Iberia focuses on Croatian market

Spain's national carrier Iberia will significantly increase its operations to Croatia this summer season, with the airline to increase capacity by 44.6% compared to 2018. This year marks the first time Iberia has maintained flights from Madrid to both Zagreb and Dubrovnik over the winter months. "Currently, both destinations are offered twice a week from Madrid, though we will increase our services to both cities during the summer season. On the route from Madrid to Dubrovnik we will offer two additional flights a week in April, May, June, September and October 2019 compared to last year", the Spanish carrier told EX-YU Aviation News. As a result, it will maintain up to double daily flights to Dubrovnik and thirteen weekly services to the Croatian capital. The airline added, "We will also resume our flights from Madrid to Split from the beginning of July until the end of August". The Split service will run five times per week.

The carrier noted it will increase its capacity on flights to Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb in 2019 by 44.6%, offering up to 204.586 seats between the two countries. "Most of our passengers fly point to point, but we also have connecting traffic. Among the cities that feed more passengers to our flights from/to Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb last year were New York, Lisbon, Bilbao, Porto, Chicago, Boston and Miami". Overall, the Oneworld member saw its passenger numbers increase 105% on services to and from Croatia last year. The airline goes head to head against Norwegian Air Shuttle on its flights to Dubrovnik over the summer but does not face any direct competition on its Zagreb and Split operations.

The Spanish airline will add its fourth destination in Croatia this summer by introducing services between Madrid and Zadar. It will maintain two weekly services between the two cities, from July 2 until August 31, with its 180-seat Airbus A320 aircraft. Flights will be operated by the carrier's low cost subsidiary Iberia Express. "These new additions to our programme will reinforce our presence in Croatia, not only for point-to-point flights but for long haul connections as well", the company said. The Spanish airline entered the Croatian market exactly ten years ago with seasonal services to Zagreb and Dubrovnik. Its other low cost subsidiary, Vueling Airlines, maintains year-round flights from Barcelona and Rome to Dubrovnik, as well as seasonal services from Barcelona to Zagreb, Split and Zadar, as well as from Rome to Zadar and from Florence to Split.