Ukraine's Windrose Airlines will commence scheduled services from Kiev to Zagreb in November after cancelling plans to introduce the route this June due to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. The carrier initially shelved flights between the two cities altogether, before rescheduling its launch for November 10. Tickets are yet to go on sale. Operations will be maintained three times per week, each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the fifty-seat Embraer E145 jet, operated by Dniproavia, which was absorbed by Windrose in 2017. It will mark the first scheduled nonstop service between Kiev and Zagreb since the 1980s. Aeroflot last flew between the two cities prior to the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.
Croatia Airlines considered introducing services from Zagreb to Ukraine in 2009, however, it ultimately decided against the move. In 2018, Ukraine International Airlines announced its intention to inaugurate flights from Kiev to the Croatian capital in 2020, but the airline never scheduled the route. Based on traffic flow prior to the coronavirus pandemic, unserved European destinations which have been identified by Zagreb Airport as having the potential to sustain direct flights include Kiev, Basel, Geneva, Riga and Sofia. Ukrainian carriers have so far maintained seasonal summer flights from Kiev to the Croatian coast. Windrose itself will commence operations to Pula on July 4. This will be followed by services to Split starting July 5. Both routes will run twice per week.
Windrose is also set to commence operations between Kiev and Ljubljana next Thursday following several delays. The Kiev-based airline operates a fleet of eleven aircraft. In addition to flying to popular summer holiday destinations, the carrier introduced an extensive domestic network this year, linking the nation’s six largest cities - Kiev, Lviv, Odesa, Nikolayev, Dnipro and Kharkiv. To support its expansion, the airline is adding eight ATR 72-600 turboprops to its fleet, the first of which arrived this month. The company also cooperates with the country’s largest carrier Ukraine International Airlines, offering transfer options to various destinations. It carried 1.44 million passengers in 2019.
That livery... oh, my eyes!
ReplyDeleteWell the flight will be operated by E145s which still have the Dniproavia livery.
DeleteTerrible plane E145
DeleteWhy?
DeleteAlmost no hand luggage space, very narrow, no boarding via bridge possible.
DeleteTry to spread your hands and measure the distance between the top of your fingers on the right and on the left side.
So "wide" is this plane.
I don't mind the livery. At least it's not bland and white.
DeleteVery similar to the livery of good old Aerosvit, which is no longer among us.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/AeroSvit_Ukrainian_Airlines_Boeing_737-300_KBP_UR-DNJ_2011-10-2.png
Nice. Good to see they haven't given up on the route.
ReplyDeleteIf they cancel summer routes there is high probability they won't fly in winter
Delete^ you realise that these winter flights are newly scheduled? They aren't left over from before
DeleteIt is their hope for winter schedule
DeleteAerosvit is actually starting quite a few new destinations in the next month. I don't see why they wouldn't start Zagreb in November.
DeleteBecause a market that has potential is not left unserved for such a long time. Sorry, I don't see this happening. Zagrab is not linked with places like Berlin or Dusseldorf but now they want Kiev? Strange. Odd.
DeleteGood news for the airport see a new airline.
ReplyDeleteSo they plan for this to be a year - round route?
ReplyDeleteHope it actually materializes this time.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a good aircraft for this type of service, especially in the beginning. Chances of success are much higher.
ReplyDeleteTrue. 48 seat capacity.
DeleteYes but 48 seats on an expensive regional jet, hopefully they switch to the ATR so that costs could be lower.
DeleteCan the ATR make it to Zagreb from Kiev?
DeleteJU flies the ATR to Kiev on a regular basis so I don't see why it can't from/to ZAG
DeleteVery narrow plane with 2+1 configuration. AZ had it and it didn't work for them.
DeleteE175 is much, much better
Is there really enough demand?
ReplyDeleteI guess we will see.
DeleteMissed opportunity for OU.
ReplyDeleteAgree. The route could work because OU for example could get transfer passengers to Europe and could benefit from holiday traffic. There are seasonal flights from Ukraine to the Croatian coast as it means tourists are coming and OU could easily connect them via Zagreb.
DeleteMaybe OU could codeshare with Windrose.
DeleteGood for ZAG to finally receive a winter destination. Windrose seem to be doing well in OTP and SOF, where they're facing a competition with FR so hopefully we'll for ZAG.
ReplyDeleteThat said, on their FB official page, they are welcoming the arrival of the first ATRs with a water salute. They look beautiful! <3
https://www.facebook.com/windrose.aero/videos/278489636897580/
They do look nice :)
DeleteWhat would be the main target passengers, especially in winter?
ReplyDeleteUkraine is a country of 40 million and it has visa free travel to EU. I'm sure there will be some demand.
DeleteUkrainians really enjoy visiting Croatia and come in large numbers.
DeleteMillions of Ukrainians travel abroad very year.
DeleteLast year Ukrainian airports had almost 25 million pax. That is an 18% increase on 2018 and an almost 60# increase in the last 5 years!
The question is not why our region begins to have flights to Ukraine but why it did not get them sooner.
Just my2cents
Our region had them, flights between BEG and KBP have been operating for at least 20 years now.
DeleteNot on a regular basis and not year round.
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what they will do with the equipment. From next year the E145 will be phased out of Windrose's fleet. I don't think they have a suitable replacement.
ReplyDeletethey are being replaced by the ATRs
Deletethat's gonna be a long flight
DeleteGood news. And I'm also really happy they are young ahead with LJU.
ReplyDeleteOdessa*
ReplyDeleteOdesa is correct too.
DeleteAny newcomer is welcome
ReplyDeleteAnd we desperately need more at the moment.
DeleteWindrose is also set to commence operations between Kiev and Ljubljana next Thursday.
ReplyDelete1. Will be Ukrainians allowed to tje Schengen area (Slovenia) without the 14days quarantine period?
2. Will be Slovenians allowed to Ukraine withjout the 14 days quarantine period?
Question 2. the answer is yes and now. Slovenia is on the green list but the Ukrainian side is requesting everyone to have an international health insurance covering all the costs connected in case you get the Corona. As I know there is no such insurance available in Slovenia, even foreign companies based in Slovenia don't sell such product yet.
That's interesting. I'm surprised there isn't already some health insurance to cover the cost. Maybe Windorse managed to organise tour groups from Slovenia and they will waive the requirement?
DeleteDDOR Novi Sad, an insurance company is now offering covid-19 cover as part of travel insurance, at least in Serbia
https://www.ddor.rs/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/PZO-COVID-19-final-1349x550-sajt-slider.jpg
Do those that are just transiting through a country like Ukraine need to go into quarantine when they arrive in Slovenia? Maybe they manage to get some transfers. For example JU flight to Split yesterday had 60% transfers from various parts of Europe.
DeleteActually that Split flight was today ..
DeleteActually, NLB Vita offers insurance for COVID-19 pandemic :) https://www.zav-vita.si/sporocila-za-javnost/2020-05-29-kritje-zdravljenja-za-covid-19
DeleteBtw todays Split flight was downgraded from A319 to Atr .
DeleteThan you Anonymous18:38
DeleteIs it observation also covered )it seems is not)?
I know how hard bureaucracy can be.
According to the State Border Service of Ukraine, foreign health insurance policies are accepted.
The only requirement is that it should cover COVID-19 treatment and observation for the time a person plans to stay in Ukraine. The insurance document should specifically mention that.
I doubt that Zagreb will be as popular as the coast .
ReplyDeleteToday Windrose was supposed to fly with a full A321 from Kyiv to Split -
unfortunately the flight did not happen .
If Windrose already has a problem with such a popular route in summer then flying in winter to Zagreb will be even worse .
Fingers crossed
ReplyDeleteZAG needs links to Ukraine. This is one of Europe's biggest capitals. 3 weekly e145 is like 1200 weekly seats2, which is not bad!
ReplyDeleteThere is no flights between LJU and Kiev in July... at least you can't buy the tickets..??
ReplyDeleteThey were on sale yesterday.
Deletenot for July??? all the dates in july are closed... I'm trying to buy it on their site...?
DeleteI said they were on sale until yesterday morning. They have obviously decided not to start the route within the last 24 hours.
DeleteI tred to buy them already at the end of last week (friday) and I couldn't..
DeleteThey delayed Ljubljana till August 2020, same for Sofia and Bucharest.
Delete