May 19, 2020 - Around a half a million Korean tourists visit Croatia annually, and after national carrier Korean Air suspended seasonal operations between Seoul and Zagreb for 2020 due to COVID-19, a new player is on the market. 

Namely, Ex Yu Aviation reports that the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure and Transport has given Korean low-cost carrier T’Way Air the necessary permit to launch commercial flights between Seoul and Croatia. The details reveal that T’way Air can operate four weekly flights to Croatia. 

Ex Yu Aviation reports that T’Way Air has almost thirty narrow-body Boeing aircraft in its fleet, and with the acquisition of wide-body jets, it could launch services to Croatia.The airline currently operates to destinations in Asia and Russia and also plans to introduce services to Tajikistan. 

Recall, it took Korean Air only a few months to begin services to Zagreb in 2018 once the ministry gave its blessing.  But given the ongoing pandemic, we shouldn’t expect to see T’way Air in Croatia anytime soon. 43,123 passengers flew on the Korean Air route between Seoul and Zagreb last year. 

Croatia has become a hotspot for Asian low-cost carriers, like Thai AirAsia X, which scheduled charter flights between Bangkok and Zagreb this summer. Namely, the Asian carrier planned services between the Thai and Croatian capitals in the spring and autumn. Thus, it would fly on May 1, May 6, and May 11, and on October 13 and October 19. However, none are likely to fly because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Ex Yu adds that Dubrovnik is also a hit for Korean tourists, and just last year, flights from South Korea were being pursued by local authorities. 

“It is very important for us to improve connectivity with Korea. It is a big market and we could attract even more tourists,” said the Dubrovnik Mayor then. 

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

May 14, 2020 - There is a LONG way to go until Summer 2021, but at least the American Airlines Dubrovnik to Philadelphia service is in the planning for resumption, according to aviation data experts, ch-aviation. 

There are so many variables for tourism in Croatia going forward, and planning anything for next year seems ambitious, but I report this little piece of news not because I can guarantee that it will happen, but more because it shows that this very important flight connection is in the plans. 

The American Airlines Dubrovnik to Philadelphia flight was the first direct connection for 28 years between Croatia and the United States, a psychological as well as physical connection between the two countries. 

Along with many of the other inter-continental flights to Croatia, the 2020 Dubrovnik service was cancelled by the American carrier. And with so much upheaval and the inevitable downsizing of airlines and inter-continental flights, it was questionable whether or not the flight would return at all. 

It still might not, but the thing that is worth reporting is that the intention is certainly there. Am very grateful to those very efficient Swiss chaps at ch-aviation who keep track of all things related to the airline industry, for alerting me to this interesting 2021 flight, which was loaded onto the system yesterday. 

All being well, the American Airlines Dubrovnik service will be back from June 4, 2021. You can see the details above in the info I was sent. 

You can follow the latest from the aviation industry via ch-aviation, and we will update you on any developments regarding this flight. 

Interestingly, ch-aviation has its largest subsidiary office in Zagreb. You can learn more about them in this TCN feature story a few months ago. 

And for a very interesting overview of how the flight scene might look in Croatia going forward, COO Max Oldorf gave us a very insightful interview a few days ago. 

May 13, 2020 - Bad news for those depending on the Ryanair Zadar connection from the UK and Ireland, explains CEO Eddie Wilson in a podcast interview.

It was the route which started budget airline travel back in 2007, with the Ryanair Zadar to London Stansted route. The Ryanair Zadar love affair continued for over a decade, and at one point the Irish airline opened its 54th base in the Dalmatian coastal destination. 

And then something happened, and perhaps the story will come out at some point. 

I have lost count of the number of emails I have received from tourists asking about Ryanair Zadar flights from the UK and Ireland. When the flight ban came in initially, all flights from the UK and Ireland for 2020 disappeared, apart from flights around the Hideout Festival. 

And as we reported yesterday, when Ryanair announced yesterday that it planned to resume 40% of its schedule, that included services to all its Croatian partner airports. 

Except in the case of Zadar, the only reinstated connections were to mainland European cities such as Milan and Berlin. Nothing at all from the UK and Ireland. 

A regular TCN reader sent me a link to a podcast from Ireland, which interviewed Eddie Wilson. The 12-minute interview, which you can listen to here is a wide-ranging and open overview of Ryanair's plans to fly again. At the end, among the questions, was this:

Alan from Wicklow - What about flights to Zadar? They seem to have completely vanished for 2020 and 2021. Is the Ryanair Zadar connection finished? We now have to fly to Split instead.

I think what happened was the Zadar flights were operated by another airline in the Ryanair group, Lauda Air. My understanding is that that base is not going ahead.

We will bring you more news on this story as we get it after contacting Zadar Airport. 

For the latest information about flights to Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

May 12, 2020 - As CEO Michael O'Leary announces the resumption of 40% of its schedule from July 1, what does that mean for flights with Ryanair to Croatia?

It has been quite a day for flight news for Croatia so far, and it is not yet midday. 

Firstly BA is now selling flights to both Split and Zagreb from June 15, as reported earlier. And then THIS.

Ryanair plans to restart 40% of its flights from July 1. You can read all the detail in the link to The Guardian above, as I have no value to add to that announcement. 

But what specifically does this mean for Ryanair to Croatia? With so many people using Ryanair to Croatia, we have had more emails about this than anything else in recent weeks. Especially regarding flights to the main Ryanair destination on Croatia's Adriatic coast - Zadar. 

As I don't have any inside information about Ryanair, we have to look at the online tools available, most notably the Ryanair booking engine. 

Which shows us some VERY interesting things, and not such good news for the thousands of Brits and Irish tourists planning to fly Ryanair to Zadar. 

The plan, it seems, is for Dublin and Split to be connected once more, with the first flight on July 2. 

Same story with Dubrovnik and Dublin, starting on July 1. 

But Zadar? Not a single flight to Zadar from the UK or Ireland to Zadar with Ryanair is showing. 

But Ryanair has not abandoned Zadar completely, far from it. Flights from Milan are due to recommence twice a week on July 3. 

Three times a week from Vienna from July 1. And the same story from various other European cities. But not from the UK and Ireland. 

And the UK love with Ryanair to Croatia continues from London Stansted to Pula from July 2. 

And to Rijeka from July 3. 

But to Zadar, seemingly at least, nothing at all. I will see what I can find out. If anyone has any info, please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Ryanair. 

You can of course search for your own flight info on the official Ryanair website.

You can keep up to date with the latest flight news in the dedicated TCN flights to Croatia section. 

9. svibnja 2020. - Kako će izgledati budućnost letova prema Hrvatskoj u svijetu nakon korone? TCN o tome razgovara s Maxom Oldorfom, izvršnim direktorom (COO) kompanije koja se bavi podacima u zrakoplovnom prometu, ch-aviation.

Jedna od najvećih nepoznanica u svijetu velikih nepoznanica u kojem sad živimo je kako će izgledati budućnost putovanja, posebice u kontekstu zrakoplovnih putovanja. Hoće li zrakoplovne kompanije preživjeti, hoće li preživjeti niskotarifne kompanije, što će se dogoditi s letovima između kontinenata? I što očekivati od letova prema Hrvatskoj s ključnih tržišta kasnije ove godine i sljedeće godine?

Jedna od osoba koja na ta pitanja može dati bolje odgovore od većine drugih ljudi, kako o pitanjima budućnosti te industrije a tako i o pitanjima letova u Hrvatsku je Max Oldolf, jedan od osnivača švicarske kompanije ch-aviation. Ta kompanija podatke o kretanjima u industriji prodaje svojim klijentima diljem svijeta: zračnim lukama, zračnim prijevoznicima i drugima. Oldorf redovito posjećuje Zagreb, jer je kompanijina najveća podružnica u hrvatskom glavnom gradu - o tome pročitajte više u ovoj TCN-ovoj priči na engleskom jeziku. 

Zrakoplovna industrija doživjela je ogromnu promjenu u posljednjih par mjeseci, a posljedice će se osjećati godinama. Kako će se to odraziti na najveće igrače na hrvatskom tržištu? Prije svega, pogledajmo tržište interkontinentalnih letova, koje se u Hrvatskoj razvija posljednjih godina. American, Qatar (za Dubrovnik), Emirates, Air Canada - svi su svoje planove za 2020. odgodili za sljedeću godinu. Hoće li se vratiti?

Općenito, moramo prihvatiti da će svijet od sada nadalje izgledati drukčije, pa mislim da ćemo jednostavno morati živjeti s novom normalom. Neki od ovih letova možda će se vratiti u sljedeće dvije godine, a neke od njih nećemo nikada više vidjeti. Mislim da je dosta izvjesno da ćemo ove godine vidjeti vrlo nizak broj, blizu nuli, interkontinentalnih letova. Ako ne bude drugog i sljedećih valova, možda se neki od letova vrate već sljedeće godine. Ali, moja preporuka je da se treba koncentrirati na vraćanje domaćih letova, pa onda europskih, pa ako tu sve bude u redu, interkontinentalni će se vratiti u nekom trenutku.

Tržišta Velike Britanije i Skandinavije su važna za Hrvatsku. Norwegian je u problemima, Gatwick se prazni, direktor easyJeta kaže da će vraćati "poput startupa", direktor Ryanaira izjavljuje da ako vlada ne bude plaćala za srednje sjedalo, Ryanair neće letjeti. Stvari izgledaju loše. Kako će se promijeniti tržište jeftinih letova za Hrvatsku iz Velike Britanije i Skandinavije? Što će se dogoditi sa cijenama i učestalošću??

Jedino što nas sad treba zanimati jest hoće li biti turističke ljetne sezone u Hrvatskoj ili ne. Rekao bih da, s najnovijim razvojem situacije, sezonu još ne bi trebalo otpisivati. Mnogim ljudima je dosta lockdowna i jedva čekaju otići negdje na put čim im to ponovo bude omogućeno. Količina putnika bit će malena zbog mjera sigurnosti ili straha koji se uvukao u neke građane, ali općenito mislim da će zrakoplovne kompanije početi letjeti čim im to bude dopušteno i budu imali putnike koje trebaju prevesti.

Što se tiče cijena, u kratkom ćemo roku vidjeti neke zaista dobre ponude za putnike. Zračne kompanije će biti prekapacitirane i Ryanair i Wizzair su već najavili da će se boriti za svakog putnika niskim cijenama, dakle u sljedećih godinu ili dvije vidjet ćemo novi rat cijenama na europskom nebu dok se ne smiri situacija na tržištu..

Jednom rečenicom opišite nam stanje u sljedećim kompanijama, s naglaskom na to kakav odnos od njih možemo očekivati nakon korone prema hrvatskom tržištu..

Ryanair: Za njih se uopće ne brinem. Oni će se vratiti punom snagom čim budu mogli stabilno letjeti. Koliko znam, Ryanair održava svoju flotu u posve operativnom stanju, tako da mogu ponovo krenuti u bilo kojem trenutku.

easyJet: I prije ove krize bili su u sukobu sa svojim dioničarima oko toga jesu li prebrzo rasli u posljednjih par godina. Osnivač, Stelios, nije zadovoljan takvim rastom i izjavio je da bi manji easyJet mogao biti profitabilniji. Ova kriza bi ih sad mogla oštetiti, ali ni za njih ne brinem, i oni će se vratiti.

Norwegian: Norwegian je sad već hodajući mrtvac, još uvijek na životu samo zato što su im dioničari i leasing kompanije dali neko vrijeme da se restrukturiraju. Ne računam da će se uopće uskoro vratiti u Hrvatsku.

Eurowings: Mislim da će se oni vratiti slično kao Ryanair i easyJet. Letovi za Hrvatsku dio su njihovog osnovnog biznisa ne-poslovnih putovanja, pa čim se pojavi interes, ponovo će letjeti.

Jet2: Jednako kao i za Eurowings.

Lufthansa: Nešto drukčija situacija, jer se oni ipak koncentriraju na povezanost preko svojih hubova u Frankfurtu i Münchenu, pa imaju više poslovnih putnika od onih koji idu na odmore. Možda u Hrvatsku budu slali manje avione, ali će sigurno biti povezanosti.

BA: Vjerojatno slično kao i Lufthansa, možda će koristiti manje avione.

SAS: Kompanija je iskoristila vrijeme korone da obavi neophodno restrukturiranje, otpuštanje dijela osoblja i slično. Očekujem da će se vratiti. U kojem obliku, to ćemo tek vidjeti.

Croatia Airlines nakon korone?

Croatia Airlines je tijekom ove krize pokazala zašto je bitno imati nacionalnu zrakoplovnu kompaniju. Pružili su ključnu liniju za Frankfurt, letjeli do Kine da bi dovezli zaštitnu opremu, obavili mnoštvo letova kojima su vratili hrvatske državljane u zemlju i slično. Hrvati zaista mogu biti ponosni na svoju zrakoplovnu kompaniju, jer je to nešto s čime bi se Hrvatska zaista mučila da nisu imali nacionalnu kompaniju koja funkcionira.

Imat će također i ključnu ulogu u oporavku hrvatskog gospodarstva, jer će imati mnogo bolju povezanost nego druge zemlje u regiji kad se ukinu ograničenja kretanja. Ali, to je nešto što je propast Adria Airwaysa već drastično pokazala. Adria je propala i nitko nije preuzeo njihove napuštene linije iz Ljubljane. Bilo je povećanja broja letova prema većim hubovima, ali mnoge direktne linije su ipak izgubljene.

Zato je Croatia Airlines toliko bitna za razvoj Hrvatske, pružaju direktne linije koje nitko drugi ne bi pružao. Važno je i da oni plaćaju porez u Hrvatskoj, pa iako im Vlada mora pomoći s vremena na vrijeme proračunskim novcem, taj se novac uvijek vrati, kroz poreze, dodanu vrijednost za zemlju i slično. Jedino što bi Croatia Airlines trebala je pronaći većeg partnera da bi se koristili sinergijski učinci, smanjili troškovi i slično. Dobar partner bi ih izazivao svakim danom da budu sve bolji.

Slično Swissu kojeg sada u vlasništvu ima Lufthansa i koji je bio premalen da bi bio profitabilan dok je poslovao samostalno, ali s većom količinom novca iza sebe postali su nezaustavljivi. Bio sam baš uzbuđen kad sam vidio da je Aegean zainteresiran za njih. Aegean je fantastična kompanija s pametnim, lean poslovnim modelom koji se može nositi sa sezonalnošću, a čak bi i flote tih dviju kompanija bile 100 % kompatibilne. Nadam se da će se ti razgovori nastaviti kad se sve ovo završi. To bi bio sjajan brak.

Očekujete li da će neke nove kompanije ući na hrvatsko tržište, ili da će neke povećati prisutnost na njemu. Na primjer, Wizzair, koji je dosta aktivan u regiji. 

Kao i u svakoj drugoj krizi, neke kompanije će propasti jer su i prije bile u lošem stanju, a druge će u tome vidjeti sjajne prilike. Wizzair je svakako u toj drugoj skupini i sada zaista zauzijamu sve veći dio tržišta. Ulazak Wizzaira na hrvatsko tržište imao bi smisla i vjerojatno će se i dogoditi ako se smanje aerodromske takse na kompetitivnu razinu.

Značajno smanjenje prometa utjecalo je na zračne luke diljem svijeta. Koliko pate hrvatske zračne luke? Koncesija u Zagrebu je već bila kontroverzna. Kako će ova situacija utjecati na to?

Pa, situacija je za sve zračne luke zaista loša, zato će se boriti kao ludi da vrate promet k sebi. Za to se hrvatske zračne luke sada moraju pripremiti. Moraju stvoriti poticaje za kompetitivnost i podržati programe za zrakoplovne kompanije kako bi nastavile dolaziti u Hrvatsku, a ne prebacile svoj promet na druge zemlje u regiji.

Koliki postotak smanjenja prometa očekujete u 2021. u odnosu na 2019. u hrvatskim zračnim lukama?

Rekao bih da je moguće sve između -50 % i sličnog postotka. Trenutačno bih vjerojatno bio sretan kada bi u 2021. imali 20 % pada prometa u odnosu na 2019.

Gledajući prema budućnosti i planirajući, Split bi svakako bio učinkovitiji ako bi imao direktnu liniju prema većem europskom hubu, poput Münchena i Frankfurta, nego sad kad većina prometa ide kroz Zagreb. Što mislite, kolike su šanse da se Split tako poveže s nekim većim europskim hubom?

Mislim da to neće biti jednostavno, jer se Split nosi s mnoštvom sezonskog prometa. Lani su imali 720 tisuća putnika u srpnju, a 35 tisuća u veljači. Svaka kompanija koja bi na to pomišljala morala bi se baviti s tom sezonalnošću. To djelomično ulazi i u vaše pitanje o Croatia Airlinesu i zapravo ističe koliko je ta kompanija bitna za povezanost cijele zemlje. Tijekom ljeta, kad su svi avioni puni, svako može i želi letjeti za Hrvatsku, ali kad dođemo do listopada svi otkazuju letove jer postaju neprofitabilni i ostajete bez pola godine dok ne krene sljedeća sezona. Ako Split želi letove za München ili Frankfurt, to će koštati, i morat će pronaći program koji će pokriti gubitke kompanije od listopada do ožujka. Ako to uspiju napraviti, nešto će se možda dogoditi. Ako ne, ostat će status quo.

Najnovije vijesti iz svijeta avijacije možete pratiti na web stranici ch-aviation.

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.

May 7, 2020 - How will the future of flights to Croatia look like in the post-corona world? TCN catches up with Max Oldorf, COO of the aviation data company, ch-aviation. 

One of the great uncertainties in a world of great uncertainty at the moment is how the future of travel will look, especially regarding air travel. Will airlines survive, will budget travel still be a big thing, and what about inter-continental travel? And how will flights to Croatia look like from key markets later this year, and next?

One man with better insight than most, both in terms of the aviation industry, as well as flights to Croatia, is Max Oldolf, one of the Swiss founders of ch-aviation, which provides industry data to airports, airlines and other clients all over the world. Oldorf is a regular visitor to Zagreb, as the company's largest subsidiary office is in the Croatian capital - you can learn more about it this TCN feature story. 

The aviation industry has gone through massive change in the last few months, and the effects will be felt for years. Let's look at how this will affect some of the major players in the Croatian market. Firstly, let's look at the inter-continental market, which Croatia has been developing in recent years.  American, Qatar (to Dubrovnik), Emirates, Air Canada - they have all postponed plans for 2020 until next year. Will they be back?

In general we need to accept that the world will look different from now on so I think we just have to live with a new normal. Some of these flights might come back in the next 2 years, some of them we will never see again. I think it is safe to say that we will see close to zero Intercontinental flights this year. If there will be no further waves, we might see some of them back next year already. But my suggestion is that there really needs to be a focus now on first getting domestic flights back, then Europe, and if that works fine the Intercontinental flights will follow at some point.

The UK and Scandinavian markets are important for Croatia. With Norwegian in trouble, Gatwick emptying, easyJet CEO saying they will come back 'like a startup' and Ryanair CEO saying if the government don't pay for the middle seat, Ryanair will not fly, things look pretty bleak. How will budget travel to Croatia form the UK and Scandinavia change? And what about price and frequency?

The only thing we really need to look at right now is if there will be a summer season in Croatia or not. I would say with the current developments the season should not be written off yet. A lot of people have had enough of the lockdown and are eager to travel the moment they are allowed to again. Volumes might be lower due to precautionary measurements or fear by some citizens, but in general all airlines will lift off again the moment they are allowed to and have passengers to transport.

On the prices, short-term we will see very good deals for travellers. Airlines will face significant overcapacity and Ryanair and Wizzair already announced that they will fight for each customer with low prices, so the next 1-2 years we will see a new price war on European skies until market shares are settled.

Give us a sentence on each of the following airlines, and what their post-corona relationship will be with Croatia in terms of flights and traffic.

Ryanair: Not worried about them at all. They will be back in full force shortly after stable flight operations are possible again. To my knowledge, Ryanair is keeping its fleet in full operational mode right now so they can start any time again.

easyJet: Even before the crisis, easyJet had a dispute within their shareholders if they might have grown too much in the last couple of years. Especially its founder Stelios is not happy with the growth and said a smaller easyJet might be more profitable. So the crisis now might put them back a bit but in general I am also not really worried about them, they will be back.

Norwegian: Norwegian is like the walking dead, only still alive because of their shareholders, leasing companies etc. gave them time for restructuring. Don’t count on them coming back to Croatia soon or at all.

Eurowings: I think they will be back similar to Ryanair and easyJet. Flying to Croatia is a part of their bread and butter leisure business so the moment demand picks up again they will fly.

Jet2: Same as with Eurowings.

Lufthansa: A different situation because they are focused on Hub connectivity to Frankfurt and Munich so they have more business passengers than holidaymakers. They might send smaller planes but they will send them for sure.

BA: Probably similar to Lufthansa, they might send smaller planes.

SAS: The airline used Corona now to do some much-needed restructuring, laying off staff etc. I think they will be back as well. But in which form remains to be seen.

Croatia Airlines post-corona. Discuss.

Croatia Airlines really showed during this crisis why it is important for a country to have a flag carrier. They provided the lifeline route to Frankfurt, flew to China to pick up PPE material, performed repatriation flights etc. Croatians can be really proud of its well-functioning airline in this crisis because it is something Croatia would have really struggled with if there would not have been a flag carrier.

They will also play a very crucial role now for the recovery of the Croatian economy given the fact that Croatia will have much better connectivity than other countries in the Region once border limits are lifted. But this is something the Adria Airways collapse already showed quite drastically. Adria collapsed and the pick up of their deserted routes from Ljubljana did not really happen. There were volume increases to the larger hubs but many direct connections were lost.

That’s why Croatia Airlines is so important for the development of Croatia, they provide direct connections no one else otherwise would provide. And also important they pay their taxes in Croatia, so while the government might need to support them from time to time, this money always comes back in form of taxes, added value within the country etc. The only thing Croatia Airlines really should do is to find a bigger partner so they can use synergies, drive costs down  etc. A good partner who challenges them to become better every day.

Similar to Swiss in Switzerland who is now owned by Lufthansa and who was too small to be profitable on its own but with a larger buying force in the back became unstoppable. I was actually super excited when it was announced that Aegean is interested in them. Aegean is a fantastic airline as well with a smart, lean business model that is capable of dealing with seasonality and even the fleets of these two airlines would be a 100% fit. So I really hope once all is over these talks resume. It would be a very good marriage.

Do you expect any airlines to enter or increase their presence in the Croatian market? Wizzair, for example, seems to be pretty active in the region. 

As with any crisis there are companies that will go out of business because they were sick before, and there are others that see huge opportunities now. Wizzair definitely is in the second group and they are now really pushing to win market shares. A Wizzair entry into Croatia would make absolute sense and they will probably do that if the airport fees come down to a competitive level.

A severe reduction in traffic has affected airports around the world. How much are Croatia's airports hurting? The concession for Zagreb has already been controversial. How do you think the situation will affect things?

Well, the situation for all airports is really bad, that’s why they will all fight like crazy to win traffic back. That’s what the Croatian airports need to prepare for now. They need to create competitive incentives and support programs for the airlines to continue serving Croatia making sure the traffic does not flow to other countries in the region.

How much traffic (%) less do you expect in 2021 compared to 2019 at Croatian airports?

I would say anything between -50% and similar is possible. Right now I would probably be happy if we see 20% less traffic in 2021 compared to 2019.

Looking forward and planning for the future, Split would be more effective if it connected directly with a major European hub such as Munich or Frankfurt, rather than most traffic via Zagreb. What do you think about the possibility of a deal to connect Munich or Frankfurt as a proper hub for Split? 

I think this will be very challenging as Split still deals with a lot of seasonality. Last year they had 720.000 passengers in July and 35.000 in February. So any airline looking into this will have to deal with the seasonality. It goes a bit into your question on Croatia airlines and underlines why Croatia Airlines is so important for the connectivity of the Country. In summer when the flights are full everyone can and will fly, but once you get to October everyone will stop operations because it becomes unprofitable and you are cut off for another half year until it picks up again. If Split wants to have this connectivity to Munich and Frankfurt it will come at a cost and they will have to create a program that will cover the airlines losses from October till March. If they are able to do that than we will see something happen. If not then the status quo will prevail.

You can follow the latest global aviation news on the ch-aviation website.

For the latest news on flights to Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

May 3, 2020 - Looking ahead to next year, the easyJet holidays 2021 offers are out. How is Croatia comparing on price?

One of the many great unknowns about post-corona tourism is price. What is fairly certain is that there will be less flights and less tourism in general. That will necessarily mean more competition from tourism countries for a piece of the smaller remaining pie. And of the various tools available to entice visitors at the lower end of the market, none will be more in evidence than... 

Price. 

Traditionally, Croatia does not do well on price comparisons with other tourism countries in the Mediterranean. That is a subject for another time, but it is clear that the days of easy tourism are over - at least for now - and if Croatia is to compete in the general tourism market, it is going to have to reassess its strategies on price. 

A reader sent me an email today with some offers for easyJet holiday 2021, which he subscribed to. My heart missed a beat when I looked at the first one until I saw the date of the offer.

A family of three from the UK for a week to a 5-star resort on the water in Turkey, all-inclusive including price, for £895 total, or £299 per person. With a deposit of just £60 per person. 

To repeat - return flights, transfers, 7 nights in a 5-star hotel on the water, with all food included. For less than £300 a person. 

I checked the date and remembered to breathe - April 22 - 29, 2021. Very much shoulder season. 

So how did the price compare in peak season? I chose the week of July 1 - 8, 2021. More than double the price at £614 per person, but still a pretty good deal for peak season holiday in a 5-star hotel with all food taken care of, as well as flights and transfers. 

I have never looked at easyJet for anything but flights before, so I decided to explore the easyJet holidays 2021 offer to see how Croatia was comparing with its early pricing for next year.  

easyJet is a significant player in the Croatian market, carrying more than 600,000 passengers last year. 

Not enough to make the enticing homepage advert imagining where easyJet could be taking you in 2021 - that was reserved for Iceland, Amsterdam, Tunisia and Turkey. 

So how does Croatia compare on price for those same dates - July 1 - 8, 2020? I went to the Croatia section and chose the Split region. The competition from Turkey, remember, was a 5-star resort, all-inclusive with flights and transfers - for £614 per person for a family of three. 

The Split region's cheapest option only offered bed and breakfast, not all-inclusive, was 4-star not 5, and was £50 more expensive. 

The fourth-cheapest option was on the Makarska Riviera, was also one star lower in quality with only breakfast on offer. And was almost twice the price of £1,150. 

In order to standardise the research, I decided to go for one type of holiday, all-inclusive of everything - flights, transfers, hotel and meals, and to see the two cheapest countries for several competing countries, as well as Croatia. Here is what I found (same dates - July 1-8, 2021).

Croatia the cheapest all-inclusive was cheaper than my 5-star Turkish example above, at £601, but was only 3-star. The next cheapest was considerably more expensive, and only 4-star.

And if you are prepared to slum it in a 4-star hotel, you can do it at half the price in Turkey. Yes that's right, a peak season July 1-8, 2021 holiday in a 4-star Turkish hotel with flight, transfer and all food, for just £358 per person.

Meanwhile in Greece, the 4-star all-inclusive deals are a little more expensive than Turkey, but a lot cheaper than Croatia. 

And in neighbouring Budva, easyJet holidays 2021 had jsut two offers, but you can get 5-star bed and breakfast in Budva for £565, or 4-star all-inclusive in Tivat for £663. 

Over in Spain, the 3-star all-inclusives can be had for under £500. 

And in Portugal, the 4-star offers are the cheapest on sale, and cheaper than the Croatian equivalent. 

Not surprisingly, for those who follow Croatian tourism closely, the most expensive offer in this admittedly limited random sample came from Croatia. 

Is that a problem? At this point no, as there are so many things and factors which could change everything again several times between now and next summer. 

But it is something that tourism planners and businesses at the cheaper end of the market need to be keenly aware of if they want to keep some semblance of market share. The tourism business has changed, and the competition in the future will be fierce. 

You can do your own easyJet holidays 2021 research on the official website.

For more on tourism in Croatia, follow the TCN travel section.  

March 21, 2020 - What is happening with Ryanair in Croatia? So many flight cancellations to Zadar, but not other coastal destinations. And what about the Hideout Festival?

The situation regarding flights with Ryanair in Croatia has been taking up an ever larger part of my inbox in recent times. Emails such as this have become commonplace:

Any clue why ryanair flights to zadar in june and july got cancelled overnight? Theres still several months to go... Any advice you could provide is greatly appreciated

Hvala puno!

I decided to look into the situation, and what I found was VERY unusual. 

The announcement that Ryanair is grounding most of its fleet on March 24 due to the coronavirus situation was a big shock, but there seems to be an interesting sub-story developing with Ryanair in Croatia. 

We have covered flight cancellations with Ryanair in Croatia already due to COVID-19, and the flight situation has been constantly updated in our regular Croatian travel advice - here is today's. 

This was followed on March 13, 2020 that Ryanair was postponing its planned base in Zadar until 2021, as well as cancelling lots (but not all flights).

With the global situation, it is understandable that Ryanair in Croatia would be operating at reduced capacity, but cancelling flights in July? It seemed a little odd to me.

"Given the overall situation, it is quite certain that the flying season will not start as planned. When it will start, it is difficult to estimate at the moment, which is why Zadar Airport is unfortunately forced to postpone hiring of our seasonal staff until further notice," Zadar Airport spokesperson Nikola Barac told Zadarski List when sent a seasonal employment media request. This has resulted in the postponement of the recruitment of 130 seasonal staff at Zadar Airport. 

Asking around, I was told that ALL flights to Zadar with Ryanair were cancelled by local sources. Really? I found that quite incredible to believe. What I found was all the more bizarre, according to the online booking system on the Ryanair website. 

Zadar is the main market for Ryanair in Croatia, indeed it was the entry point for low-cost flights when the Irish carrier entered the Croatian market in 2007. But Ryanair has expanded to other airports, albeit with more limited services. Dublin to Dubrovnik looks fine at the moment from June 1.  

As does Dublin to Split. Ryanair started flights to both Split and Dubrovnik only last year and currently offer only Dublin to both, as well as Vienna to Dubrovnik, and Stuttgart to Split. 

 Things are looking good from London Stansted to Pula from early May. 

And from London Stansted to Rijeka from June 1. 

But London Stansted to Zadar in July and August?

 In fact, there are only two flights currently bookable from London Stansted to Zadar for the whole of 2020.

What about flights to Zadar for the Hideout Festival on Zrce on June 21-25, 2020?

The Hideout Festival on Zrce Beach near Novalja on the island of Pag is scheduled to take place from June 21-25, 2020, coinciding with the only bookable flights from London to Zadar with Ryanair for the whole year.  

Same story if you are coming from Manchester. Currently, the only two flights available for the whole of 2020 are dates either side of the Hideout Festival.  

But if you are planning to visit Zadar from mainland Europe with Ryanair, there seems to be no problem. From Berlin, above, for example.  

The Viennese can arrive from May 1, 2020. 

And from Brussels, just a day later. 

But from the UK, or Ireland - nothing currently whatsoever, apart from the Hideout Festival flights. 

And of course, the big question is - when will this COVID-19 crisis all be over, and when will flights to Croatia resume?

Nobody knows for sure, of course, but perhaps there is a clue on the Ryanair homepage of one of the movers and shakers of European travel, with their most prominent advert, below. 

If anybody has any concrete information with verifiable links to support the info, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Ryanair, and I will happily update. 

How do I get a Ryanair refund?

This is a question I am getting a lot as well, and I am certainly not the best person to ask. It will involve filling in a Ryanair refund form, but for the latest information, check out the COVID-19 update page on the Ryanair website, which has the latest on refunds and disruptions.

You can keep track of the latest Croatia travel advice as part of TCN's ongoing coronavirus coverage in our dedicated section. 

Croatia Travel Update - March 21 - Latest info.

March 18, 2020 - As the EU closes its external borders, a Croatia travel update on flights, ferries, trains, buses, borders and self-isolation. 

Things are changing very quickly as the coronavirus crisis escalates in Europe. A Croatia travel update on what is - and is not - open or running. 

Croatia Travel Update: Are the borders of Croatia open? 

This is the latest official information from HAK on the situation at the borders of Croatia. For the latest information (in English), check out the HAK website. 

At the border crossings with Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro traffic is suspended for all vehicles, except for the citizens of these countries as well as for freight vehicles.

At Cvetlin, Gornja Voća and Banfi border crossings all traffic is closed.

Due to additional controls at the border crossings with Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina there can be long delays in both passenger and freight traffic.

Traffic is closed at the following border crossings:

at Goričan border crossing, detour: Goričan junction-ŽC2026-DC3;

at Dvor and Vitaljina border crossings - open only to passenger traffic;

at Gunja border crossing - there is a traffic ban on freight vehicles and buses.

Due to traffic bans on freight vehicles in Slovenia long delays should be expected in freight traffic at Bregana/Obrežje and Macelj/Gruškovje border crossings starting 1 June.

Croatia Travel Update: Are the ferries in Croatia running normally?

Domestic ferries are running as normal. This is the latest update from HAK:

Split-Ancona international line does not operate till 1 April, Dubrovnik-Bari till 19 April 2020.

Other ferries operate regularly.

Till 1 June 2020 401 Zadar (Gaženica)-Ist-Olib-Silba-Premuda-Mali Lošinj ferry does not embark at Silba port due to roadworks.

As reported earlier on TCN, Jadrolinija is now requesting that passengers make their ticket purchases online or via their app. 

You can check the latest from Jadrolinija on their website.

Croatia Travel Update: What is the situation with train travel in Croatia?

The latest HAK update on the railways:

Due to repair work passengers are transported by buses so delays are possible on the following sections:

- between Dugo Selo and Križevci railway stations (on the rail state border-Botovo-Dugo Selo)

- between Zaprešić and Zabok railway stations (on the rail Zaprešić-Čakovec)

- between Sunja and Sisak Caprag railway stations (on the rail Zagreb-Sisak-Novska)

- between Ogulin and Moravice railway stations (on the rail Zagreb-Rijeka).

International railway traffic:

Railway traffic is suspended towards Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Serbia and Hungary.

Croatia Travel Update: What is the situation with flights to Croatia?

The closing of the EU external borders took effect today, a measure that will last for 30 days. As such, all international flights outside EU borders have now been cancelled. There are still flights to Zagreb within EU borders, and so there is not a total flight ban, as ExYuAviation noted yesterday:

The EU travel will only partially affect Croatia. Under the plan, only visitors from non-EU states will not be allowed to enter the region unless they are long-term residents of the EU, family members of EU nationals, diplomats, cross-border commuters, or essential workers like doctors, nurses, and researchers. The majority of Croatia Airlines’ network is concentrated within the EU, however, plummeting demand and various national restrictions will see the carrier cancel at least nine return flights today, among which are services to cities outside of the block such as Sarajevo and Skopje. Furthermore, flights from Zagreb to Copenhagen, Vienna and Munich have also been cancelled so far today. Despite the new circumstances, Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways will operate their flights to the Croatian capital today.

You can see the latest departure information from Zagreb Airport here. Internal flights within Croatia remain available. 

We have had a LOT of emails asking what will happen with flight cancellations, and will things be ok in May, June and beyond. Obviously, we have no idea how things will develop. With the 30-day international ban, most flights are already cancelled. WE hope the situation will improve, but recommend you check with your individual airline, who will be better informed than us. If there are any major announcements, we will publish them on TCN. 

Croatia Travel Update: Are buses running in Croatia?

Yes they are, but at reduced capacity in many cases. I don't have a good resource for national information (if anyone does, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will add). One of the biggest operators, Croatia Bus, stopped all routes temporarily due to COVID-19 (source Zagreb Bus Station Facebook page).

Zagreb Bus Station has published a number to call - 072 500 400 - to check if your bus is running. 

In other more localised bus news by TCN, there is free local bus travel in Dubrovnik, and here is a recent update from Split bus station. 

Croatia Travel Update: What are the self-isolation rules for people arriving, who do they apply to, and what is the procedure?

There has been a lot of confusion about the mandatory 14-day self-isolation requirements, what they entail and how they are enforced, as well as who they apply to.  I am very grateful to Lauren Simmonds for this excellent overview, having contacted and worked through various sources of conflicting information. Check out Lauren's guide to self-isolation in Croatia here. 

The Croatian Government has launched a new information website to coordinate all information about coronavirus in Croatia, called Koronavirus.hr. This includes a page (in Croatian - Google Translate is your friend) called Going on a Trip? 

If you have any reliable information to improve the resource above, please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will update if relevant. 

For the latest on the coronavirus crisis in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.