April 23, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Vueling flights to Split and Dubrovnik will operate from Barcelona next month.
Croatian Aviation reports that the well-known Spanish low-cost airline Vueling will reconnect Croatia with the capital of Catalonia - Barcelona, from the beginning of next month.
Vueling has confirmed the reintroduction of regular international routes from Barcelona to two Croatian airports - Dubrovnik and Split.
In the first days of May, this airline will resume regular flights to Dubrovnik Airport and Split Airport from its main base - Barcelona.
The Barcelona - Dubrovnik - Barcelona line will be in operation from May 2, once a week, every Sunday. As early as May 13, the company will add a second weekly flight on Thursdays. The company plans to significantly increase the traffic on this line at the beginning of June and operate 5 times a week between Dubrovnik and Barcelona. Vueling is the only company operating on this line and has no direct competition.
The second Vueling line to Dubrovnik, the one from Rome, has been postponed until June 1.
In addition to the line to Barcelona, Dubrovnik is currently the only Croatian airport connected by a regular line with Madrid. Namely, the Spanish Iberia resumed traffic on this route in the first days of the summer flight schedule, with one flight per week. From May 2, Iberia will operate twice a week between Madrid and Dubrovnik on Fridays and Sundays.
Vueling will also return to Split in May. The Barcelona - Split - Barcelona line has been announced from May 1, once a week throughout the following month, every Saturday. Five weekly flights are planned for June, but the company will likely reduce the number of operations following the demand.
Vueling also runs to Split and Rome. This line is also currently postponed to early June.
In addition to Split and Dubrovnik, Vueling normally operates to Zagreb and Zadar, but these lines have not been announced for May. More specifically, the line from Rome to Zadar has been announced for July, while the line between Barcelona and Zagreb is currently planned for June 19. Given that there is a high probability that Croatia Airlines will not operate between Zagreb and Barcelona this summer season, Vueling will be the only airline to offer direct flights between the two cities. In the last crisis year, Vueling operated on this route, but reduced and significantly shorter than under normal circumstances.
The Spanish low-cost airline will operate 13 return flights to Croatia in May and offer just over 4,600 seats between Barcelona, Split, and Dubrovnik.
Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
April 22, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as British Airways flights to Dubrovnik resume mid-May, frequencies to Split have been increased, and the return to Zagreb Airport is further delayed.
Croatian Aviation reports that British national airline British Airways has made changes to its summer flight schedule. It has further delayed its return to Zagreb but has increased the planned number of operations to Split Airport.
British Airways has not operated to Zagreb Airport since January this year. The company suspended all flights on this route after the UK strain of the virus appeared and a ban on commercial flights from this country was briefly introduced. After that, traffic to Zagreb was not renewed. Although companies are gradually returning to Zagreb Airport (Lufthansa, LOT, Austrian, etc.), British Airways has not yet done so, and it is obvious that it will not soon. Namely, the company canceled all flights until June 21 and currently plans to operate between Zagreb and London again from that date.
Currently, 11 flights per week are available for booking from the end of June, with a daily departure from Zagreb after 1 pm. A second daily flight will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in the evening.
Given that British plans to return to Zagreb at the end of June, the realization of flights should not be in question, but the number of weekly flights certainly is. There is no doubt that the company will cancel certain flights and fly significantly fewer times a week compared to what is available today for booking on the airline’s website.
The first flight between London and Split has been announced for the end of May (May 28), and in the second half of June, there will be a significant increase in weekly frequencies (up to 5 flights per week). Additionally, from the same date, the company will operate on London City - Split line!
This carrier offers as many as 11 flights a week to Split, 8 weekly flights from Heathrow Airport, and an additional 3 flights a week from London City from the end of June.
The London Heathrow - Dubrovnik Airport - London Heathrow line should start operating first, in mid-May. From May 17, three flights are available a week, on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays, and a month later (from mid-June), British plans to operate on this line as many as 10 times a week. Traditionally, Dubrovnik is the most popular destination for British tourists in Croatia, and after the outbreak of the pandemic, all operations to Dubrovnik were transferred from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow.
Pula Airport should also have two flights a week. The London - Pula Airport - London line will be in traffic from June 22, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Due to the global pandemic, British Airways renewed this line only in August last year and suspended it already in September, so Heathrow and Pula will be connected for a longer period this year.
In total, British Airways will offer as many as 34 flights a week between London and Croatian airports in the peak of the summer season this year.
If we consider that other airlines (WizzAir, Ryanair, EasyJet, Croatia Airlines, Jet2.com, TUI,…) will operate between Croatian and London airports, the number of available seats on the market will certainly be more than enough. The demand of British tourists for Croatia will again be crucial for airlines' survival between these destinations.
Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
April 20, 2021 - After the big announcement on Monday, the United Airlines New York-Dubrovnik flight details are here.
TCN announced the big news on Monday that United Airlines will introduce the New York - Dubrovnik - New York route in July this year.
Croatian Airlines reports that the United line to Dubrovnik Airport will operate from New York, or from Newark Liberty International Airport (IATA: EWR, ICAO: KEWR), one of the three airports in the service of New York (along with LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy). Technically, this airport is located in New Jersey, about 15 miles from Manhattan.
Newark has been one of the largest hubs of United Airlines for years, and this American airline returned to JFK a month ago, from where it operates on a smaller number of routes.
From Newark Airport, United and its regional airline, United Express, fly to more than 170 destinations in the US and the world!
United Airlines has several destinations in Europe, and it should be noted that there are currently no flights on certain routes solely due to reduced demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dubrovnik is now one of several well-known European destinations from New York (in business or tourist terms).
The first flight to Dubrovnik will take off from New York to Dubrovnik on Thursday, July 8 (in 80 days) at 19:20 local time. The night overseas flight to Dubrovnik will take approximately 8 hours and 55 minutes, with the expected landing in Dubrovnik after 10 am.
The B767-300ER aircraft, of which United Airlines has 38 in its fleet, will stay in Dubrovnik for two full hours. Departure from Dubrovnik is scheduled at 12:15 pm. The flight to New York will take a little over 10 hours, with the expected landing in New York at 16:25 local time.
Interestingly, the first departure from Dubrovnik is planned for Saturday, July 10, so the United Airlines plane will stay at Dubrovnik Airport for more than 24 hours.
From the beginning of July to the beginning of October, this well-known American carrier will land in Dubrovnik every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday morning (taking off the day before from the USA).
On 38 return flights between Dubrovnik and New York, United Airlines has 16,264 seats on sale, of which 2,280 seats are available in business class. The cabin configuration in economy class is 2-3-2, while in business class, the seat layout is 2-1-2.
A return ticket on a direct flight from Dubrovnik to New York can be purchased at a price slightly higher than 4,500 kuna in economy class on the airline's official website.
There is no doubt that this route, despite the global pandemic, will be successful for the airline. The fact that American Airlines had an excellent load factor on the route from Philadelphia to Dubrovnik speaks for itself. In the summer of 2020, aircraft were to operate on this route daily.
Given the many American tourists visiting Dubrovnik, United's capacity to Dubrovnik should not be a problem to fill, even in these times of crisis.
United and Croatia Airlines are on the move, which should sign a code-share agreement before the start of operations and enable passengers from Zagreb to continue their journey to the USA with one stop in Dubrovnik.
United Airlines should offer another route to Croatia in the summer of 2022. Its finalization is currently underway, and the news is expected soon. The abolition of visas for Croatian citizens during tourist visits to the USA will certainly support this.
Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
April 12, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as El Al flights to Zagreb resume from May, and Arkia flights to Dubrovnik later this month!
Croatian Aviation reports that two Israeli airlines plan to establish direct flights from Tel Aviv to Dubrovnik and Zagreb at the end of this month and at the beginning of May.
Arkia Israel Airlines has announced that it will establish a direct line between Tel Aviv and Dubrovnik from April 23, 2021. The line will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays. It will be operated by E195 aircraft.
In previous years, Arkia operated on a regular route to Rijeka, even using B757 aircraft, but the line last worked in the summer of 2018.
On the other hand, the national airline, El Al Israel Airlines, is currently offering tickets on a regular route between Tel Aviv and Zagreb from May 4 this year. Only one flight per week has been announced for the beginning of May, and a total of three flights a week on this route should be available in the second half of May, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Before the outbreak of the global pandemic, El Al operated seasonally on this route, using B757 aircraft (pictured), and on several occasions, the B747 also came to Zagreb. In the meantime, the company retired all B747 aircraft in the fleet, and currently, B737-800 aircraft are planned for Zagreb. The company currently has 15 aircraft of this type in its fleet, and the capacity varies depending on the configuration - from 166 to 189 seats.
Given that the Israeli population's vaccination rate is extremely high and that the demand for tourist travel is growing significantly, it is not surprising that these two carriers have announced they will resume lines to Croatia.
In the summer season of 2019, Croatia Airlines operated seasonally on the line between Zagreb and Tel Aviv. It was the only night rotation of the Croatian national airline, departing around midnight from Zagreb. It is unknown whether the company will resume traffic on this line in the summer season this year.
Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
April 10, 2021 - Jet2 flights to Dubrovnik, Split, and Pula have been postponed until the end of June, as the British low-cost airline blames the UK government's lack of clarity over travel plans this summer.
Croatian Aviation reports that the well-known British tour operator has postponed traffic to tourist destinations in Europe, including previously announced flights to Croatia.
Due to constant changes in some countries related to the free movement of passengers (which directly affects passenger demand), Jet2 has decided to cancel all announced flights to well-known European tourist destinations, including flights to Croatian airports - Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik.
Although the flights were originally planned for the end of March, then postponed to the beginning of May, the latest decision is that there will be no flights to Croatia until the end of June. A significant number of routes have been announced only from July!
This company has the largest number of operations to Dubrovnik Airport. These are direct lines from Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, East Midlands, Leeds, London, Manchester, and Newcastle. Four of the eight lines have now been announced from the end of June, while the remaining lines will start operating only from July. Given that British guests are traditionally the most represented in Dubrovnik, this is a rather strong blow to the local tourism of Dubrovnik and the region. It is expected that other companies from Great Britain will start flights to Croatia much later than planned, with a smaller number of weekly operations.
Postponed operations to Pula and Split
Six lines to Split Airport (from Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, and Manchester) have also been postponed to the end of June, while the line from Edinburgh will start operating only in July.
According to Pula Airport, Jet2 is planning only one line this year - from Manchester. The start of traffic on this line has also been postponed to the end of June.
Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy said in a statement on Friday:
“We are trying to run a business so that we can take customers away, but we need the Government to provide us with clarity to achieve this.
After several weeks exploring how to restart international travel, with substantial assistance and input from the industry, the framework lacks any rigorous detail about how to get international travel going again. In fact, the framework is virtually the same as six months ago.
Following the publication of the framework today, we still do not know when we can start to fly, where we can fly to and the availability and cost of testing. Rather than answering questions, the framework leaves everyone asking more.
Because of the continued uncertainty that the framework provides, it is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to extend the suspension of flights and holidays up to and including 23 June 2021.
Where customers yet to travel are affected by any programme changes, we will automatically cancel their booking with a full refund, and our team of travel experts will be in touch to help them to book their summer getaway for later in the year."
Recall, UK ministers announced a new traffic light system for international travel from May 17, which will categorize countries based on risk.
Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
April 7, 2021 - The latest flight news as travelers can choose from 14 Norwegian Air flights to Croatia this summer!
Croatian Aviation reports that Norwegian low-cost airline Norwegian Air plans to operate 14 routes to three Croatian airports this summer.
Norwegian plans to resume traffic to three Croatian airports from June this year; Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik. Before the outbreak of the global pandemic, the airline operated to Zadar, Rijeka, and Zagreb.
The airline had a minimal number of international lines to Croatia in the summer season of 2020. It is common knowledge that this low-cost carrier was in financial trouble even before the outbreak of the global pandemic. In January, there was news that this carrier would cancel all long-haul lines and focus on those within Europe.
In addition to being a pioneer in low-cost, long-haul lines, Norwegian had an extremely high-quality product, and passengers were delighted with the ratio of paid and received. One of the great marketing moves was the introduction of free internet on all Norwegian lines, but the rapid expansion led almost to its very collapse.
However, Norwegian is trying to consolidate and plans to operate to three Croatian airports, Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik, in this year's summer flight schedule. There has been no line to Rijeka or Zagreb for a long time.
Although in 2019 the number of routes to Croatian airports was significantly higher, given the current global situation, reduced passenger demand, and the state of this airline, 14 planned routes to Croatia for the summer of this year sounds more than good. Of course, given the movement of the global pandemic, there is a possibility that Norwegian will further reduce its flight schedule.
However, they have confirmed that they plan to operate on the routes below:
Oslo - Pula from June 2, 2 times a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays,
Bergen - Split from June 19, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,
Copenhagen - Split from June 1, 2 times a week, daily from June 28,
Helsinki - Split on June 2, 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,
Oslo - Split from June 1, 3 times a week, daily from June 25,
Stavanger - Split from June 22, 2 times a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays,
Stockholm - Split from June 2, 2 times a week, 5 times a week from June 21,
Trondheim - Split from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays,
Bergen - Dubrovnik from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays,
Copenhagen - Dubrovnik from June 26, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,
Helsinki - Dubrovnik from June 1, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays,
Oslo - Dubrovnik from June 1, 2 times a week, daily from June 25,
Stavanger - Dubrovnik from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays,
Stockholm - Dubrovnik from June 12, 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
Given the problems that Norwegian has found itself in the past few years, it is quite difficult to expect that they will really operate on all of these lines. In the summer of 2020, Norwegian had only three routes to Croatia, two to Split, and one to Dubrovnik. With the current epidemiological situation in Europe, we can hardly expect a sharp increase in passenger demand in June. There are less than two months left until its first flight to Croatia.
Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.
For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
March 17, 2021 - The latest flight news for Croatia as easyJet flights to Split and Dubrovnik have been announced from early April!
Croatian Aviation reports that easyJet will introduce three routes to Split and Dubrovnik Airports in early April.
The British low-cost carrier plans to operate to two destinations in Croatia - Split and Dubrovnik.
The airline will introduce three lines from Switzerland to Split and Dubrovnik around Easter, with Split being connected to Basel and Geneva. At the same time, Dubrovnik will have a line only to Geneva.
The Basel - Split - Basel line has been announced from April 1 with two flights a week (every Thursday and Saturday). Because of the Easter holiday, it will operate on Monday, April 5 and 12. A319 aircraft have been announced on the routes.
The Geneva - Split - Geneva line has been announced from April 3, once a week, every Saturday, throughout the month of April. A319 aircraft are also expected on this route.
The Geneva - Dubrovnik - Geneva line is planned from April 10, once a week - on Saturdays.
Lufthansa will also resume traffic to Split and Dubrovnik during the holidays.
The airline will strengthen the existing flights and renew traffic on several lines from Germany to traditional tourist destinations in Spain, Greece, Italy, and Croatia. Despite the restrictive measures in travel, Lufthansa records an increase in bookings around Easter, and consequently, there will be a resumption of traffic to the airports in Split and Dubrovnik.
The airline has already resumed traffic on the line from Frankfurt to Zagreb and canceled the line from Munich to Zagreb.
The Munich - Split - Munich line will be in operation from Saturday, March 27. Three flights a week have been announced, until April 15, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Additionally, a flight is available on Monday, March 29.
The Frankfurt - Split - Frankfurt line will operate from Thursday, April 1. By April 18, 8 return flights have been announced. After the holidays, the line will work on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Munich - Dubrovnik - Munich line will operate from Sunday, March 28. From April 1, two flights a week are available, every Thursday and Saturday.
On the routes to Split and Dubrovnik, E190 aircraft with a capacity of 100 passengers have been announced. If necessary, the airline will react and increase the capacity following the bookings.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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March 16, 2021 - The latest flight news for Croatia: Lufthansa flights to Dubrovnik and Split for the Easter holiday have been announced!
Croatian Aviation reports that German National Airline Lufthansa will resume traffic to two Croatian airports - Dubrovnik and Split - around the Easter holidays.
Lufthansa will resume traffic to two Croatian airports around Easter
The airline will strengthen the existing flights and renew traffic on several lines from Germany to traditional tourist destinations in Spain, Greece, Italy, and Croatia. Despite the restrictive measures in travel, Lufthansa records an increase in bookings around Easter, and consequently, there will be a resumption of traffic to the airports in Split and Dubrovnik.
The airline has already resumed traffic on the line from Frankfurt to Zagreb and has also canceled the line from Munich to Zagreb.
The Munich - Split - Munich line will be in operation from Saturday, March 27. Three flights a week have been announced, until April 15, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Additionally, a flight is available on Monday, March 29.
The Frankfurt - Split - Frankfurt line will operate from Thursday, April 1. By April 18, 8 return flights have been announced. After the holidays, the line will operate on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Munich - Dubrovnik - Munich line will operate from Sunday, March 28. From April 1, two flights a week are available, every Thursday and Saturday.
On the routes to Split and Dubrovnik, E190 aircraft with a capacity of 100 passengers have been announced. If necessary, the airline will react and increase the capacity following the bookings.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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March 9, 2021 - Will there be flights from Dubrovnik to New York, Beijing, and more international destinations this summer? One new British startup is looking to serve the United States, China, Japan, and more from bases in Dubrovnik and Prague. Meet Pragusa.
Croatian Aviation reports that Pragusa, a startup founded in Great Britain, has interesting plans for Dubrovnik in the upcoming summer season.
Namely, Pragusa (a combination of the names of Prague and Dubrovnik - Ragusa) plans to launch an interesting program in the upcoming summer flight schedule, and base two wide-body aircraft in both cities to launch lines to world-famous destinations!
According to Simple Flying, the company has already received an incentive support program from both airports and plans to base two aircraft in both cities.
Pragusa plans to offer direct flights from Dubrovnik to New York, Los Angeles, Kuala Lumpur, Chengdu, Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, and Johannesburg from June this year, hoping to fill a market gap for premium travel to CE Europe.
Recall, American Airlines will not run the daily Philadelphia-Dubrovnik service this summer, while Qatar Airways canceled the Doha-Dubrovnik route.
"Before the pandemic, American Airlines used to operate flights between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik. Booking data via OAG Traffic Analyser shows that approximately two-thirds of all passengers that American Airlines flew on this route were transfer passengers.
The majority of them came from Chicago (ORD), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Boston (BOS), and Charlotte (CLT). A total of over 10,000 passengers reached Dubrovnik by transferring on this American Airlines service to Philadelphia alone," Simple Flying writes.
The Pragusa fleet should consist of two aircraft types A350-900 and two types A330-300, with custom capacity. Namely, the aircraft will have only one class in the passenger cabin, or premium economy, with a maximum capacity of 250 passengers.
Simply Flying adds that Pragusa passengers will have a choice:
- 7-day trip with organized tours in the destination, e.g. New York - Dubrovnik - New York,
- 14-day trip to Europe with arrival in Dubrovnik and return from Prague (or vice versa),
- the possibility of buying a one-way ticket, e.g. Dubrovnik - Tokyo,
- classic return tickets on the listed lines.
Croatian Aviation believes that the plan is, to say the least, optimistic, especially in this crisis year. The realization of a project of this scale might not be so risky in the record 2019, but given the reduced passenger demand and the current restrictions on travel between countries, it is really brave to launch such a project today?
What do you think about the potential of Pragusa launching flights from Dubrovnik to New York and more this summer?
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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February 26, 2021 - Smartwings flights from Prague to Split and Dubrovnik will operate this summer!
Croatian Aviation reports that the Czech low-cost airline Smartwings has announced two routes to Croatia in the upcoming summer flight schedule.
Namely, Smartwings plans to connect Prague with Split and Dubrovnik this summer. In 2020, the company operated between Prague and Split, while the line to Dubrovnik was suspended for obvious reasons.
In the 2021 summer flight schedule, the company plans to resume traffic to both mentioned destinations later than in 2019.
The Prague-Split-Prague line will operate from May 1, once a week, every Saturday. From June 1 to October 10, daily flights on this line have been announced.
Smartwings will operate B737-800, B737-900ER aircraft to Split, and B737-MAX-8 aircraft have also been announced, or aircraft that received a permit for re-operation less than a month ago. Just yesterday, February 25, the company made its first commercial flight with this type of aircraft after the “MAX” aircraft's airworthiness approval was issued.
The Prague-Dubrovnik-Prague line will operate from the beginning of June to the beginning of October (June 1 to October 3). Smartwings currently plans to operate daily on this route, mainly with B737-800 aircraft.
In 2019, Croatia Airlines regularly operated for the last time in the summer flight schedule between Zagreb and Prague. This line did not work in 2020 and is currently not on sale for this summer season either.
It will still be possible to fly directly from Prague to Zadar. Ryanair introduced the Zadar-Prague line last summer, and this season it plans to operate twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, from May 1 to October 30. This well-known low-cost carrier alone will offer over 20,000 seats on the direct line between Zadar and Prague. At the same time, Smartwings will have a significantly higher capacity at its disposal to Split and Dubrovnik.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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