ZAGREB, 8 May 2022 - Canadian airline Air Transat has resumed a regular flight service between Toronto and Zagreb after a two-year break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Zagreb's Franjo Tuđman Airport said on Sunday.

It is the first overseas flight to Zagreb this year. Air Transat will operate the route Toronto-Zagreb-Toronto once a week.

Canada's Ambassador in Croatia, Alan Bowman, said he was very pleased with the resumption of direct flights between the two countries, expressing hope that this would increase the number of tourists to both countries and open the door to new business opportunities.

Huseyin Bahadir Bedir, chairman of the Zagreb airport management board, said that the return of Air Transat and the resumption of flights between Toronto and Zagreb was yet another step towards the recovery of traffic at Zagreb.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

April 27, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as the Air Transat Toronto-Zagreb line returns from May 8!

Canadian leisure airline Air Transat will resume traffic on the regular seasonal line between Toronto and Zagreb in just over a week, reports Croatian Aviation.

As earlier announced, Air Transat will connect Toronto and Zagreb again on May 8 this year with a regular line that will operate twice a week during the peak summer season.

This airline introduced a regular seasonal route between the two cities back in June 2016, and the number of weekly rotations gradually increased, so that in the summer of 2019, three flights a week were available on the route. Recall that in the summer of 2019, the daughter company of the Canadian national airline, Air Canada Rouge, operated on this route four times a week, running as many as 7 flights a week between Zagreb and Toronto. 

After the global pandemic hit, Air Canada Rouge retired all wide-body aircraft and canceled the route to Zagreb, and the plan was for Air Canada to operate on this route with A330-300 aircraft, but no flights were made.

Air Transat planned to return to Zagreb in 2020, but due to low demand and passenger restrictions, this did not happen, as in the summer of 2021.

After a long time, this airline returns to Zagreb International Airport on May 8 this year. In May, one flight per week was announced with departure from Zagreb to Toronto every Sunday, and from June two flights per week have been announced, additionally on Wednesdays.

The line should operate until the end of October (October 30), so this summer Air Transat will operate a total of 47 return flights between Toronto and Zagreb with its wide-body aircraft type A330-200. It is also the only confirmed overseas route to Zagreb Airport this summer season, and the only line on which wide-body aircraft have been announced.

Given that Air Transat aircraft has a capacity of 332 seats, around 31,208 seats are available on the route from May to October. Namely, most economy classes have a 3-3-3 configuration, while the standard legacy carrier on this type of aircraft is 2-4-2. For example, Korean Air also used this type of aircraft on a regular route between Zagreb and Seoul, which had a capacity of 218 seats, or 114 seats less than Air Transat.

The return of Air Transat to Zagreb is certainly positive news for the airport itself, which had several lines with wide-body aircraft before the pandemic. The average duration of a direct flight between Toronto and Zagreb is 9 hours and 20 minutes.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, check out our dedicated travel section.

November 12, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Air Transat Toronto-Zagreb flights will finally return next summer!

Canadian leisure airline Air Transat announced it would reintroduce the seasonal route between Toronto and Zagreb when announcing next summer's flight schedule. Zagreb is among the 44 international destinations in its network, reports Croatian Aviation.

With the start of the summer flight schedule, Air Transat will gradually increase the number of operations to Europe (from Montreal and Toronto). In the summer of 2022, the airline plans to operate to almost all destinations as before the global pandemic, adding new ones, mainly in the United States.

Air Transat will operate from Montreal next summer on 19 international routes to destinations in Europe, of which 7 are in France. In addition, a new line between Montreal and Amsterdam is being introduced.

Air Transat plans to operate 13 international routes to Europe, including to Zagreb. At the peak of the summer season, Air Transat will have almost 60 weekly flights from Toronto to the Netherlands, Greece, Croatia, Great Britain, France, and other European countries.

Air Transat had planned to resume traffic to Zagreb during the 2021 summer, but due to restrictive measures in Canada and weak demand, this did not happen.

Before the pandemic in 2019, Air Transat operated between Toronto and Zagreb three times a week. Two-weekly flights have been announced for next summer. The first flight from Toronto to Zagreb has been announced for Saturday, May 7, 2022. A month later, from June 7, the second weekly flight with departure from Toronto on Tuesday will be introduced. Two-weekly flights are currently announced until the end of the next summer season - October 29, 2022.

A330-200 aircraft have been announced for the Toronto-Zagreb route, with a capacity of 332 to 345 seats. Thus, Air Transat will offer more than 31 thousand seats between Toronto and Zagreb next summer. 

Air Transat introduced the line to Zagreb in June 2016, gradually increasing the number of weekly flights (from 1 to 3 in the summer of 2019). Until 2019, Air Canada Rouge operated on the same route, which retired all wide-body aircraft in the corona crisis. For this reason, Air Canada released tickets to Zagreb for the next summer season, but flights will depend primarily on passenger demand and potential travel restrictions.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

March 12, 2021 - The latest flight news for Croatia as Air Transat cancels flights from Toronto to Zagreb, and Air Serbia stops selling Rijeka, Pula, and Zadar. 

Croatian Aviation reports that the Canadian leisure airline, Air Transat, has canceled all already announced flights on the Toronto - Zagreb - Toronto route for this year.

The well-known Canadian airline confirmed in January that it planned to re-establish the line between Toronto and Zagreb in the upcoming summer season, leaving the possibility of reducing or completely canceling the line if the demand is not satisfactory. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. Air Transat has stopped selling all announced flights on this route for the upcoming summer season and sent a notice of flight cancellations to a small number of passengers.

Recall, the company established a direct line between the two cities in June 2016, continuously increasing the number of weekly flights from season to season until the summer season last year when the line did not operate due to the pandemic.

The first flight on this line was announced for May 11, until the end of October, with three flights a week at the peak of the summer season. A330-200 aircraft was announced on the route, and Air Transat was the only company that planned to send wide-body aircraft to Zagreb Airport in the upcoming summer flight schedule. Unfortunately, after the departure of Emirates, Korean Air, and Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat will also not fly to the Croatian capital this year. 

Thus, Croatia will be without a direct airline with Toronto this summer. Not so long ago in 2019, as many as 7 weekly direct flights were available between the two cities in the summer flight schedule.

Air Transat leaves the possibility of returning to Zagreb next summer with a new plan: a regular flight twice a week, without flights on Wednesdays that were available on this route in 2019.

With this, Zagreb was practically left without long-haul lines, and there will be no wide-body aircraft such as A330-200, B787-9 Dreamliner, B777-300ER, and B767-300ER, which landed in the Croatian capital every day in the summer of 2019.

Croatian Aviation also reports that the Serbian national airline has modified its flight schedule this summer, removing three destinations in Croatia.

Namely, Air Serbia no longer has three Croatian airports in its offer of destinations: the previously canceled Rijeka, Pula, and Zadar.

The Belgrade - Pula - Belgrade line was introduced in 2014 and has operated regularly every summer season since then, mostly with three flights a week. In 2020, the company did not operate on this line, and now it has been canceled for the summer season this year.

In the summer of 2019, two new lines to Croatia were introduced; Belgrade - Zadar, and Belgrade - Rijeka.

In the summer of 2020, the airline decided to permanently cancel the line to Rijeka, so there were no direct flights to Kvarner for this year, but only suspended sales on the line to Zadar were also introduced in the summer of 2019.

This summer, Air Serbia will have three destinations in Croatia: Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, just as it was last year. Regular operations to Split and Dubrovnik are currently announced from the end of May, while the airline regularly operates to Zagreb.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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November 10, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Air Transat plans to reconnect Toronto and Zagreb next summer. 

Croatian Aviation reports that the Canadian leisure airline, Air Transat, confirmed for their portal that in the 2021 summer flight schedule, it plans to reconnect Toronto and Zagreb with a direct airline.

Air Transat is the first airline from a distant market to confirm its return to Zagreb in the next summer season. After the complete withdrawal of Emirates, and at this moment, indecisive carriers such as Korean Air and Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat has confirmed its plan to return to Zagreb Airport.

Air Transat made its first flight on the Toronto - Zagreb route in June 2016, continuously increasing the number of weekly flights on this route from season to season and extending the duration of operations (currently from May to the end of October).

This airline mainly transported many Canadian tourists to Zagreb (to a lesser extent the diaspora, but is mainly used the Air Canada Rouge), and it was logical to temporarily cancel the route for this summer season, given the reduced demand and passenger restrictions on state borders.

"Croatia is a well-known tourist destination, and we believe that in 2021 we will reconnect Toronto and Zagreb with a direct line. Tickets are already on sale, and operations will depend solely on passenger demand - our intention is clear, we want to reconnect these two markets!"

The first flight on the Toronto - Zagreb route has been announced for Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The line will operate once a week until the end of May, with departures on Sundays from May 30 and flights on Thursdays from June 17.

From June 17, Air Transat intends to operate on this route three times a week until the beginning of September, and then the number of weekly flights will decrease as the summer season approaches.

On the Toronto - Zagreb - Toronto route, A330-200 aircraft have been announced, which have a capacity of 332 to 345 seats in the fleet of this airline.

Departures from Toronto are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays in the evening, and as it is a night flight, a departure from Zagreb to Toronto is the next day (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Apart from Toronto as a final destination, passengers from Zagreb have access to other Canadian cities, such as Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal.

Air Transat's intention to return to Zagreb in the summer of 2021 is certainly positive news; if we live a normal lifestyle again next summer, there is no doubt that many Canadian tourists will use this line and come to Croatia on vacation.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

May 8, 2020 - Korean Air has stopped ticket sales to Zagreb, while Air Transat has pushed back its Zagreb service to July. 

Ex Yu Aviation announced that Korean Air will not resume its seasonal service between Seoul and Zagreb from September 1, and has officially stopped ticket sales. 

This isn’t entirely surprising given the COVID-19 pandemic, as Korean Air will only operate at 20% of its usual international capacity, or only 32 of its 110 international routes (just 146 flights per week). In May, Korean Air is running only 13 routes, or 55 per week. 

Recall, the Seoul-Zagreb service should have resumed in March but was delayed first until June, and then September as the coronavirus spread globally. 

In 2019, Korean Air handled 43,123 passengers on the Seoul-Zagreb service. 

Furthermore, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Canadian carrier Air Transat has delayed its seasonal service between Toronto and Zagreb by a month, until July 2. The airline has plans to fly to Zagreb three times per week until mid-September, and then two times per week until late October. However, nothing is guaranteed. 

Because of COVID-19, the Canadian airline has suspended all services until June 30. 

"These are extraordinary circumstances, when all airlines and travel companies have been forced to temporarily halt or drastically reduce their operations while governments have decided to close their borders. This unprecedented situation is well beyond our control,” Air Transat said in a statement. 

Recall, Air Canada Rouge already suspended its service between Toronto and Zagreb this year.

If you're wondering about how the future of flights to Croatia will look in the post-corona world, TCN caught up with Max Oldorf, COO of the aviation data company, ch-aviation. You can read our interview here.

Need to find the latest Croatia COVID-19 travel advice? When will borders open, flights take off, and tourism finally begin? Check out our overview of what we know at the moment here.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 10, 2019 - Air Transat is looking to strengthen operations in Croatia. Are trips to Dubrovnik and Split in its plans?

Ex Yu Aviation reports that the theme of Air Transat’s annual meeting last week was Croatia - and we are not surprised. In 2018, 172,712 Canadian tourists visited Croatia, which was an increase of 26.5% compared to 2017. 

While Canada’s third-largest airline has operated a seasonal summer service to Zagreb since 2016, it has put Croatia’s popularity in focus and previously expressed interested in expanding to Dubrovnik and Split. They’ve even made contact with both airports. 

“Croatia remains a key destination for Transat in view of the interest shown by Canadian travelers in the summer and its potential for tourism development. We are continuously looking at all opportunities, including Croatia. Like all airlines, there are a number of considerations involved when we are selecting a destination, including customer demand, airport infrastructure and competition from other carriers," Air Transat said.

So, is a connection to Dubrovnik and Split on the horizon? Air Transat said they are always analyzing and re-evaluating the market and their roads, based on a variety of factors, to optimize their operations. 

Recall, Air Transat announced a new service between Toronto and Split back in September 2018, though they canceled it in January 2019 and instead increased frequencies to Zagreb. 

Air Transat's Marketing Director, Debbie Cabana, confirmed the news then. 

"For commercial reasons, we have decided to cancel our summer 2019 program for Split, Croatia. Nevertheless, Croatia remains a key destination for Transat and, given the interest shown by Canadians in the summer of 2018 and its potential for tourism development, we will be adding a third weekly departure from Toronto to Zagreb. Flights will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays during peak season. Passengers from Montreal and Vancouver will also benefit from a connecting flight to Toronto to take advantage of this added flight to Croatia. This third flight will make Zagreb accessible from Calgary as well, via return connecting flights to Toronto". 

The carrier was to fly between Toronto and Split once a week from June 20 to September 12.

However, Air Transat isn’t the only airline helping Canadian tourists to Croatia - we have Canada Rouge to thank for that, too. 

"Further growth in travel is expected from Canada to Croatia at around 20% per year. Estimates are based on the recovery of the Canadian economy, the strong contribution of nonstop flights linking Toronto with Zagreb, and general growth in interest for travel to Croatia,” Ina Rodin from the Croatian National Tourist Board concluded. 

Air Transat announced they’ll release the 2020 summer flight schedule soon. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

May 2, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb airport. 

January 10, 2019 - Air Transat announced the new Toronto-Split service back in September, which was scheduled to operate this summer. 

Back in September 2018, Croatians, Canadians, the Croatian diaspora, and anyone hoping to travel between Toronto and Split received some very welcoming news - Air Transat would fly direct between Toronto and Split for the 2019 season. The announcement was also confirmed in a Facebook post by the Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce. 

While the post is no longer available on Facebook, it read:

“Zagreb or Split? YOU Choose!

Toronto to Croatia Summer 2019 with Air Transat

Air Transat announces direct flights to Split on Thursdays from June 20 to September 12, 2019!

Fights continue direct to Zagreb two days a week on Tuesdays and Sundays.”

Total Croatia News announced the news on September 27, 2018. 

Today, however, it seems that Air Transat now only flies to Zagreb, with no mention of operations to Split on their website at all. 

First things first, we tried searching for flights from Toronto to Split Airport. An easy indicator that the flight may no longer exist is that “Split” fails to populate in the search engine on Air Transat’s website whatsoever - and we tried all variations and codes (SPU). 

Once we couldn’t search for Split, we thought we’d dig into Air Transat’s ‘Flights to Croatia’ page on their website, which only seems to mention flights from various cities in Canada to Zagreb. 

And that Air Transat will only be flying to one destination in Croatia this summer - Zagreb. 

UPDATE: 

Air Transat's Marketing Director, Debbie Cabana, confirmed the news for EX-YU Aviation. 

"For commercial reasons, we have decided to cancel our summer 2019 program for Split, Croatia. Nevertheless, Croatia remains a key destination for Transat and, given the interest shown by Canadians in the summer of 2018 and its potential for tourism development, we will be adding a third weekly departure from Toronto to Zagreb. Flights will be on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays during peak season. Passengers from Montreal and Vancouver will also benefit from a connecting flight to Toronto to take advantage of this added flight to Croatia. This third flight will make Zagreb accessible from Calgary as well, via return connecting flights to Toronto". 

The carrier was to fly between the two cities once a week from June 20 to September 12.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

Canadian travelers will be pleased to find that Air Canada Rouge and Air Transat will boost operations to Croatia in 2019.