Low cost carrier Ryanair has begun its latest round of expansion from its base in Zagreb by stationing a third Airbus A320 aircraft from its subsidiary Lauda Europe and commencing the first of its nine new routes. The carrier is inaugurating operations from the Croatian capital to Malaga today, followed by Manchester, Dublin, and Thessaloniki tomorrow, Paphos, Eindhoven and Basel on Friday, as well as Malta on Saturday. In addition, services to Naples will commence on December 17. The budget airline, now Zagreb’s second largest carrier behind only Croatia Airlines, will also add frequencies on a number of routes for the Christmas and New Year holiday period, from mid-December until early January. These include the new service to the Irish capital, which will be increased from three to four per week, flights to Gothenburg which will grow from three to six per week, as well as services to Malaga, Sandefjord and Malmo, which will be increased from two to three weekly rotations.
Ryanair will not have direct competition on any of its new routes, with exception to Dublin, which is also served by Croatia Airlines. The low cost carrier will provide capacity on busy unserved routes and open up nonstop flights from Zagreb to two new markets which are currently unserved - Malta and Cyprus. Out of the nine new routes to be introduced this month, Manchester is among Zagreb’s busiest currently lacking nonstop flights. Based on OAG data, in the pre-pandemic 2019, it was the fourth busiest unserved European destination from the Croatian capital with 8.825 indirect passengers travelling on a single itinerary. On the other hand, Ryanair primarily serves Cyprus through Paphos Airport rather than the country’s main gateway of Larnaca. In 2019, Larnaca was Zagreb Airport’s tenth busiest unserved route in Europe with 6.017 indirect travellers. Prior to the pandemic, a total of 3.989 passengers flew indirectly between Zagreb and Malta, followed closely by Malaga with 3.577 indirect travellers. Thessaloniki saw 3.350 passengers on connecting flights to and from Zagreb, while there was a total of 2.114 indirect travellers to Italy’s third largest city of Naples.
Ryanair is planning further growth from Zagreb next year. The airline has already increased planned frequencies on a number of routes for the 2022 summer season. 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. Talks between Ryanair and Zagreb Airport are currently underway over the stationing of a further two aircraft next summer, in addition to the existing three. “We are not focusing on routes covered by Croatia Airlines but those that are not served from Zagreb. We plan on carrying over ten million passengers in cooperation with Zagreb Airport over the next five to six years”, the company’s Group CEO, Michael O'Leary, said. Ryanair bases that remain unserved from Zagreb but have a high volume of indirect traffic with the Croatian capital, include Porto, Riga, Vilnius, Bologna, Krakow and Stockholm, all of which could be potentially added to its network as it looks to have up to ten jets stationed in the Croatian capital.
And just like that, Croatia Airlines officially became obsolete.
ReplyDeleteRIP
With 5 jets stationed at ZAG they are similar size to OU at ZAG.
DeleteYou mean in terms of the number of seats they offer? Anyone know how many active planes does OU have right now? Are all of their Airbuses in service now or have they stored some of them?
DeleteAll Airbuses are in service, apart from CTJ which is being returned to the Lease cpany.
DeleteWith a220's on way or embraer e2 series Croatia Airlines will show it's strength and expand beyond just Croatia but other European markets. RIP them as much as you want but they are European market leaders!
DeleteAnon14.45
DeleteThank you. Is it being replaced by another aircraft?
Show me the money :-)
DeleteThis should be fun to watch !!
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad Ryanair has launched routes which are not pure gasto and seem to be targeting leisure demand like Paphos, Malaga and Naples. Hope all routes succeed.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that both TGD and SOF are obviously still operating in winter, even during the pandemic.
ReplyDeleteI think they have to keep those destinations because of subsidies and discounts. According to charts, their LF in ZAG was around 40% which is unsustainable without some friend from the side.
DeleteWhich charts?
DeleteThat LF was at the beginning of operations, now it is increased on many routes.
DeleteWe'll have to wait for the numbers last Anon
DeleteCame from Bergamo a week ago. Plane was FULL up to the last seat. There was security issue with passengers on Charleroi flight few days ago. It was reported 160 passengers. Sounds way more than 40 %. And it's winter. And everything just started. So please cut subsidies and discounts mantra
DeleteFew friends flew some of the routes and they said the load factor was about half on all flights.
DeleteIf you have any clue about the aviation you will know that LF is not something that airlines are looking for. Yield!!! And yield is really bad!!!!!
DeleteSo bad they are increasing frequencies!
DeleteCome on, give our friends some rest. Yes Ryanair flights are completely empty, but the company keeps on increasing flights because the government and airport illegally pay billions of euros to Ryanair to fly, just to annoy others.
DeleteTGD LF 68%(oct21)
DeleteThat's not so bad in late October on a 737.
DeleteMalaga is the most interesting addition to me. I hope it works out but a bit odd to start it in the dead of winter.
ReplyDeleteMálaga will be a very successful route. I'm inaugurating it today, I'll be a passenger in the flight Málaga-Zagreb, I hope I get a piece of cake :D
DeleteHave a nice flight and let us know the load :)
DeleteHvala! For now the seat map looks good, and still it's +7 hours until the flight hour, so probably it will be >90%.
DeleteDo a trip report :D
DeleteHaha, I'm too lazy to make a trip report, but I can say that the load was really good, as I said, around 90%, so all ok!!! I hope Ryanair increases frequencies!!!
DeleteZAG is finally going to be connected to many European markets.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Zagreb finally getting some much needed routes ignored by Croatia Airlines for years. Well done.
DeleteI really honestly wonder why Croatia Airlines never expanded its route network more significantly and seemed to be focused on central Europe most of the time.
DeleteMany of these routes could have been introduced by Croatia Airlines.
ReplyDeleteThey could have at least done SKG with Dash.
DeleteI have doubts about this.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all it is known that people from Croatia do not travel so much to other leisure destinations as they have their own coast.
Second, they will surely not fly so much to other coast destinations in the middle of winter.
Third, we have now pandemic and there are alot of restrictions in international air traffic.
So, putting all together this Ryanair expansion looks to me like soap bubble which will will not last for a long time except in the case that FR gets a lot of money from "udruzeno oglasavanje" fund. In that case it would all make sense.
Could you provide some info or source about how much money FR gets from "udruzeno oglasavanje"
DeleteI would add that it's odd that almost everyone in ex yu is cutting but they are growing. Makes no sense
DeletePeople from Croatia do travel, and now finally have opportunity to fly from ZAG with normal prices. Alot of routes significantly increased pax numbers, even it is winter in pandemic. Do not forget, FR operating flights just for few months.
DeleteWell, they would not be the first and obviously not the last airline that would receive the money from this fund.
DeleteBut, despite it I did not claim they do receive this money. I just said that it would be the only logical explanation.
@Anon 09:32
Delete"Alot of routes significantly increased pax numbers, even it is winter in pandemic"
Any source or just pure wishes? Just a month or two ago they had something like 40% LF.
Again I'm asking you from what did you make up the 40% LF?
DeleteGoogle is your friend.
DeleteI searched on google and there is no article or indication that they have 40% LF. So you made it up.
DeleteHe is basing it on a phony article on another site that misinterpreted information of SEAT CAPACITY share on this site as load factor. That site had to actually pull the article because they realized eventually that they copied the information wrongly. I'm sure anon is aware of all that but is playing dumb because it makes him feel better.
DeleteIt was suddenly increased to magnificient just a month ago 55% :)
Delete"Ta informacija mi je data na jednom kongresu u petak, data je od istinski relevantnog izvora. No, kako nije data službeno nisam je nigdje ni objavio. Niti ću.
Jel 55% loše. Naravno da je. Jel takav LF sada Ryanair ima i drugdje? Ima, u Banja Luci i Nišu npr."
55% LF is terrible for ULCC even in these difficult times.
And guess what? Google found this result. So google made it up 🤣
Yeah your source is Purger in the comments section of his site who wrongly misinterpreted seat capacity share from this site and publishes wrong information on a regular basis. Good one.
DeleteSo, we agreed that google made it up, right? 🤣
DeleteIt seems you are playing dump as it has been clearly indicated this piece of information was given by relevant source and has nothing to do with seat calculation.
But, hey why would bother reading anything if you already have your version? It could just destroy the picture you have in your had.
No Purger made it up. You obviously don't understand what Google is used for.
DeleteYes, I'm sure in his "relevant" sources. The same person that had to take down an article about load factors after misinterpreting information.
BTW information he also claimed was from a "relevant source" but had to take down when everyone else realized how he came up with the numbers.
DeleteProbably I don't know how to use google as you were the one who found it. 😂
DeleteYou are wrong again. It seems you really don't get it or you don't want to get it. The result is the same.
First LF was given based on calculation and second based on the information from relevant source. So try not to mix it up. And 55% was never taken down.
Yes, the article was taken down. But you and Purger are probably right. Airline is flying empty and adding flights so it can be even more empty. Enjoy your delusion.
DeleteWhy are you all engaging in this conversation? He's throwing the bone and you're all running after it.
DeleteInteresting that Manchester is the busiest out of the lot.
ReplyDeleteWould be interesting also to analyze the demand from Ljubljana to these places as I'm sure they will contribute to Ryanair's flights.
ReplyDeleteMalaga and Naples will be full of Slovenian holidaymakers
DeleteAnyone know the load for today's Malaga flight?
ReplyDeleteDoes Ryanair frequently change the aircraft that is based in Zagreb or there is a particular aircraft that is only allocated to ZAG?
ReplyDeleteAircraft are rotated around for operational requirements. Having specific aircraft registration in each base would be a planning nightmare.
DeleteAs these guys grow, they will watch every step that OU and the Govt make. Anything that even remotely smells of state aid or govt support and they will be all over it. I fear that the tide has finally changed and the ways of old (govt support wise) are now done and dusted - which means no more govt support, no more govt guarantees - nada.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Croatia Airlines never considered Thessaloniki or Cyprus.
ReplyDeleteYou can't? Most of us can.
DeleteA new era for Zagreb. Thanks FR
ReplyDeleteNew era for ZAG but also for Croatia Airlines. Unfortunately for them don't think it will be so good.
DeleteTheir pace of growth from ZAG has been amazing
ReplyDeleteThey will cover whole of Europe
DeleteGood to see they have a mix of gasto and tourist routes.
ReplyDeleteAll these routes will take a way a lot of passengers from Croatia Airlines, particularly on their feeder German routes.
ReplyDeleteAgree.
DeleteSo it took them 6 months to introduce leisure destinations to the market highly focused on domestic tourism and launch some out-of-box destinations which they will develop, not just take over from some other carrier. I hope Wizz will show this level of enthusiasm and commitment somewhere in the region.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteWhat other destinations could we see Ryanair add in the future? Next summer for example.
ReplyDeleteHope they will consider Athens
DeletePerhaps Lisbon, Porto, Athens, Stockholm, Riga, Tallinn
DeleteMaybe even some other destinations of the Spanish Canary Islands like Gran Canaria or Tenerife.
They will not add Athens (sadly) because Croatia and Aegean are in this market .
DeleteStill waiting for OU to respond...
ReplyDeleteWe will be waiting for a while.
DeleteInteresting to see these numbers. Didn't expect to be that much demand for Thessaloniki. Wishing them good luck on the new routes.
ReplyDeleteI love that all of these Ryanair routes are year round
ReplyDeleteGreat, this will generate a new type of passengers and will definitely mean a lot of passenger growth for ZAG.
ReplyDeleteFantastic news for Zagreb
ReplyDeleteI'm uncertain about the success of some of these routes. Malaga, Naples, Paphos... not sure.
ReplyDeleteMalaga must be performing well because they are adding frequencies like the article says!
DeleteJust temporarily for holiday season.
DeleteI am curious to know if anyone can tell me if and how, OU has responded / reacted to any of this ?
ReplyDeleteThey have responded by playing PR games with new aircraft orders that will never come. Meanwhile, Ryanair has conquered the market.
Delete:(
DeleteI really don't understand why they added Thessaloniki and not Athens which is currently without a year-round service to Zagreb when the demand for Athens is obviously bigger than the demand for Thessaloniki .
ReplyDeleteBecause they wouldn't have gotten subsidies from Zagreb Airport if they added Athens. They need to add routes that have not been served from Zagreb for at least 2 years to get money for it.
DeleteHow long are these subsidies valid?
DeleteNow it would be interesting to see which airlines were primarily used to reach these new destinations from/to Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming LH was used for many.
DeleteAlong with OU which transported them to Germany first.
DeleteFrom Manchester the Lufthansa group will be the biggest loser, they always had the cheapest tickets.
DeleteBasically Ryan went down the list of top unnerved routes from ZAG and launched them.
ReplyDeleteSomething Croatia Airlines should have done in the past 30 years.
DeleteSomething the concessionaire expected from Croatia Airlines since 2013.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see which routes bring the most profit. These are the ones they will keep. You can't expect to fill 180 seats fo 20 or 25 euros and expect it to be profitable.
DeleteRyan doing what OU said for years they could not do during the winter.
ReplyDeleteWell in their defence their costs are much higher per passenger than Ryanair's.
DeleteI am very happy for ZAG. If all of this growth is happening now, during winter time and Covid restrictions, I can only imagine how much more successful it would be during normal times. I hope that very soon, we see some long-haul flights too. Can't wait the day, we finally have a non-stop flight to the US, so we don't have to take 3-4 flights to get to ZAG.
ReplyDeleteAgain, RYR is not here to make a profit in the initial period. The main task is to decimate whatever is left of CTN and rule afterwards. They can do it, they have done it before, and the mere notion that they will withdraw is laughable at best.
ReplyDelete