Azur Air plans new widebody Zagreb service


Russian leisure carrier Azur Air plans to introduce a new one weekly service between Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport and Zagreb this summer, to be operated with a 336-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft. Based on the filed schedule, flights would depart the Russian capital each Friday at 09.00 in the morning, arriving in Zagreb at 11.00. The return service would depart at 13.00 and touch down in Moscow at 16.50 local time. An exact date for the launch is yet to be set and the airline still reserves the right to cancel the planned service. However, flights are expected to commence by the end of June.

Azur Air would become the third carrier to maintain flights between Moscow and Zagreb, following Aeroflot and Nordwind Airlines, the latter introducing operations just last month. It is not the first time Azur Air has planned to serve Zagreb. In 2019 the airline filed for and was approved a permit to maintain flights to the Croatian capital but ultimately decided against launching the service. Azur Air boasts a fleet of over thirty Boeing aircraft. Its B767-300 jets are in an all-economy class layout. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, just over 60.000 passengers per year flew between Zagreb and Moscow. In 2020, flights between the two capital cities were only operated until early March.

Zagreb - Moscow route performance by year


Commenting on the nature of the Russian market, Dario Guljelmović, from the Uniline travel company, said, "The Russian market is huge, and we really recognise its great potential. It is specific in that it doesn't actually include the middle class, unlike western markets. When it comes to Russia, they're either extremely high paying guests, or the total opposite. The biggest obstacle for strengthening cooperation with Russian partners is the current visa regime. With Croatia’s entry into the European Union, guests from Russia require a visa to enter the country”. He added, “We can see great potential on the Russian market and we're working intensively on this. Russians, just like the Croats, prefer to book late”.


Comments

  1. Anonymous09:05

    Another missed opportunity for Croatia Airlines

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:55

      Exactly. Did OU ever fly to Moscow?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:46

      I think they did way, way back. At that time ex-YU airlines had a decent presence in Moscow: JU, OU, JP and YM.
      Today only one is left. The market is served by foreigners mostly.

      Delete
    3. 1993-1997, 2 weekly, ZAG-SVO. At that time, they flew to destinations they don't operate today - Budapest, Berlin, Stuttgart, Madrid, Istanbul as well. After 1997, all important markets were handed to Mutti to take care of, European and distant

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:58

      Do you know what plane and what frequencies they had to BUD and MOW?

      Delete
    5. For SVO, I already wrote frequency, twice weekly, B737. BUD was operated from both ZAG and RJK, twice weekly each, ATR 42

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:05

    Why are all these Russian airlines launching just 1 weekly flight to all markets?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:09

      Im surprised they are not launching flights to Slovenia. LJU just sleeping, as always.

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    2. Anonymous10:17

      Ljubljana has 3 weekly flights to Moscow with Aeroflot (3/5/7).

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:37

      LJU started with one weekly but loads were good so it went to 3.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:27

      It was also upgraded from ssj100 to a320

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:59

      LJU always performed well for SU. Remember how JP struggled with their CRJ and then when SU came they only kept on adding and adding flights.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:07

    Before covid there were on average 82 passengers per day flying between ZAG and MOW which also includes transfers SU was carrying. Market isn't that big so let's hope Azur stimulates demand.

    What's interesting is that ZAG numbers fell in 2019 as SU kept on adding more and more flights to LJU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:15

      It decreased by just over a 100 passengers... That's one flight less

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    2. Anonymous09:27

      Growth was stopped when SU started adding LJU flights, that's the point.

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    3. Anonymous10:38

      Only shows how incompetent LJU management is because of the large number of Slovenes who do not fly from their home airport.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:12

    336 seats on a B767. Ouch

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:16

      Cabin doesn't look bad

      https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/5/40973_1528222595.jpg

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:38

      Cabin isn't bad until you experience the seatpitch.

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    3. I agree it is not very comfortable for long flights but somehow two and a half hours between Moscow and Zagreb is something I wouldn't be so worried about - it is survivable

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    4. 336 in B767-300 is still way more comfortable than 200 in B737Max that will Ryanair operate.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous23:05

      Actually Ryanair is basing Lauda A320s.

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  5. Anonymous09:15

    Great news. Azur flies a few coastal flights to Croatia too.

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  6. Anonymous09:51

    In the end someone will launch St Petersburg too so there will be no need for OU too restore that route.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:52

    What is the average return fare between Mosciw and ZAG?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:54

      *moscow

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    2. Anonymous10:05

      SU is around €250 on average.

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    3. Anonymous11:04

      That's not bad

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    4. Anonymous23:14

      What about Nordwind. Are their fares lower?

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  8. Anonymous09:52

    Let's hope it launches.

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  9. Anonymous09:52

    Well done ZAG

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:54

    Croatia its becoming a popular choice for Russians because it is one of the few European markets they can enter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:06

      Same with Serbia.

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    2. Anonymous11:03

      I think SRB was popular before too based on tourism arrivals.

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    3. Anonymous12:07

      No visas for Russians to enter Serba, so it's quite normal. Very few if any countries in Europe have visa-free regime with Russia.....

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    4. Anonymous12:30

      Good for Serbia!

      Delete
  11. Anonymous11:02

    How do the Moscow airports compare? Which one is closest to the city?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:36

      I think Sheremetyevo is the closest to the city.

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    2. Anonymous14:23

      Vnukovo.

      SVO is plagued by huge traffic jams.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous23:19

      VKO is 28km from the city
      SVO 29km from the city

      So pretty much the same.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous11:29

    I do not understand this type of comments from Tourist organization "there are only two types of Russians - filthy rich and damn poor".
    That is so not correct, especially for Moscow and St. Petersburg.
    Those two towns have HUGE middle class (you know those type - driving Benz, drinking Starbucks, going to pilates, going vegan). They are key performers for any proper tourist place. Just look at BEG! Most of their arrivals are middle class from Russia. They so not care so much if they can buy Dolce or stay at Waldorf, they are just "well done" :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:02

      It was a comment from the tour operator, not the tourist organisation.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:14

      Because Russia, similar to Brazil has either the quite rich in the capital and the pretty poor in its province. Especially now, with the tumble of the rouble, there are more poor people. Russia is not Russia of the rich as the elite already emigrated to Germany or USA. The country relies on migrants from Belarus and ex-USSR republics. Plus, the country is basically Moscow and Petersburg.
      Finally, Croatia is a prestigious and expensive destination for them especially its coast, where traditionally we see more Americans and richer tourists.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:26

      Oh no, there is no prestige in all-economy class 767! Zagreb wants be a prestigious airport with prestigious airlines.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous16:51

      He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was also going crazy about a certain prestigious airline - we know how that ended.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous12:32

    Another missed opportunity for OU. They should have launched two weekly DME on the Q400 and then slowly to increase it to daily A319. From those numbers in the text we can see that ZAG-MOW is one of the biggest markets to Moscow from ex-YU. In stead OU would rather fly half empty Q400s to FRA to feed LH.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:59

      ZAG-MOW one of the biggest markets? Are you sure?

      In 2019

      TIV - MOW (all airports) - 631,561
      BEG - MOW (only Sheremetyevo) - 329,543
      LJU - MOW - 75,941

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:24

      Interesting numbers, I expected there to be more passengers between BEG and SVO.

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    3. Anonymous13:26

      It's the single busiest route from SVO to ex-Yu.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous23:13

      You expected more than 330,000 passengers after claiming Zagreb is one of the biggest markets from Moscow in ex-Yu when in fact it is the smallest. Ok...

      Delete
  14. Anonymous13:05

    Why do they plan to fly to Zagrab and not Dubrovnik?

    Stupid.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why some people think Croatia has only sea to offer to tourists? Or think flying tourists to Ljubljana or Belgrade or Skopje is OK, it's not stupid, but flying them to Zagreb is stupid. And what about castles, spas and prehistory museum in Zagorje, fishing and hunting in Lika and Gorski Kotar, food and wine in Slavonija, World famous Plitvice national park, city of Zagreb itself, Opatija with its climate, parks and history which is only 2 hours drive as well. This entire aerea has a lot to offer and it is definitely not stupid to fly there instead to DBV, which is in peak season and normal circumstances so and so congested and overpriced

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    2. Anonymous17:53

      I'm sure the average Russian tourists know something about those Croatian 'jewels'.

      They can also fly as well to Split.

      Maybe fuel is cheaper to fly to ZAG.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous17:58

    Let's see if these happen in the end.

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  16. Anonymous22:57

    Hope they start bit not holding my breath. They announce they would fly in 2019 but nothing happened.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous23:12

      They still haven't started selling tickets.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous23:15

    Anyone ever flown with them?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous23:21

      They are a Russian charter airline. I don't think many people other than Russians or those living in Russia have had a chance to fly with them.

      Delete