Two airlines from the United States have expressed interest in launching nonstop flights to Zagreb, however, it could take several years until the service materialises. The Director of the Croatian National Tourist Office in New York, Ina Rodin, said, "We are in serious talks with two large carriers and we hope that within the next two to three years we can establish nonstop flights between New York and Zagreb". This is in contrast to statements made by the Croatian Minister for Tourism, Gari Cappelli, who last month said that nonstop services between New York and Zagreb would likely commence during the 2020 summer season. "I hope that we will have this route operational next summer. The service to Zagreb will most likely be seasonal during its first year of operations, while year-round flights could commence during the second year", the Minister said.

Zagreb Airport confirmed as early as April that talks with potential operating carriers were taking place. "New York is a destination we are focusing on. We are in talks with airlines and we expect for the route to be launched", it said. On the other hand, the Croatian State Secretary for Tourism, Tonči Glavina, noted the country will most likely be linked with another city in the United States next year, following the success of the seasonal Philadelphia - Dubrovnik route, which was inaugurated last month. Similarly, the Director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and Convention Bureau, Romana Vlašić, said, "In the future, we expect for American Airlines to extend its seasonal operations, but also introduce some other destinations from the United States to Dubrovnik".

American Airlines recently noted it opted to launch flights to Dubrovnik over Zagreb and Split "due to popular request". However, it also said, "Wherever we see opportunities and demand, we'll go. As with the opening of our Dubrovnik - Philadelphia line, we are very specific about demand. Central Europe has the greatest growth potential. We are preparing to add more and more new links. We want to continue to lead the market". It added, "We will look closely at the results for the first year of operations. We are always looking at new opportunities to grow our network to ensure we offer service to where our customers wish to go".