August 19, 2020 - What is it like flying with Ryanair from Dublin to Split in the corona ear? TCN's Lidija Ivanek SiLa returns to her homeland and shares her experiences. 

After the first half of a very weary and odd year where we were stuck in the circle of 2km initially on the island of Ireland during the lockdown, grateful for our jobs and ability to work from home, to be able to think about traveling at the end of May was a light at the end of the tunnel.

At the beginning of the madness called COVID19, my thoughts were with my elderly parents and fear what will happen with them. Ireland closed the borders, stopped nonessential flights, and a phased roadmap was introduced. Chilling awareness that you are on an island in the middle of Atlantic and there is no easy way to get to Croatia at this point crept up and the first panic attack came with the thought – What if… what if something happens to them and I am not there to help them?

When Phase 2 and 3 of the relaxing of measures became valid, a lot of Croatians took the option to drive all the way, some 2500km with either overnight ferry to France, or 4 hours to the UK and then drive. We waited for the first possible flights. With the closing down the Ryanair base in Zadar and with the announcement that Aer Lingus will close their bases in Cork, we decided to book a flight with Ryanair from Dublin to Split. So, when the day of the journey came, everything was packed and ready, even the sky was occasionally blue and the drive from Cork to Dublin was a breeze. After leaving our car at the airport carpark, we put our face masks on with the intention not to take them off until we arrived in Split.

The airport bus was half empty, with every second seat marked with a yellow warning sign “The seat is unavailable – maintain social distance”. Yellow continued to be the main colour at the airport. Yellow warning signs and yellow hand sanitizer containers. If we add to this a half-empty usually packed airport, this was an eerie sight.

From the tannoy, a recorded message was played every 5 minutes about COVID and the special situation that we are in and how important is to keep face masks and social distancing. While this new reality was slowly sinking in, I felt strangely safe at the airport. It was a sad sight to see only Ryanair and Aer Lingus planes parked outside the window. I couldn’t spot any other company present, though on the Departures board there were some, like Finnair or AirBaltic. The terminal for Croatia is at the end of everything. After walking what felt like 5 km with our baggage, faces sweating under masks, finally, we arrived. A few people were already sitting on every second chair. After a few minutes of recuperating and recovering, I started to observe people around me closely, curious to see who are the passengers on this flight. Mainly the Croatian language was heard, as well as some English, Polish that I could recognise.

The plane was half full, I was actually expecting lower numbers. Boarding was coordinated with the crew and like good school children, we marched in one by one for our passport and boarding pass control. It went quickly and efficiently. We were seated with empty seats next to us.

Human nature is a funny thing. The minute one of the crew members announced that we have to remain seated the whole flight, with a seatbelt on and in case of bathroom emergencies, we should press the overhead buzzer for a crew member to assist so there will be no queuing, well, should I say that suddenly few passengers felt the urge to jump out of their seats, and rushed to the toilets causing a true traffic jam. It was the same as with face masks, the minute you put them on, you feel the itch and inevitable you must, just must, immediately scratch it, sticking fingers under it joggling to keep the mask on and still satisfy that excruciating desire to scratch.

While fluffy white clouds were passing beneath the plane, the crew inside was going with their regular duties, first a “safety-dance” with soon after time for “eat and drink and be merry”. Airlines are in deep problems because of the coronavirus pandemic and it is hard to find a good balance. I guess I am a bit cynical as I do find that eating and drinking with face masks on and then off and on again, a bit ridiculous. Ventilation on board was working full blast and I do hope that filters were able to stop the virus, but still why risk it at all. Keep that mask on your nose, it’s not that hard, for a 3-hour flight! Every penny counts for the airlines, every penny counts for the tourism too. After drinks were served, a jolly group of Irish youngsters, some ten of them started to show symptoms of mixing energy drinks with alcohol. The crew was trying to keep them in their seats, with masks on, giving over tannoy advice, urging to keep everyone safe on board, but it became really difficult. They started to walk on the toilets every 5 minutes, masks off, even singing like normal holidaymakers. The trouble is, it is not a normal holiday, is it? I don’t know how and why or even when it happened that Croatia became famous as a party destination. There is that balance again on how to have income from tourism, how to survive a pandemic, but still even now what type of tourism Croatia really wants?

Sitting in my chair, flying on clouds in the sunset, writing this article on my Mac in my lap, my hubby is just showing me that we are over Germany, I finally started to relax. Not a bad day for flying as we just avoided first serious seasonal storm that is due tomorrow. We landed in Split, Divulje airport. Air-filled with scents of wild plants. It was warm with essential oils of lavender and rosemary mixed with pine trees and salt from the Adriatic.

But the journey was not over yet. A land crew lady was pointing with her hand that we all need to approach the entrance door. We were not the only plane landing at the same time, at least passengers from one or two more were there, French, Czech language was heard. The amount of people that was one next to each other was far, far away of safe social distance. Unorganised, unprepared.

I was utterly disappointed with what we experienced there. Queueing for the passport control went on for at least half an hour. We were staying behind, waiting for as long as we can to be the last one. Yes, all passengers and staff did have masks, and there were few signs printed on plain inkjet paper warning everyone to keep the distance at least 1,5 meters, but there was none to actually coordinate mass of people. All in all, for a country that has tourism going for two centuries, it was a huge disappointment. Finishing my article today on a lovely terrace next to the sea, with blue sky above me and a cold drink in my hand, while the air temperature rises quickly to peak 32C, I feel that all the ordeal from yesterday is long gone and I am in the mood of forgiving them all. Everything fades on the Adriatic, disappears in the cricket song, like a mighty meditation mantra.

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As Ryanair announces flights to Split and Dubrovnik, it appears that neither destination airport got the memo.

As we reported recently, the largest European low-cost airline, Ryanair, announced that it will launch flights from Dublin to Split and Dubrovnik as of next summer, but it seems nobody at either Split or Dubrovnik airport knows much about it.

As Josip Bohutinski/VL/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of December, 2018, more strangely still, Ireland's popular Ryanair has already begun selling tickets for these flights which will commence on June the 1st, and be in operation until the 25th and 26th of October, 2019, starting at just 9.99 euros.

"Ryanair is pleased to announce the introduction of its new route from Dublin to Dubrovnik and Split, which will operate twice a week from June," Robin Kiely of Ryanair said.

Vincent Harrison, the director of Dublin Airport, said that he was glad to hear that Ryanair was expanding its route network by adding Dubrovnik and Split. Depite this, the director of Split Airport, Lukša Novak, says he cannot confirm that these flights will be realised at all.

Josip Paljetak from Dubrovnik Airport has said that they have had no official information from Ryanair at all. He pointed out that the company hasn't even contacted the airport this year.

"We were very surprised to see that they'd announced flights from Dublin, and it's very strange that they've started selling tickets for flights which they never agreed upon with the airport. We don't even know if we can accept their planes for when they say they want the flights,'' Paljetak said.

In Croatia, Ryanair already flies to Zadar, Rijeka, and Pula.

Ryanair offered no response when requested to explain the announcement of their 2019 summer flights to Split and Dubrovnik.

Make sure to stay up to date with our news and travel pages for much more.

Click here for the original article by Josip Bohutinski/VL on Poslovni Dnevnik

The new flight announcments to the Croatian coast for 2016 keep on coming. Two more additions, reports Avioradar on November 21, 2016.