Ryanair is in the process of finalising its upcoming winter season schedule, which begins on October 25, but has already made some preliminary adjustments. These will see the budget airline increase frequencies on a select number of Zagreb services, while also modifying its Dubrovnik winter operations.
The carrier is upgrading its Krakow and Dublin routes from Dubrovnik to year-round services, with both destinations to be maintained twice per week. These will replace Vienna and Charleroi, which will not operate during the winter season following a lacklustre performance over the 2025/26 winter period. “We are delighted by Ryanair’s impact, especially during the pre-season and post-season periods. During our negotiations with Ryanair, we emphasised the importance of winter flights, and we successfully secured several routes”, Dubrovnik Airport said recently.
At its Zagreb base, Ryanair is increasing frequencies on several routes compared to the previous winter season. These include London Stansted, which will operate thirteen times per week, up from ten, with two daily flights on every day except Thursday. Services to Malta will grow from daily to nine weekly, with two daily rotations planned on Mondays and Fridays. Flights to Weeze, Malaga and Bergamo will each gain an additional weekly departure, bringing the total to five per week. Similarly, Dublin will increase from five to six weekly, with two daily flights scheduled on Saturdays. Beauvais will also see an additional weekly service, taking the total to three.
Unlike the previous winter, Ryanair does not currently plan to reduce frequencies on its Zagreb routes during February, which will result in a notable increase averaging around eighteen additional weekly flights. At the same time, unlike in the 2025/26 winter season, the airline will no longer serve Thessaloniki from Zagreb due to high airport fees at the Greek airport, which will lead to the closure of its base there. Furthermore, Ryanair will not operate services to Hahn and Pisa, both of which were discontinued at the end of March.
Another change for Zagreb will be the increased deployment of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, replacing some of the Boeing 737-800 operations seen last winter, with the MAX expected to operate around 160 additional flights over the winter period compared to last. However, the Zagreb-based Airbus A320 fleet will continue to operate the majority of services, with utilisation broadly in line with the previous winter.
Further changes to Ryanair’s Croatia network remain possible
Excellent news for ZAG.
ReplyDeleteNišta novog! Samo prelijevanje iz šupljeg u prazno!
DeleteKrakow will perform better from Dubrovnik than Vienna in winter?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that they got subsidies or discounts from both airports in winter. DBV is not really a winter destination the same way Malaga, Malta or Athens are.
DeleteWhilst it isnt a massive winter destination the airport does provide acess to a relatively large area including large parts of Bosnia and Montenegro during the shoulder season.
DeleteLook at TIV numbers in winter, there is a reason why so few people go there. I think FR has to fly something in winter if they want discounts in summer.
DeleteRyanair has to operate three routes in the winter. CRL and VIE didn't work out so they're trying two different ones. And they're keeping Stansted.
DeleteThey are just trying out other things because Vienna and Charleroi didn't work out, and they have to have 3 winter routes to get summer discounts. Krakow certainly isn't going to fare any better, LOT already tried with Warsaw in winter, the rates were just fine, but the planes flew empty, so it ditched the route fast.
DeleteFR is delusional closing so many bases left and right. Not much left to fly
DeleteWhat bases "left and right" have they closed recently? And what percentage does that represent form their 100 bases?
DeleteThe WAW route flew twice a week until the end of the season?
DeleteSo it seems they were waiting for the subsidy scheme to come out. What's interesting is that they are not launching new flights from ZAG in winter. Could it be that they are reaching their maximum in terms of destinations?
ReplyDeleteI don't see OU lasting much longer so maybe it's time to consider ZAG-SKP to hit Wizz on LJU-SKP.
This would make sense since SKP is the region's fastest growing airport.
It is only May. And the article says they have not finalized the schedule. So new routes are possible. New subsidy program comes into effect from June. Although the subsidy program is not so focused on launching new routes.
DeleteI heard they are considering double daily to Skopje during winter season, and triple daily to Skopje during summer season 27
DeleteIf they signed the contract then nothing is stopping them from announcing flights now. I am thinking about what other winter routes they could launch and nothing really crosses my mind. Maybe some Morocco flights.
Deleteanon 09.08
I don't think so, it would be too much but 3 weekly would make sense.
W6 from LJU or OU from ZAG?
DeleteRyanair adding frequencies instead of new destinations suggests consolidation rather than aggressive expansion this time around.
Deletewow several ZAG routes getting up to almost 2 daily!
ReplyDeleteStill can't understand that Croatia Airlines has not considered flying to Malta and it took Ryanair to come to launch it.
DeleteAh, OU used to fly it once upon a time. In the late 90s/early 00s. But cut it from the network and never thought of revisitng it.
DeleteWhy would they fly it when you can go via Frankfurt and Munich?
DeleteDemand for Malta is really high. I flew on 27.04. from Athens to Zagreb via Malta. The flight from Malta to Zagreb was full to the last seat, although this was the second flight this day on this route.
Delete^ Who are the passengers on this route? Croatian tourists? Diaspora? Maltese tourists. Very happy it's performing well.
DeleteOn my flight the most were Croatian tourists followed then by the Slovenian tourists.
DeleteNice
DeleteMore flights to Malta in winter makes sense. It’s a strong leisure route and weather is still attractive
DeleteGreat news for Franjo Tudman Airport, especially at a time that almost all countries in Europe see airlines cutting back on capacity.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand IR is not going to be happy at all again.
*PIR
DeleteOf course he's not going to be happy because he is proven right. Market was there but OU ignored it to focus on LH hubs. They are so successful that after 30 years they end up sending the ATR to MUC
DeleteWhy would PIR not be happy? He actively wants aviation growth and new routes for Croatia? He is angry that the OU mob dont and havent acted like a proper airline in decades (as we all shoul). But he is not saddded by FR's growth at all which is a good position to have.
Delete09.36
DeleteThanks. Exactly as you said. I am more than happy when every single airport all around ex-yu, and especially in Croatia, gets new airlines and/or new or additional flights. I"ve been writing several times how wrong were people writing there was no demand in ZAG for anything. I use FR from ZAG a lot. Next time tomorrow. I just want OU not to be politically controlled, to have professional management, to use much better potentials of and opportunities on the market, to be bigger and better, to have its own developed network instead serving as humiliated feeder and to stop wasting public money. Unfortunatelly some people here with mindset from 1950 declare "state enemy" or " motherland hater" every single person who dares saying a single word of criticism about not only OU but everything which is not good in Croatia. They are Party soldiers who lie and manipulate trying to void criticism. And obsession with me of that one paticular Party soldier mentioning me here constantly and even when I don't say anything is simply fascinating and beyond comprehension
There was big party in Sredisnjica. Main subjects were high kerosine prices, cutting up to 10 routes, introducing new ones Split Rimini, Zag LJU and DBV Tenerife. Last one is for those who visiting DBV and wish to swim little in Tenereife. Good idea. Also new positions in OU. Misetic will assist in Sluzba za glodare u avionima, Jozo Bulj is Sef ciscenja toaleta. Jadranka Pusic njegova sekretarica. Also other positions are Chief of Intercontinental planning, Chief of Space planning and Chief of Old people transporting. Party ended with Babogredac DJ music.
Delete🤣🤣🤣
DeleteWhats the last new route Ryanair introduced in Zagreb and when was it?
ReplyDeletePalermo 1 yr ago
DeleteHow is Ryanair doing on that route?
DeleteBelgrade and Skopje also got Palermo-but with Wizz Air.
Bravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteI still don’t understand why Hahn was dropped. It may not be Frankfurt, but it served a purpose for budget travellers heading to western Germany.
ReplyDeleteBecause OU and LH to FRA are just too strong. Convenience beat low price.
DeleteI think a lot of price sensitive passengers just switched to buses and cars instead of flying FR.
It has much more to do with Ryanair's relationship with Hahn Airport rather than OU/LH. They have cut many routes from Hahn.
DeleteNot just Hahn but also Germany. They're actively making cuts.
DeleteHahn and FRA are two competely different markets
DeleteI’m surprised Pisa hasn’t returned. It seemed like a decent route for both tourism and diaspora traffic.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't perform well at all. It was the weakest route in the network.
DeleteIt was the second weakest of all their Zagreb routes, after Bratislava.
DeleteThis is exactly why Ryanair is so effective. Quick to add capacity where demand exists and equally quick to cut underperforming routes. No sentiment involved.
ReplyDeleteBut people across the Ex-Yu will criticise them for this, claiming they're not cOmMitTeD tO tHe mArKeT
DeleteThirteen weekly to Stansted in winter is quite substantial. That route must be performing exceptionally well.
ReplyDeleteLondon is the best connected city in Europe. Its a bellweather of a route for any capital city.
DeleteI fly it often, its consistently full and prices vary from very cheap to still reasonable. The service is much more frequent and often at better times than OUs LHR - but not all the time.
DeleteIf you need to book last minute, fares are rarely extortionate like OUs.
If you book in advance and need checked luggage, OU tends to be the better deal.
They're increasing to 13 weekly because British Airways is not flying to Zagreb in the winters anymore.
DeleteGood observation 10.34
DeleteCroatia Airlines should be worried. Ryanair keeps building year-round relevance in Zagreb, not just seasonal leisure traffic.
ReplyDeleteThey are killing it on the London route
DeleteAnd killing the competition on the route too.
DeleteOU will more focus on DBV, SPU and other airports. Plan is also to lease new A220 planes now, when is huge offer of planes. Jasmin the Lion know the best what is the best for OU . It is so luxury experience. New planes and full row empty and only for you. Amazing. Plan is ti sell one seat per row.
DeleteAnd if one more occupied in their 3 abreast, they will get free kahva and tufahija. Those with both others occupied in their 3 abreast or someone next to on 2 abreast, will get complimentary ticket for the next flight, providing they vote Kradeze which will guarantee keeping Jasmin our Lion CEO for life
DeleteI suspect there are still more changes coming. Ryanair rarely finalises schedules this early without tweaking aircraft allocation later.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteDubrovnik losing Vienna is surprising. Austria has traditionally been a strong market for the Croatian coast, even outside peak summer.
ReplyDeleteThe flights were timed very poorly and were consequently never full. Not even around Christmas.
DeleteCould they subsditute Thessaloniki with Athens?
ReplyDeleteI doubt. There is Aegean flying the route which disqualifies them from getting incentives by scheme terms
DeleteAs someone who worked with FR in negotiating flights to airports, this is a tactic. Ramp up the flight schedule a year in advance, then threaten the airport with flight reduction if certain criteria is not met. Once you inevitably cencel flights blame it on the airport costs.
ReplyDeleteAlbeit this ramp up is not as extreme as in the old days...we went from 4x weekly to 14x weekly, and then reduce it to 3x weekly at the end :D
DeleteLet's see if this sticks.
ReplyDeleteIf VIE didn't work I'm doubtful Krakow will. Dublin could work though.
ReplyDeleteI really think they should try Zagreb-Krakow.
Vienna is much closer than Krakow. Combination of Međugorje for polish pilgrims and Dubrovnik with lower prices out of high season could actually work twice weekly. About Zagreb, fully agree Krakow should be one of at least 20 destinations currently not served
DeleteSo OU is cutting this winter while Ryanakr is growing.
ReplyDeleteI know people love to hate OU but people don't realize that this airline was on the brink of bankruptcy 4 months ago before the state saved them. The only responsable thing for them is to cut loss making flights until their finances stabilize. Of course it's ironic that this has to be done by people who put it in this situation in the first place but that's a whole different story.
DeleteAgree with last anon
Delete12.27
DeletePeople would love to love OU but unfortunately OU as it is couldn't be loved even if mother's child
Any chance for Split winter flights?
ReplyDeleteI’m more interested in what isn’t announced yet. Any chance of a new Zagreb route instead of just frequency increases?
ReplyDeleteLas Palmas/Tenerife, Marakesh/Agadir, Edinburgh/Glasgow, Riga/Vilnius, Hannover, Dortmund, Nurrnberg, Krakow, Gdansk, Sevilla, Valencia, Helsinki, Lyon, once wars are over Lvov, Kiev and Amman/Aqaba missing big time
DeleteIndeed. I think there is a big opoortunity in regards to Jordan. When things calm down in the region.
DeleteDublin year-round from Dubrovnik is a clever move. Irish visitors increasingly travel outside the traditional summer months.
ReplyDeleteWhen is it planned for FR to retire the A320s?
ReplyDeleteLeases expire in 2028 when they will be removed from the fleet. But O'Leary said they are in talks over a new order with Airbus.
DeleteThanks
DeleteZagreb’s winter connectivity is becoming very decent thanks to FR. A few years ago this would have been hard to imagine.
ReplyDeleteAgree. One of the best moves ZAG management made.
DeleteGood for passengers
ReplyDeleteIrish tourists will love Dubrovnik year around
ReplyDeleteFor me Dubrovnik is best avoided between about April and October. Its one of the only places im Croatia i really have little desire to visit touristically during the season. So more winter travel there is welcome.
DeleteThere is strong demand for city breaks from Irish tourists. They’re also high spenders so will definitely see growth and expansion in coming years
DeleteAnd in winter ZAD has absolutely nothing. Not even one route. It’s not helping tourism in the area which has gone year round.
ReplyDelete