January 13, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia, with updates from Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. 

Flights to Croatia: LOT boosts operations from Poland

Polish national carrier LOT Polish Airlines, a Star Alliance member, announced the introduction of a new line from Poland in their 2019 summer timetable. In 2018, LOT introduced the Dubrovnik-Warsaw line, which ran six times per week - or every day except Tuesday. 

While this line will remain in traffic this summer with the same number of weekly flights, a new route between Dubrovnik and Krakow (“Pope John Paul II) will operate once a week, on Saturdays, from May 25 to September 28, 2019, AvioRadar reported. The Embraer ERJ-195LR will be used on this line. 

The line between Dubrovnik and Krakow already operated in the past by Slovakian low-cost carrier SkyEurope, which ran two flights a week but halted operations in 2009. Following them, Polish regional carrier EuroLOT managed this route, though they also cut off all traffic in 2015. 

Flights to Croatia: Eurowings increases operations from Cologne 

German low-cost carrier Eurowings has extended their flight offer from Cologne to Croatia for the peak season. Namely, additional flights will operate from July 15 to August 23, 2019, from Cologne to Pula, Rijeka, Split, and Zadar, announced AvioRadar. 

On the Cologne/Bonn - Pula line, there will be an additional rotation on Monday. On the line to Rijeka, there will be two additional flights in the heart of the season - on Tuesdays and Fridays. The route to Split will now fly every day with the addition of the Wednesday service, and an additional flight on Thursday will boost the line to Zadar. 

Flights to Croatia: Air Transat confirms cancelation of Toronto-Split service

While we reported earlier this week that it looked as if Air Transat canceled their new service between Toronto and Split for 2019, 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. 

Three new flights to Croatia are on the cards as Croatia's rich tourist offer impresses the Dutch in Utrecht.

As Morski writes on the 10th of January, 2019, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) has been presenting the Croatian tourist offer at the Vakantiebeurs fair, which takes place in the Dutch town of Utrecht from January 9th to the 13th, 2019. The fair is intended for both a business and a wider audience, and on the first day of the fair alone, the Dutch have shown huge interest for various Croatian destinations, especially for the Croatia's camping segment. Owing to the level of interest from the Netherlands, three new flights to Croatia from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Einhoven are ready to take off in 2019.

''The presentation at the Utrecht fair starts with the presentation of the Croatian tourist offer at the most important fairs with key emission markets. The Croatian National Tourist Board will organise the presentation of the Croatian tourist offer at a total of 22 fairs in 2019, of which there are 17 general ones, and five specialised ones, including three nautical fairs and two camping fairs,'' said the Croatian National Tourist Board's director Kristjan Staničić, adding that during 2018, almost 500,000 arrivals and about 3.2 million overnight stays were realised by Dutch tourists, representing fairly significant growth of nine percent in terms of arrivals and of five percent in terms of overnight stays made by the Dutch back in 2017.

Within the scope of the current Utrecht fair, numerous meetings with representatives of various tour operators, travel agents and airline companies such as TUI, Thomas Cook, Transavia, D-Reizen, Rotterdam-Den Haag Airport, Travel Counselors Association and others are also taking place.

Such meetings are aimed at discussing activities and better cooperation in the upcoming period. The first information which can be concluded from Dutch tour operators is that the interest level of the Dutch for Croatia is currently at last year's level, but the real period of intensification lies not too far ahead.

''We're extremely pleased with the increasing interest of air carriers for Croatia, as evidenced by the announcement of the introduction of three new air lines from the Netherlands to Croatia, more precisely to Zadar in 2019. The Transavie line will connect Zadar with Rotterdam, Ryanair will link Zadar with Eindhoven, and Easyjet will link Zadar to Amsterdam,'' said Ivan Novak, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board's representation for the Benelux countries.

Make sure to atay up to date with flights to Croatia and other travel trends by following our dedicated travel page.

January 7, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia, with updates to Pula and Dubrovnik. 

Flights to Croatia: Ryanair from Dublin to Split and Dubrovnik

Ryanair has announced that they are launching their first flights to Dubrovnik and Split from Dublin, four times a week from June, as part of its largest Croatian summer schedule so far. The 2019 summer schedule also includes flights from Zadar to Cologne, Hamburg and Nuremberg, reports HRTurizam. 

"Ryanair is pleased to announce our first flights from Dubrovnik and Split to Dublin, which will run four times per week from June, as part of the expanded summer schedule in 2019, which also includes new flights from Zadar to Cologne, Hamburg, and Nuremberg,” said Ivana Hanjš, executive director of sales and marketing for Europe.

Flights to Croatia: S7 to Dubrovnik and Pula

Russian airline S7 has also announced they’ll be boosting operations to both of their destinations in Croatia for the 2019 summer, reports AvioRadar.

Namely, on the line between Dubrovnik and Moscow (Domodedovo airport), S7 will operate using the larger Boeing 737-800 aircraft instead of the Airbus A319 aircraft. Flights will continue to work twice a week, on Monday and Friday, over the same period as last year. 

On the line between Pula and Moscow (Domodedovo), S7 has announced an additional line on Saturdays. Thus, instead of last year’s five flights per week, S7 will now operate between the two cities six times a week. There will be no flights on Tuesdays and Sundays. 

The Pula-Saint Petersburg line remains unchanged and will run as it did last year - once a week on Sundays. 

Flights to Croatia: El Al from Tel Aviv to Dubrovnik

Ex Yu Aviation announced that Israel's national carrier El Al has also announced a new seasonal flight between Tel Aviv and Dubrovnik. The Israeli airline will fly once a week between the two cities, on Tuesdays, beginning June 4, 2019. Operations will end on September 24, 2019. El Al will operate using the 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

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

Could a brand new Croatian flight company be on the horizon? According to Nino Borić, who has been working in international aviation for thirty years, yes it could.

As Sasa Paparella/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 6th of January, 2019, there could soon be a new Croatian flight company named Smile Air. Although the airline company's name was registered in Zagreb during the summer of 2017, its director and co-owner, Nino Borić, who has been working for over thirty years in the field of aviation, is in no particular hurry to set up the project, and is proceeding cautiously.

"We'd like go start work at the end of this year, but it's difficult to succeed in such a move because we need to find the right aircraft on the market and their prices are high at the moment. We're not under any real pressure for the project to be completed either this year or next year, but this does need to sustainable, longterm story in which there must be no mistakes. In addition to that, flight permits take some time, so we'd be happy with [beginning work at] the beginning of 2020. People are coming to us themselves and we've gathered together a good team,'' Borić told Poslovni Dnevnik.

He added that he follows the philosophy of Virgin's Richard Branson, who, as he says, knows that a good attitude towards employees also results in satisfied passengers. Borić is the owner of Avio Nova, headquartered in Florida, and for years he has been employed in high positions in the operations of various airlines. The other co-owner of Smile Air is Bernard Lukač, a 30-year-old pilot and former instructor in Croatia Airlines, who, for the last eight years, has worked as an inspector at the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency (CCAA).

The third member of the team is Krunoslav Dumlija, a pilot with fifteen years of valuable experience, who is also a former CCAA inspector. When asked about the amount of capital needed to start the business side of this entirely new Croatian flight company, Borić said he would start with two aircraft on operational leases, and for that between 3-5 million dollars would be required. The plan is to start with the Embraer E-190 Brazilian aircraft, with a capacity of 100 passengers, which is ideal for all-year operation. Later on, they would obtain the Airbus A321, which they would use for seasonal flights.

In the long run, the plan for this Croatian flight company focuses on getting an Airbus A330, and the aim is to have a fleet of five aircraft in the first three years. As quoted on the company website, Smile Air will deal with ACMI and wet lease business, regular charter and leisure lines, and ad hoc charters. They will have flights to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and even to Iceland. They will also rent their crew to other companies, and combinations are also possible with such a scenario.

The idea has already had some initial support from the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ).

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

Click here for the original article by Sasa Paparella for Poslovni Dnevnik

December 31, 2018 - Great news for Irish tourists and the ever larger Croatian diaspora in Ireland, as Croatia Airlines will operate its Zagreb to Dublin service all year.

Some nice end of year news for those looking to travel between Croatia and Ireland. 

Flight portal Avioradar is reporting that Croatia Airlines will increase the frequency of its service from Zagreb to Dublin in 2019, making it a year-round connection between the Irish and Croatian capitals. 

Next year's flights will begin on April 9, with three weekly flights. The route will then continue through the winter from October 27, with two flights a week. For the full schedule, check out the original Avioradar report. 

With the all-year route will be welcome for Irish tourists, it is arguably much more useful for the growing number of young Croatian diaspora, who have moved to Ireland in recent years. 

With EU entry in July 2013, many European labour markets opened up to Croatians. While the UK has some initial restrictions, Ireland did not, and it was the only English-speaking country in the EU where Croatians could legally work. More than 10,000 have made the move so far. 

To keep in touch with the latest flight news to Croatia for 2019, follow the dedicated TCN flights page. 

December 28, 2018 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia, with updates from Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, and Zadar. 

Flights to Croatia: Going to Zagreb?

Canadian airline Air Transat will boost its Zagreb-Toronto (Pearson International Airport) service for the 2019 summer. In addition to this year’s two flights a week, an additional third flight will be introduced - and the route will now operate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This service will run from May 15 to October 30, 2019. The new Friday reinforcement will work from June 21 to September 13, 2019. The Airbus A330-200 will be used on all flights.

You can read more on AvioRadar. 

Flights to Croatia: Going to Dubrovnik?

The new Austrian carrier Anisec Luftfahrt flying under the marketing name LEVEL will operate four times a week on the Dubrovnik-Vienna route, just as it did this year. While the airline’s first announcements for the 2019 summer had no mention of Saturday operations on this route, it turns out there will not be a reduction in traffic on this line. 

This service will, therefore, operate four times a week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. There is one change, however, and that is that this line will operate using the smaller Airbus A320 aircraft, instead of this year’s Airbus A321. The Airbus A320 will fly one to three times per week on selected flights, as the type of aircraft changes on individual flights during the week. 

You can read more on AvioRadar. 

Flights to Croatia: Going to Split?

Germany's low-cost carrier Eurowings will boost connections between Split and Austria for the 2019 summer. The route between Split and Salzburg will see another weekly connection, with operations on Tuesday and Sunday from June 2 to October 22, 2019. Eurowings will use an Airbus A319. 

You can read more on AvioRadar. 

British Airways has also boosted operations on their Split-London service. In addition to their Split-London (Heathrow) line, the airline is adding a second seasonal flight for the 2019 summer to London City Airport. The first arrival is scheduled for June 21, 2019. The route will operate three flights a week, on Monday, Thursday, and Friday, until September 6, 2019. The new line will fly on the Embraer ERJ-190 aircraft. 

But that’s not all.

British Airways will also boost operations on their existing Split-London (Heathrow) service, adding two new flights a week on this route. The current five flights a week on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be boosted by a new flight on Tuesday and a second on Sunday. The route will be operated by the Airbus A319, Airbus A320, and the Airbus A321. The second line will work from April 28 to October 25, 2019. 

You can read more on AvioRadar.

Flights to Croatia: Going to Zadar?

Irish low-cost airline RyanAir has introduced yet another new line to Zadar for next summer, making it the 22nd line for the coastal city. The new seasonal connection will be to Eindhoven, beginning operations on April 1, 2019. The new route will operate twice a week, on Monday and Thursday, on a Boeing 737-800. 

At the same time, the Dutch low-cost airline Transavia introduced a new line from Zadar to the Netherlands, connecting Zadar and Rotterdam on Wednesday and Saturday. 

You can read more on AvioRadar.

To read more about traveling to Croatia, following TCN's dedicated page. 

December 18, 2018 - After the announcements of EasyJet and Ryanair expanding their operations in Croatia, other airlines have decided to scale back. A look at flights to Croatia in 2019.

Namely, AvioRadar has reported that Estonian national airline Nordica will no longer fly the Rijeka-Tallinn route for the 2019 summer. The airline will, however, maintain the Split-Tallinn route, which flies three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The Sunday flights will operate from April 14 to October 20, 2019, while the Tuesday and Thursday flights will serve passengers during the peak season - from June 25 to August 27, 2019. 

Nordica will fly using the Canadair CRJ-900, operated by Polish carrier LOT. 

Furthermore, AvioRadar reports that British low-cost carrier Flybe no longer maintains any routes to Croatia. Both the Dubrovnik-London and Zadar-London lines from Southend Airport have stopped traffic after just two seasons. The carrier operated two flights between Dubrovnik and London last season, and one flight between Zadar and London. 

Flybe has canceled many flights to European destinations from Southend for next summer thanks to fierce competition. Namely, EasyJet has boosted its Southend line in the summer and picked up new routes to Dubrovnik and Pula. 

This is not the first time Flybe has withdrawn operations from Croatia. Recall, several years ago, the airline flew from Birmingham and Southhampton to Dubrovnik and Split, and from Exeter to Dubrovnik, mostly with one flight per week. Flybe also operated charter lines from Norwich to Dubrovnik and Split, and from Humberside to Dubrovnik. All of these lines, however, were abolished, with no new airlines replacing them. 

Last but not least, AvioRadar reports that the new low-cost carrier Anisec Luftfahrt, flying under the marketing name LEVEL, has reduced traffic on its only line to Croatia. The airline only began operating to Croatia in July with a flight between Vienna and Dubrovnik, though they did not fly to Dubrovnik until August 12, 2018. The airline operated four flights per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

In their summer 2019 flight announcement, LEVEL will drop one of their weekly flights and fly only on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Vienna to the 'Pearl of the Adriatic'. LEVEL will operate from June 18 to September 8, 2019, stopping traffic a month and a half earlier than this year. 

LEVEL will fly to Dubrovnik on the Airbus A321 aircraft. 

To read more about flights to Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

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

December 3, 2018 - Eleven years after entering the Croatian market in Zadar, a great addition to the flights to Croatia 2019 story: Ryanair to Split and Dubrovnik.

Flights to Croatia 2019 just got easier for Irish tourists (and the growing Croatian diaspora in Ireland), as Ryanair has announced two new routes to the Adriatic for next summer - Dublin to Split and Dubrovnik, reports the Irish Independent.

TCN reported 3 weeks ago that Ryanair was in discussions with Split and Zagreb, while the Irish carrier has been talking to Dubrovnik for some time. The sticking point for both Split and Dubrovnik in the past has been giving preferential pricing treatment to Ryanair, whose successful business model is well-known.

It is 11 years since Ryanair changed the landscape in Croatian aviation - and Zadar in particular - by pioneering low-cost flights to the former Dalmatian capital. And yet, while Ryanair took a march on its rivals 11 years ago, it has never really capitalised on that early success. Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik have remained closed to Ryanair's planes. In the interim, easyJet has become the second most popular airline in Croatia.

Until today. 

The Dublin flights to Split and Dubrovnik will commence in June, and we will bring you more details of the schedule as we have it. You can follow the TCN Flights to Croatia 2019 page here. With both Split and Dubrovnik booming and not needing to give financial concessions, and with Ryanair famous for extracting the best deals, it would be interesting to see the fine print of the detail, not that I expect it to be made public. 

One airline which may be less than happy by the news is Croatia Airlines, which is already struggling, and the arrival of Europe's most successful airline in the two biggest tourists airport in the country will hardly be welcome news. 

December 1, 2018 - The latest news from around Croatia's airports for new flights to Croatia 2019, with updates from Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Split and Zagreb airports.

It has been another busy few days for the airports of Croatia, as they gear up for what is certain to be a bumper 2019 season. An overview of the latest news regarding flights to Croatia 2019. 

Flights to Rijeka - Lufthansa Meets the European City of Culture 2020

These are good times for Rijeka Airport, located on the island of Krk. More new flight announcements are coming, as the city gears up to become the European City of Culture 2019, with the latest addition from one of Europe's top carriers. Lufthansa has announced that it will begin operations in the Kvarner region, with the German carrier commencing weekly flights from Munich to Rijeka each Saturday evening, starting on May 25 until October 26. The new Lufthansa flight adds to the three weekly connections to the Bavarian capital from Croatia Airlines - check out the timetable with Avioradar. 

Flights to Croatia 2019 - Volotea to Connect Athens and Dubrovnik

Low-cost Spanish airline Volotea continues its expansion in the Croatian market, with its latest flight announcement a new route from Athens to Dubrovnik, where it will compete directly with both Aegean and Croatia Airlines. The new flights will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from April 27 to August 31. For the flight schedule, check out ExYuAviation. 

Flights to Split - Finnair Strengthens Dalmatia, Leaves Pula

Finnish tourism interest in Croatia, in particular Dalmatia, is on the rise,and national carrier Finnair has announced that it will be increasing its services to Split for 2019. Finnair will be offering six flights a week between the Finnish and Dalmatian capitals, with the first flight commencing on April 16 until October 23. Finnair's connections with Dubrovnik will remain at the same level as this year, but the airline has decided to cease operations to Pula. Check out the flight schedules here.  

Flights to Zagreb - the Return of FlyDubai and Celebrations for Croatia Airlines and Turkish Airlines

The livery of FlyDubai will be seen once more in Zagreb, from as early as this weekend, as the low-cost Gulf carrier interchanges with Emirates to maximise load factor, as previously reported by TCN. In other Zagreb news, it was a moment of celebration for both Croatia Airlines, which welcomed its 2 millionth passenger of the year, while Turkish Airlines - which has become a strong regional player in recent years - celebrated 20 years of operations in the Croatian capital. 

(Photo credit - Rijeka Airport Facebook page)

Eurowings - Promoting Kvarner Tourism and a Zadar Codeshare with Austrian Airlines

Some nice promotion for the Kvarner region by Eurowings, whose planes are now adorned with promotional advertising for Kvarner, as shown in the photos above posted by the Rijeka Airport Facebook page. 

Meanwhile in Zadar, Eurowings has arranged a codeshare agreement with Austrian Airlines.

To follow the latest news about flights to Croatia 2019, follow the dedicated TCN section.