United Airlines handled almost 30.100 passengers on its Croatia flights during the first three months of the 2026 summer season. The figures, provided by the United States Bureau of Transportation Statistics, cover the first flight of the season in April, followed by operations during May and June.
The carrier welcomed 6.457 passengers on its new seasonal service between Newark and Split during the period. The route was launched on April 30 and operates three times per week with the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft until its conclusion last week. Its average cabin load factor stood at 73%, representing an encouraging start for a new transatlantic service, particularly as the figures cover its introductory period and the shoulder-season months of May and June. United has already confirmed that flights between Newark and Split will return during the 2027 summer season.
The airline’s established Newark - Dubrovnik service continued to perform strongly. United handled 23.639 passengers on the route during the same period, representing an increase of 10.8% on the 21.329 travellers carried a year earlier. Its average cabin load factor improved by 5.6 points, from 77.6% in 2025 to 83.2% this year.
The available figures do not yet include July, August or September, which represent the peak travel period for both Croatian coastal destinations. United has told EX-YU Aviation News that it has not yet made any decisions regarding a potential extension of the operating periods of its two seasonal Croatian routes for next year, noting that “schedule details for the 2027 season will be determined later this year”.
Fantastic news for Croatia.
ReplyDeleteI still don't get that they haven't started ZAG.
ReplyDeleteBecause Zagreb is an into-USA market and as such it has low premium demand, whereas Split and Dubrovnik are into-Croatia and yields are understandably much higher.
DeleteI don't think Europeans realise how high incomes are in the USA. The gap is huge and still growing.
Yaaawn
DeleteIf statistics are boring for you then you can ignore them and continue living in illusions.
DeleteZagreb remains the obvious missing piece. It may not have Dubrovnik’s tourism appeal but it could support a different mix of business, diaspora and connecting traffic.
DeleteWhat are the chances for ZAG in say 2028 now that LJU is launching?
DeleteAnon 09:05 Unfortunately direct transatlantic flight is considered as a public train service here and citizens of every mid-sized city in this part of Europe believe that it is their basic right to have it regardless of their GDP per capita, ignoring the commercial drivers behind the industry.
DeleteAnd there's the connectivity issue. Zagreb being well connected to major European hubs becomes a disadvantage when it comes to securing new routes. Because competition is not the first thing a new market entrant seeks.
But anyway, here we cheer for the cities/countries as if they are football clubs. Forget the business dynamics, go Belgrade, go Ljubljana, go Zagreb, go Skopje!
I’m not bored by statistics, but rather by the post above yours—and by the fact that, whenever flights to the USA are discussed, some people still don't grasp that Zagreb has no potential.
DeleteZagreb has no potential and Ljubljana and Belgrade have? Ok, if you say so.
DeletePretty good stuff but I think they base route performance not on load factors but on profitability. I think flying with only half of the economy passengers is completely fine for them. That's what they have on many routes in Frankfurt and Heathrow and especially leisure routes where they send the 767s.
ReplyDeleteVery good results for Dubrovnik. An 83.2% load factor before the peak summer months is impressive.
ReplyDelete73% for long haul is not encouraging at all. Contrary actually. 83% is better, yet not good.
ReplyDeleteIt is. The route started on 30 April and had almost no passengers from Split to the US as these are mainly for people going on holiday.
Delete73% is surprisingly high, I would have expected 60%. The first 1-2 flights back to Newark have load factors of less than 5%. Then the next few have load factors under 40% then 80% etc etc
DeleteThese figures cover only the route’s launch and the shoulder season months. Load factor alone also does not determine a route’s performance, as yields are equally important. United has already confirmed Split’s return in 2027, so it is satisfied with the route’s initial performance.
DeleteI still do not understand who would even consider paying an airfare to fly on an old 767 aircraft. Maybe it is just me, but definitely would not even attempt to fly with them. Much better option to fly via Munich as the most flights from USA are on 350 or B787.
DeleteWell it is only you who doesn't understand.
DeleteThey pay to avoid landing anywhere. Plus United's 767s are in excellent condition and it's generally the case in the US. I recently flew a Delta 26 year old Delta B757 on a domestic flight and could not believe the plane was so old. In economy we had comfortable leather seats, large screens at each seat, USB charging, fast wifi... The plane actually looked brand new inside.
Delete"73% for long haul is not encouraging at all"
DeleteZaboravlja se činjenica da se avion iz Splita ionako ne može napuniti do punog kapaciteta zbog
prekratke piste!
Avio moze da se napuni putnicima,ali ne i sa kargom,a bez karga nisam siguran da su ostavarili neki plus na liniji sa samo 73%
Delete^ True
DeleteI flue with their 767 to Argentina and it was not comfortable at all. Plus the service and food in the economy was aweful. I mean they might be OK for those "charter" destinations, however those aircrafts are definitely too old and should not be used for tye transatlantic flights. They never use them on major Europian getaways for a reason.
Delete"They never use them on major Europian getaways for a reason" why is it so hard for some to look things up. Tomorrow they have 6 flights on 767s from EWR, ORD and IAD to LHR.
DeleteDubrovnik has clearly established itself as a strong transatlantic market. The increase in both passengers and load factor is excellent news.
ReplyDeleteDubrovnik at 83% in the shoulder season is the standout figure here. There seems to be room for either more frequencies or a longer season.
DeleteUnited should consider operating Dubrovnik for a longer period. The city has become much less seasonal than it once was.
DeleteDubrovnik’s performance is no surprise. It has strong recognition in the US and attracts a large number of high spending American visitors.
DeleteSplit has a much larger surrounding population than Dubrovnik, but Dubrovnik is a far stronger brand among American tourists.
DeleteUnited deserves credit for taking a chance on Split
ReplyDeleteExcellent news for Croatian tourism.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Nearly 30,100 passengers in just three months is a strong contribution to Croatia’s tourism and connectivity.
DeleteSplit will probably improve after another season or two.
ReplyDeleteThese results should encourage other US carriers to consider Croatia. Perhaps American Airlines could finally return to Dubrovnik.
ReplyDeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see whether United increases Split or extends the season in 2027.
ReplyDeleteHopefully United will extend the Split season next year. Starting earlier in April.
DeleteA 73% load factor is a solid foundation for Split. New routes need time to establish themselves, particularly outside July and August.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how much of the traffic consists of American tourists and how much comes from the Croatian diaspora in the United States, if there is any on these flights.
ReplyDelete@admin What was the DBV load factor during the same period in its first year?
ReplyDelete85.8%, however, the flights began on May 24, rather than April 30.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteAnd flights were four weekly back then
DeleteMany passengers flying to Split probably still connect through Frankfurt, Munich or Amsterdam because of better frequency and lower fares.
ReplyDeleteAir Canada entering Dubrovnik next year will provide an interesting test. We will see whether the market can comfortably support additional transatlantic capacity.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Real interest would be Air Canada performance, since they've introduced really significant capacity.
DeleteIt would be interesting to know how the two directions performed separately. Seasonal routes can sometimes have very uneven passenger flows.
ReplyDeleteAny idea how fights to Ljubljana are filling up?
ReplyDeleteThey just started sales barely 3 weeks ago. Come on.
DeleteHe just asked how the sales were going. Calm down.
DeleteHow would anyone know
DeleteUnless asked in a direct interview the airline won't disclose advanced bookings. And even if asked they will either say it's in line with expectations or exceeded expectations.
DeleteSplit Airport and the local tourism authorities now need to help promote the service in the United States. The airline cannot develop the market alone.
ReplyDeleteThe numbers are decent. We should wait for the full-season results.
ReplyDeleteUnited may be willing to accept a weaker load factor on Split if the route attracts premium leisure passengers paying higher fares.
ReplyDeleteIt does attract premium travellers. The aircraft they are using is premium heavy.
DeleteUnited Airlines should target Tirana, Albania for their expansion.
ReplyDeleteJasmineee!!! Dobro jutro! Šta ima? Pije'l se kahva? Kako idju Minken i Vrankvurt? Jel te bar malo malo sram?
ReplyDeleteOU should have honestly substituted 5 A220s for 2 A321XLRs. Could have done wonders for them.
DeleteWhat can the A321XLR reach from Zagreb for example, in terms of Croatia's main long haul markets? Genuinely asking.
Delete