Croatia Airlines eyes Mostar success as tickets go on sale


Croatia Airlines put tickets on sale for flights between Zagreb and Mostar yesterday with the inaugural service scheduled for May 3. The carrier is anticipating improved loads on the route compared to when it previously maintained operations between the two cities. As previously reported by EX-YU Aviation News, flights will run three times per week with a split schedule, enabling better connectivity for travellers originating from Mostar to transfer onto Croatian Airlines’ Europe-bound fights via Zagreb. The route will be maintained with the 76-seat Dash 8 turboprop aircraft. The financial viability of the route has been secured through a subsidy by the City of Mostar of just over half a million euros for this year.

Croatia Airlines last operated services between the two cities from May 2018 until the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. Back then, flights were maintained twice per week. However, at the time, Mostar Airport conceded there was low demand for the service, which was also subsidised. The Croatian carrier has now tweaked its schedule compared to several years ago, enabling travellers originating from Mostar to connect onto the airline’s flights from Zagreb to Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris, Frankfurt and Zurich within two and a half hours of landing. The schedule represents an improvement on the airline’s previous attempt at its Mostar flights which missed most of its Europe-bound connections.

Flights between Zagreb and Mostar have been maintained on and off for two decades. Prior to its service from 2018, Croatia Airlines flew to Mostar in 2003. In January 2006, the now defunct B&H Airlines launched three weekly flights between the two cities with its ATR72 turboprop aircraft. The service was codeshared by Croatia Airlines. However, the route was short-lived, and flights were terminated at the end of the 2006 summer season, after the Croatian carrier pulled out of its arrangement with B&H Airlines. At the time, B&H cited poor loads for the route’s termination. In 2015, start-up carrier Air Croatia announced plans to launch flights between the two cities and put tickets on sale. However, the airline collapsed prior to the planned launch. It was to run the service three times per week with a 52-seat ATR42 turboprop. Mostar becomes Croatia Airlines' second destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina after Sarajevo. The airline runs thirteen weekly flights between Zagreb and Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital. It handled 33.762 passengers on the route last year.



Comments

  1. Anonymous08:39

    It's good that Mostar is finally getting some flights.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:09

      I would have been more happy with a low coster like Ryanair, Wizz or easy but I guess something is better than nothing.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous08:40

    They finally put them on sale!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous08:45

      2 weeks before flights start...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:13

      Haha, amazing!

      Obviously, due to subvensions, they can't have loss on these flights so they do not care if they are going to fill the plane or not.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous08:42

    In 2018 they also started flights to Mostar on 3 May.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous08:43

    It's good that they have a better schedule but they are missing transfers to key destinations for Mostar - Rome and Dublin. It doesn't help that they halved their Zagreb network since the pandemic and have no intention of restoring it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:00

      That would be a long flight Mostar-Zagreb-Dubrovnik/Split-Rome.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:09

      OU could have based a Q400 in OMO and started flights to a few cities, primarily Italy.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:14

      Why? It is cheaper to shuttle passengers through Zagreb.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:31

      Because OMO doesn't have the facilities and because it is expensive for OU.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous08:44

    What are the fares like?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:03

      Obviously expensive

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:48

      Just tried few random dates in Mid May. Return ticket to ZAG is 250 EUR and to CPH is 600 EUR.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:57

      Rip off

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:28

      A joke, how will people afford this and why would they fly on this route when the bus is 5 times cheaper

      Delete
    5. Anonymous20:50

      And there is no sense to have this expensive ticket if their route is fully subsided.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous08:46

    Still wondering how this will work when the A220 replaces the Dash. How are they going to fill 130 seats on each flight??

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous08:47

    Bravo Hrvacka!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous08:49

    Hope it works this time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous08:51

      Considering the subsidies they are getting, it will more than work for them.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous08:49

    Good luck Croatia Airlines and Mostar Airport!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. With Kradeze in charge of both, very good luck is the only thing they need. Unfortunatelly not even very good luck will not be enough

      Delete
  10. Anonymous08:51

    It is telling that they had no intention of resuming this route until they got offered money for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous08:59

      They seem to be learnig from W6 and FR palybooks.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:00

    Bravo Hrvatska!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:36

      Mostar keeps winning

      Delete
  12. Anonymous09:00

    Will it be seasonal or year round?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:04

      For 500,000 EUR hopefully year round.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:08

      It will be year round.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:00

    This will be a big year for Mostar.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:04

    Transfers are good but if I were Croatia Airlines I would also use it to advertise to locals. Why not visit Mostar for the weekend? There is lots to see and do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:07

      Don't expect them to do any promotion for this route. They haven't even announced the route anywhere. I mean, yes it is on sale, but they haven't even bothered pointing out to people that it is on sale.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:27

      There has been advertising on social media this week for this route.

      Delete
    3. Zagreb Airport, Mostar Airport and OU have been advertising this route over the last few days! I've seen adverts from all 3 on Facebook and Instagram!

      Delete
  15. Anonymous09:07

    It's sad that this is the only new Croatia Airlines route from Zagreb this summer. And even this seemed to be ad-hoc.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous09:08

    Good luck with the new route.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous09:11

    So how many passengers would be realistic for Mostar in 2023?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous09:13

    500.000€ for one route?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:21

      One more way to pour money in OU.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:37

      Anon 09:21
      Cope harder about BiH subsidies!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:47

      511.200 EUR. Enough

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:21

      @9.51 believe me there are more expensive routes in the region ;)

      Delete
    5. Nemjee11:24

      Who gave them so much money? Was it from the local government or the central one in Sarajevo?
      Bosnia is not exactly a rich country.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:28

      I believe that there are many money laundering machines in the region. But, at least then they don't need to charge tickets. It will achieve more effects if the planes are full. Marketing, political, and even economic and financial. Empty and overpaid planes are a real fiasco

      Delete
    7. Anonymous18:35

      Nis-Istanbul and some of the croatian PSO routes are way more expensive

      Delete
    8. Anonymous18:36

      Yes but those actually have potential in the long run, this one doesn't.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous18:42

      Nis-Istanbul is on A319 and was packed when I've flown back in January

      Delete
    10. Anonymous20:29

      So yoy think there should be no subventions for Nis-Istanbul route?

      Delete
    11. Anonymous23:05

      IST and HHN can survive without subsidies now but in the beginning loads were horrible.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:33

    Will OU fly those charters from Mostar to Beirut this year?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous09:33

    Mostar used to have a lot of flights back in the day (80s). All for Medjugorje. But back then JAT used to shuttle them in from all corners of the globe, Asian pilgirms in particular.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:27

      Ovce su za šišanje, so good on JAT that they took advantage of this scam and earned some cash off of it.

      Delete
    2. JAT, especially during its last decade as flag carrier of SFRJ, 1980-1990 was taking advantage of each and every market they served. It had two excellent last CEO's and highly competent people in management, marketing and sales particularly. It was increasing its on time performance and brought its product to very high levels and it was recognized worldwide. In addition to that, company was self - sustained and profitable, with no single cent provided by the state. It also had unbelievably good plans for further growth, development and improvement. Unfortunatelly, older chauvinists and brain washed youngsters from all over ex-yu refuse to admit it and keep on spitting of what used to be real pride of all of us working in ex-yu aviation

      Delete
    3. Anonymous18:38

      Well, at least JU today is working towards that goal and in many way JAT should be proud that Air Serbia is continuing its legacy.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous21:51

      Head node

      Delete
  21. Anonymous10:19

    OU tried and failed in Mostar. I hope this time it's different.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe gazda Ivan plans to retire and needs convenient connection to visit home often

      Delete
  22. Nemjee11:24

    Well, the bar is set pretty low. If they have 10 passengers per flight that would still be an improvement compared to the last time they operated this route.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous12:29

    Could OMO work for JU?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:43

      Good question my friend! I was wondering the same.
      I think it could work more than it works for OU, considering JU has a lot better connecting times and a lot more destinations. There are also some 6000 serbs living in Mostar area. Also Belgrade is very popular weekend destination here in Mostar. You have travel agencies that make money only from that so it shows there is enough demand. I think JU has a good chance in Mostar but stays to see if they take it.
      I hope in the following years we will se flights from Mostar to Belgrade.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:55

      If they get some subsidies they should give it a go for summer 2024. 2 weekly at first.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous18:59

      ATR, three times a week, will be good.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous21:01

      Hahaha do you think that HDZ want to gave money for route to Belgrad? As I know in the time of war HDZ sold 7% of the OMO to the Croatian government. So, you know now why ZG rout is stupidity supported without any sense.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous22:09

      @21:01
      Bravo!!!

      Delete
  24. You can also connect to and from Warsaw via ZAG, but schedule is not suited for city break.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous14:16

    So, we can safely assume that BiH has now 4 fully operational international airports. Well done!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous14:55

    Looking it from a drivers view, Mostar is not a walk in the park. You are landing in the bathtub.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Remember old times with much less advanced technologies assistance and help, and don't exactly remember any ex-JAT "drivers" having issues with LQMO "bathtub"

      Delete
  27. Anonymous14:43

    Yesterday I immediately booked the first fly from ZAG to OMO (in C). I’m happy for any connection from/to OMO, especially when connections from ZAG are possible (good move this time when negotiating). Any flight is better than no flight. Who think he can go to Zagreb by car cheaper than 100€ is free to do so. I think there is still a bus connection too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so happy to be able to fly to Mostar. Already booked ow WAW ZAG OMO.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous23:38

      I am sure you two arw working for OMO. You are really obvious with these comments.

      Delete

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