Croatia is making efforts to expand its nonstop connectivity with the United States. The country’s Foreign Minister, Gordan Grlić Radman, discussed the “potential establishment of nonstop flights between Croatian and American airports” during meetings with local leaders in Florida recently. The Croatian National Tourist Board noted that long-haul markets like the US are crucial for growth and that “we must actively encourage the launch of new routes” to improve accessibility. During the first half of the year, over 260.000 Americans visited Croatia, representing an increase of 16% on the same period last year.
Dubrovnik, which is currently the only Croatian airport with nonstop flights to the US served by United’s daily rotation from Newark over most of the summer, is leading efforts to secure more flights to the country. In the past, it has also been served by Delta, which maintained flights from New York’s JFK Airport for a single season in 2021, and by American Airlines with a route from Philadelphia in 2019. “We are the only airport in Croatia with a nonstop service to the US. While we are currently connected to New York, one route is proving insufficient. We need another one, similar to what we had a few years ago”, the CEO of Dubrovnik Airport, Viktor Šober, said in late 2024. He added, “The primary challenge is the shortage of aircraft and delays in the arrival of new jets due to manufacturing and supply chain issues. It's a complex situation, making it difficult to secure these flights. However, I am confident that within the next year or two, we will have something concrete”.
US carriers are due to announce their network additions for the 2026 summer season over the coming weeks. American Airlines has already done so, adding new seasonal services from Philadelphia to Budapest and Prague, as well as flights between Dallas and Athens, all of which will run on a daily basis with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Delta has announced new routes from the US West Coast, with flights from Los Angeles to Barcelona and Rome launching next year, however, its more comprehensive network expansion plans are due in September. On the other hand, United usually outlines its growth for the coming year in early October.
They have national carrier. Of they can't operate a A330 or two while we pay them tens of millions of Euros per year... What are they good for?
ReplyDeleteIt's too early
DeleteI'm sorry but you are wrong. We pay them nothing exempt PSO.
DeleteWe paid over 100 million for restructuring a day before EU entry, but they remained loss making (and have smaller network today than in 2012)
DeleteWe pay through various udruzeno oglasavanje through the tourist board
We paid them during covid over 80 million which have still not been repaid (not a single cent)
We entered EU 12 years ago.
DeleteYou weren't a Croatian taxpayer back then?
DeleteOU is public interest company not a for profit company. It serves Croatia and Croatian coastline during winter season with a lot of PSO services. It's really "GAS" flying to Croatia on OU, love the airline great people great vibes! And yes, it's great promotional tool for Croatia as people first experience OU. Summer season is not 365 days! A220 Roks
DeleteWhen you have people like 10.04 believing that all OU gets is PSO and who cheers on their losses, what is the incentive for them to expand and become profitable, or maybe even schedule flights so they can connect and build ZAG into a hub? None.
DeleteHow can an airline with 12 aircraft and 20 destinations be a promotional tool for anything?
DeletePublic interest company? Wow, give me some of your stuff, please
Delete1116, you get it! Been saying the same thing for years...
Delete@Anonymous 11:16, so according to your logic, all other state-owned airlines like LOT or Air Serbia are supposed to operate at a loss? Sure, it's normal for airlines to run at a loss occasionally but not constantly and without a clear path to sustainability
DeleteWould be great to get United to Zagreb
ReplyDeleteReally hope so. They have been talking about more US flights for yeara.
ReplyDeleteImpressive number of US tourists.
ReplyDeleteI agree, US tourists are very high spenders (up to 500 eur daily per person) and they are more than appreciated
DeleteI heard it was 1500, not eur but Kuwait dinars.
DeleteWhat does you're comment have to to with this? I said that US tourists have started discovering several destinations in Croatia and are one of the countries highest spenders, around 300-500 eur daily
Deleteit has to do with exaggeration.
DeleteI guess you don't listen to facts, US tourists spend an average of 300 eur daily
Deletehttps://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/news/croatia/item/17714-croatia-s-american-tourist-surge-could-trump-s-policies-change-the-trend
It's not exaggeration. They usually stay in 4 and 5 star and boutique hotels which are approximately 200 euros per day. Excursions, dinners at good restaurants, taxi, shopping. Sorry the amount is correct, no matter how difficult for you is to accept it.
DeleteYou sound like a gold digger from Eastern Europe that believes every 'westerner' is rich. There are a lot of American tourist and the very small subset that does spend those amounts might give you an impression all of them come to Europe with huge budgets.
DeleteI payed 200 euros in Vodice for 2 bedroom apartment this summer.....boutique hotel in Dubrovnik is hard the same price....
DeleteAnnon 14:44 he meant per person so most likely around 800 euro a night. And to answer the previous persons claims saying not all come with that much, most do and for those that have less they are covered by those that rent boats for 15000 eur a week and shop like crazy
DeleteCorrect 15.45. Entire discussion is consumption per person, and I meant it, as you said
DeleteI think Dubrovnik is way closer to getting new flights than Zagreb, Americans have now also started discovering not just the beauty of Dubrovnik but also surrounding cities and islands
ReplyDeleteI am from Zagreb ! Seeking flights ? What a heck Croatia Airlines is doing !? Like always....nothing ! No brains at all...just sucking the money out !
ReplyDeleteThey do not even have codes on United flights. Meanwhile UA put it's own in OUs.
DeleteYou have flights via LH hubs, no need for direct.
DeleteHahahahahahahaha Croatia Airlines.... 09.27 Croatia Airlines is hostage of Ivan Mišetić who surrendered croatian market to LHG, for his personal benefits. He is still in control of OU and the deal for OU to remain LHG feeder forever is still on. Highly corruptive deal with BCG which was instructed to consult how to remain feeder, resulted in catastrophal decision on single type fleet. Croatia as a country is not democracy. It is Partitocracy. The Party is deliberately placing aparatchiks for OU management in order to prevent it from real development and use of market potentials, especially in long-haul. And Ivan Mišetić, as ex president Franjo Tuđman chief of office, and later OU CEO is untouchable. If it was not the case, OU could have operated today, as minimum of the minimum, New York, Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, Delhi, Bangkok, Beijing and Tokyo.
Delete09.35
DeleteHalf of million of the richest tourists on the planet and no need for direct flights? Bravo! You must be genius. Big greetings for 3 rd floor in Buzin and for Središnjica.
09:35 The comment is clearly meant ironically. Not that difficult to recognize PIR.
DeleteOh, no 20.11, it was not meant ironically. There is one guy here, and on some other blogs/forums with duty and task to advocate all wrong moves OU made, all corruption, incompetence, inertness, losses, status as humiliated feeder and so on and so on. I understand you completely because every normal person would consider it irony. Unfortunately it isn't
DeleteThere is absolutely no way in hell that croatia airlines could not fill 2 a330 for long haul to new york and some asian destination every other day from zagreb. You have 2 such olanes, that means 1 flight each day. Solid profits on those lines.
DeletePozdrav iz Rijeke repeating the same old stuff he's been obsessed with since they gave him boot from Croatia Airlines due to things enough people are familiar with.
DeleteA suggestion for you PiR: return back on your OCD meds and chill out... you've already been reported and banned on this site due to trolling.
Don't let it happen to you again. And no, I don't want you to be censored...I merely want to say that you are incredibly repetitive and boring. At least you stopped attacking people personally - for the most part, but watch your mouth or you will be reported again.
Not every topic about Croatia and beyond needs to be hijacked by your mental breakdown related to OU!
Excellent news
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Air Transat hasn't tried Dubrovnik from Toronto. Seems like a good fit for them.
ReplyDeleteAirTransat can not even fill-up one full flight to ZAG this year. They did try by cancellation of one weekly flight, however it still left unsold flights on the route.Dubrovnik would never work out well from YYZ.. Canadians are more poor then even before, as well Croatian diaspora is older and not travelling as often.
DeleteAC restarted YYZ-PRG this summer on A333 and it should not be a surprise if YYZ-BUD is next.
DeleteAir Transat operates not one but 3 weekly flights ZAG-YYZ with LF of over 80 %. If it hadn't been so and if they weren't satisfied, they would have withdrawn from the service. Or maybe you think they are "public interest company" satisfied with 50 % LF and constant heavy losses?
DeleteAgree with Annon 13:22
DeleteI've seen several similar comments saying how the Toronto service is underperforming
And,how exactly would you know if the service is underperforming?
DeleteSome experts claim 80% LF on a long haul is not profitable.
DeleteI would know if a route is underperforming by looking at passenger numbers that are publicly published and looking at whether airlines are choosing to continue routes. Looking at this route it has now been operated for 3 years and it has a load factor of 76 procent
DeleteThey should focus on Asia. Crazy that Croatia has no flights from China.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it crazy? Croatia has weaker trade with china than what Serbia has. Besides, most Asian tourists are Koreans, I see several big groups around Zagreb and the coast each day
DeleteI wasn't comparing the two countries at all. I was talking in general. Croatia is one of the most visited countries in Europe so I think having flights to one of the biggest source of tourists in the world would be a priroity.
DeleteChina, Japan, South Korea, Singapore. All markets that could work.
DeleteZagreb not even trying to get US flights.
ReplyDeleteZagreb does not need US flights
Delete^ sure
DeleteSame way it didn't need Ryanair @11.12?
DeleteNot going to hap
ReplyDeleteWhy not
DeleteYou are not going to be happy when it hap 🙂
DeleteNext year ATH will be linked to 10 US airports (at least) while ZAG, OTP, SOF, SKG, TIA with none.
ReplyDeleteWe need to start doing things differently and attract the highest spending visitors to the greater region.
US carriers should be incentivized to fly here.
I agree with Americans being high spenders (300-500 eur daily) but I think DBV will get more flights rather than Zagreb due to its proximity to the popular islands and Split. That being said I do think Zagreb could support at least seasonal services
DeleteHiSky flies OTP-JFK, or am I missing something?
DeleteBut your point still stands
Athens at this point can’t be compared with any city in ExYu. Athens is linked with Dallas, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Washington, Atlanta, Addis Ababa, Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Boston, Chicago, NY, Canada and soon with India. Not to mention the huge Middle East network with flights to Erbil, AUH,JED,RUH, HBE, Tunis and even Damascus… that’s not even close to any Balkan city..
DeleteAre there any direct flight from Croatia ti the US?
ReplyDeleteIt says in the article
Delete"Dubrovnik, which is currently the only Croatian airport with nonstop flights to the US served by United’s daily rotation from Newark over most of the summer"
EK. DXB-ZAG-JFK(EWR). Daily in summer, 3 weekly in winter. Once Dreamliner arrive. Success guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteThe year round daily EK 777W flight to EWR and JFK from ATH and MXP are extremely successful.
DeleteMilan and Athens are bigger markets, more business travel and bigger diaspora. Not sure 777 would be suitable for the service, especially not daily in winter. But Dreamliner with less winter frequencies, absolutely possible
DeleteThe solution is right infront of them: OU the national carrier that is a victim of Poor leadership and lost potential. Instead of spending 500 million (and more) on A220s they could of spent that money on 10 year old 320 neos and a few widebodies, with a competent management it could be a success just not with the Current Experts in Buzin
ReplyDeleteTrue experts :-D
DeleteThe higest spenders would actually be the Russians but thats a whole other story...
ReplyDeleteAll of this tells you how brainless about business are old "local bus managers" are. It is, also, sign of "insignificance complex" and total misunderstanding of the "business for profit". I will not be surprised if some Air Serbia opens flight from Zagreb or Split to, God forbid, any place in USA. Why? Because they don't have "sea and sun" to sell. They have to find a way to earn the living.
ReplyDeleteFrom the other side, Atlanta airport has more GDP than the entire country of Croatia with just about 60k employees. ATL can evacuate the entire country of Croatia in one weekend and not the blink. Croatia does not need direct flights to USA. What Croatia needs is education in business finance.
Its a mentality thing. If you are the pefect people you dont have to improve yourself and be hard working. How can you improve something that is already perfect ..?!
DeleteDear @16.50
DeleteBoth education in business finance and direct flights to USA are impossible as long as combination of old "udbaši" and new mafiosos, jointly operating in Kradeze, are destroying the country, use it as their ATM, forcing the most productive and most educated people to move out, and setting us back to 1950's, mentally and in every other way.
PIR, you are the one frozen in the 1950s mentality. You and any kind of business can't be put in the same sentence.
DeleteOr have you already forgotten your glorification of communist Yugoslavia and its JAT?
The fact that you're now trying to completely change the tune is actually quite hilarious.