Air China will commence flights between Beijing and Zagreb via Bucharest on September 4. The service will operate three times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with the Airbus A330-200 aircraft. The airline is also expected to secure fifth freedom traffic rights between Bucharest and Zagreb, allowing it to sell tickets on the intra-European sector as well upon regulatory approval. The scheduled stopover in Bucharest will last three hours in both directions. Further flight details can be found here. Tickets are now on sale through the airline's website.
The Chinese carrier will become the third widebody operator at Zagreb Airport and only the second airline from East Asia to serve the Croatian capital, alongside South Korea’s T’way Air. The Airbus A330-200 aircraft scheduled for the Beijing - Bucharest - Zagreb route are configured with 265 seats. These include eighteen business class seats in a 2-2-2 layout and 247 economy class seats in a 2-4-2 configuration. The new service will also bring widebody capacity to the short Bucharest - Zagreb sector, which is currently unserved after Croatia Airlines discontinued its seasonal operations between the two capitals earlier this year.
Air China’s entry into the Croatian market will provide strategic benefits for Croatia Airlines, with both carriers being members of Star Alliance. This will enable expanded onward connectivity, coordinated itineraries and potential feed through the alliance network. Based on indirect passenger flows, Shanghai is the busiest unserved route in China from Zagreb, followed by Beijing and Guangzhou. Earlier this year, Zagreb Airport identified China as one of its priority long haul markets for future route development, alongside the United States, India and Japan.
Congrats our neighbors! A huge win for Zagreb
ReplyDeleteIs it? I mean the stop in Bucharest is three hours, hardly competitive compared to one stop flights via other hubs.
DeleteYou stay in plane, if plane is late you will be on your final destination for sure. Wiyhout fear if 1st leg lates than 2nd wont wait for you.
DeleteAre you sure you sit in the plane? That would be horrible after a 9 hour flight.
Delete@9:00
Delete+1
Dude you spin every positive article on this blog into negative. Of course its a big win for ZAG and the whole region regardless of the 1 stop
DeleteMay I ask why it is a big win for the whole region?
DeleteI wonder too.
DeleteYou already have from BEG direct flights to PEK, CAN, PVG...and now suddenly flights with stop of 3 in OTP hours are important for region?
Hmmm...
You cannot stay on the plane in OTP because you need to clear immigration there.
DeleteThis will be huge for pasangegrs traveling to ZAG, staying 3hours at Bukurresti would give passenger more time to see the city and eat Štrukili
Delete@15:55 started early with the Rakija have we?
DeleteIf only it were rakija. But in this case it's Mother Nature. Unfortunatelly.
DeleteI read so many misunderstandings. The main and practically the only reason for 3 hours long layover in Bucharest is Schengen border crossing rule. Every single flight that arrives into any Schengen area from non-Schengen country has to disembark all the passengers and all cabin baggage at the very first point of landing within the Schengen area. This is something that does not have anything to do with 5th freedom rights or anything else. Being it a flight with or without 5th freedom rights, passport controls always happen at the first point of landing. Consequently passport controls or better to say, exit immigration from Schengen area toward non-Schengen country, always happens at the very last point of exit.
DeleteSimply speaking the passengers arriving from Beijing, all of them regardless if they travel to Bucharest or Zagreb, will always have to cross the entry immigration at Bucharest without exceptions and also, those traveling from Zagreb to Beijing will always have to cross the exit immigration in Bucharest. This is simply unavoidable! Again, this is the rule and it functions in this way regardless of 5th freedom rights.
Great but stopover is a no go for me. I would rather chose Turkish evening departure with 1 hour stopover on Istanbul on that case
ReplyDeleteStop making things up. There is no itinerary from Zagreb to Beijing that includes a 1-hour stopover in Istanbul.
DeleteThe shortest available connection is 2 full hours.
Why are you making things up? Shortest transfer is via VIE which is 01.10! Much better than 3 hours in Bucharest.
Delete01.10. stopover is just smashing if the flight from Zagreb is delayed. I would never choose such a short connection if this were the only flight to Bejing from Vienna on that day. This way you at least know you won't miss your connection since there is none. People have been flying like this regularly. For instance if you fly to Buenos Aires from London with British, the plane lands in Rio and you stay on the plane. I think two hours. No big drama there. If this were bad or not necessary as some claim here, then the company would not do it.
DeleteFlying long haul with one hour stopover is accident waiting to happen. The chances are that you will miss the flight, that your luggage won't be transferred... I would never do that.
DeleteSorry - for clarification 1hour stop in Istanbul is for me a time from getting to the airport to getting on the aircraft, which in reality is then a full 2 hour stop
DeleteAnd we are all here so big time corporate shots that losing one hour more, really but really makes a diferrence and no one ever would use Air China out of ZAG for that reason 🤣🤣🤣
DeleteGreat news.
ReplyDeleteDamn, 3 hours in OTP is significant stopover. Air China will have to be significantly cheaper than Turkish Airlines, flyDubai and Qatar Airways.
ReplyDeleteOh they will be hahha
DeleteDon't worry, they will definitely be cheaper
DeleteNot just cheaper, but a way cheaper!
DeleteLounge access will be provided free of charge at OTP, for all passengers
DeleteNot the most competative of flight times but its still something. Have the a330s been renovated? I flew once from Heathrow to Beijing with them and it was horrid.
ReplyDeleteIt has been the same seats for a while.
DeleteI'll stick to driving to Budapest and taking Shanghai Airlines 787 then hahah they're good
DeleteThe A330 is an outdated aircraft even when newly renovated on the inside, so the Air China ones are extra ancient
DeleteA classic of an aircraft! And a beauty but yeah there are far nicer aircraft nowadays.
DeleteAC just purchased 23 A332's last year
DeleteZagreb punches well above its weight. Well not really but let’s celebrate anyways!
ReplyDeleteGood addition.
ReplyDeleteFlying an A330 between Bucharest and Zagreb is a treat :D
ReplyDeleteTrue!
DeleteBucharest-Zagreb on a widebody with lie-flat business class is quite a unique option for such a short route.
DeleteIt's not unique as there are many widebody intra-European flights which use long haul equipment:
DeleteTK IST-ATH
TK IST-VIE
TK IST-LHR
LX ZRH-ATH
IB MAD-LHR
etc
There are a couple of others. Singapore Airlines has a few fifth freedom flights in Europe, as well as Ethiopian Airlines.
Delete@10:35 nobody said unique. I fly London Istanbul on the 777 frequently.
DeleteLondon - Istanbul is a four hour flight and that's hardly comparable to a short hop from Zagreb to Bucharest
DeleteThey fly 777 istanbul Athens
DeleteCongratulations. Hope the route will go nonstop next year. 3 hour transfer is a bit long.
ReplyDeleteI have never travelled before with a stopover? It must be possible to leave the aircraft , right? Then i think it will be okay, hopefully prices will be much lower.
DeleteSometimes yes sometimes no. I travelled Chengdu-Istanbul-Athens on Sichuan Airlines earlier this year and we had to stay on the plane. Although turnaround was very quick. It was surprisingly packed between Istanbul and Athens. I think the fares were dirt cheap. Lot's of people boarded.
DeleteBoth ZAG and BEG have experience with these stopover flights with QR. It was not possible to leave the plane, but technical stop was significantly shorter. Why 3 hrs is beyond me.
DeleteI've had several stopovers the longest has been 90 min. I never left the plane, they make an announcements for the passengers to stay in the plane.
DeleteThey use these stopovers to clean the cabin, vacuum etc. and you just sit and watch
Given that the stopover is 3h, the flight betwen ZAG and OTP will probably be opeated as intra shengen, and you will deplane and clear imigraton in Bucharest ...
DeleteIt is still way too long.
DeleteEveryone will have to leave the plane at OTP to clear immigration, as the ZAG-OTP leg and vv is an intra-Schengen flight.
DeleteThat flight is a mess.
Delete11.36
DeleteWith new EU entry/exit rules it's not way too long as majority of pax ate expected to be Chinese
14.31
Was the mess Hainan flight to BEG which initially had stop at PRG? Or mess comes only combined with ZAG?
It was a mess and had few passengers. That's why it was quickly discontinued.
DeleteExciting
ReplyDeleteI mean sort of lol
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteBravo China!
DeleteBravo Bucharest!
DeleteThat's a great addition for Franjo Tudman Airport.
ReplyDeleteManagement seems to be proactive.
Great addition! Congrats to Zagreb for being the first Ex Yu destination of Air China!!!
ReplyDeleteThey are a little late for this season. I don't see Chinese tourists will come year round to Croatia
ReplyDeleteThere are alot of chinese ;) suburbs for Beijing are bigger than Croatia
DeleteChinese tourists come year round and mostly avoid the top season.
DeleteThat 3 hours stop tells you everything you need to know about the importance they give to the Zagreb market. They care more about the ZAG-OTP sector.
ReplyDeleteIts testing the water. Yeah its not fun at all from a passenger perspective, however driving to Budapest or connecting via Germany or Serbia adds time too. However i think for long onwards connections the prices will have to rock bottom cheap to be competative.
DeleteAir China is making smart use of fifth freedom rights. It improves aircraft utilisation while serving two markets with one flight.
DeleteThe stopover is long because the rotation to Zagreb is treated as a short-haul rotation. Crews change in Bucharest.
DeleteZagreb is really one of the first...
DeleteUsed to be the only seasonal Emirates destination, now it must be the one with the longest stopover in the world.
Long-haul and ZAG just doesn't see to rhyme together.
I'm sure you will get over it without losing too much sleep
DeleteThose who will be loosing too much sleep are the Zagreb pax onboard of that 3 hour stopover both ways 🤣.
DeleteExcellent news for Zagreb. Air China is a huge addition and shows the airport is finally attracting major long-haul carriers again. Hopefully this is just the beginning.
ReplyDeleteCroatia Airlines should make the most of this through Star Alliance.
ReplyDeleteShould but won't.
DeleteThe three hour stop in Bucharest seems quite long. I suppose it's needed to pick up passengers and handle ground operations.
ReplyDeleteCrew change in both directions
DeleteIt is a disaster for passengers.
DeleteI really feel pitty for those who decide to fly on that way.
Its their choice. Many people say that about anyone who selects a chinese airline at all. However they are improving.
DeleteIt's really not a disaster, it's more secure than a stopover in Istanbul or Frankfurt where your luggage might not make it or you might not make it. This is a guaranteed connection for passengers and for the luggage
DeleteTrue, however if one is trasiting Beijing elsehwere the flight instantly becomes a bore.
DeleteGreat to see another A330 at Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese market has enormous potential for Croatia's tourism industry. Hopefully this route encourages more visitors outside the peak summer season.
ReplyDeleteI wonder whether Zagreb Airport will now focus on attracting airlines from Japan or India, since those were also listed as priority markets.
ReplyDeleteUS should be utmost priority.
DeleteGood news, but I would have preferred a nonstop Beijing-Zagreb service. Maybe if demand grows that could happen one day.
ReplyDeleteHopefully visas become easier for Chinese tourists. That would help boost demand even further.
DeleteThats an Eu thing
DeleteThis is probably the biggest route announcement for Zagreb this year. Air China is not a carrier many expected to see in Croatia.
ReplyDeleteActually, this is one and only route announcement in Zagreb this year
DeleteTrue dat.
DeleteNot true, Ryanair is launching a new route
DeleteNice to see another Asian airline in Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteDoes this schedule work for transferring to/from Australia.
ReplyDeleteIt's a huge pain with so many stops. Qatar and emirates are so much easier and quicker
DeleteIt is a one 3 hour stop? Doubt emirates or qatar would get you guicker
DeleteThey would.
DeleteIt's one stop in Bucharest and then one stop in Beijing to get to Australia. Emirates gets you there quicker
DeleteTickets for ZAGOTP sector are not yet bookable on airchina.com.
ReplyDelete"The airline is also expected to secure fifth freedom traffic rights between Bucharest and Zagreb, allowing it to sell tickets on the intra-European sector as well upon regulatory approval."
DeleteThat approval may come late. Or don’t come at all
DeleteIn the first version of the article it was written as if they already have it.
DeleteInstead of waiting for three hour stop, drive to Belgrade and fly directly :)
ReplyDeleteYes, because driving for hours before your long haul flight, paying for parking, crossing the border by car and then crossing the border at the airport is so much more conveniant. Not to mention the beauty of driving for hours after you arrive back from your 12 hour flight. Extremely conveniant.
DeleteNo border checks for me thanks.
DeleteBudapest is far better comnected to china and no border crossing.
DeleteBudapest has better airplanes too, and better prices
DeleteYep
DeleteOdlična vijest za Hrvatsku. Odlična vijest za Zagreb. Znam da se navedena linija najavljivala, ali sam se svejedno pitao hoće li uistinu doći do realizacije.
ReplyDeleteDoduše, koliko za prvu ruku vidim, iskreno sam se nadao nešto nižim cijenama :-) Npr., barem na razini Budimpešte koja generalno ima nižu cijenu za Beijing i to za "pravi" direktni let, bez stopa od 3 sata u Bukureštu, što je realno određeni diskomfort za putnike. Ovak dođeš na cijenu i trajanje puta koje manje više ionako možeš dobiti s presjedanjem preko Beča, Frankfurta i sl. Kako god bilo, ipak dobro.
+1
DeleteLooking at the schedule, their turnaround time in Zagreb is shorter than the amount the plane will be in Bucharest. Bizarre.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of passengers will likely be leaving in Bucharest. So they will have to get the bags out, clean the plane, change the crew. And knowing how poor Bucharest Airport is, it takes on average 15 minutes for them just to connect the airbridge to the plane. The baggage handlears appear after 30 minutes.
DeleteIt's not bizarre because the crew change is in Bucharest, not in Zagreb.
DeleteChinese airlines have been expanding like crazy.
ReplyDeleteThey are benefiting from the fact that so many European airlines have retreated since they can't fly over Russian airspace.
DeleteCroatia has become increasingly popular with Asian tourists. Better air links were only a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this is better...
DeleteThese 3 hours are bitter.
DeleteCould this encourage other Chinese airlines to launch ZAG?
ReplyDeleteHope so. Shanghai would be a good addition.
DeleteDo they really have tickets on their site available only until the end of summer season? Not even 2 months?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how will this affect AirSerbias LF to China. Does anyone know how many transfers from OTP and ZAG were connected to flights to CAN and PVG?
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost Air Serbia does not fly to Beijing.
DeleteSecondly there is significant point to point demand from BG. This wont have any impact at all.
DeleteBelgrade has three airlines flying non-stop to China. This flight via Bucharest will mostly affect other one-stop competitors from Zagreb like Turkish and Lufthansa.
DeleteWell done to HR from SLO. Air China is a serious player. I might even try the ZAG to Romania sector for fun. Really well done for securing Air China. Jealous.
ReplyDeleteMy question is how does this flight with a 3-hour layover in Bucharest make commercial sense for Air China. OK, I get it, they have a certain number of pax to OTP, they have a certain number of pax to ZAG, they'd like to serve both destinations, and they can't make it work without combining them. Fair enough. But the aircraft is still sitting parked for 6 hours. This adds substantially to the rotation length. Doesn't this make the flight significantly more expensive to operate? It's not like OTP and ZAG are some insanely high-yielding destinations where you can just build this cost into ticket prices. Or is it that Chinese airlines don't have to pay so much attention to commercial viability? I'm genuinely confused here
ReplyDeleteWhy do you people think that an aircraft can be turned around in an hour after a long-haul rotation? Crew change, meal loading, luggage, cleaning, schedule optimisation, etc etc
DeleteWell, if so, then why is it both ways? Do the ex-Zagreb pax go to toilet so more often that the whole tank has to be cleaned as from a long-haul flight??!
DeleteDon't talk *hit, genuinely.