September the 30th, 2022 - Dubrovnik winter charter flights have begun with guests arriving in the Pearl of the Adriatic from across the rest of Europe.

As Morski writes, Dubrovnik's tourism is still to a large extent reliant on air traffic arrivals despite the finalisation of the Peljesac bridge which scraps the need to cross in and back out of Neum in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As such, Croatia's southernmost city still heavily depends mostly on air connections, that is, on the summer flight schedule.

When the height of the main summer tourist season ends, and particularly by the end of October, traffic to Dubrovnik is 90 percent lower than it is during the summer. However, this year, Dubrovnik Airport will also have work to do in the winter with Dubrovnik winter charter flights. The programme of Dubrovnik winter charter flights has begun, which will bring retirees from all over the rest of Europe.

The first plane of the new Dubrovnik winter charter flights programme landed at the airport in Cilipi recently and the guests, mostly German nationals, couldn't wait to explore the city outside of the often insufferable crowds and scorching heat.

''We wanted to get better acquainted with Croatia, we are staying for two weeks,'' said Anya from Germany.

''It was very good, very pleasant, the flight got here really quickly from Hamburg,'' added Asthrid.

''This is my first time coming here, and I hope I will like it a lot,'' Brighitte noted.

Half of all travellers arriving come from Germany, and they are retirees: guests who spend quite a lot and are usually more than happy to travel outside of the main tourist season.

''The other 50 percent of them come from all European cities. We have people from Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark... 95 percent of the Dubrovnik winter charter flights are sold out, for the first period of 12 months, about 99 percent are sold out. We even have a couple of dates that exceeded the number of seats,'' points out the director of the travel agency, Akkan Mahmut, for Regionalni Dnevnik.

In addition to charter flights, Dubrovnik will be directly connected to Barcelona, ​​London and Istanbul during the winter, in addition to Zagreb.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

May 29, 2022 - A boost for tourism in Dubrovnik, as the first United Air Lines flight from New York landed yesterday,  a month earlier than last year.  

Things are starting to return to a semblance of normal. 

The important North American tourism market, long in love with the majesty of Dubrovnik, is beginning to reengage with the Pearl of the Adriatic after the COVID-19 interruption. Last year, Dubrovnik was connected to New York directly for the first time, but not one but two major carriers - Delta and United. So happy were United with the new route that they have decided to launch 2022 operations a month earlier than last year, with the first 170 passengers arriving yesterday. Dubrovnik  Mayor Mato Frankovic was clearly pleased at the news, posting on Facebook: 

"Today, the first direct flight from New York with 170 passengers landed at Dubrovnik Airport. The American airline United started flights a month earlier this year, and what makes us especially happy is that this year Dubrovnik will be the only Croatian city directly connected to the United States of America having direct flights from New York four times a week until the end of October.

With the increasing number of passengers in air traffic, the connection to almost 80 global destinations, through 48 foreign and domestic companies, but also the return of ships on round trips the tourist recovery of the City is more visible every day and I believe that we will achieve great results in this season."

According to ExYuAviation, United's results from last year exceeded expectation, with 17,264 passengers contributing to a 77.9% load factor, as well as 405 tons of cargo. Andrew Nocella, Chief Commercial Officer for United, acknowledged the success of the new Croatian route, which was initiated as a result of Croatia's policy of open borders for Americans during the pandemic. 

“We started in a few new markets in Europe last year. In fact, we loaded those for sale very late. And those new markets were actually some of our top-performing city fares, because Croatia and Greece in particular, made it clear to the world that they were open for business. And in fact, our customers responded to it immediately, and our new flights degrees did incredibly well.” 

Dubrovnik enjoyed considerable coverage of its welcome to Americans during the pandemic, including a feature on Good Morning America, which was watched by 12.5 million people. The Dubrovnik Tourist Board has also been running a successful campaign in various airports in the States. 

For more information about Dubrovnik, check out the TC Dubrovnik in a Page guide. 

For the latest flight news to Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

April 28, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as the United Airlines Dubrovnik route is seeing strong demand from Newark Airport, connecting the US with the Adriatic Pearl from May 27 this year.   

United Airlines will continue flights between New York's Newark Airport and Dubrovnik this year, resuming operations on May 27 with a planned four-weekly rotation. Furthermore, the American carrier has expanded its flight program to Dubrovnik with services until the end of the 2022 summer season, which is October 26. 

“We have not seen any softness in terms of demand [to Croatia]”, said Patrick Quayle, United’s Senior Vice President of International Network and Alliances. He added that the first flight of the season is already sold out in business class from Newark, reports Ex Yu Aviation.

However, Quayle commented that some connections in further east in countries like Poland and Romania, served by United’s partner Lufthansa, could see an impact on demand. 

Last year, United Airlines flew from June 2 to early October and offered more than 22,500 seats in both directions on its four-weekly flight between New York and Dubrovnik. This year, all flights will be operated by a Boeing 767-300 aircraft.

On the other hand, Delta will not continue flights with the Croatian coastal city this summer, after launching flights from New York's JFK Airport last year. A similar scenario happened with American Airlines, which introduced seasonal flights from Philadelphia to Dubrovnik in 2019, and was due to return in 2020 with additional services and capacity. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the airline postponed the route indefinitely.

“Flights from the US performed well above our expectations. These incoming tourists stay in Dubrovnik, which serves as a base for them to explore other places - nearby islands and Dalmatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, these flights are important as they have enabled cargo transport to the United States. As a result, each aircraft departs with around ten tons of exportable goods to the States," Dubrovnik Airport General Manager, Frano Luetić, said last year for Ex Yu Aviation.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

April 23, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as two new Wizz Air Dubrovnik summer routes have been announced, and Aegean Airline has decided to run between Dubrovnik and Athens this winter, too. 

The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air announced two new routes from London and Wroclaw to Dubrovnik Airport, reports Croatian Aviation. 

The London Luton - Dubrovnik line will operate from July 4, four times a week, every Monday, Friday, Wednesday, and Sunday until the end of this year's summer flight schedule, or on October 28.

The Wroclaw - Dubrovnik line has been announced from August 4, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, until the end of September, or September 25, 2022. 

A320 and A321 aircraft have been announced on the routes. Wizz Air is planning a total of 5 scheduled international flights to Dubrovnik Airport in this year's summer flight schedule. In addition to the two mentioned, there will also be lines from Vienna, Rome, and Warsaw.

Greek airline Aegean Airlines has made some operational changes in its flight schedule and announced flights between Dubrovnik and Athens next winter.

According to EX-YU Aviation, Aegean Airlines plans to continue operations on the regular seasonal line between Dubrovnik and Athens in the 2022/2023 winter flight schedule.

Aegean will start operations on the line in mid-May this year (May 17) and will run until the end of the first week of January 2023.

The flights were originally planned until the end of October, or the end of the summer flight schedule. Croatian Aviation adds that it will take several months for these flights to be realized, so there is a possibility that Aegean will subsequently close sales on the winter line depending on bookings. 

Four flights a week have been announced this summer. From the beginning of July, Aegean is running a regular line between Thessaloniki and Dubrovnik.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, check out our dedicated travel section.

March 22, 2022 - The 2022 Dubrovnik summer flight schedule has been announced with flights to over 70 airports around the world. 

Dubrovnik Airport has announced its summer flight schedule for this year, which takes effect on the last weekend of this month. Thus, Dubrovnik should have direct flights to more than 70 airports this summer throughout Europe and the world, reports Croatian Aviation.

This summer, Dubrovnik Airport will be connected to more than 70 international airports, two of which are outside Europe (New York and Dubai) and only four domestic (Split, Rijeka, Zagreb, and Osijek). All other routes have been announced around Europe. 

It should also be noted that regular flights from Ukraine and Russia by several airlines have been announced in the summer flight schedule, which will certainly not happen given the war in Ukraine.

List of destinations and airlines:

Amsterdam (EasyJet, KLM),

Athens (Aegean, Volotea),

Barcelona (Vueling),

Bari (Volotea),

Basel (EasyJet),

Belfast (Jet2)

Belgrade (Air Serbia),

Bergen (Norwegian),

Berlin (Eurowings, EasyJet),

Birmingham (TUI, Jet2),

Bordeaux (Volotea),

Bristol (TUI, EasyJet),

Brussels (TUI, Brussels Airlines),

Bucharest (Blue Air),

Budapest (LOT),

Cardiff (TUI),

Cologne (Eurowings),

Copenhagen (SAS, Norwegian),

Cork (AerLingus),

Doncaster (TUI)

Dubai (FlyDubai),

Dublin (Ryanair, Aer Lingus),

Dusseldorf (Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, Condor),

Edinburgh (EasyJet, Jet2),

Frankfurt (Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, Condor),

Geneva (EasyJet),

Glasgow (TUI),

Hamburg (Eurowings),

Helsinki (Finnair, Norwegian),

Istanbul (Turkish Airlines),

Katowice (Smartwings, Wizz Air),

Krakow (LOT),

Leeds (Jet2)

London Gatwick (EasyJet, TUI, British Airways, Wizz Air),

London Heathrow (British Airways),

London Luton (EasyJet, Wizz Air),

London Stansted (Jet2),

Luxembourg (Luxair),

Lyon (Volotea, EasyJet),

Madrid (Iberia),

Manchester (TUI, Jet2, EasyJet),

Marseille (Volotea),

Milan (EasyJet),

Munich (Lufthansa, Croatia Airlines),

Nantes (Volotea, EasyJet, Transavia),

Naples (EasyJet),

New York (United Airlines),

Newcastle (TUI, Jet2),

Nottingham (TUI, Jet2),

Oslo (Flyr, Norwegian, SAS),

Osijek (Croatia Airlines),

Paris CDG (Air France, Croatia Airlines),

Paris Orly (Transavia, EasyJet),

Poznan (Smartwings, LOT),

Prague (Smartwings),

Riga (Air Baltic),

Rijeka (Trade Air),

Rome (Croatia Airlines, ITA, Vueling, Wizz Air),

Rotterdam (Transavia),

Split (Trade Air),

Stavanger (Norwegian),

Stockholm (Norwegian, SAS),

Stuttgart (Eurowings),

Thessaloniki (Aegean Airlines),

Toulouse (Volotea),

Venice (Croatia Airlines),

Vienna (Austrian Airlines, Wizz Air, Ryanair),

Vilnius (Air Baltic),

Warsaw (LOT, Smartwings, Wizz Air),

Zagreb (Croatia Airlines),

Zurich (Croatia Airlines, Edelweiss).

According to the airline, Dubrovnik Airport is facing a very demanding season. Its biggest success is the fact that there will be a regular United Airlines line between New York and Dubrovnik, which starts significantly earlier and ends only in October.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, check out our dedicated travel section.

November 11, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia with the announcement of Finnair Helsinki-Zagreb flights and new Condor flights to Rijeka and Dubrovnik. 

Finnish national airline Finnair (Oneworld alliance member) announced its 2022 summer schedule, and Zagreb is on the list of new destinations, reports Croatian Aviation.

Finnair will operate regularly between Helsinki and Zagreb next summer, and the Helsinki - Zagreb - Helsinki line will be introduced on May 1, 2022. Flights will run three times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. A319 aircraft with a capacity of 144 seats have been announced on the route, meaning Finnair will offer more than 22,000 seats on the Helsinki-Zagreb route from May to October next year. 

Before the pandemic, Croatia Airlines operated in the summer between Helsinki and Zagreb, but the line was not in operation in 2021 and 2020 due to reduced demand.

Finnair has operated to Dubrovnik and Split in the summer flight schedule for many years, and earlier this airline had Pula on its destination map. Finnair's arrival in the Croatian capital is great news for all those who normally travel between the two cities, as well as for those who will continue their journey to destinations in Asia with this airline.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that German leisure airline Condor announced two new routes to Croatia.

Condor Airlines announced a series of new routes from Düsseldorf, which is the focus this winter. For now, several new routes have been announced for next year's summer flight schedule, including two to Croatian airports.

Condor plans to operate to three Croatian airports next summer. Split is already a traditional destination and will have three routes next year - from Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and Munich.

Condor will introduce two new routes - between Düsseldorf and Rijeka, twice a week, and one flight a week between Düsseldorf and Dubrovnik. 

Croatian Aviation adds that A320 aircraft will operate to Rijeka and Dubrovnik, while Condor will use A320, A321, and B757 aircraft to Split, just like in the 2021 summer season.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

July 2, 2021 - With the launch of United and Delta in Dubrovnik, the Adriatic pearl now has flights from New York through October. 

More good news arrives from the Croatian coast as two major US airlines have launched to Dubrovnik! Namely Untied Airlines officially began operations on Thursday, July 1,  from New York’s Newark Airport, connecting New York and Dubrovnik for the first time in 30 years, reports Ex Yu Aviation. The inaugural flight on the 214-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft had just two seats available in economy class as of Thursday morning, the aviation portal added. 

United will depart from New York on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and arrive in Dubrovnik the following day through until October 2. United has also timed its flights to ensure they connect to 65 cities in North America. 

Delta, on the other hand, will launch operations from JFK Airport today (July 2), running four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through October 3. Delta will operate this service using the 26-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have made great efforts to promote the city and to maintain the destination’s visibility with special emphasis on the US market. Our efforts have paid off. Seven weekly nonstop flights from the US are a huge success for Dubrovnik’s tourism. The American market is the second biggest in Dubrovnik, right after the UK. This year we expect excellent results from this extremely important market for us, and we hope to see continuous growth in the years ahead," said Dubrovnik Tourism Board director, Ana Hrnić.

“This service will significantly contribute to the return of our American guests to Dubrovnik and Croatia as a whole in these difficult times," the Dubrovnik Airport General Manager, Frano Luetić, added. 

Delta will offer 24,406 seats between New York and Dubrovnik this summer and United 22,684 seats. 

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.

ZAGREB, 3 June 2021 - A plane of Russia's national carrier Aeroflot carrying 86 passengers landed at Dubrovnik Airport on Tuesday evening, marking the reintroduction of a daily direct flight between the south of Croatia and Moscow after seven years.

Dubrovnik Airport director Frano Luetić said he expected that the interest of Russians would bring even better flight occupancy.

"If the situation with the pandemic continues to improve, I expect July and August will be excellent," Luetić said, adding that the British market, which accounted for 30% of Dubrovnik Airport's traffic, is yet to reopen.

A COVID antigen and PCR testing facility has opened at Dubrovnik Airport, available to all citizens. A business aviation terminal is another novelty, and it is the most modern in Croatia.

"Last year, we had a very good connection in that segment, and this year we expect an even better one. Those are high-paying guests that spend their holidays on yachts on the Adriatic coast. The terminal is very modern, with passport control, customs control, catering, and VIP lounges," Luetić said.

Dubrovnik Tourist Board director Ana Hrnić said that Dubrovnik and Croatia were very interesting to Russian tourists.

"Last week, a popular tourist show was filmed here, so we expect further growth in interest," said Hrnić, who expects tourism turnover will be significantly better after 15 June.

Also, as of 10 June, Russia will include Croatia on the list of epidemiologically safe countries.

This year, over 500 flights will be connecting Russia and Croatia from June to September, and Croatia joining the epidemiological "green zone" opens the possibility of charter flights.

In addition to Dubrovnik, Aeroflot will connect Moscow with Pula, Split, and Zagreb during the season.

Croatia has renewed the issuance of tourist visas for Russian citizens, and there is currently great interest in holidays in Croatia on the Russian market.

According to data from the eVisitor system, this year visitors from Russia have generated about 30,000 overnight stays, or 48% more than in the same period last 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Norwegians are coming, and not only in summer.