Croatia Airlines says coastal focus unrelated to Ryanair’s Zagreb base


Croatia Airlines has said its continued focus on expanding its route network from the country’s coastal airports is unrelated to Ryanair, which in 2021 opened a base in Zagreb and now accounts for over 30% of all traffic from the capital. Croatia Airlines has not introduced any new destinations from Zagreb since 2019 and, so far, has not scheduled any new routes from its main hub. Instead, the carrier will introduce new flights from Split to Skopje and Oslo this summer, from Brač to Munich, as well as from Dubrovnik to Prague. Last year, the airline launched seasonal operations from Split to Amsterdam, Bucharest, Dublin, Milan, and Stockholm and based an Airbus A319 and a Dash 8 aircraft in Croatia’s second largest city, enabling it to increase frequencies to a number of destinations. For this summer, it is yet to schedule the resumption of flights from Split to Bucharest and Milan but has increased planned frequencies to Prague from one to two weekly.

The airline’s greater focus on Croatia’s coast since last year has coincided with the opening of Ryanair’s base in Zagreb and its launch of over twenty new routes from the city. “Croatia Airlines has faced strong competition since 2006, when the liberalisation of the Croatian market began. During the last sixteen years, all major legacy and low cost carriers have been present in Croatia, especially during the summer season, and Croatia Airlines has learned to deal with the competition, and, as a member of the Star Alliance, to cooperate with competitors”, the company said. It added, “Croatia Airlines provides passengers a high-quality legacy carrier service, offering flights to main European gateways and connecting flights to over 150 destinations around the world. The business relationship we have with Zagreb Airport, our home airport, reflects our traffic volume, and related commercial conditions”.

Commenting on its focus on the coast, Croatia Airlines said that the new destinations introduced last year performed in line with expectations and that leisure travel has recovered significantly faster from the Covid-19 pandemic than business travel, which is more prevalent from Zagreb. “We have tried to tailor our flight network to our passengers’ needs and in support of Croatia’s tourism. The company sees room for improvement and innovative steps in strategic positioning. Our summer 2023 timetable will strongly contribute to Croatia’s position on the global tourism map. During the coming summer season, we’re planning to connect Croatia with 22 international destinations by operating flights on 47 international routes. Specifically, we are planning to operate 17.000 flights, and offer over 1.820.000 seats”, the airline said.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:03

    This sentence says it all

    "The business relationship we have with Zagreb Airport, our home airport, reflects our traffic volume, and related commercial conditions”.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:07

      +1

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:15

      Basically, since they haven't added new routes in 3 years, it meand that their business relationship with ZAG isn't so great.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:28

      They are angry because ZAG turned to FR by providing them extremely low prices. This is some kind of OU revenge.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:43

      The recent price hike at ZAG won't help

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:10

      Enough said.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:05

      Questionable decision to base an aircraft, old and declining in reliability, away from main base.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous12:26

      To be fair to them... Why should they pay 5x the amount of fees FR does, when they were the ones building up the airport

      Delete
    8. Anonymous13:18

      When I posted about CA using CorporateBS Generator, the administrator of the site deleted my post. I urge you to read the statement CA has made...

      Delete
    9. Anonymous14:18

      Anon 12:26 Because they were given the same opportunity (as we're in EU) but refused and another company benefited?

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:04

    They are expanding on the coast because it's the only place they can make money

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:56

      Exactly. Yields are much higher.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:11

      Doesn't seem to have done much for their results. They will report a big net loss again for 2022.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:04

    It is odd that they haven't added any new routes from ZAG in 3 years.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous09:06

    So they added Skopje and Oslo from Split but are not returning Bucharest and Milan. Typical OU reshuffling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:13

      This has been the modus operandi for many years, primarily because their number of aircraft hasn't changed.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:07

    And the same Croatia Airlines was claiming that one of its main problems was the seasonality. Adding capacity at coastal airports will only increase the seasonality, so I don't know what to say.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:14

    They still haven't put their 4 new routes on sale. Only Brac-Munich is on sale. They announced the routes in November, it is now the end of January...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:43

      "It is too early"

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:08

      What are they waiting for?

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:15

    Yeah right. Ryanair is exactly the reason they no longer expand from Zagreb.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous09:17

    Money is to be made on the coast in summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:44

      Money could be made in Zagreb in summer too. You just need a smart management for it.

      Delete
    2. Money could be made anywhere, anytime. You just need to quit being Cartel feeder, get rid of uhljebs, hire professional management, reduce corruption to acceptable level and take advantages of the biggest ex-yu civil aviation market

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:58

      Znaci tebe da uzmu za direktora

      Delete
    4. Prepustam mjesto Vama, buduci je iz gornjeg posta ocito da ste strucni, motivirani, i nadasve, sa izvrsnim komunikacijskim tehnikama

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:17

    In my opinion, their main focus should be Zagreb and trying to deal with Ryanair.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:44

      They decided it won't be their main focus in 2021 and haven't looked back since.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous09:19

    Ironically, they have much more competition on the coast in summer than in Zagreb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:45

      But there is more demand too.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:21

    What about trying to restart discontinued flights from Zagreb like Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon, Milan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:23

      That ship has sailed.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:33

      How about launching some new routes from Zagreb? Tthey could start MAD, WAW, IST, DUS, BER, SOF... There are many opportunities

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:23

      Simple no demand .

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:46

      Zagreb is a very small city with little O&D.

      There are not many destinations it can sustain year-round.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:11

      It doesn't have anything with size of the city, but the catchment area. And it's big, big enough to many year roun routes, and that was proved by Ryanair this season. Not by OU, because they, as someone already said, produce seasonality by themselves.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:49

      Anon 10:46 No no, it's a very very tiny city, no other international route can be sustained at Zagreb but the 12 route OU operates.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous12:15

      @Anon 11:49
      +100 Agee!

      Delete
    8. Anonymous14:09

      Croatians don't travel much, most travel is inbound tourism.

      Delete
    9. Serbians travel even less. It's either gasto or transfer traffic.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous14:33

      The 400,000 passengers on summer charters in 2022 and routes from Belgrade to Malaga, Catania, Valencia, Naples, Heraklion, Corfu etc indicate otherwise.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous18:34

      Do you realise that your home carrier has 12 (TWELVE!) year-round routes?

      That you were surpassed by the likes of Tirana this year?

      C'mon.

      Delete
    12. Anonymous22:02

      Do you think all travelling takes place by air?

      Delete
    13. Anonymous22:39

      Zagreb does not even have a direct connection to Berlin. Nobody wants to fly the route. That OU is incompetent is clear. But EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz or Eurowings see no economic success there either. Not even in summer

      Delete
    14. Anonymous10:43

      Look at today's topic.

      Ryanair is cutting a new route.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:22

    Croatia Airlines' growth opportunities are becoming smaller and smaller, that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:26

      They had many years to prepare for serious competition and it was bound to happen at some point. They must have been aware of that.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:23

    OU keep sleeping until three years Ryanair will have 40 destinations from Zagreb, then you will admit that you can't stay in the capital anymore!
    Does anyone have any information on where tourists come from in Zagreb? Ryanair mentioned that they have a large number of tourists visiting Croatia via Zagreb?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:23

    What a contrast from yesterday's news.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:30

      +1

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:33

      They play in two very different leagues.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous09:29

    Good luck OU.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous09:29

    So what is the long term strategy?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:33

      I don't think they even know.

      Delete
    2. Long term strategy is high quality Cartel feeding with the most expensive aircraft on the market, financed by croatian tax payers, under politically appointed incompetent management

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:09

      It is clear to me now that their strategy has been to just steal money. Profitable airline or one which at least breaks even doesn't need huge government handouts every year. Honestly don't think much of the money which OU gets ends up in OU. Croatian government has form with pretty much all state owned companies where they just siphon funds so why would OU is be different? When she collapses, she collapses but in the meantime, she is a great little piggybank.

      Delete
    4. Bingo! You've just described Kradeze modus operandi for 30 years. Very soon you can expect to be called hater, from Cacak and Uzice 😃

      Delete
  17. Anonymous09:29

    They should rather go bust, it'd be more interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous09:30

    It is shocking how passive they suddenly became in ZAG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suddenly? In ZAG? They have been passive for over 20 years now, everywhere, and it's absolutely nothing shocking about it any more. Actually I would be shocked if they showed some initiative, somewhere.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:30

    What is Croatia Airlines' average passenger share in Split?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous09:33

    Great news for the coast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:38

      Agree. In the end, the biggest winner will be the coast

      Delete
  21. Anonymous09:39

    “Croatia Airlines provides passengers a high-quality legacy carrier service"

    ok...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:57

      It is certainly better than FR.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:51

      High quality service on a 25 year old plane, while its competitor operates brand new planes. Alright, got it.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous09:42

    OU has given up on building up a hub in ZAG. Which is a shame because that way they wouldn't actually be impacted by Ryanair that much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:48

      And it could have been a good hub.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:01

      They're right in the triangle between Belgrade, Vienna and Warsaw (not to mention LH to the West and TK to the East).

      They're all competing for the same passengers.

      They'd hardly be able to build any hub.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:17

      They never even tried.

      Delete
    4. JATBEGMEL14:33

      @10,01

      BEG 10 years ago was irrelevant as a hub. Interesting as to how a change of leadership at the hub airline can turn things around and shows exactly where the problem at OU lies.

      All 3 airports have their respective markets which make them relevant, ZAG and BEG sort of overlap but OU has been stagnant at ZAG compared to JU at BEG. WAW is definitely not a factor for OU not growing in ZAG, however LO has identified opportunities for growth in the Balkan market and has taken up on it. That doesn't mean that OU could not have done that very same thing many years before LO started boosting their operations in the Balkans.

      ZAG 2011: 2,3 million
      ZAG 2019: 3,4 million

      BEG 2011: 3,1 million
      BEG 2019: 6,1 million

      OU 2011: 1,879 million pax
      JU 2011: 1,2 million pax

      OU 2019: 2,1 million pax
      JU 2019: 2,81 million pax

      These numbers are not to push a ZAG vs BEG agenda rather to show how OU has been very stagnant at ZAG.

      Delete
  23. Anonymous09:47

    The new routes in Split were basically all shifted from Zagreb - Milan, Bucharest, Oslo, Stockholm, Prague were all launched from Zagreb in 2018 and 2019. Now they have all been transferred to Split and it is exactly a warning from OU to ZAG about their dealings with Ryanair.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:56

      While OU "warns", ZAG keeps on winning with the highest recovery rate in the country and one of the highest in Europe. Meanwhile, SPU has the slowest growth rate last year among the 1M+ airports in Croatia. It looks like OU is cursed and brings its curse with it wherever it goes.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:08

      Didn't Dubrovnik have the slowest growth?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:22

      Nope, Zagreb, Zadar and Dubrovnik all had triple digit growth rates in 2022, while Split had double digit.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous09:56

    Competition from the coast is huge too

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous09:57

    Croatia Airlines is shifting focus to the coast to capture greater share of the tourist season.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous10:06

    ZAG will regret losing Croatia Airlines one day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:07

      It generates around 40% of its traffic. So it is an important customer for ZAG,

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:16

      Let's see how much traffic it will generate this year. I can bet it will be less than in 2022

      Delete
    3. JATBEGMEL14:06

      ZAG hasn't lost OU, it's stuck with them, while they refuse to grow. Problem with OU is that those in charge have done next to nothing to:

      1) take advantage of the growth of tourism in Croatia.
      2) take advantage of situations that work in their favour - weak Jat Airways, bankruptcies of MA, JP and YM, Wizz withdrawal from SJJ amongst others.
      3) reduce seasonality.
      4) build something of a hub in ZAG.

      Foreign carriers are unfortunately the main factor for growth at almost every Croatian airport while OU has sat back and complained.

      Delete
    4. +1.000.000
      Sign under every single word.
      Only believe "something of a hub" could have been real hub, if started to build it 10-15 years ago

      Delete
  27. Anonymous10:06

    I think it's the only option left for them - to focus on the coast because Ryanair is too strong in Zagreb now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:16

      sad

      Delete
    2. JATBEGMEL14:03

      OU and FR aren't the same model and OU definitely has markets where it can serve and still be competitive to competition. It's interesting how FR was able to successfully identify market opportunities from ZAG and OU hasn't.

      Delete
  28. Anonymous10:07

    Hopefully with the arrival of new A220s, they will start expanding in ZAG again/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:14

      I don't see what difference it will make?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:15

      Costs will be lower plus less capacity than the A320s so greater chance of success.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:29

      Hope so

      Delete
    4. @An.10.15
      What are you talking about? They have ONE A320 (plus one spare). A319 is the same capacity, and Q400 which is the most numerous type in the fleet, is double less, so exactly opposite of what you are saying. And costs will not be lower, costs will be higher, A220 lease is definitely more expensive than current one of Q400, more expensive than no cost or current Airbus fleet they own, plus new trainings, plus more fuel consumption compared to turboprop, plus highly likely another as hoc lease costs due to engine problems on A220. So please stop spreading BS in order to advocate criminal organization

      Delete
    5. JATBEGMEL13:22

      @10,15

      Summer 2022 lease rates were:

      A220-100: $145-240.000
      A220-300: $160-260.000
      A319: $45-200.000
      A320: $53-225.000
      Q400: $50-140.000

      Smaller capacity aircraft means spreading costs over less seats. OU is just changing a cheaper lease for something more expensive (ie increase in costs), while not having the finances, network, growth or structure to support it. One big part of JP's bankruptcy was bringing in brand new aircraft that they simply couldn't afford, and their finances at that time we're much better compared to today's OU.

      Delete
  29. Anonymous10:11

    All these new routes have such low frequencies. It's crazy. All flights are one to two per week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:12

      And all last just for a few months.

      Delete
  30. Anonymous10:17

    In the end, Kucko's idea of opening several bases in ex-Yu and Albania a few years ago, might have been a smart idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:28

      I fear that would have turned out the same as Adria's bases around Europe.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:32

      The regional bases made much more sense. Adria's only successful base was Pristina.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:35

      Yap it would shorten their demise.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:37

      Not really, they actually had the perfect aircraft (Q400) to do what Air Serbia is doing now and turn Zagreb into a mini hub with multiple daily flights (at least 2) to airports in the region but they never tried.

      Delete
  31. Anonymous11:14

    The day will come when Ryanair leaves Zagreb. If OU doesn't survive until then Zagreb Airport will end up like Ljubljana, without any flights and except to some Lufthansa Group destinations!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahaha. Is that day tomorrow? 😃

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:28

      Pozdrav I usually agree with you but the OPs point is actually quite valid. We saw it in Sarajevo last year, when Wizz closed down the base seemingly out of nowhere.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:22

      FR will pick up their stuff and leave as soon as ZAG airport starts charging them the same amount of money as they do with other operators. They left FRA in a heartbeat, and they were saying beforehand that it was going to be one of their bigger bases. All because Fraport decided to raise fees by 5%.

      Delete
    4. For the posters above : Out of +200 airports FR has been flying from/to, can you tell me exactly how many, either in numbers, or percents, they left? Because you base your claims on something like 1, 2 or maximum 3 percent of airports they "picked up their stuff and left". And you seriously underestimate ZAG which has always been no 2 in ex-yu.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous14:49

      Out of 334 destinations, 67 were discontinued, which is 20%. This is purely done by the airport number, not the actual routes, which is the topic here. So arguably, each new destination Ryanair opens has one in five options of it being closed. Stats as per "List of Ryanair destinations" WIKI.

      Delete
    6. Half of the airports you talk about is just change from more expensive to cheaper, or old to new airport, within the same city/region, or due to airport permanently closed for traffic. Out of other half, it's 1, 2 or 3 airports maximum they left where the, and had base. In 99 % it's airports with few services from the base airport they discontinued. And I am not trying to convince you to change your mind. I understand you believe FR will withdraw from ZAG. But I would appreciate if you also don't try convincing me what I believe, and that is FR staying in ZAG for long time, and growing the base. Who was right, future will show

      Delete
    7. Anonymous00:00

      They have done it before. Many times. They come and they go. Whether they’ll do such a thing with ZAG, as you said, time will tell. But the fact is that all it takes is for the local “turistička zajednica” to stop paying money, ZAG to increase fees, and they’ll be gone before you say pičkin dim.

      Delete
    8. You must be more polite and say "dimce na vagince" ☺ And ZAG tourist board, as far as I know, is paying zero to FR. You mixed it with ZAD and "udruzeno oglasavanje". Also to remind that one can hardly find flight to STN, DUB, AGP , and many more, under 200 euros. Few euro more taxes which will be transferred to passengers will be no problem at all. So, once again, we can even "play to dick" while saying "cunt smoke", it doesn't mean FR is leaving. At all.

      Delete
    9. They have done it before is no argument whatsoever. What were the reasons they have done it, when, where?
      Quite to the contrary of what anonymous is saying above, FR has already announced increased frequencies for this year's summer season and potentially introducing new routes to ZAG, coinciding precisely with the Schengen rules taking effect at Croatian airports in late March. They tied the increased frequencies with expecting increased demand from within the Schengen area, especially Germany, France, Italy, the Benelux and Scandinavian markets. There was an article about it on this site approx. a month ago.
      The fact Croatia has entered the eurozone since should help as well, since no longer will there be a hassle and the cost of exchanging money once you land to ZAG and other airports.
      At any rate, despite OU unfortunately being a hot mess, Zagreb is not only the capital of Croatia but also its economic and financial hub, as well as a significant tourist destination in its own right, proven time and again by ZAG being the only Croatian airport at least somewhat capable of year round flights and consistently being No.2 in ex yu.
      Seems to me these perpetual and always failing doom predictions for ZAG, are nothing but wishful thinking.

      Delete
  32. The success of Ryanair in ZAG are because of honeymoon peroid of low fares. If the period is over most routes will go away as there will be no demand If proces will raise.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous13:40

    Can the A220 reach JFK from SPU? I wonder where they will be deployed in the future. Maybe SPU-DXB or SPU-BKK.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahahaha Hahahahahahahaha, you made my day, I can't stop laughing...... 😃😃😃

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:06

      Lol Pozdrav glad my question made your day! xD Good to see you in a good mood! ;)
      But them new A220s need to deployed from somewhere. And time is literally passing so quick. Look, only 2 months left for spring! If they are going to focus on SPU then they need to make quick studies where the A220 can be deployed and make maximum use of it. Or not?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous15:09

      Confirmed: A220 can reach FRA and MUC from Split

      Delete
    4. Exactly @15.09, it's only that matters 😃

      Delete
    5. @15.06
      The only thing they focus, my friend, is their pockets. That's why new type is coming. And as the poster above correctly noted, as long as it can reach MUC and FRA, everything is in perfect order

      Delete
  34. Boris20:29

    A220 deal is political deal. The whole thing is comical. Some politicians needed browny points for personal political advancement. It is what it is. ZAG airport (and OU) missed opportunity 20 years ago to wrestle South Eastern European Hub from Vienna. They missed it. Vienna and Austrian is not doing that great either. It is rapidly declining. But majority of of these is geo-economic changes in the last 10 years . Istanbul is significantly rising (huge new airport) , Belgrade is significantly improving, I suspect Cairo is next to raise. That is life. Some Airports are going down ,some going
    up. Economic gravity is moving East.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A220 has replaced the order from the exact same company - Airbus, so what political deal exactly?
      Economic gravity is moving East and you're using Istanbul and Cairo as examples?? Turkey is in the midst of hyperinflation, in the most serious economic trouble in a long time. It's so bad it's starting to resemble Lebanon in some ways.
      And what exactly does Cairo have to do with anything we're talking about here?

      Delete
  35. Anonymous23:13

    A question: I see CA’s flight from SPU to SKP will arrive just before midnight and the flight SKP to SPU departs at 5.45 am the next day. I was just curious if it is the same crew flying back to SPU and and if not how do they arrange this kind of things?

    ReplyDelete

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