Wizz Air is eyeing further expansion in Croatia following the launch of seasonal services to Zadar and Rijeka over the past week. Among low cost carriers on the Croatian market this summer, it ranks behind Ryanair, easyJet and Eurowings by available seat capacity, but has overtaken Jet2, Volotea, Vueling and Norwegian Air Shuttle after adding more than 100.000 seats this season. The airline held talks with the City of Zadar this week, with both sides agreeing there is considerable scope to strengthen cooperation, particularly by improving the city’s connectivity with European markets during the winter months.
Wizz Air’s Airport Development Manager, Salome Khundadze, noted the airline still has a relatively limited presence in Croatia but sees considerable opportunities for expansion and market positioning. She added that Wizz Air is experiencing strong growth and has ambitious fleet expansion plans. The carrier currently operates a fleet of more than 250 aircraft and is looking to further expand its network, with the possibility of launching additional routes from Zadar as early as next season also under consideration.
Asked by EX-YU Aviation News whether it is considering a return to Zagreb after an absence of more than a decade, Wizz Air declined to comment directly on the possibility, stating, “We are continuously evaluating opportunities. This region, specifically the EX-YU aviation space, is always very close to Wizz Air’s heart. We are evaluating this and similar opportunities all the time”.
This summer, Wizz Air is launching ten new routes to Croatia, all serving coastal destinations. These include new services to Dubrovnik from Cluj-Napoca, Gdansk, Budapest, Bucharest and Katowice, to Zadar from Budapest and Warsaw, and to Rijeka from Katowice, Gdansk and Lublin. The additions mark the airline’s debut in both Zadar and Rijeka. Wizz Air’s entire Croatian network remains seasonal.
About time
ReplyDeleteIt's hilarious that Zadar organised a whole welcome event with ribbon cutting while Rijeka which is struggling to get flights and passengers was not bothered in the slightest.
ReplyDeleteThem not wanting to comment directly on Zagreb but not denying it is a good indication they are in talks with Zagreb
ReplyDeleteThis would be great. I like they are opening destinations like Cluj and Bucharest which are unserved.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteGood to see Wizz Air finally paying more attention to Croatia. There are still plenty of underserved routes from the coast, particularly from Eastern Europe.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that they avoided answering the Zagreb question directly. That usually means they are at least looking at it. The market has changed a lot since Wizz Air left over a decade ago.
ReplyDeleteThe problem for Wizz is that Ryanair already has a strong foothold in Croatia. Finding routes where they can compete profitably won't be easy.
ReplyDeleteRyanair barely flies at all to Osijek, Rijeka and Split so Wizz can start there if it wants to avoid direct completion.
DeleteIn Pula Ryanair has 8 routes so Wizz can try attacking there. In Dubrovnik and Zagreb there is also a lot of space for a fight because a lot of destinations remain unserved.
Healthy competition is very good and usefull for OU
DeleteHow many Moldovans or Romanians can afford a weeks holiday on Croatian Coast?
ReplyDeleteObviously enough for flights to be introduced from Bucharest and Cluj.
Delete@09:48 you realise Romania is a big country with a solid middle class.
DeleteYes but what passes for middle class in Romania is absolutely not enough to afford summer holidays in Croatia. The destination is expensive even for western European standards.
DeleteYou're talking about a under 500 hundred seats a week in some cases. Its hardly an hourly shuttle. Yeah Croatia is a rip off location for a holiday sadly. And yet we go..
DeleteWhy are you talking about Moldova
DeleteIf you knew anything about Wizz, rather than coming on here to pick a fight you would realise it is one of many East Europe countries Wizz has a large presence.
DeleteI am not here to pick a fight but you seem to be.
Deletethe question @9.48 is ridicolous
Delete@1717 why?
Deleteimas drzavni zavod za statistiku ...
DeleteHopefully this isn't just another seasonal experiment. Croatia needs more year-round connectivity, not only additional flights during July and August.
ReplyDeleteWhat would one do on holiday in Zadar in February?
DeleteMaybe people from around Zadar want to bloody travel too? Ever occured to you we need year round ability to get out without going to Zagreb.
DeleteYes you just need to see how fully booked ZAD-MUC is in winter
DeleteTwice weekly to London during winter seems completly realisitc and should be actively subsised by the tourist board.
DeleteNo one wants to go to Zadar in February and people from Zadar certainly won't go to London in February either. If you're going to travel in February, you're going to the canaries or you're flying long-haul.
DeleteNovember and March are different though.
LCCs don't care about winter operations because there is no market. It's not up to them to change that but the Croatian government and the tourism organizations.
DeleteThat is why airlines will fly at times when they think demand is greatest.
So basically we are saying Dalmatia is so bad that twicw a week to the biggest aviation market in Europe isnt possible? Thats a shocking state of affairs for Croatia tbh.
DeleteIf SPU can't get 2 weekly London flights in winter ZAD certainly isn't. Just look at dismal LF from DBV and how BA give up on ZAG in winter too.
Delete"So basically we are saying Dalmatia is so bad that twicw a week to the biggest aviation market in Europe isnt possible? Thats a shocking state of affairs for Croatia tbh."
DeleteWhy is it shocking?
Well im not from there, but for a region to be so poorly connected in winter is sad
DeleteWhat is there to do on the coast though? All people in hospitality and tourism see to be on a winter break from September to June.
DeleteYeah the north macedonian market is doing very well nowadys.
Deletewaititng for SKP-SPU summer seasonal next year
ReplyDeleteA maket that has never worked. Talk about low yields
DeleteTalk about knowing zero about the market. Wizz will have nearly 2.5 mil pax from there this year.
Deletea market that hasnt been even touched!
DeleteI mean Split to Skopje mate.
Deletebecause OU didnt work? LOL
DeleteWizz generates demand with every destination. Bari and Napoli are 4 weekly, Palermo 3 weekly. They even have flights to Sardinia
The cake shops at these Balkan airports are working overtime for all these route launches
ReplyDeleteAny more than elsewhere?
Deletefirst pic looks great
ReplyDeleteRJK
DeleteZagreb? Osijek?
ReplyDelete