Croatia Airlines is set to enhance its operations this summer by increasing frequencies on select routes and significantly expanding capacity with the addition of more Airbus A220 aircraft. In conjunction with the launch of five new routes from Zagreb, the carrier plans to operate an additional 27 to 33 weekly departures from Croatia between April and October. This expansion is expected to add between 7.900 and 9.900 departing seats per week throughout the summer season. However, the precise delivery timeline of the six A220 aircraft scheduled to arrive over the next ten months may lead to adjustments in planned operations.
Several summer routes will resume earlier than usual this year. Flights from Zagreb to Berlin and Stockholm, which launched on May 20 last year, will restart on April 1 and 2, respectively. Meanwhile, services between the Croatian capital and Tirana will resume on May 25, ahead of the previous June 14 schedule. Initially, flights to Tirana will operate once per week for two weeks before increasing to twice weekly, with plans to further expand to three weekly flights from the beginning of July.
Several routes will see increased frequencies during the peak summer travel season. Split - Istanbul will resume on May 6 with five weekly rotations, up from three. Zagreb - Barcelona will increase from three to four weekly flights, while Split - Oslo and Split - Berlin will double from one to two weekly services. Additionally, Dubrovnik - Prague will expand from one to two weekly flights, and Dubrovnik - Zurich will increase from four to five weekly rotations.
Notably, Croatia Airlines will deploy the A220 aircraft on a range of destinations this coming summer, which have previously not been served by the jets. The A220 will replace select flights currently operated by the Dash 8 turboprops, which are gradually being phased out. The most significant capacity increase will be on the Zagreb-Split route, despite frequencies remaining largely unchanged. The biggest increase in capacity will be between Zagreb and Split, despite frequencies remaining mostly unchanged. In addition, the A220 is due to operate at least one weekly flight from Zagreb to Athens (via Dubrovnik), Brussels, Stockholm, Barcelona, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana, Rome (via Split or Dubrovnik), Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Zurich, along with Milan, Madrid, Prague, Bucharest and Hamburg launching this summer. From Split, the A220 will serve Athens, Frankfurt, Munich, Oslo, Zurich, Berlin, and Rome at least once per week, in addition to Zagreb. Meanwhile, from Dubrovnik, the aircraft will be deployed at least once per week on flights to Athens, Rome, Zurich and Prague, in addition to Zagreb.
Croatia Airlines is still in the process of scheduling most of the abovementioned planned frequency and capacity increases. Changes remain possible.
Good to see growth
ReplyDeleteThat growth is an euphemism. It is only statistical it means nothing to nobody. If you do not fly to a destination at least once a day, in the legacy model it is pointless - what you do is you only sell a huge share of your tickets on somebody else's document. All of these flights just show one notorious fact.... There is NO DEMAND
DeleteWonder how many A220s they will have in the fleet this summer
ReplyDeleteI think 4
DeleteWill they add anything new from the coast?
ReplyDeleteThey are adding frequencies, as you can see.
DeleteThat's not new destinations though.
DeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteAny new SPU routes this year?
ReplyDeleteSo far no.
DeleteThey said they plan 8 routes this year. They have added 5 from ZAG so if they keep their promise maybe there will be something new from the coast too.
DeleteThey really need to make those FCO and ATH flights nonstop.
ReplyDeleteIt's too early, Jasmin is still drinking his coffee
DeleteThat Jasmin stuff is silly, not funny. OU is clearly doing something right, renewing the fleet and adding destinations and frequencies. Their main problem is extra staff because in Croatia, state owned companies serve party members employment. On top, OU has no long haul ambitions, which they must, at least during summer season.
Delete^ yes he is doing really well. Huge net losses each year and lowest load factor in Europe. Congrats
DeleteOU have just launched 5 new routes, operating a few times per week. It's probably given Jasmin a nosebleed. Don't expect much else from OU this year, just more losses and excuses.
DeleteI never said he was doing great. My point is that he is not in charge. PM Plenković and Minister Butković are, and they use OU for party purposes. You need to learn how to read in between lines.
DeleteThere is no such thing like summer season long haul. If Croatia Airlines starts long haul, it must be full size operation. And it will not happen, at least not with Jasmin.
Delete13.19
DeleteAnd Transat and T'way are what? I mean because there is no such thing like summer season long haul
Sarajevo with A220? Didn't the CEO specifically say they will wet lease turboprops for routes like Sarajevo? In any case good news for passengers.
ReplyDeleteThey will just use it once per week
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see Zagreb-Tirana increased. They already have the 3x weekly flights on sale.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteBalkans need better regional connectivity, and this is a step in the right direction
DeleteIf only OU operated proper waves at ZAG for decent connections.
DeleteIf the slots are given, and no others available, what would YOU do?
DeleteZAG is not slot restricted and there were few slot restrictions 35 years ago when they started most of their routes.
DeleteCompetent management would have sorted this decades ago
DeleteSplit-Istanbul seems to have been a success. I know they mentioned how they are considering to make it year round. Maybe it will be this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised TK never started this route.
DeleteThey talked about it publicly a few times how they want to start it but never did.
DeleteWhat's the point of flying to Split in winter?
DeleteIt is the second largest city and has second largest catchment in the country.
Delete^^^
DeleteWhy do you think it doesn't have foreign visitors in winter?
Anonymous09:53
DeleteBecause except tourists there are people living in Dalmatia who wants to visit other countries during winter.
Not enough people to support direct flights from coastal airports to various other countries.
DeleteThey can do that through ZAG though.
That's what people living in the islands of Greece do as well.
Bravo OU!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see that Prague not only gets a direct flight to Zagreb, but PRG-DBV finally increasing as well. Once weekly flight was way too little.
ReplyDeleteSo this year SKP will not be the only airport to see the A220 in the Ex-yu countries ... really nice plane ,modern , quiet , I fly couple weeks ago with them from SKP to ZAG
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThis is exactly what Croatia needs. More connectivity to European cities will help tourism and business. Hopefully, these changes are just the beginning of a bigger expansion plan.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAgree. Good news for tourism.
DeleteIf year round to somewhere like BCN isn't offered it's very disappointing.
DeleteWhen can we expect them to announce the 2025-26 winter program?
DeleteOctober
DeleteGreat to see Croatia Airlines expanding.
ReplyDeleteThis all sounds promising, but given the uncertainties with aircraft deliveries, I wonder how much of this expansion will actually happen as planned. But I actually do hope all goes to plan and it's good to see them spreading their wings (finally!)
ReplyDeleteWhich uncertainties exactly?
DeleteWhy are some cities completely ignored like Pula :(
ReplyDeleteThey can't have a base in every city in Croatia.
DeleteThe rest of the country is getting upgrades, but we’re still waiting....
DeleteGood move by Croatia Airlines.
ReplyDeleteMy only worry here is that the lack of 80 seater will hurt them.
ReplyDeleteWhy not try to negotiate lower lease rates for the Dashes (no one wants them), until the wet leased ATRs come?
They never confirmed it will be ATRs.
DeleteWhich makes it worse...replacing dry leased Dash8s with wet leased ones
DeleteWhy is it worse?
DeleteProbably wet leasing Q400s will be cheaper than having them themselves, keeping crews and maintaining them.
Same situation with ASL wet leases.
Because they also have to pay expensive leases for 15 A220s.
DeleteWet leasing is good and preferable to dry leasing so OU will actually have better finances to pay for these A220s.
DeleteOr is this principle apply to JU only?
First they resume MXP where they attack FR in BGY and now they are increasing BCN where they are attacking FR in GRO. Great, FR had it easy in ZAG.
ReplyDeleteMXP and BCN are far more convenient airports for those visiting Milan and Barcelona than BGY and GRO respectively.
DeleteNot if Croatia Airlines costs 10 times more. Also, Malpensa is absolutely not more convenient. It takes a full hour to get from Malpensa to central Milan, the same as Bergamo Airport to central Milan.
DeleteYes but in the minds of people MXP and BCN are the first choice. There is a reason why GRO and BGY are secondary airports after all those years.
DeleteI think OU will beat FR in Barcelona.
@12:05 I'm sure OU tickets to MXP will cost 10 times more than FR tickets to BGY! Or probably not but some people are getting desperate...
DeleteHe was never on these two airports. People fly to Girona also for Costa Brava. They can afford only room in punica house.
DeleteNow next step: lower the prices by 25%
ReplyDeleteagreed - and they would see more revenue due to increased LF..
DeletePrices on some A220 routes like to BRU are already lower than with Q400. With bigger capacity , it will be lower prices for sure
DeleteVery good
ReplyDeleteI wonder why they refuse to start a route to Sofia
ReplyDeleteI doubt there is enough demand. Isn't Ryanair flying there?
DeleteAre they codesharing with TK on Split - Istanbul route?
ReplyDeleteAny chance to start flying to BEG?
ReplyDeleteNo need
DeleteNo need, who said that?
DeleteDoes anyone know until when the existing A320 family stays in fleet? To be honest, I am gonna miss them. :)
ReplyDeleteNo Belgrade?
ReplyDelete