Several foreign airlines plan to increase their operations to Zagreb Airport this coming winter season which begins on October 29. Among those boosting their presence in the Croatian capital are Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Flydubai, Aegean Airlines and KLM. The Turkish carrier will maintain double daily operations between Istanbul and Zagreb past the summer, up from the seven to ten weekly rotations maintained over the winter months since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, Turkish Airlines surpassed its pre-Covid passenger levels on its Zagreb route, handling 176.692 travellers between the two cities, up 11.8% on 2019. The carrier continued to post record figures on the route during the first quarter of this year, with passenger numbers up 41.2% on Q1 2022.
Flydubai also plans to up its frequencies to Zagreb, with a total of five weekly services. During the last week of the year, a total of six weekly flights are planned, in order to cater for increased demand around the Christmas and New Year holiday period, after which the service will return to five weekly rotations. Last winter season, Flydubai maintained four weekly services between the two cities. During 2022, the airline handled a total of 50.771 passengers on its Zagreb operations. On the other hand, Qatar Airways plans to maintain daily rotations to the Croatian capital past the summer, up from four weekly last winter (with exception to the month-long FIFA World Cup, which took place from mid-November to mid-December last year). The Qatari carrier handled 49.885 passengers on its Zagreb flights in 2022, with the World Cup significantly aiding its performance.
This year, Aegean Airlines plans to upgrade its seasonal service between Athens and Zagreb to year-round flights. The Greek carrier has scheduled two weekly rotations between the two cities over the winter period with its Airbus A320 aircraft. Furthermore, KLM will double its frequencies between Amsterdam and the Croatian capital from daily last winter to double daily over the 2023/24 season. On the other hand, Ryanair is yet to finalise its Zagreb network for the winter, with several routes that were operated last year to be put on sale. Although the carrier has confirmed it is discontinuing its service to Podgorica due to a hike in fees in the Montenegrin capital, it told EX-YU Aviation News, “Summer 2023 saw Ryanair’s biggest schedule to/from Zagreb with 168 weekly flights to seventeen countries, including a brand-new route to Kos. We will be announcing our full Winter 23/24 schedule soon”.
Good news for zagreb...
ReplyDeleteApart from Ryanair ofc
On the other hand, Ryanair is yet to finalise its Zagreb network for the winter, with several routes that were operated last year to be put on sale.
Do we think they'll be doing weekend base this year as well? Or will they just use planes from other bases and be doing W rotations?
They've smelt blood
DeleteFate of winter performance really depends on Ryanair.
ReplyDeleteWell compared to summer they are massively cutting their network given the frequencies they already loaded into the system. On the other hand they are rapidly growing in TIA and Wizz is also growing this winter in BUD, BEG, OTP and SOF.
DeleteIt was written on here that FR did not request slots for ZAG-MAN.
And I remember their fairytales how they will have 7 aircraft based in ZAG.
DeleteI also remember ZAG management fairytales of how they were going to bring flights to JFK, PEK etc and in the end they brought FR to Weeze.
DeleteAnonymous 9:07, MASSIVELY cutting? Wait until they finalise their winter season. MASSIVELY cracks me up. 😄
DeleteJust like you told us to wait until they load TGD flights i the system? Back then you were also cracking up.
DeleteFR only confirmed so far that TGD will not be flown.
DeleteI hope the Aegean winter flights will go ahead. Last year they scheduled them for winter as well and then cancelled them.
ReplyDeleteGreeks can't get enough of Zagreb as it is becoming one of the most popular destination for them in Europe. I am sure many will rush to book their flights.
DeleteReally ?
DeleteI was just going to add a comment and ask which one I use for the flights to Athens. So we have Greek tourists and Croatian ones?
Very interesting!
Greeks love city break destinations. Flights to Prague, Bratislava and Budapest are also full of Greeks. For Christmas and New Year, I saw that you had charters to Switzerland and Austria from Athens (2022-2023).
Delete@9.08 lol
DeleteSo many Greeks rush to visit Zagreb that A3 can barely fill two weekly A320?
DeleteTwo weekly! 😀
DeleteAt least someone is growing in Zagreb!
ReplyDeleteThere are 5 airlines listed in the article so it's not a small amount.
DeleteBut it's in total of 6 weekly rotations which is nothing compared to the possible Ryanair cancellations
DeleteThat’s around 150000 pax more
ReplyDeleteRemove one zero
DeleteNo for the the entire season it’s 150000
Deletenot really
Delete^^^
DeleteYes it is.
It is interesting to see the year-round flights to Athens.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the flights will be operated by Olympics ATRs (in the past they were operating Zagreb with Dashes)
DeleteIt says that it will use a320 family aircrafy
DeleteWait and see how the loads are. It's not uncommon for them to switch to atrs where a320s are planned in the summer (podgorica being one)
DeleteSkopje* sorry
DeleteThe only international destination that A3 still sends props instead of jets is SKP.
DeleteZAG will remain an A320 destination that over the next 2-3 years max will become an A320neo destination.
Just my2cents
ZAG is possible with a Dash, but not realistic with an ATR!
Deletethe double daily KLM is major news (and im not even from HR)
ReplyDeleteAgree. KLM plans to have double daily to both ZAG and BEG this winter BUT it should always be taken with reserve because KLM often does this and then in September cancels the increase.
DeleteZagreb has only one problem : Incompetent, inert, limited, humiliated, clueless, corrupt, inefficient, loss making LH feeder Croatia Airlines. ZAG could and should have been hub to SE Europe, but thanks to Kradeze and "gazda Ivan" now traffic wise it resembles more to zeljeznicki kolodvor Podravska Slatina
ReplyDeleteDon't think so, ZAG lacks strong local demand especially in winter to sustain a relevant hub operation.
Deletezagreb would have to grow faster even without OU. but it doesn't. Even Ryanair cannot reach its goals. Why? too little demand or too price-sensitive customers?
DeleteAnon 10:09 it is a well know ExYu blog "fact" that people in ZAG and LJU do not fly! 😁
DeletePeople from LJU fly they are just cheap so they are not loyal to their home airport.
DeleteTo pozdrav from rijeja. Why don't you speak to the inert, clueless management of Rijeka Airport. That place has potential but no 9ne cates. Try to 8mprove the airport in your back yard
DeleteA11:43: Didn't just stand here that Zagreb has finally slipped into the top 100 airports in Europe.
DeleteAnd we don't need to talk about Ljubljana numbers.
Generally very weak domestic market in Ex-Yu except BG. But weak there too, compared to other similar cities in Europe.
Not everything is about OU and Kradeze, pozdrav. Do you have OCD issues given this incessant repeating of the same old, boring nonsense.
DeleteAnd speaking of nonsense and Kradeze, they don't rule in Zagreb nor do they have anything with ZAG operations either. You seem to have problems comprehending the distinction between OU and ZAG.
On the other hand, SDP has been rulling Rijeka and its party apartchiks its airport, for 30 years straight...and the "fantastic" results speak for themselves. One record after another. Negative records of course. If ZAG traffic wise resembles željeznički kolodvor in Slatina, RJK resembles autobusna stanica in Pušća Donja.
@Michael
DeleteI don't have problems "compehending distinction" between OU and ZAG. You have a problem not understanding that only sinergy of an airport and its home base carrier can grow numbers and connectivity. More OU growing in ZAG, bigger OU network, more transfers would be there, and more airlines offering codeshares to such bigger network, and more overall traffic in ZAG, similar to what is happening in BEG with growth of Air Serbia.
And number two : all airports in Croatia are majority government owned, and government is selecting its management, so unfortunatelly for you, RJK is "managed" by Kradeze guy as well.
Kradeze "organized" Croatia to rule (read : steal) even when not formally ruling. Zupanije are created for that purpose. Centralized money flow is created for that purpose. False "branitelji" seating on gas cylindre bombs in center of Zagreb (terorist act) are used for that purpose.
And btw I never said RJK was good airport neither am I satisfied with it. But it's just another of plenty of Kradeze "achievements" and "successes"
Anyhow , living in Croatia gives me much more right to comment, even if you think it's boring or if you disagree, compared to pink glasses Australian view. Cheers mate!
@14.39
DeleteI would gladly answer your question if you were capable of properly writing down one. Unfortunately, I can't answer to rijeja, 9ne cates and 8mprove
;D
Delete"and government is selecting its management" not true for Zagreb. Google ZAIC
DeleteAnd who from the government sits in the management of Zagreb Airport? I do not know anyone!
DeleteAnd who prevents easyJet, Ryainair, Eurowings etc. from flying directly from Zagreb to Berlin, Stockholm, Madrid or Prague all year round?
I was not talking about airports under concessions (ZAG) but all others where gvt is majority owner. And those are all except ZAG. RJK included.
DeleteBut thanks "pozdrav 16:14" for trying to answer my post and the unasked question. I love your humor and creativity
DeleteDoes Croatia really need so many airports? ZAG, PUY, SPU and DBV are enough, Shut down OSI, RJK, ZAD, BWK... and cetralize it around four main ones.
DeleteThis year we saw all Croatian airports underpeform except ZAG. There are obviously too many of them.
In the very contrary. Commercial airport on Korcula is missing to serve Korcula, Peljesac and Lastovo (2000m runway). I bet there would be at least 5 or 6 departures a day (OU, FR and other low costers).
DeleteSame as Brac should have a lot more traffic if it was used also for Hvar and received its 2000m runway. Direct short ferry from Bol to Jelsa still missing).
Mali Losinj should be enlarged to a 1400m runway to cater for up to 100 seaters. There would be seasonal traffic e.g. to Switzerland, Austria, Germany and PSO to ZAG. Possibly also to PRG, BTS, KSC (like on Brac this summer).
RJK and ZAD are more than needed in summer, but totally useless in winter (not sure if there would be significant cost savings to close down these two in winter entirely, taking into account higher maintenance costs at the beginning in spring after reopening and staffing issues if there is a job just for 6 months. Of course also BWK, LSZ and Korcula are only needed 5 to 6 months a year.
I think Air France and Lufthansa also plan to increase their frequencies to Zagreb. Iberia and British Airways have very good loads on the route, so there’s also a chance if they have spare capacity.
ReplyDeleteLufthansa just loaded the CRJ on FRA-ZAG.
DeleteTLV-ZAG could be great hit fir lcc.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice to see this route operate year round, and like you said with an LCC it could work in winter.
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteExcellent news for Zagreb. Are there any predictions how many passengers the airport might have this year.
ReplyDeleteBetweem 3.5 and 3,7
Delete@Anonymous13:29
Delete"Excellent news for Zagreb. Are there any predictions how many passengers the airport might have this year."
Posted few days ago....
"Anonymous12:03
@Anonymous10:01
Zagreb by a significant margin. Zagreb is expected to handle around 4.0 million pax this year, Split around 3.2 million. Exact noumbers are hard to predict, but Zagreb could be handling anywhere between 3.,8 and 4,0 million, earlier estimates where 3.75 and 3.85 million. So far airport handled around 1.34 million passengers, in June it is very likely airport will handle above 350 000, more likely 370 000 or close to this figure.
Projections for rest of the year, although this isn't hard to guess considering the trend.
So far - 1.346 000
June - 360-370 000
July - 390-405 000
August - 410-425 000
September - 390-400 000
October - 380-390 000
November - 310-325 000
December - 300-310 000
Total: 3890 000 - 3970 000
Split is projected to handle around 3.24 to 3.3 million this year and according to Split airport's own projection in 2024 it'll handle around 3.5 million passengers.
Croatian airport expect to handle around 11.5-12million pax this year.
Zagreb - 3.75 - 3.85 million
Split - 3.2 - 3.3 million
Dubrovnik - 2.5 - 2.6 million
Zadar - 1.2 million
Pula - 550 000
Rijeka - 200 000
other airports total - 80 000~"
A significant portion of people have clearly replaced FRA with AMS. Me included.
ReplyDeleteSame here. KLM flies you for the same money as LH but the service is miles ahead.
DeleteA lot of talk about weak demand out of Zagreb and generally Ex Yu :
ReplyDeleteIt´s not weak demand, it is much too many airports that draw passengers from each other !
Czech Republic and Hungary have only ONE single big airport in their whole country .
The other ones are totally insignificant simple occassional charter destinations (Brno,Debrecen).
Bosnia has three airports alone which is idiotic ..
^But every Gazda has at least one nephew that is too mentally handicapped to get any job.
DeleteThe only solution is to open airport and make him director!
Which airport is drawing passengers from Zagreb? Should we close LJU? Or should we close ZAG so no passengers are drawn out from LJU?
DeleteIn an ideal world Slovenia would shut down LJU and would use ZAG. Unfortunately Slovenian politicians will never allow that to happen. Just look at LJU's pathetic performance, there is just no market for them with ZAG so close.
DeleteIn a united country Yugoslavia Zagreb airport would be given priority over Ljubljana no doubt .
DeleteAll the money would be directed to them .
Actually both airports are dragging each other down .
@18:45 wishful thinking
Delete@19.49
DeleteIn united country Yugoslavia both ZAG and LJU were doing much better than today, for those times and circumstances. Plenty of european airports which are today ahead of ZAG and LJU, were at those times behind, much behind, in terms of passengers numbers, numbers of services/destinations and connectivity. And then, "democracy" came. Danke Deutschland!
Still bitter old man that we are not trembling in front of the aparatczyk?
DeleteI do have lot of years behind me, but both physically, and in spirit, I am not old. But even if you decide to consider only number of my years to call me old, I will reply you like this : at least I am not stupid and ignorant 😃
DeleteThumbs up Pozdrav !!!
DeleteLet’s repeat what Pozdrav said about Yugoslav times and sinergy…JAT made damn sure, noth ZAG and LJU had extremely good connections, even interconti. Not like today, where weekly Canada service is considered a success.
Delete@16:54 OMG! I should have stopped reading when you compared Hungary and Czech to Croatia. You do realize Croatia depends mainly on incoming tourism (>20% GDP) and unless they arrive from somewhere within 500km they will almost all come by plane. Secondly, Croatia is not a centralized more or less round shaped country with the capital in the middle. Check out a map. From Zagreb to MNE boarder it's 650km. Thirdly look at the length of coastline and fourthly don't forget the islands that receive more and more tourists every year but could receive significantly more if they were easier or faster to reach plus there are some 100 islands with tourists. How can anything of this compare to CZ or HU??
DeleteBoth @16.54 and you @09.52 are right. You are right about the need of Republic of Croatia to have more airports, because of its geography, coast and tourism. @16.54 is right about ZAG which needs to have much bigger numbers. So what are we missing then? Apology to those who consider me boring, but we miss strong national flag carrier which would redirect part of croatian coastal traffic through its ZAG hub, in addition to ex-yu and Balkans traffic and connect it to its widespread european network with addition of most important North America and Asia destinations. Unfortunatelly, with Kradeze, gazda Ivan, Jasmin, market sold to Cartel, and "brand new shiny A220 fleet" that will never happen
Delete