminal 4.
So, the doors aren't closed just because of that. Etihad is @ T4 and I believe that is the primary reason. People can connect through any terminal at the airport.
At least a dozen specialty shops, 3-4 bank offices, exchange offices and various other facilities. There was a plan for a shopping center of some sort, but this has now been scaled to around 20-30 shops, including restaurants and cafe bars.
New Terminal will offer similar facilities of other major airports.
SAS, Alitalia will most likely launch flights to Zagreb this year, later in the year, September or early October.
Agean and few others are also being talked about, there's interest for these flights so it is only matter of time.
I doubt very much that OU would ever consider an 'alternative to LH' because LH is Croatia Airlines best choice for a major partner. With the large Croatian and regional diaspora in Germany important tourism and business links as well and that Munich and Frankfurt are 1 to 1.5 hours away, allows OU to have a very flexible and affordable gateway from Croatia to the world.
In saying that I think OU should have the freedom and will to both explore new markets as well as set up partnerships with other carriers to protect their market if it can be profitable to do so.
ZAG looks like a factory? and SKP doesn't?
It's the other way around, and if ZAG does look like a factory, it's the coolest factory on the planet.
Whereas SKP is a box, no comparison here.
I am amazed that hey shoehorn 2.whatever million passengers through the current terminal, it is obviously running at full capacity.
Once the new one is commissioned, I would expect that both terminals will be at full capacity (in season) very quickly. So 6-7 million pax is not unreasonable within the next 2-3 years.
Same applies for Split & Dubrovnik, once the extensions are complete expect a jump in numbers.
Oh I never implied that they would drop LH as a partner, that's never going to happen. I was just replying to a comment about the possibility of OU and OK cooperating in Prague. That's why I said that if they are looking for a new partner in that area then LO should be a better option.
Regardless of all this, I do wonder if LO and OU should work closely together.
Zagreb's new terminal is cutting edge and pleasing to the eye, I wouldn't be surprised if it wins international awards for design once completed.
Pity they reduced it in size a bit, original design was 87000sqm (not 67000 as required) with gross area of around 120 000, revision has reduced terminal a bit, down to 85000sqm gross, however with future expansion it'll be around 120 000sqm.
However if it was built as an 120 000sqm terminal as originally intended with 12 air bridges, wow that'd be something.