Austrian Airlines will discontinue flights between Vienna and Zagreb from mid-October, as a result of reduced demand. The airline will operate its last service between the two cities on October 16. Croatia Airlines, which has temporarily suspended its flights to the Austrian capital, will then take over the route when it resumes operations on October 22. Austrian will make a brief return to Zagreb during the winter for the Christmas and New Year holidays, during which it will run services from December 18, 2020 until January 6, 2021, after which it will again suspend flights until March 1 of next year. Changes at this early stage remain possible.
Austrian Airlines will continue to serve its remaining destinations in the former Yugoslavia, including Belgrade, Podgorica, Pristina and Skopje this winter. Both Austrian and Croatia Airlines are part of the Star Alliance. Among the premium Lufthansa Group carriers, Lufthansa itself will be the only to maintain services to Zagreb throughout the entire winter with flights from Munich. Traffic between the Croatian capital and Vienna has been growing in recent years, with Austrian relying on a notable number of transfer passengers continuing their journey via Vienna onto North America, as well as elsewhere in Europe. Last year, 173.431 travellers flew between Zagreb and the Austrian capital among the two carriers.
Zagreb - Vienna v.v. passenger traffic
| Year | PAX |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 163.960 |
| 2016 | 160.757 |
| 2017 | 164.108 |
| 2018 | 168.384 |
| 2019 | 173.431 |
Austrian Airlines has cut its upcoming winter schedule which will only reach about 30% of last year’s. The carrier will serve some sixty destinations, down from around eighty during the 2019/2020 winter season. Frequencies on routes that are scheduled to go ahead have been greatly reduced. “It has already become apparent in recent weeks that we will have to dress warmer than expected this winter. The new entry restrictions from Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and many other countries make adjustments to the schedule necessary. We are prepared for that”, Austrian Airlines’ CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, said, comparing the current situation to that of a ship. "Our goal is to manoeuvre our company through this storm with our combined forces. We don't know how long this storm will last”, he added.
Austrian is having a tougher time than most European airlines. Any particular reason?
ReplyDeleteAnd which European airline was less affected according to you?
DeleteInside the Lufthansa group I think they did the worst.
DeleteAll LH group airlines are doing very, very badly.
Delete@09.08
DeleteThere are airlines that seem to be doing a far better job at weathering the crisis. Austrian Airlines took the longest to resume flights out of most western European airlines (even though the epidemiological situation in Austria was relatively calm). They have suspended more routes than most airlines and all this despite already getting state aid.
LX is about to fire 1.000 employees
DeleteAustrian has been struggling from when the low costers were allowed to fly from Vienna. Ever since Wizz, Easyjet, Lauda and Level started basing aircraft in Vienna, Austrian has been in the red.
DeleteAustrian has been struggling from when the low costers were allowed to fly from Vienna. Ever since Wizz, Easyjet, Lauda and Level started basing aircraft in Vienna, Austrian has been in the red.
DeleteAnon 10:19 LX is NOT going to fire 1000 people.
DeleteThey are just not going to replace any employees in the next 2 years who within this period either retire or leave the company on their own.
You that are saying Austrian made the worst and was the only one closing in the lh group. Maybe u Don't know that also Brussels is in this group, they had to close all operations, are flying even less than Austrian and are cutting even more planes, having already a smaller fleet.
DeleteIt shows the hierarchy in the LH group. Even before corona Brussels was treated worst in the group. Then Austrian.
DeleteThe ones who earn money are always treated better than the ones who lose money- as simple as that.
DeleteLet's hope it returns in March. I'm not so sure.
ReplyDeleteGood news for Croatia Airlines!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's good news for them either. If the majority of pax are transfers there are less and less options to transfer with Austrian as they have suspended so many routes.
DeleteI guess they made a deal with OU.
ReplyDeleteThey should have started Ljubljana with Q400. Could have worked.
ReplyDeleteThey are retiring all Q400s, as all of their domestic routes will be replaced by train.
Delete@Anonymous 11:53: they are not going to retire all Q400s as they operate a lot of flights with them now due to low demand! After corona yes, but I think they will fly them at least for one year more...
DeleteWhy was there such a big increase in passenger numbers between ZAG and VIE in 2019 compared to 2018?
ReplyDeleteMore flights?
DeleteWhatever the reason was it is to be commended that numbers increased despite there being less of a need for people to transfer (considering Air Transat, Air Canada Rouge, Korean Air flights). Shame corona ruined it all.
DeleteIs there really so little demand that OU has cancelled Vienna until 22nd OCT and after that Austrian cancels the flights too?
ReplyDeleteYes but Croatia Airlines starts flying again after Austrian cancels.
DeleteZagreb - Vienna is 4 hours by car, doors to doors. Flying P2P takes approximately the same time, maybe one hour less. If more people travelling (family, friends), which usually is the case, it's much cheaper going by car. Especially with OU /OS duopoly prices. The service is basically for transit /transfer pax only. In this situation, when everything is close to nothing, it is expected. On the other hand, AF/KL announced daily to CDG and 6 weekly to AMS from ZAG for this winter, the same as before, which is also logical, both being much more far away from ZAG, and offering more transit/transfer possibilities
DeleteThat's why we need Lauda to lower the fares and stimulate demand!
Delete@Anonymous 13:04: First of all, Lauda does not exist any more, second the last thing we need now is Ryan. Don't forget: as soon as they have no competition from other airlines, they are even more expencive than the "normal" carrier before...
DeleteOuch
ReplyDeleteWinter is coming
DeleteIs Eurowings still flying to Zagreb?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteBut only from CGN, DUS and TXL were cut before covid.
DeleteCGN and STR
DeleteI don't think OS will make it. Tested morning they had two passengers to NUE on Q400.
ReplyDeleteI don't the Austrian government would let them go bankrupt.
Delete*i don't think
DeleteOh come on - another made up statement on here. This morning there was no NUE flight at all I just checked and all others / on other days are only flown in triangles linking it with LEJ so maybe more luck with ur bs next time!
DeleteIt's not made up, Simply Aviation had a story on Instagram.
DeleteAgain - it is impossible, as there was no such flight.
DeleteMaybe it was from a completely different time period such as in March?
Also nothing to be found on https://www.simply-aviation.com/austrian
Hasn't Austrian started operating some triangle flights now because of low demand?
ReplyDeleteYes, Vienna-Leipzig-Nuremberg.
DeleteOnly this one routing
DeleteI hope the September statistics will be launched soon. I think 100 thousand passengers in August is still not bad even after all the airlines lost this summer.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.zagreb-airport.hr/en/business/b2b/statistics/statistics-for-2020/629
The trend is likely to continue until March and then climb up in June.
When will these cancellations stop?!?
ReplyDeleteWhen there is demand for air travel again.
DeleteIt will take some time.
DeleteWhen governments around the world stop trying to kill a fly with a bazooka.
DeleteLol, that's a great reply Vlad
DeleteIf they are still around by March 1.
ReplyDeleteThey will be, don't worry.
DeleteAnd how many weekly flights will Croatia Airlines have to Vienna this winter?
ReplyDeleteTwo weekly
Deletewow, who would have thought
DeleteAnd last winter it was two daily...
DeleteShame to hear this about Austrian. They are a good airline and transferring via VIE is a breeze.
ReplyDeleteThis is all becoming far too depressing again.
ReplyDeleteAt least the upside compared to spring is that most of us are not locked up at home and there is some aviation activity.
DeleteAgree anon 9.32. Just waiting to see whose next.
DeleteAirlines are doing anything to survive. Routes that don't make sense in the current circumstances are simply being cancelled.
ReplyDeleteI would still expect VIE-ZAG to make sense!
DeleteSure it makes sense when you have lots of connections on both ends. But only P2P at these crazy prices- surely not! Zagreb to Vienna is only 3.5 hrs by car, no P2P pax here.
DeleteBut I wonder how they came to the decision for OU to keep flying this route and Austrian not. Did they discuss it? Did Lufthansa decide? Just wondering what the process is.
ReplyDeleteProbably LH decided it. Remember that Kucko said all flying in winter is unprofitable for OU.
DeleteThe big question is whether all these airlines that have cancelled flights will actually come back next year.
ReplyDeleteAustrian for sure will but others, like Emirates for example, won't.
DeleteI believe except Emirates, everyone else has in principle announced that they would resume flights.
DeleteThere are many months to go before the summer season.
DeleteAny other crystal balls?
DeleteThis could be the perfect time for Wizz Air or Ryanair to launch this route.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIf OU and OS can't fill a Q400 or Embraer, you expect Wizz or Ryanir to fill A319s or B737s?
DeleteIf nothing, it would be good to see this duopoly end.
DeleteOS charges €500 for a return flight!
DeleteThat price it outrageous! For which period?
DeleteIt was of you wanted to go one the same day and come back. Otherwise it was rarely under €200.
DeleteIt is/was usally around 240-280 EUR return - and that is immense in my opinion.
DeleteNot surprised to be honest.
ReplyDeleteWorried no one wrote "Winter is coming" yet :D
ReplyDeleteand "go hrvatska"
DeleteGo hrvatska? You are the first one ever who wrote that and the first one who expected that someone would applauding comment on bad news.
DeleteThat's unfortunate
ReplyDeleteSo many airlines suspending flights to the region.
ReplyDeleteAirlines are suspending flights everywhere. It is not only the region that is affected.
DeleteIt's corona's fault.
DeleteIs it me or Zagreb is having the toughest time of all airports in Ex-Yu?
ReplyDeleteDid you hear about Ljubljana?
DeleteLJU is definitely performing the worse out of all ex-Yu capitals.
Delete*worst
DeleteBut I'm confused they are not suspending any other ex-Yu route.
ReplyDeleteZagreb is the only city in ex-Yu where they have a Star partner.
Delete..as well as their only ex-yu route that can be easily done by car in about 3.5 hours
DeleteBecause other markets are performing better than expected.
DeleteWishful thinking...
Delete^ yeah you are right. That's why the only route they suspended is Zagreb.
DeleteArent new taxes imposed by Austrian goverment on this route?
Delete@anon 14:23
DeleteI recommend you reading some other commemts under today's article. Currently almost only P2P passengers are possible. Due to the short driving distance there are generally almost no P2P between ZAG and VIE. All other OS destinations in Exyu are further away with enough P2P passengers.
Or you can continue to believe what you want / dream of.
Then explain Prague and Budapest from Vienna.
DeleteGladly:
DeleteBUD is suspended, same as ZAG.
Only PRG is still flown (max. once a day) - but it is a much bigger city and much more important both economically and in a tourism sense, compared to ZAG.
I said it before and I will say it again. So much for the LH Group and their commitment to the region.
ReplyDeleteAnd what should they do? Fly empty planes so they can show commitment?
DeleteYou can say it 100 more times and that comment does not make any sense. It is normal to have LH group so dominant in this region. LH is the biggest group in the world, and very close to all west balkan countrie. Also there is alot of balkan diaspora in Germany/Switzerland/Austria, what do you expect, AF/KLM to dominate?
DeletePrecisely because of that I would not expect them to be suspending fights left and right in the region.
DeleteYou do understand the demand and loads have plummeted to almost nothing, which is why they are cancelling flights?
DeleteLH is doing one really unknowned system for people in this region, they are commited to a profit and not to the "national interests".
DeleteLast anon +1
DeleteMost Balkan inhabitants indeed dont seem to understand this principle.
And thats why devoloped coutries will only save their airlines during the global crisis while here we will do it on yearly basis or how much EU says it ok.
DeleteLol LH IS further cutting their network this winter and is about to request another bailout. Yeah they are so perfect. People always idolise everything German no matter what.
DeleteNot good.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing is they are coming back :)
Delete^ Fingers crossed
DeleteI find the headline of this article very misleading.
DeleteAustrian does not cancel ZAG. That would imply they won't fly to ZAG at all anymore when they will pause it temporarily for a part of fall and parts of late winter.
Yeah, like, they'll be flying for a few weeks.
DeleteI wonder if this glass is half empty or half full :) :) :)
Delete@13.41
DeleteYou should learn the meaning of the word suspended. It means exactly when the route is not canceled and will come back. Before complaining learn some English.
Goodbye to any chance them ever launching LJU.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there was a chance even before covid.
DeleteMaybe when / if Klagenfurt airport closes or if KLU is replaced by train eventually in couple of years once they open that long train tunnel.
DeleteWhat aircraft type does OS currently use to Zagreb?
ReplyDeleteEmbraers
DeleteOr Dash
DeleteThe Chrstmas/New Year flights will only operate if there is sufficient demand.
ReplyDeleteLike for all other flights it will mainly depend on Corona situation and entry and quarantine rules. This will determine the demand.
DeleteThankfully we have a national airline that will keep flying this route.
ReplyDeleteYou mean national airline which earns peanuts and is financed by its poor citizens, in order to feed other countrie's national airline which takes heavy cream and earns fat money to make living of its already rich citizens even better?
DeleteAll the ex-Yu carriers are maintained by the taxpayers and sweet subsidies with no exceptions.
Deleteand not only all ex-Yu carriers live on subsidies, there are much more airlines, all over the world, but others at least have decent network, or lower prices, or don't exclusively feed others, or don't take over routes in period of year when those routes are unprofitable, for company like that, I am not thankful, nor proud
DeleteIt's a good point. But having the taxpayer be charged for such an extensive network is not enough. When you charge, say 2% of the taxpayer, you must make sure they then have newer planes, competitive prices and fewer company parasites doing nothing. Just look at Alitalia or Aerolineas Argentinas to get an idea of what I am talking about.
Delete