May 7, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Iberia flights from Madrid to Zagreb, Split, and Zadar have been announced for the summer. 

Croatian Aviation reports that in the summer of 2020, the Spanish national airline operated to only one destination in Croatia instead of the usual four - Dubrovnik Airport. This summer season, the company intends to operate at all four airports in Croatia, the same as in the summer of 2019.

Namely, Iberia will run regular lines from Madrid to Zagreb, Split, and Zadar. The line to Dubrovnik is already in traffic.

Line to Zagreb

The regular Madrid - Zagreb - Madrid flight has been announced since the beginning of the summer flight schedule (end of March), but flights are continuously canceled due to the epidemiological situation. Iberia currently plans to establish traffic between the two capitals from Friday, June 4.

As of that date, the company currently offers three flights a week between Zagreb Airport and Madrid, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with A320 aircraft.

The company intends to increase the number of rotations to Zagreb in July by introducing the fourth flight of the week, every Tuesday. The schedule for July and especially August is still subject to change. The company will certainly analyze the state of booking and the demand on individual flights as we approach the peak of the summer season.

This is a significantly smaller number of flights of this carrier to Zagreb compared to the summer of 2019 when Iberia operated on this route twice a day. Still, given the overall situation, it is certainly positive news that they plan to return this summer to Zagreb airport.

Line to Split Airport

From June 1, Iberia plans to renew the Madrid - Split - Madrid line. Three flights a week have been announced on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from the mentioned date.

In the second week of June, a flight is added on Wednesdays, and as of June 21, 6 flights a week have been announced, every day except Thursday. The flight schedule for July differs from the schedule for June, but the company will likely make more operational changes on this route by July.

Line to Zadar Airport

Iberia plans to re-establish the Madrid - Zadar - Madrid route from June 29. This route should be in operation until the end of the summer season twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, operated by A320 aircraft.

Line to Dubrovnik Airport

Flights between Madrid and Dubrovnik have been operating regularly since the beginning of the summer flight schedule. The company has recently increased the number of operations on this route, so flights are available on Fridays and Sundays throughout June.

From the beginning to the middle of June, four flights a week have been announced (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays), and from June 18, the line will operate daily. In July, Iberia plans an even larger number of operations to Dubrovnik, which will primarily depend on well-known factors. 

Apart from Iberia, no other airline operates on a direct route between Croatian airports and Madrid. Along with travelers whose final destination is Madrid, Iberia has for many years been one of the first choices of many travelers who continue their journey to South America (destinations such as Bogota, Lima, Santiago, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, etc.).

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March 4, 2021 - After TAP Portugal delayed the start of operations between Lisbon and Zagreb, Spanish national airline Iberia has postponed the start of flights from Madrid to Zagreb.

Croatian Aviation reports that Iberia and TAP Portugal have postponed the start of traffic on their lines to Zagreb. Obviously, the growth of passenger demand is not expected, which is logical given all the current restrictive measures and recommendations not to travel to other countries to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Iberia planned to resume traffic to Zagreb from Madrid as early as the first day of the summer flight schedule (March 28), but this will no longer happen. All announced flights for March and April have been canceled, and the first flights on this route are now announced from May 1. As a reminder, Iberia did not operate on this line in the summer season of 2020 due to the pandemic. Iberia plans to fly to Dubrovnik from March 28 and has not canceled certain departures to Dubrovnik as of yet.

Recall, TAP Portugal has also postponed the start of traffic from Lisbon to Zagreb. The line was supposed to operate from the first day of the flight schedule (March 28), but it has been postponed until June due to weak demand. The first flight between Lisbon and Zagreb has now been announced for June 2. Flights to Zagreb will operate three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The delay in the start of operations of two well-known carriers is not surprising, as the same is being done by many other airlines not only to Zagreb but also to the coastal Croatian airports. The reality is that Croatia will probably only have an adequate number of weekly flights to a number of European destinations during the peak summer season; when the pandemic subsides again and the current passenger restrictions between countries are lifted.

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