Croatia Airlines is this year marking the thirtieth anniversary of operations between Zagreb and Sarajevo. The carrier established flights in August 1996, shortly after Sarajevo Airport reopened to civilian air traffic, with the inaugural flight operated by an ATR42 aircraft Since then, Croatia Airlines has connected the capitals of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina throughout the year, with services interrupted only temporarily during the coronavirus pandemic. Between August 26, 1996, and August 31, 2026, Croatia Airlines carried 1.345.041 passengers on a total of 36.196 flights between Zagreb and Sarajevo.

Marking the occasion last week, Croatia Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, Slaven Žabo, said, “We are proud that Croatia Airlines was the first airline to land at the reopened Sarajevo Airport after the war, thereby contributing to its resumption of civilian air traffic. Thirty years of flights between Zagreb and Sarajevo underline the importance of this route, as well as the strength of the cooperation we have built over the years with Sarajevo International Airport, one of our key regional destinations. In addition to providing a direct link with Zagreb, the route enables passengers from Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue their journeys to numerous European destinations within the Croatia Airlines network and, through our Star Alliance membership and cooperation with partner airlines, to destinations around the world. We are especially pleased to be marking this important anniversary at a time of significant transformation for our company and the renewal of our fleet with new Airbus A220 aircraft. We thank our passengers for their trust, as well as our colleagues and partners in Sarajevo, with whom we have shared this journey for the past three decades”.

Sarajevo Airport’s Acting General Manager, Dino Selimović, added, “Thirty years of uninterrupted air connectivity between Sarajevo and Zagreb represents much more than a successful air service. It is a story spanning three decades that has laid the foundations for a longstanding partnership built on mutual trust and a shared vision of strengthening links between the people, economies and markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. Throughout this period, Croatia Airlines has not merely connected Sarajevo and Zagreb, but has also provided passengers from Bosnia and Herzegovina with access, via Zagreb, to numerous destinations across Europe and the world, making a significant contribution to our country’s international connectivity. We thank Croatia Airlines for thirty years of successful cooperation and for its contribution to strengthening ties between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. We are confident that, in the years ahead, we will continue working together to develop this important air service for the benefit of our passengers”.