The United States was Zagreb Airport’s top unserved market during the last normal year for commercial aviation in 2019, while New York was the Croatian capital’s busiest unserved route over the past two years. Almost 29.000 people either originated or departed between Zagreb and New York City’s airports in 2019, according to global data provider OAG, with Chicago following as the third busiest unserved destination. London Heathrow was used as the primary point for transfers between New York and Zagreb, from which passengers connected onto a range of airlines. It was followed by Munich and Frankfurt. However, overall, it was Lufthansa that was the single most used carrier for flights between Zagreb and the Big Apple, with 19% of travellers opting to journey with the German carrier for at least one segment of their trip.
Thanks to its close cooperation with Lufthansa, as well as a wide-ranging codeshare agreement with United from points in Europe, Croatia Airlines also profited from indirect traffic to New York. It was the second largest feeder carrier on the transatlantic service. Air Serbia, which is the only national carrier in the immediate region to maintain flights to the largest city in the States, transported 5% of Zagreb’s arriving or departing passengers on the New York route in 2019 placing it among the top five feeder carriers. However, its share declined dramatically in the pandemic stricken 2020, positioning itself in ninth position, while Lufthansa managed to increase its overall share.
Zagreb was likely to see its first nonstop flights to the United States after almost two decades in either 2020 or 2021. Croatia’s former Minister for Tourism, Gari Capelli, announced the service for 2020. Two years ago, he said, "Following the arrangement with American Airlines between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik this summer, which will act as a trial run, we are already in advanced talks for the introduction of a nonstop service from New York to Zagreb. I hope that we will have this route operational next summer". Fast forward to 2021, and there is an ongoing global pandemic, American has terminated its Dubrovnik service and Mr Capelli is no longer member of the government.
Top five busiest USA - Zagreb routes in 2019
If you would like to find out the full list of the busiest unserved routes from Zagreb, of which two of the top five are in the United States, two in Asia and one in Europe, subscribe for this week’s EX-YU Aviation Premium Newsletter here.
Comments
Air France, Austrian?
EZE-ZAG may work out 3 weekly.
"busiest unserved routes from Zagreb, of which two of the top five are in the United States, two in Asia and one in Europe"
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/02/china-becomes-belgrades-top-unserved.html
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".
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2020/11/air-serbia-tops-new-york-jfk-load-factor.html
"Croatia Airlines also profited from indirect traffic to New York. It was the second largest feeder carrier on the transatlantic service"
The JU230/231 rotations work well in both directions 3 days a week, with immediate connections (roughly 1-2 hours).
The JU234/235 rotations give several hours (7-10) connecting time in BEG.
With A321XLR it could be daily 01.06.-30.09., 4-5 weekly for the remaining period of summer timetable, and 2-3 weekly during winter timetable. That being the most conservative numbers within existing regional network, providing codeshares with US partner on connecting flights from /to NYC, within or out of alliance. If regional network, and when I say regional I don't mean ex-yu only, would grow with good connecting times, these numbers could be doubled, or another North American destination(s) introduced. And imagine another one 321XLR operating daily to BOM/DEL, and combination of 30.000 Indian tourists yearly to Croatia, plus transfers to North America and Western Europe. Extremely competitive aircraft which could be ideal for the services in configuration of 24-30 premium and 150-160 economy. But that will never happen, with formal excuse that "aircraft are too expensive to acquire", and with real reason of corrupted government and corrupted management, both accepting feeder role for OU in exchange for other kind of material and other benefits, and glorifying membership (read:feeder role) in star alliance, which cost much more than clever investment in its own development and growth strategy. Corona time being perfect for that, but as I said, not gonna happen
@An.09.11
Not only LJU, entire Slovenia, plus Istria and Rijeka /Kvarner, where every second house literally has somebody living in NewYork/New Jersey, and something like 70 % of those using VCE for its NA flights
Absolutely agree both needed but not see it happening with people controlling life in Croatia
Are you sure it's unrealistic? If you count the numbers of 5 US cities from ZAG only, from the table above on the article, it is 72.000. Now those passengers travel via MUC, FRA, VIE, ZRH, LON, AMS, BRU, BEG.... They could be flying via NYC. Not to mention passengers from DBV and SPU to NYC which could also fly via ZAG instead other European airports. Not to mention passengers from SJJ, SKP and other ex-yu destinations, who now use other cities to transfer to NYC as well. Not to mention passengers from Slovenia and Istria which are, belive me, not few, and now using VCE for direct flights to NYC. Not to mention the possibilities if regional network would be extended. So, no, it is not unrealistic, on the contrary
With StarAlliance partners LX, OS, LO and LH strongly against direct flights to protect their transfer options, it is very unlikely OU will have financial and other support to start NYC after Covid.
AA is in deep financial trouble due to Covid and there is zero evidence they would be interested in starting ZAG for years *if they survive at all.
Meanwhile, ZAG has a lot to do in other departments with respect to its connectivity.
Also, something to think about is a strong anti LCC and pro train travel campaign in Europe due to climate change among other things.
you make the same error again and again. Flying to NYC does not mean flying to ORD, MIA, LAX etc. United Airlines, a star alliance member, would have no interest whatsover to take a pax that flew on OU to NYC further to ORD, MIA, LAX etc. United prefers to take a star alliance pax from ORD, MIA, LAX etc. to FRA and then on LH to ZAG. As simple as that. Why would they prefer flying somebody MIA to NYC and leave the bigger part of the route (NYC-ZAG) to OU, if they can fly this pax MIA to FRA on their own metal or on LH (a joint venture partner) and earn more?
The same is with JU. NYC is a dead end for them, just the same as it would be for OU. Couple of days before some fanboy replied to me that they have many transfers onwards. Oh, boy. People replace their dreams with reality.
Serbia is a bigger market from the US than Croatia is. These numbers prove it.
Air Serbia has an extensive and growing network, OU doesn't. You can't make these flights work only with the coast, you need a much larger volume like JU gets from ATH, SKG, TIA, TGD, TIV...
In the end, there is a business case for A3. I just can't see it for OU. I mean, maybe first they should try to make BER and DUS work.
Also, by that logic, how much would BEG-JFK be if we also added passengers to ORD, MIA, LAX... and so on. It doesn't work like that.
Croatia Airlines failed in many gasto heavy destinations. What makes people think they would be successful here? Don't forget that OU is in a horrible financial state and they are in no position to enter the long-haul market.
p.s. we saw from JU's experience that transfers from SKP and SJJ are not enough. You need a much wider network.
Demand is simply limited. OU is going bankrupt. They are not interested in anything but feeding LH and they don't have the imagination for an adventure like this one. If the market from ZAG was that big then someone would have jumped at it by now. AA chose DBV for a reason.