It is really happening... 

Two planes at the home base of Resnik.

Booking now open for new destinations, including the big one, downtown Split. 

First flights with the new schedule, including Downtown Split to Jelsa and Downtown Split to the Island of Lastovo.

From Monday... 

Hvar to downtown Split in just 11 minutes is about to become a daily reality. And with a first departure time of 08:40 from Jelsa, arriving at 08:51, a little more civilised than the 06:00 catamaran.

Check out the new schedules and book here. 

The European Coastal Airlines seaplane fleet is growing...

And the new planes are making quite a journey to be part of the Croatian island-hopping revolution.

With a raft of new destinations about to join the network - downtown Split, Lastovo, Vela Luka on Korcula, Novalja on Pag - the need for more plances is clear, and two more Twin Otters will soon be in service. Thanks to Twin Otter Spotter for the update:

This afternoon 9A-TOC departed Murrieta on the first sector of its delivery flight to Croatia. On arrival it becomes the third Twin Otter for European Coastal, one of which is in service, with the second aircraft due to leave Switzerland for Croatia shortly. Aircraft number four (MSN 96) remains at Murrieta undergoing final upgrade work, and it will become 9A-TOE.

The ferry flight to Croatia is being operated by Calgary's World Wide Ferry, who were also responsible for delivering the first two Twin Otters to ECA.

Thanks to the team at Ikhana for the photo.

It is the moment many thought would never happen, but the seaplane revolution has taken arguably its most important first step forward since the inaugural flight from Resnik to Jelsa last August. 

A concession for downtown Split has been signed! Work will begin next week, and if all goes well, this should be completed by July 24. The team is working towards a maiden flight date of August 1, but this will be confirmed nearer the time, depending on progress. 

Two other new stations will be opened to coincide with the Split city seaport - the island of Lastovo and Vela Luka on Korcula, and in the initial stages, ECA has confirmed to us that downtown Split will be connected to Lastovo, Vela Luka, Jelsa, Rijeka Airport, Mali Losinj, Pula, and soonafter, Novalja.

Total Croatia News (launching tomorrow, follow us on Facebook) contacted European Coastal Airlines for more information and received the following statement from CEO Captain Klaus Dieter Martin.

"This is a key development for the expansion of the ECA network. The ability to connect islands such as Hvar, Korcula, Mali Losinj and Lastovo to downtown Split means that the revolution of island hopping is truly beginning."

A very exciting development, and long overdue. Congratulations to the ECA team for the persistence. With such a large and sudden expansion, I am sure there will be some growing pains, but the long-term future of island hopping (says this regular Jelsa - Split commuter) is VERY exciting indeed. 

Follow the latest on the ECA Facebook page. 

After twelve consecutive winters full-time in tranquil Jelsa on the island of Hvar, I spent most of January in Munich, starting initial research and contacts for our latest project, Total Munich (you can follow us on Facebook here - the project starts in earnest on March 4 with my return flight to Bavaria).  

It was quite a culture shock to live for a few weeks in a place with 1.5 million people when I had become used to a community of 1,500, and I revelled in the international choice of cuisine, culture and company, while marvelling at how technology had passed me by with a decade of living on an idyllic Adriatic island. 

Split, lovely Split, I had not spent much time in for weeks, due to other commitments, and I planned a full day of meetings one day last week, 12 in all. 

And as I went through my day ahead on the 06:00 catamaran from Jelsa, it struck me just what an international component there was to the day, both with confirmed meetings and ones I had hoped to squeeze in. A meeting on behalf of Munich investors with a Croatian businessman with a patent on a rather cool invention; coffee with the Danish marketing manager of the first truly pan-Mediterranean restaurant in Split, opened by a Montenegrin; lunch with the owners of Croatia's first halal restaurant; a beer with the sales manager of the first scheduled seaplane service in modern Europe; a beer at one of Split's liveliest new bars, run by an American and a Honduran; and if there was time, a catch up with a Canadian running two successful accommodation businesses, an Aussie operating no less than four successful hospitality businesses in the palace, and perhaps a coffee with the Swiss Consul, whose other interests included running the only hotel in the city to make TripAdvisor's top ten for 2015. 

And as my day progressed, the thought struck me at how much progress Split has made in recent years - for better or for worse depending on your point of view - on its road to becoming an international city. It was only ten years ago that the first hostel opened in Split (by those Australians), and there were no wine bars just three years ago. Now the palace and surrounding areas are teeming with both.

International cuisine has never been a strong offer in Split. Coming from England, it would be hard for me to be patriotic about my national cuisine, and while I realise that Dalmatians are understandably proud of their cuisine, I have never understood why many people think it should be the only food served in restaurants. The travel experience is about choice, and it has been heartening to see the first Turkish, Japanese, a truly pan-Mediterranean and the first brasserie open in the city in the last 18 months. Next it would be nice to see Croatian's celebrate the wonderful quality and diversity of their regional cuisine - why not an Istrian and Slavonian restaurant as well? 

The thought of Split emerging as an international city struck me hardest during the day with a meeting with a group of local Split business people, who have just launched the country's first agency with separate cruise options for gay, swinging and naturist tourists. An idea conceived in Split and run by locals who have an international perspective on the tourism scene. Given that Dalmatia is not known as the most liberal place on Earth, the ideas of Open Mind Holidays were truly groundbreaking, and I am sure they will have their conservative critics, but I for one congratulate them for their bold initiative. Check out the Open Mind Holidays website for more. 

And so the day progressed, with some meetings more mundane than others, before an evening catch up over a cold one with European Coastal Airlines, finding out their latest plans (exciting!). It is less than six months since Split Airport made modern European aviation history with the first scheduled seaplane flight to my adopted home town of Jelsa. Of all the places in Europe, the emerging international city of Split was the one. One hopes that the bureaucracy can soon be overcome to bring a sea port to downtown Split, so that the city and islands can be truly connected, for the benefits of tourists and locals alike. ECA is just one new airline to operate in and out of Split these days, and the 18 destinations from easyJet and the decision by Aeroflot to switch its Moscow summer business from Dubrovnik to Split is more proof of Split's growing international appeal.  

Meetings, meetings. I decided to round off a busy day with a drink at To Je To, a relatively new bar off Marmontova, which was opened last year by a lovely couple from America and Honduras. Croatia has been a graveyard for foreign investors in recent years, and so it was heartening to drop into what is clearly one of the Split hospitality success stories of 2014. To Je To was packed, with live music playing, just as the rest of the palace had gone to sleep. The clientele was a delightful mix of local, expat and visiting tourists, all mingling freely. 

The final stop in a very international tour. Once known as the Gateway to the Islands, Split is maintaining its Dalmatian identity, but adding a welcome touch of international flair. Come and discover it! 

After ten years of trying, the popular destination of Korcula Town is added to the European Coastal Airlines network. 

European Coastal Airlines opens its summer bookings online, with two choice new destinations on February 11, 2016.

A high profile sexy project showing the modern cool Croatia. Could it be the poster child of the country's break with its corrupt past? 

As European Coastal Airlines opens its second seaplane route to Italy from Croatia, TCN catches up with CEO Captain Klaus Dieter Martin to learn more about preparations for the 2016 season. 

The ECA network expands further into Italy. TCN was on the maiden flight to Pescara.