easyJet will discontinue four of its routes to Croatia, affecting Zadar and Dubrovnik. The carrier does not plan to resume its seasonal operations next summer from Zadar to Milan Malpensa, Berlin and Lyon, while services from Dubrovnik to Berlin will also be terminated. Together, the four routes accounted for eleven weekly flights. The move will reduce the low cost carrier’s capacity on the Croatian market by 3.928 seats per week. This summer, easyJet competed directly with Ryanair on the Berlin - Zadar and Berlin - Dubrovnik services.
easyJet has been one of the most prominent low cost carriers operating in Croatia over the past two decades, steadily building a significant presence in the country’s coastal markets. The airline has focused almost exclusively on leisure-driven routes, targeting inbound demand from Western Europe’s largest source markets to Croatia’s coastal airports. Unlike Ryanair, which has made efforts to develop year-round services from Croatia, easyJet’s operations remain strongly seasonal, with a select number of routes extending into November. The airline has served Croatia almost exclusively from Western European origin markets with strong demand for holiday travel such as the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.
This year, easyJet has 1.440.428 seats on the Croatian market, making it the third-largest carrier in the country based on available capacity, outperformed only by Ryanair and Croatia Airlines. The figure is down 3.8% year-on-year. Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, it was the second-largest carrier after Croatia Airlines, while its overall capacity has grown modestly since, having stood at 1.42 million six years ago. easyJet has faced growing competition in Croatia, particularly from Ryanair, which has expanded aggressively in Zadar and Zagreb. Ryanair’s year-round model and deeper base investments have contrasted with easyJet’s lighter, seasonal approach. Based on this year’s capacity levels, easyJet is the second-largest carrier in Split and Pula, third-largest in Dubrovnik and fourth-largest in Zadar.
Pretty big cuts
ReplyDeleteAnd they cut 4 routes this year. Although they addee some too
ReplyDeleteToo much competition from Ryanair.
ReplyDeleteryanair will destroy every competion
DeleteToo many subsidies for Ryanair*
DeleteI wouldn’t write off easyJet just yet. They’ve been in Croatia for over 20 years. They’ll adapt.
DeleteYes but that was before Ryanair decided to become a major force in Croatia. Mark my words, FR will be the largest airline in Croatia sooner rather than later.
DeleteI'm shocked at how strong they are actually. Third largest airline in Croatia!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIt isn't strong. Croatia is small!
DeletePity
ReplyDeleteHopefully they add some new routes next year too.
ReplyDeleteOh noo.. anyway, we have Ryan! Who gives ratsbutt for easy
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that kind of thinking.
DeleteFrom a passenger’s perspective, competition is always good. Fewer easyJet flights means less choice, and that usually leads to higher fares. Not great news.
Deleteas long as we have mother lufti and CA, we will have cheap Ryan flights. Easy peasy and other similar carriers we dont need much..
DeleteFunny guy, really 🤣
DeleteeasyJet is conentrating more and more on the UK.
ReplyDeleteI think easyJet is becoming too cautious in Central and Eastern Europe. They’re focusing more on Western hubs while losing ground in places like Croatia.
DeleteWell, it’s a no-brainer. If you can get a slot in heavily slot-restricted and high-yield Western airports like Linate or CDG, you will definitely go for them.
DeleteInteresting to see how quickly the market has shifted. Just a few years ago, easyJet was the second-largest airline in Croatia, and now they’re down to third. Ryanair changed the game.
ReplyDeleteThe irony is that easyJet helped establish Croatia as a major summer destination, but now they’re being overtaken by newer players.
DeleteMoving from second to third is a quick shift in the market?
DeleteI don’t think Croatia should worry too much. Ryanair is filling gaps and even Croatia Airlines is slowly improving. Tourists will still come, just maybe with different carriers.
ReplyDeleteDo not forget this gives Ryanair huge potential for blackamailing Croatia and they are quite known for doing it.
DeleteI think Croatia chould worry, this is not a good sign.
Zadar losing three routes in one go is significant.
DeleteExactly.
DeleteIt's surprising that Ryanair does not do more in Split. Especially considering easy is second largest there
ReplyDeleteSPU did not give into their demands.
DeleteAnd they shouldn't.
DeleteA normal flag carrier would now use this to their advantage and maybe even introduce one or two of these routes.
ReplyDeletebut this are mostly season routes. Dubrovnik was July/August, twice per week
DeleteRepublic of Croatia does not have normal flag carrier. They have political entity, run by incompetent aparatchiks, which make debts and losses, and work for interests of foreign bosses and domestic mafiosos. Network, network planning, fleet, marketing, pricing policy, market advantages, competition, profits, potentials, development, all of the listed is irrelevant
DeleteYou are already boring. Go to your "puno previse" friend.
DeleteSeems like OU missed their opportunity with A220. Several of them are already experiencing engine problems.
DeleteThis shows just how competitive the Croatian market has become post pandemic.
ReplyDeleteI've been saying they should open a base in Croatia for years. You snooze you loose.
ReplyDeleteIf they haven't done it so far I highly doubt they will do it anytime soon.
DeleteWhat would be the point of a base?
DeleteWhat is the point of Ryanair's base in Zadar then?
DeleteIt's about strategy. Ryanair in Zadar is a 3-aircraft base. There are something like 60 destinations with low frequencies. easyJet in Split has a totally different strategy. It has a few super-busy routes like London which has 4 flights a day, and it makes no sense to have a base for that.
DeleteStop talking about easyJet's base in Croatia. It is the stupidest idea I can think of.
DeleteWhy?
DeleteEasyjet doesn't have an extra small bases. The smallest continental EU base for Easyjet is in Naples, Italy, with 7 aircraft, making it one of Easyjet's smaller bases in terms of fleet size within the European Union. This year they even closed VCE base since it was too small for them.
DeleteUnfortunate
ReplyDeleteI find it really interesting how they are so big even though they fly mostly in summer.
ReplyDeleteExyu is a small market. A million seats is already quite a bit
DeleteTrue
DeleteRyanair must be delighted. They’ve managed to push easyJet back in Berlin markets, and now they have more room to expand further.
ReplyDeleteI hope easyJet reconsiders some of these cuts
ReplyDeleteSplit remains strong! easyJet knows where the demand is.
ReplyDeleteIs easyjet at all affected by the engine issue on Airbus planes?
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteNo. easyjet uses CMF while Wizz and others that are impacted use Pratt & Whitney
DeleteThanks for the explanation
DeleteLucky
DeleteIs this a sign of tourists skipping Croatia due to outrageous prices in recent years?
ReplyDeleteOMG this comment cannot be for real XD
DeleteDoesn't seem like that, couple of main markets did see some decrease in tourist arrivals (Germany, UK - minus couple percents), but US is +10 and Serbia +12% this season. I think this Serbian figure doesn't support "outrageous prices" narrative.
Delete+12% on extremely small total number doesn’t show anything. But even small decrease on large last year amount shows a lot
DeleteSeem to focus very much on routes from/to UK. Not sure what's their strategy but whatever they are trying to do, seems that they get a good profit out of it
ReplyDeleteWell they are a UK company after all.
DeleteThis clearly shows the trending of Croatian very seasonal tourism. Croatia is the most expensive Mediterranean destination, but completely unreasonable. I am expecting same from more companies
ReplyDeleteI used easyJet a few times to Zadar, the flights were always full. Surprising decision.
ReplyDeleteRyanair is clearly winning the battle, but I still prefer easyJet’s service and policies.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAbsolutely prefer Wizz and Easy over Ryan.
Almost everybody does.
DeleteFor Easy, I agree. Wizz, the worst sh.t among airlines couldn't be put in the same sentence with Ryan, let alone Easy
DeleteWhy do you think Wizz is the worst?
DeleteSPU is their jewel in Croatia.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a rumor easyjet plans to open a base in ATH soon. I don’t know if this affects us.
ReplyDeleteHope they add some flights to ex-Yu markets from there.
DeleteWill they ever come to Zagreb again?
ReplyDeleteHighly doubtful with Ryanair so strong in ZAG.
DeleteWhich routes did they used to fly from Zagreb?
DeleteGatwick, Dortmund and Charles de Gaulle if I remember correctly.
DeleteCroatia should work harder on diversifying markets. Too much reliance on the UK, Germany, and France.
ReplyDeleteI agree that more could be done to attract affluent tourists from Far East and Southeast Asia. Korea was pure luck.
DeleteAs I type this near PUY, I wonder about breakdown of air vs car transit for Croatian tourism.
ReplyDeleteHere, at least in Istria, it makes no financial sense to put a family of four even LCC vs driving! The majority of guests are from drivable destinations and it only makes sense for north/north west Europe destinations to be supplied by air travel.
From a relevant source, this approach is a nemesis for local tourism where drive-in guests just go back home if the weather is bad!
I cant get the vibe about Dalmatian coast tourist behaviour, but here is where U2 is cutting the capacity.
Could it be that DBV have become way too expensive for a type of tourist aimed by the airline?
Dubrovnik has never had more passengers. easyJet cutting a few routes, most of which are two months a year, really makes no difference.
DeleteRyanair keeps growing because they’re willing to invest in bases and staff locally. easyJet isn’t playing the same game.
ReplyDeleteNo it's because they are willing to extort airports like no other airline in the industry can. Mind you they also deliver by bringing in the numbers for the airports.
DeleteIs it just me or are there no new routes to any Croatian airport this winter? Really odd
ReplyDeleteYou are right. I was expecting Ryanair to add something but it is not looking likely.
DeleteAs for next summer there is just Glasgow - Dubrovnik at the moment which was scheduled last year but it's early days. I'm sure we will see many new routes and I assume FR will also expand.
You win some you loose some. No big deal
ReplyDeleteNot good for ZAD. Almost completely in the claws of FR.
ReplyDeleteAgree. I think they have over 80% share which is not good for any airport.
DeleteIt's never good to lose routes.
ReplyDelete* loose
DeleteDoes easy use the A321 on some Croatia flights. Completely forgot they had the aircraft type in their fleet. Got reminded by the pic.
ReplyDeleteThey have just 19 of them but we will be seeing it a whole lot more since they have something like 170 on order.
DeleteAnd to answer your question, yes, they are sending A321 on some Croatia flights throughout the summer.
Delete