Croatia Airlines has confirmed to EX-YU Aviation News it intends on expanding both its fleet and route network during the year. The carrier said it is currently in the process of drafting such plans after which it will make a definitive decision. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the carrier is currently in talks with Montenegro Airlines over future operations between Zagreb and Podgorica. The two carriers plan on cooperating on the route, which is expected to run three times per week. It is unclear whether both or just one of the two airlines would maintain flights between the two cities. Late last year, the President of the airline’s Supervisory Board, Zlatko Mateša, said the carrier was focused on launching services to Sofia and the Montenegrin capital.
The airline is also expected to increase capacity on a number of routes this coming summer. It has already scheduled larger Airbus A319 aircraft on selected days to several destinations which were previously served by wet-leased Air Nostrum Bombardier CRJ1000 equipment. In addition, the carrier is again expected to utilise the 100-seat CRJ1000 jets on some of its routes. The future structure of the country’s Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights will also have an impact on Croatia Airlines’ network. A new four-year contract for the upkeep of subsidised domestic flights will come into force this year, with the Croatian government looking to increase funding in order to include more services.
The developments come in the lead up to the final stage of Croatia Airlines privatisation process, which is expected by June 2020. Aegean Airlines and Air Nostrum have so far expressed interest in the carrier by submitting non-binding bids. Last Thursday, the Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković, spoke with the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Margrethe Vestager, about the government’s efforts to privatise Croatia Airlines and its current status. Last year, the government granted the company 33.7 million euros, 20.2 million of which will be made available this year, under the condition it successfully sells or recapitalises the airline by the middle of the year. At the time, the European Commission said it was in close contact with Croatian authorities over the state aid package and was monitoring developments.
Comments
It is JU's playground and they surely can't compete with Air Serbia and Ryanair in Montenegro especially with 3 tiny weekly flights.
Just to remind you OU was flying this route before and stopped due to bad results.
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/12/ex-yu-airports-seek-zagreb-connecitivty.html
The head of the Agency for the Promotion and Support of Tourism in Macedonia, Ljupčo Janevski, recently held talks with the Croatian Minister for Tourism, Gari Capelli, as well as representatives from Croatia Airlines over the potential launch of flights between Zagreb and Ohrid.
OU on the other hand doesn't have a realistic support of the government they way JU or LO have. They are stuck without an idea what to do at an expensive airport, in a relatively small market with an ageing fleet.
At the moment they need to be decisive, strong and not this mellow. Look at their statements regarding TGD. They obviously want to launch it but they know they don't have enough aircraft for it so they want YM to do it. It would be hilarious if it wasn't tragic.
These desperate moves remind of Adria shortly before their end.
i think you need to open your eyes.
Perfectly said. Agree 100%
We already see certain so called experts making fairytales of the fact that Aegean just showed non binding interest in OU (or better to say showed interest to see their books) and threat Air Serbia that will be "ukljestena" between Croatia Airlines and Aegean.
Let's not forget that Air Baltic also many years ago showed the same level of interest in buying Jat Airways. We know the result.
But for how long? If you we take out SKP from the equation JU still has a lot going on for it, OU not so much.
1. Bad, but maybe fixable
2. Bad - don't touch it (we regret that we even asked)
:-))
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/11/state-to-sell-up-to-70-stake-in-croatia.html
Those are seasonal P2P flights and only twice weekly. I was referring to ZAG flights in case of successful potential privatisation and ZAG becoming kind of hub as the result
Where have they been these past 6 / 12 / 18 mths ?????
What have they been doing all this time ?
No wonder the world has passed them by ...
OU kept stopover in Split and Dubrovnik on Zagreb-Rome route far too long. It really is strange that they did not move a finger to gain something from Adria's demise (may it rest in peace). Everyone gained something there. Zagreb and Ljubljana are close, only one hour by car. Free shuttle service with priority on their border crossings...
It feels like they don't care. Which is hard to believe in an region where our national airlines is a source of pride, same as our sports teams.
Rgds, Eight
ne bi me iznenadilo da airsebia uskoro pusti u prodaju letove za brac i ukrade croaciji veci dio konekcijskih putnika...
Next year another A32F with +1 possible.
I work for the airline, this is current info that we all have.
Lufthansa wet leased such a plane with crew very succesfuly in 2019.
Honestly Croatia Airlines speak with Air Baltic and do the same in 2020 !!
I fly to Tallinn tomorrow, from Budapest on a brand new C Series..sorry I am from Montreal,
so the Bombardier name remains close to my heart!!