South Korean low cost carrier T’way Air has confirmed the launch of flights between Seoul and Zagreb this summer after it took delivery of its first wide-body Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The airline's CEO, Hong-Geun Jung, said, “T'way Air will start operating flights to Singapore in May, then expand to Zagreb, Croatia in July and to Australia in the winter. We have introduced a mid-to-large-sized aircraft to secure sustainable growth. We have been pursuing constant innovation for this purpose”. The airline is yet to put tickets on sale but plans to operate four weekly rotations between the two capital cities, each Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
T’way Air’s A330-300 jet features 347 seats, with twelve in business class and the remaining 335 in economy. The business cabin has a 2-2-2 seat configuration, while the economy layout is in 2-4-2. The airline recently took delivery of its second A330, with a third due later this year. The carrier has received all necessary permits from the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport to launch commercial flights between Seoul and Zagreb. Korean Air, which has been serving the Croatian market with flights to Zagreb on a seasonal basis from 2018 until the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 has scheduled its preliminary return to the Croatian capital this summer season from July with three weekly flights, however no firm decision has been made on its comeback.
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| T'way Air A330 business class cabin |
The Croatian Ambassador to South Korea, Damir Kusen, recently said that T’way would not take away passengers from Korean Air or oversaturate the market. "We believe that this will certainly be an attractive option for younger travellers to Croatia due to the significantly lower priced tickets and will stimulate a new category of passengers”, Mr Kusen noted. In 2019, when flights between the two countries were last operational, Korean Air captured almost the entire Seoul travel market to and from Zagreb. The absolute majority of its customers on the route, over 95%, were point to point passengers and almost all originated from South Korea. The only other South Korean city with notable traffic to Zagreb is its second largest - Busan. In 2019, almost 5.000 passengers travelled indirectly between Busan and Zagreb on a single itinerary based on OAG data. The overwhelming majority of Korean travellers enter Croatia on a separate ticket via other European markets after spending several days at their original destination.
Fantastic news. Great to see new long haul airline coming.
ReplyDeleteI'm really wondering what their fares will be like
ReplyDeleteDefinitely more affordable than Korean Air. They were very expensive from my memory.
DeleteTrue. Considering Korean Air flights were quite pricey, an LCC would is a welcome change.
DeleteSeems like that recent ZAG incentive plan to stimulate long haul traffic is proving successful.
ReplyDeleteWhat incentives?
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/01/zagreb-airport-eyes-new-airlines-and.html
DeleteI would prefer if they had launched Dubrovnik while Korean Air kept Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteWhy? This way you get both in ZAG.
DeleteDBV flights from Seoul would be a great success but would probably cannibalise the ZAG route.
DeleteBravo Zagreb
ReplyDeleteI will believe it when I see it.
ReplyDeleteT'way announced it in 2020 that they will start ZAG whem they get the A330. They are keeping their promise.
DeleteI don't mean that I doubt they will launch flights one day, I'm just not sure Covid will be forgotten this summer, especially in much stricter Asian cointries.
DeleteMost Asian countries are only opening now, months behind Europe, so I expect the situation to be relatively calm over the summer.
DeleteHope it works out. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhat does T'way mean?
ReplyDeleteSome unknown Google translate phrase
DeleteOdd name but their A330 looks nice.
Deletehttps://www.twayair.com/app/serviceInfo/contents/1458
Delete" t' " mean tomorrow & together, with the motto of always listening and hoping to gradually develop, fly high, fly far
Not a bad business class for an LCC.
ReplyDeleteMuch better than Air Transat on their A330s.
DeleteWell actually Air Transat's A330-300 has fewer seats than T'way's.
DeleteSo we will have daily flights to Seoul? Together with Korean Air
ReplyDeleteYes!
DeleteBold move for T'way to have more frequiencies than Korean
Delete^ there is probably an even bigger market for budget travelers.
Deletewe will see.
DeleteImpressive
ReplyDeleteWill it be seasonal or year round?
ReplyDeleteProbably seasonal
DeleteActually since it is their first year of operations, it will likely be year round. ZAG offers good incentives for airlines to fly the first year in winter too. That's why Korean and Emirates all flew year round during the first year.
DeleteCan Koreans travel?
ReplyDeleteBy July the should be
Delete*they
DeleteKorea is starting to open up
DeleteWonder what the new flight time will be to ZAG considering Korea has introduced sanctions on Russia and is avoiding Russian airspace.
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take with the standard routing?
Delete10 to 11hr
DeleteThis is great for Croatian tourism.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Very good
DeleteThis is great because I think it will lead to more Korean people starting their European trips from Croatia.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI agree with the ambassador that it will bring a completely new category of tourists from Korea to Croatia. Great news indeed.
DeleteSeems long haul at ZAG will recover much quicker than first thought.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed.
DeleteNice cabin
ReplyDeleteWe need a pic of economy too :)
DeleteExciting. Well done to Zagreb
ReplyDeleteI hope we might see Air Asia X also start charters from Bangkok like they planned in 2020.
ReplyDeleteWere they supposed to fly with the A330?
Deleteyes, they only have A330
DeleteMaybe next year. I think the real prize would be Scoot (if not Singapore Airlines). There was a good article here about Asian demand to Croatia and I believe Singapore was number two or three on the list.
DeleteIt's a shame Air Canada didn't come back this year but this will make up for it :)
ReplyDeleteThere is Air Transat on the same route anyway.
DeleteKoreans will probably avoid any transfer options for travelling, so more direct options makes more sense.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Makes sense.
DeleteHow interesting. ZAG will have two legacies and two long haul low cost airlines flying two routes in the future - Seoul and Toronto (Air Canada, Air Transat, Korean Air and T'way).
ReplyDeleteLet's just hope Air Canada comes back next year.
DeleteAir Canada can not come back because Air Canada never flied to Zagreb. Rouge is still not mainline. But we can hope that Air Canada can start Zagreb flights next year.
DeleteAir Canada can come back because Air Canada, mainline, flew nonstop to ZAG back in 1987-1991. Check your facts before posting please
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteThis time really Bravo
DeleteGlad about new carrier in ZAG, especially on long-haul, happy about croatian tourism getting better and growing, but definitely cannot Bravo to the fact that there are at least two huge distant markets (and there are actually more) with two carriers operating, having daily or more flights, and flag carrier staying aside in deep sleep with no intention to take a piece of that cake, and only for particular interest of corrupted individuals
Delete+1 pozdrav
DeleteThey should start ticket sales soon
ReplyDeleteTough competition on the route, hopefully, both carriers manage to get enough passengers and no one withdraws
ReplyDelete+1
Deletewill this be charter or scheduled flight...also how long it will operate....info in text is very limited
ReplyDeleteWhat on earth made you think it's charters?
DeleteOf course it is scheduled flights. I think there is good info in the article. Expected launch day, frequencies, days, equipment, target passengers...
DeleteBas news for Lufthansa.
ReplyDeleteSo they could eventually be a good option for transfer to Australia at affordable prices if the flight times offer good connections.
ReplyDeleteThis is great. Still it would be smart if Croatia Airlines had finally used the opportunity of this major reset on the market that has happened because of Covid and leased a widebody so it could fly to key tourism markets. It would be much needed for Croatia's tourism industry and there would no longer be reliance on foreign carriers. But instead they open few routes in Split for 3 months.
ReplyDeleteAgree. This would be good for Croatian tourism
DeleteInteresting. Seems there is enough demand.
ReplyDeleteI just wonder if this airline made these plans before corona or after.
ReplyDeleteThey applied for the permits in March 2020.
Deletewow
ReplyDeleteIf there are 500,000+ Korean tourists coming each year (before covid) then there is a huge untapped market of airline on this route.
ReplyDeleteI really wonder which airlines Koreans predominately take to arrive in Croatia? It obviously isn't Korean
DeleteI assume Qatar and Turkish.
DeleteLufthansa too.
Deletemost of them pass through Croatia on their tours around Europe.
DeleteAlot of Koreans used to fly with Emirates to Zagreb. Now there is no Emirates, Qatar is still not double daily, that could be good chance for Korean to bring route back, even for few months this year.
DeleteIts Korean to Budapest or Vienna. Turkish via Istanbul, Qatar , Emirates and sometimes LH via Munich or Frankfurt-
DeleteWill Zagreb be their first European destination?
ReplyDeleteNice
DeleteBtw South Korea is opening to tourists this week.
ReplyDeleteQuarantine free
DeleteFinally
DeleteI assume you have to be vaccinated?
DeleteYes.
DeleteA negative PCR test will still be required within 48 hours of departure, followed by a second PCR on the first day of arrival, and a self-administered RAT on days six or seven.
Overseas visitors will also need to add their details to the country’s Q-CODE passenger entry system prior to arrival, with information such as passport number, departure country and airline, and address in South Korea and vaccination record all required.
Oh god...
Delete^ This is great considering entry into other Asian countries.
DeleteThe most "open" Asian country at the moment is Singapore. As of today you can go there if you are vaccinated (they recognize all vaccines except Sputnik). You only need to do a rapid antigen test 72hrs before arrival, although apparently they will get rid of this too.
DeleteThis is great! More tourists, more Asians, more money.
ReplyDeleteI predict that there will be more South Korean traffic to Croatia in the future. The SEL-ZAG route did not have enough time to mature but upon the KE return, the rates from and to ZAG and SEL will drop.
ReplyDeleteWhen T'way launches those flights, it will become the first Asian LCC to land on Eastern European soil. Not even PRG or WAW have LCC links from S Korea.
Geographically, Croatia is Mediterrenean and South European country on its coastal part, and Central European country on its continental part. In mentality, culture, tradition, habits, way of life... During recent history, as a part of Yugoslavia, Croatia was not an Eastern Block member, and after disintegration of Yugoslavia, today, as NATO and EU member, Croatia as well has nothing to do with the european East, and belongs to the political West, which is clearly visible with Ukraine situation. So, neither geographically nor politically or historically could Croatia be considered Eastern Europe. No matter how some corrupt politicians try to convince us that we had only one type of yoghurt till recently, despite the fact we had over 50 on the market
DeleteExotic carrier
ReplyDeleteGuys this is fantastic!!
ReplyDelete