Ryanair plans to grow Zagreb operations, station Boeing jet


Low cost carrier Ryanair has begun revising its 2022 summer schedule which will see it add frequencies on popular routes out of the Croatian capital. The airline has also tentatively scheduled the use of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft on a number of flights from Zagreb next year. At this point, Ryanair plans to increase its frequencies on nine routes. These include Charleroi and Bergamo, which will grow from four to five times per week, Gothenburg and Hahn from three to four rotations, as well as Basel, Malta, Memmingen, Paphos and Weeze, which will be increased from two to three weekly over the summer. The growth in frequencies will come into effect from March 31, with exception to the Gothenburg service, which will be increased from May.

Furthermore, the airline plans to base a Boeing 737-800 aircraft in the Croatian capital. It currently has two Airbus A320 jets stationed in the city, operated by its Lauda Europe subsidiary, with a third to arrive in December. Although the carrier’s website still does not reflect the equipment change, Ryanair’s inventory listing shows it will utilise a Boeing 737-800 from May 2, 2022 until the end of the summer season on a number of routes out of Zagreb. These include Memmingen, Stansted, Hahn, Gothenburg, Dortmund, Rome Ciampino, Weeze, Malmo, Baden Baden, Podgorica, Sandefjord and Beauvais. Changes remain possible at this early stage. Ryanair’s B737s have nine additional seats compared to Lauda’s 180-seat A320s. The airline previously indicated that, over time, it would begin using Boeing jets from the Croatian capital.

Talks between Ryanair and Zagreb Airport are currently underway over the stationing of a further two aircraft next summer, in addition to the three that will be based in the Croatian capital by the end of the year. “As many as ten Boeing 737-800s could eventually be based at Zagreb. We started with two aircraft. Zagreb is the capital city … and remember, when we arrive in certain cities, they become [passenger] destinations”, CEO, David O’Brien, said recently. Ryanair has noted it eventually plans to maintain between thirty and forty destinations out of Zagreb and handle two to three million passengers per year.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    Worst affected will be OU and the LH cartel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:03

      Well their service is about the same you get on Ryanair nowdays.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:19

      But they charge you ten times more. LH is feeling FR quite a bit. They already reduced ZAG to ten weekly on many weeks in November.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:21

      Sorry but that decrease probably has more to do with Croatia being put on Germany's list of high risk countries than because of Ryanair.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:46

      You could also argue that competition has a positive affect on OU if they decide to also take bold measure and adapt to new realities. But seeing as months have passed since FR came and OU has done nothing, I don't have high hopes.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:49

      I'm pretty sure OU will have a big network expansion next summer and then everyone will celebrate them again. But their focus should be about bringing their losses down.

      Delete
    6. LOL for OU big network expansion of @An.09.49 and respect and dubok naklon for @An.09.01 for calling OU and LH their real name - cartel. Couldn't be described better.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10:48

      Anon@9.49 - did you just land on planet Earth ? What big network expansion are you talking about ? They didn't do it when they had no competition and now suddenly they are going to out of nowhere, do it when they have never had such a competitive situation ?

      Please send some of those mushrooms that you have been chewing on my way ... I sure could do with some when I read and see before my eyes the slow and painful demise of OU

      Delete
    8. Anonymous19:08

      With five jets stationed in ZAG, FR is nearly the same size as OU in ZAG. OU must as soon as possible get new modern fleet!

      Delete
    9. Yes, new modern fleet will solve all of the problems they have, I 'm sure, it' s only about the fleet, nothing else, as soon as they get new fleet they will become Europe's number one, maybe even globally

      Delete
    10. Curb your sarkazam, bud, it will eat you dead!

      Delete
    11. And you bud, spare me of your concern and your advices, I will write whatever I want and think should be written and if you don't like it, just don't read it next time - otherwise you might be one to feel consequences of being that much upset by my posts

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:02

    This is great news. It means their loads and bookings are performing well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:08

      According to some sites their LF is in range 40-55%.

      And it is actually terrible.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:09

      That *site (not sites) was so wrong, they had to remove the article.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:18

      Even if it is not covid time, so many new routes need time to grow. Do not forget, they are operating just few months. Time be time, until next summer season, loads will increase by double.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:21

      It is hilarious that whenever anonymous users try to belittle Ryanair ops at ZAG, Ryanair announces new flights and frequencies :)))

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:02

      @anon 09:09

      You are right, it was site in singular, not sites.

      And that site claimed they were correct in the calcualtion with 40% of LF, but later on they showed new LF of 55% (so suddenly "improved") and that is the percentage I also do not believe is correct.

      However FR surely does not have satisfactory LF in ZAG and let's see how long they will be ready to burn their money in Zagreb.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:00

      They literally calculated LF. They took from this site an info that Ryanair has 14,2% of flights and said that is precentage of passengers. They didnt got that info from any source they just calcultated it and got number which is totally wrong.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous14:03

      @10.02 - I wouldn't be so worried abt how much money you think FR is prepared to burn in ZAG. I would suggest that their ability to do so is significantly greater and deeper than is OU's - so it is OU who you should be worried about as they are getting closer and closer to the end of the state aid mothers milk that they have been suckling on all these years.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous14:35

      I couldn't care less about OU.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:04

    Great news for ZAG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:06

      Not so much for Croatia Airlines

      Delete
    2. For the 14th time, no one cares at this point.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:57

      Uhljebs care

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:04

    Now might be the time for Croatia Airlines to activate BCG's grand revival plan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:11

      Or, more plausibly, start selecting a coffin.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:05

    So London, Bergamo and Charleroi are the best performing routes I assume based on their frequencies.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:06

    Which routes could we see with the extra two planes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:47

      Athens and Riga would be nice.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:52

      Berlin, which was operated by Eurowings before it decided to shut down its base there.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:40

      Maybe Ryanair could introduce Zagreb-Tirana

      Delete
    4. Stockholm
      Vilnius/Riga
      Edinburgh /Glasgow
      Berlin
      Bucharest
      Athens
      Barcelona /Valencia
      Tenerife/Las Palmas
      Marakesh/Agadir
      Amman/Aqaba

      Delete
    5. Prepelica10:44

      Billund please, so I can visit Legoland with my family :)

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:57

      You will have soon BLL with W6 from BEG :-)

      Delete
    7. Anonymous13:15

      Seriously Jordan? Croats don't travel within Europe let alone places like Aqaba. Good luck filling a 180 pax plane.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous14:15

      Im a Croat and as far i know people here travel and are interested in visiting more destinations.

      And who says Croats dont travel?

      Delete
    9. @An.13.15
      Jerusalem is 40 km from Amman. Few years ago, 4 planes, 150 seaters, took over 500 pilgrims, only from Islands of Krk and Cres, Krcka Biskupija, on charter flights to Jerusalem. Of course they landed in TLV, but much others can use individually AMM as well. Aqaba, with free border crossings to Egypt and Israel, and extremely low airport taxes, and Red Sea with winter average temperature of 23-24 degrees, is even better option. Jordan has much more Croatian visitors than you are aware of. Croatia even has diplomatic representation in Amman. And btw I write this from Amman and literally every second Jordanian I met knows someone from Croatia. Dubrovnik Airline operated charters to Aqaba from ZAG. So when I put Jordan destination along with Berlin and Stockholm, I did it for a reason and with a reason. And the same mantra was heard for, for example, Paphos from ZAG, who will fly it, it will be cut after first month of sales, and we have situation now that it's increasing frequency from two to three weekly. So yes, once again, I believe Jordan destination is very much possible.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:07

    Up to 10 aircraft in ZAG? Wow! They seem to be really committed. It would be interesting to see how Wizzair will react....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:09

      I've been waiting for their reaction too and I'm surprised they haven't done anything. As we found out a few days ago here, they had some plans for Ljubljana but Slovenian government didn't find reason enough to support them.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:14

      Anonymous 9:07, do they really have yo react at all? No they don't have to.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:54

      I prefer Ryan over Wizz because if it were Wizz in Zagreb they would just be serving 2 weekly flights to every destination and almost exclusively gasto routes. Maybe after 5 years they would consider adding some leisure or holiday destinations.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:10

    Are you sure that it was David O’Brien giving that statement but not Michael O'Leary ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:13

      He did several press conferences in Zagreb.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:14

      O'Brien I mean

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:14

    They are expanding so quickly from ZAG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:15

      There is actually a rumor that the airport told them to slow down because of Croatia Airlines (no joke).

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:17

      @9.14 it could be a tactic to kill OU quickly.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:18

      @9.15 knowing the airport management, it seems completely plausible.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:20

      Only shows that ZAG is starting to understand that they made a deal with the devil.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:25

      @ Anonymous 09:17
      I don't think they need to kill OU. It doesn't represent a big issue for them.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:31

      LCCs are ruthless

      Delete
    7. Anonymous09:33

      Anon @9.20 I agree. Ryanair did same to many other airports. They come everything js fine after a while others start leavimg and than they demand monney or they will leave. If you don't pay them enough they will go and you will be left with no routes... They did exactly this to Klagenfurt and now they have 2 daioy flights. Evwn tho zag is big airport and has hughe demand. Thus things can still happen.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:05

      I am not so sure about ZAG having so big demand.

      Let's not forget that they have fallen on 5th place in ex-Yu having BEG, SPU, PRN and SKP in front of them (and they used to be on second place).

      Delete
    9. Anonymous10:07

      ^ I think that mostly shows the passenger structure at Zagreb Airport, primarily foreigners and incoming tourists, since it was second until corona started. Once things start returning to normal they will be back to the same spot. Plus, Ryanair will hopefully help change that passenger structure and get locals flying more.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous11:03

      ZAG had 3.5 mil. passengers without LCCs in 2019. That said, demand is more then good in Zagreb.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous09:18

    Soon they are going to have more flights than OU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:41

      They will eventually cover the whole of Europe from ZAG.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:26

    I love that all of these Ryanair routes are year round

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous09:26

    What does this even mean? "And remember, when we arrive in certain cities, they become [passenger] destinations”?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:30

      It means they create demand where it did not exist before.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:05

      I hope they stimulate more locals to fly and have weekends in Europe.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:29

    Bravo Hrvatska!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My dear brainwashed friend! This should have happened 20 years ago, like in the rest of Europe. Do you really think "Bravo" fits to 20 wasted years?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous13:20

      Oh yeah, now we should all spit on Zagreb.

      Delete
    3. I am not spitting at ZAG. I am glad FR is happening. I was glad when ZAG was the strongest long haul airport in ex-yu. I was glad when new legacies were coming. I am spitting on wrong politics which has limited ZAG to grow for long years in order to protect OU, and the people who Bravo to it. I never said one bad word about ZAG and I never will. Sorry you can't understand that.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous09:33

    Good luck to ZAG and FR!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous09:36

    I'm still surprised at OU's passive response. As if nothing is happening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:44

      Why are you surprised?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:44

      What can they do?

      Delete
  16. Anonymous09:45

    How many passengers could Zagreb see next year with Ryanair and these increases?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:49

      It is hard to say. Before covid ZAG reached 3.5mil, so if pandemic will finish we can expect 5-6mil pax with FR and OU.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:58

      It is way too optimistic.

      Don't expect that all passengers flying with FR will be new passengers. There will be a lot of them which will just change airline and move from LH/AF/OU...to FR.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:09

      Yes, but in general, passenger numbers are increasing (or you think that same people are travelling every year). If we finally see that Australia and Asia will be open and free for flights like pre pandemic, it is sure they can reach 5-6 milion.

      Delete
    4. There won't be nothing like the pre-pandemic for years to come. I used to fly several times a year, but during the pandemic I flew once back to Croatia and once within the UK (only because I didn't have to do the tests or self-quarantine). So many people are put off from flying and that won't change until Covid stops filling up the front pages.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:20

      Agree with Frishki. Sad reality unfortunately.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:42

      That is if you count FR plans and OU best result ever... In reality OU will shrink and FR will take over some passengers.
      Yes, ZAG can have 5-6 mio, but not sooner than 3-5 years after pandemic ends.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous09:46

    C'mon where is bloody Berlin - Zagreb???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:50

      +1

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:21

      When will people realise Berlin only works from the coast.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:10

      Bullshit!
      Every German village could work from ZAG, but not BER. Come on.
      Or maybe Oslo, Malmo, Malta, Paphos... bigger demand than BER???

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:13

      It appears so as Berlin would have been launched by now.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous15:12

      Exactly.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous09:46

    Exciting times definitely coming for ZAG.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous09:47

    Will the B737 be the fourth aircraft or a replacement for one of the three A320s.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:08

      Anyone know which aircraft (registration) are currently based in ZAG?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:37

      They switch them around very frequently. Currently 9H-LAJ and 9H-LMT

      Delete
  20. Anonymous09:57

    I hope Ryanair starts getting those passenger numbers up and ZAG returning to top 3 busiest in ex-Yu soon.

    ReplyDelete
  21. FR needs to take another look at SKP!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:56

      Do you seriously think they can fill a 737 to SKP? It is already served by OU and 95% transfers.

      Delete
    2. I think they can fill 737 to SKP, few times weekly, with their prices. The other story is not being able to get incentives because of already existing route to SKP

      Delete
  22. Anonymous10:42

    This is all a good sign. It means they are performing well and are satisfied with ZAG.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous10:44

    Would be interesting also to analyze how many passengers from Ljubljana is Ryanair attracting in Zagreb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:57

      not that many i would say ... treviso is still better option (cheaper, more destinations and schengen).

      Delete
    2. Why just Ljubljana ? Maribor, Novo Mesto, Celje, Krsko, Murska Sobota, Metlika, Kocevje, Ptuj, all closer to ZAG than LJU is. People from entire Slovenia using the best options to travel, and that sometimes include croatian airports. Numerous plates LJ, KP, PO and others I see often at RJK, so probably the share of SLO passengers for FR in ZAG is if not significant, at least decent. The same as share of croatian passengers used to be in LJU before everything went downhills. I personally used LJU at least ten times to fly out or in.

      Delete
    3. @An.10.57
      Yes, for someone from Maribor or Novo Mesto Treviso is definitely better option ☺Agree for Koper, Nova Gorica, Ljubljana, Kranj, Primorska pa Gorenjska, but definitely not whole of SLO. And non-shengen situation is just about to end

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:16

      Slovenes go to TRS, VCE, TSF, ZAG, GRZ, VIE, BTS and even MUC or MXP to travel from there. This number of passengers is huge and big loss for LJU and MBX.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous16:02

      well i always check Ryanair from Zagreb but with current frequency its nearly impossible to fly on dates i want. so i always check also treviso or in some cases even bergamo where frequencies are daily or double daily. im not saying they are not using it, im just saying its not that big at the moment probably. well schengen is still here and im sure it will stay here for a while ... and most of ppl prefer flying within schengen than outside.

      "Agree for Koper, Nova Gorica, Ljubljana, Kranj, Primorska pa Gorenjska" - u just literally named 3/4 of slovenia hehe. for maribor vienna is quite close (just one hour difference between ZG and Vienna if you cross boarder without any problem).

      I wanted to fly direct from Zagreb to Manchester with FR but its 100€ there and back. With Lufthansa from LJ was 160€. Easy decision.

      Anyway, i think to attract more slovenians they will need to add more frequencies, more destinations and be significantly cheaper from other options. For example - why would you fly to Malta from Zagreb if you can fly from Trieste (same price, nearly same timetable and even closer to most of the cities (yes not to NM and MB) - no need to wait at the boarder crossing in SLO/CRO, at boarder at ZG airport and Malta Airport etc.

      Delete
    6. Have no intention to quarell. But you just need to come to ZAG parking and take a look at plates. Like half Slovenian. Which is definitely not "not that many I would say". And I never said that passengers from SLO use ZAG more than Trieste/Treviso /Venezia, of course not, the offer there, especially VCE is something ZAG will probably never catch up with. I said passengers from SLO used ZAG in big numbers even before collapse of JP and arrival of FR, and now they use it even more, and with more planes and more flights will use it even more, precisely as I said, in decent numbers. But fortunately not all of your countrymen, not even majority, share your opinions and attitude😃

      Delete
    7. Anonymous19:45

      If Croatia joins Schengen, ZAG and LJU can basically juggle and exchange their passengers. For example, Liege and Maastricht airports or Luxemburg and Hahn, Vienna and Bratislava etc etc.
      Zagreb can become an alternative airport for Ljubljana and sometimes vice versa if it's cheaper to Ljubljana. It's all a matter of time....

      Delete
    8. Your if is just around the corner, it will be here much sooner than you wish for ☺

      Delete
    9. Actually if there were no blackmails and barriers from Slovenian side (speaking about politicians, not my normal people Slovenian friends), HR was supposed to be first in EU, and than Schengen, long long ago, but let's leave it for some other forums, not aviation one. Btw comparing VIE/BTS which are 40 km away and LJU/ZAG with 200? Really? Zagreb can become alternative airport for Ljubljana, sometimes vice versa? What you believe Ljubljana is? London? Are you Josko Joras? Or you just share same superiority complexes?

      Delete
    10. Just one more note : interesting mathematics in which Primorska and Gorenjska make three quarters, and Dolenjska, Notranjska, Stajerska, Prekmurje in Bela Krajina one quarter of Slovenia

      Delete
  24. notLufthansa12:03

    ZAG should pay attention to what FR is doing...for now, they are doing it for them, but if this cancer (yes, I understand FR business model as cancer) spreads too much, they will be working to them, i.e. they will learn what IKAE business model looks like. There should be some healthy mix between LC and others, since LC are working on principles of locus fleet - low price is brought by sheer quanitiy of flights and passengers. And like locus, they are not good for the planet. They might be for travelers with low income, and yes, there should be airliners which offer low fares, but I'm afraid that the "freedom" to fly to every village in the world is doing extensive damage to our planet. Unrestricted traveling became a human right in its own twisted way. Not that "old" system was any better - when travel was privilege of the rich....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:25

      While your argument is true to some extent, don't forget that LCCs tend to operate extremely young fleets with high load factors, so average environmental impact per passenger is actually lower than that of a "legacy" airline operating a legacy (in true sense) aircraft with a much lower LF.

      Delete
    2. I don't see ZAG having doom & gloom future turning into FR "property" only. Once covid scam is over, see more long-haul companies coming, and those already have been operated and stopped, restarting. Also see at least the same level of legacies remaining in ZAG, and some of them increasing traffic. Even if OU goes bust, others will take over. ZAG market is too big and to diverse to be limited to FR and the likes only. It hasn't grown enough so far only and only because of inertness of OU and protection measures applied in OU favour. And I absolutely disagree with your description of LCC'S as "for travellers with lower income". It is absolutely not the case. I would rather say it's for travellers who use their brains in travelling and simply don't want to be ripped off flying P2P and made fools, as long as they have a choice. For the well being of the Planet - yes, aviation generally is harming the environment, but is not the biggest damage producer, and especially LCC'S which generally fly newer planes which make less carbon dioxide emissions. And I am not LCC fanboy, on the contrary, I do think they contributed to kind of prostitution of civil aviation, especially for people employed in industry, but at the same time trying to be as much objective and do not accuse them for stuff they actually do better than "legacies"

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:19

      pozdrav iz rijeke....covid scam...ofcourse, blame everything on OU and covid scam...everything is crystal clear

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:51

      'covid scam'???
      Please stick to thrashing OU.

      Delete
    5. Yes, Covid scam. Regrettably, a lot of folks don’t get it.

      Delete
    6. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  25. Anonymous19:38

    Will Lauda crew be converted onto B737 or will FR pilots be transferred to ZAG.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous19:40

    ZAG finally positioned itself as an EU city with more and more LCC connections to Europe. The OU market share should normally be reduced allowing Croats and foreigners to travel more affordably. Enough of old fashioned flag carrier protectionism.
    Well done, Ryanair. Thanks to you so many regional airports boomed such as Charleroi, Memmingen, Oradea, Vilnius, Bratislava and the list can go on.
    Should Ryanair position 10 aircraft, it has all the chances of becoming ex-Yu's airport number 1.
    Good luck!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If only. But not really likely to happen. In order to be ex-yu number one, ZAG needs to have 10 FR planes based, that I agree, but strong flag carrier as well, with proper hub, triple bigger network and significant transfer traffic. Only LCC or only transfer, cannot make it number 1, especially if BEG continues developing in this pace. Chances for ZAG to become ex yu number one existed some 10-15 years ago, when Jat Airways was almost non-functional, Malev went bankrupt, BEG was at record low numbers, LCC'S were barely present in the region, Aegean was much smaller, not all EU restriction were in force, and tourism in Croatia starting rebooming. It was the time to make ZAG gateway to Southeastern Europe. Now, in this circumstances, and with flag carrier as OU, chances are next to zero.

      Delete
  27. bullshit lines, only for gastarbajters

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. London, Manchester, Rome, Milano, Paris,Brussels, Malaga, Malta, Paphos, Sofia, Podgorica are not gasto flights. Dublin, Eindhoven and Gothenborg are semi gasto, and only Karlsruhe, Weeze and Memmingen could be considered fully or almost fully gasto flights. And getting any new flights, by any airline, in this situation today cannot be BS. And it never ever even slipped my mind to call any new route from any of the ex-yu airport "bullshit line". But obviously not all of us are here for the aviation, unfortunatelly.

      Delete
  28. Do anybody have a clue, why Wizz Air hasn't started building a base in ZAG or even flying there?

    ReplyDelete

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