A new tunnel in Split will eventually connect the Ferry Port and the exit below the Koteks skyscraper, which should relieve the traffic unloading from the busy harbor.

Dalmatinski Portal reports on July 30, 2019, that on Tuesday morning, Minister of Transport Oleg Butković was stuck in traffic as he left the port of Split. Namely, as Butković was returning from Korčula and on his way to visit the County Prefect Blaženko Boban, he too had to experience the crowds when leaving the ferry port, which is routine since the new one-way traffic regulation was introduced. Despite all this, Butkovič praised the new regulation, claims Split's Deputy Mayor Nino Vela.

"The new regulation has had positive effects. The city is less congested than last year. That's a fact. But the port is overloaded. No capacity can handle ferry traffic. When it is at its peak, unloading passengers is very difficult, and people have to wait. First, we had to make sure that the city functions, and now we have fought so that the port has an additional road. Thus, a 200-meter tunnel (Tunnel Toć) will connect the port and the exit below the Koteks skyscraper,” says Vela. Recall, the Koteks skyscraper is located on Ul. kralja Zvonimira.

Vela explains that it is an idea about ten years old, which will be 'refined' with details from the master plan.

“The intervention not big, but it is difficult to perform since it is in a tricky place. The Ministry of Transport would finance the project, i.e., Croatian Roads. They would be the promoters of the project. Everyone understood that it was crucial for this project to be realized. If the procedure is to be initiated in the autumn, and if it is not necessary to make significant changes to the spatial planning documentation, the tunnel could be completed by the end of 2022,” said Vela.

There was also talk about the metro and connecting the Split Airport and Ferry Port.

“Not all segments are connected, so there aren't many passengers. Everyone is aware of this. The track through Kaštela to the airport needs to be coordinated. That's seven, eight kilometers missing. HŽ has put a new station and access at Kopilica, but the more important thing is that the project to connect everything is prepared even before the track is built. Thus, HŽ Passenger Transport and Promet agreed on a joint ticket from the Ferry Port to Kaštel Stari, where passengers would board buses to the airport. That could be working next week,” Vela concluded.

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

Since the beginning of the tourist season, we’ve outlined just how many travelers are passing through two of Dalmatia’s biggest hubs - the Split Airport and Split Ferry Port.

While the numbers have been above 100,000 for the last month, this weekend brings the busiest weekend of travel yet, reports Splitski Dnevnik on July 27, 2019. 

Namely, the Split Airport and Ferry Port will handle some 117,000 travelers, which is the biggest weekend in traffic this year.

“On Saturday and Sunday, there will be about 58,000 passengers through the Split Airport and 220 aircraft, which is the largest number of passengers and aircraft during a two-day weekend this year," said the Head of the Reception and Dispatch Service at Split Airport, Mate Melvan.

According to Melvan, this weekend is the peak of the tourist season, and at Split Airport, they are preparing to keep traffic operating without interruption. 

"Through the Split Ferry Port, Saturday and Sunday will welcome 59,000 passengers and 11,000 vehicles, which is the biggest weekend turnover so far,” said Jelena Ivulić, the head of Jadrolinija in Split.

The most significant number of passengers with personal vehicles are from Slovenia, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, while English, German and Australian tourists make up most of the travelers at Split Airport. 

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

July 19, 2019 - The new Split Airport terminal opened a few days ago. TCN's Pyatigorsk correspondent road tested it on a recent flight to Moscow. 

One of the many differences between running TCN today and the Total Hvar blog which started this project back in 2011 is access to stories.

Back then, nobody knew about the blog, and I had to physically attend every event to show that we were a credible media. I remember driving to cover the story of a kindergarten playground opening on Hvar and thinking that there must be another way. 

These days, TCN is a little better known, perhaps even more so this evening after my interview with leading portal Index was the number one news story of the day this morning. 

Because we are a bit bigger than when I started, have more than six readers, and cover the whole of Croatia, there are many stories to cover. Technology is our friend too, so it is now a lot easier to report on an event via a third party. With TCN's official financial support not looking rosy, this budget approach is a necessary strategy. 

It also means that a simple idea and a Facebook message to a friend can generate an article with relevant pictures. 

Let me give you an example. I have a really lovely Russian sister-in-law called Julia - all the family prefers her to me, including me - and she was so excited to hear that I was going to harvest lavender that she asked if there was a chance to come and experience it before she flew from Split to Moscow.

You are flying from Split to Moscow, I thought to myself? Hmmm. How about I sort the lavender harvest for you, and you take the pictures and send me your impressions of travelling through the new Split terminal, which opened a few days ago? A great idea, which worked for both parties, especially as Julia did all the work at the harvest and the airport (she is perhaps the best Russian lavender picker on Hvar ever). Here she is below with the lavender - now read on to hear what it was like travelling through the new Split Airport terminal. 

 I arrived at the airport around 6 pm which is quite a busy time of the week. The airport shuttle bus (34 kunas) dropped me next to the main entrance of the old terminal. As soon as I entered the building I was welcomed by a smiley airport girl, who was directing all departure passengers to the new terminal building from the entrance to your left. I have to say I was impressed how big the new building is! Two floors where on the first floor there are at least 20 check-in desks and all of them were open for all flights.

I have to say at the beginning line seemed long, but it was not even 10-15 minutes when I was checked in and finally with no heavy luggage. All gates are on level 2 of the new terminal. You can take the escalator or elevator to go up. On the first floor there is nothing yet, but as soon as you up on the second floor, you see a lot of things there.

The first thing is the security check, and again the line was there but I did not even feel it since about 6 desks were open at the time. You would probably think that the airport was half empty, and I will say that it was full of people. 

The next step was the passport control (with no lines at all), after which you find yourself next to the huge duty-free shop with all you need including sweet memories from Croatia like Domačica and not only that! I am traveling quite a lot and have to say that the new Split Terminal has a lot of available seats in the waiting area which you will not find in every airport. 

So, if you want to relax, you can wait and even charge your phone near your seat (outlet is not next to each seat thought), read a book and have a nice sandwich with kava from one of two cafes. If you have any questions, the information desk is there for you. For families traveling the babies there is baby care. Boarding started right on time and finished fast, and the bus took us to the plane. The tide took no more than 2 minutes. 

To sum up, I have to say the new terminal looks amazing, spacious and with a lot of potential to have more services to offer.

To learn more about Split, check out the Total Croatia Split in a Page guide. 

The new terminal at Split Airport was solemnly opened on Saturday in the presence of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Traffic Minister Oleg Butković, reports Slobodna Dalmacija and Ex Yu Aviation on Saturday, July 13, 2019.

With this construction and expansion, the passenger terminal gained an additional 34,500 square meters, which makes it a total of 46,000 square meters. The investment is worth 450 million kuna, and is the second-largest investment project in Dalmatia next to the Pelješac bridge. 

"The terminal will be three times the size. Instead of the current 14.000 square meters it will have 50,000 square meters. This additional space will enable us to handle 2,500 passengers per hour instead of the current 2,000. That totals 40,000 travelers per day,” said Split Airport General Manager, Lukša Novak, for Ex Yu Aviation. 

The new terminal will have a peak load of up to 2,500 passengers per hour, 32 check-in counters where passengers will be assisted, and 10 self-check-in counters, as well as an automated baggage sorting area.

There is also a newly built bus terminal of almost 3,000 square meters, with 50 parking spaces for buses and 900 parking spaces for cars.

By value, it is ranked among the most significant on the national level, and ranks with the airport terminals in Zagreb and Dubrovnik by its complexity and structure.

“This project has improved the airport’s infrastructure, increased its capacity, boosted the quality of service and enabled it to become Schengen-ready in the future. This capacity, with some minor adjustments, will be sufficient for the next twenty years,” Split Airport said.

But the work at Split Airport is far from over. Following the opening, the old passenger building will be combined with the new structure to form a single unit. Split Airport will also overhaul its runway, build a new taxiway and expand the airport to reduce congestion. 

The Split Airport project was funded partially through a loan from the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development, while 17.1 million euros were invested from the airport's means.

Split Airport expects 3.3 million passengers this year. 

You can view photos of the new terminal on Ex Yu Aviation and Dalmatinski Portal. 

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

The newly built passenger terminal at Split Airport will receive the first passengers on Saturday, July 13, 2019, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on July 12, 2019. 

This will mark the completion of the project to extend the Split Airport, which saw an investment worth 450 million kuna. The official opening will be attended by the Minister of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković, and the arrival of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is also expected.

The passenger terminal is now larger by an additional 34,500 square meters, and totals 46,000 square meters, with a peak load of up to 2,500 passengers per hour.

There are 32 counters to register passengers and 10 self-check-in counters,  and an upgraded baggage handling system

Although the new terminal with new equipment will operate from Saturday, the existing equipment will not stop working until it is proven completely reliable. There is also a newly built bus terminal of almost 3,000 square meters, with 50 parking spaces for buses and 900 parking spaces for cars.

By value, the Split Airport project is ranked among the most significant on the national level and next to the airport terminals in Zagreb and Dubrovnik by its complexity and structure.

Executed on a total surface of nearly 80,000 square meters, the Split Airport project has brought improvements to airport infrastructure, building capacity, increases passenger and employee safety, improves the quality of service, and creates conditions following Schengen criteria, as well as those of international and domestic traffic.

These capacities, with minimum changes, are sufficient for the next twenty years and are ready to receive or dispatch up to 5 million passengers a year. In 2019, the expected number of passengers at Split Airport is 3.3 million.

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

Over the weekend, the Split Airport and Ferry Port will see the arrivals and departures of about 100,000 passengers, which is the largest turnover since the beginning of this year’s tourist season, reports Splitski Dnevnik on July 6, 2019.

“On Saturday, until midnight, Split Airport will welcome about 29,000 passengers, and on Sunday there will be about 24,000 passengers, totaling to 53,000 passengers for a record in this year's weekend traffic at the airport," said Head of the Reception and Dispatching at Split Airport, Mate Melvan.

Passenger traffic during the first weekend of July at Split Airport is about five to six percent higher compared to the first weekend of July last year, and will increase every coming weekend until mid-August, Melvan added.

During the day, 109 aircraft will fly to Split Airport, with passengers from all around the world, while 105 aircraft will fly on Sunday.

"The Split Ferry Port this weekend will welcome 47,530 passengers and 8,790 vehicles, which is the largest of this year's weekend traffic at that Ferry Port," said Jelena Ivulić, head of Jadrolinija in Split.

According to the registration plates of the vehicles, most of the tourists traveling to the Central Dalmatian islands are coming from Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic while mostly English tourists are going to Croatia by plane. 

Recall, last weekend, 212 aircraft flew to Split, which brought 52,000 passengers from more than a hundred world destinations, and from last Friday to Sunday, more than 70,000 passengers and more than 13,000 vehicles traveled through the Split Ferry Port. 

The weekend before that, when we formally welcomed the new season, Split estimated 112,000 travelers from Croatia, around Europe and the world thanks to airplanes, ships, ferries, and catamarans.

And the weekend before that, on June 15th, which officially marks the start of the tourist season, figures revealed that 140,000 passengers traveled through the Split Airport and Ferry Port.

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

July 5, 2019 - It’s another busy year for Croatian airports, which saw the busiest June in history. 

Rijeka Airport continues to grow each year and saw a record increase in passengers and operations compared to June 2018, reports Novi List. 

"After the successful 2018, when Rijeka Airport broke all records, achieving a total turnover of 183,606 passengers and a growth in traffic of almost 30%, this summer season also opened with great news.

Namely, Rijeka Airport can boast the busiest June to date and has increased passenger traffic by 37% as compared to June 2018, while traffic operations accounted for 40% higher turnover compared to the previous year,” the airport said. 

These excellent achievements are an excellent introduction to the season, in which they expect 200,000 passengers. 

The reason for the increase is the introduction of new lines for Belgrade, Munich, and Marseille, but also an increase in the number of existing carriers, in particular, Transavia for Eindhoven, which increased by 350% compared to last season's number of operations,” they added.

Avio Radar reports that Dubrovnik Airport also recorded a stellar June, which saw 415,876 passengers, which is 50,528 more passengers than last year. Thus, Dubrovnik Airport welcomed a passenger growth of 13.83% last month. 

The first direct line from the United States to Croatia operated by American Airlines has significantly contributed to Dubrovnik’s success. 

Dubrovnik Airport has recorded an increase in traffic in each month this year. In the first half of the year, 1,059,564 passengers traveled through the airport, which is 157,184 more passengers than last year, or a growth of 17.42%. 

Split Airport welcomed 513,706 passengers or an increase of 8.2% for a record June, and in the first six months of 2019, they welcomed 1,102,118 passengers, which is up 8%. 

Ex Yu Aviation reports that Zagreb Airport saw 336,618 passengers in June, which is an increase of 1.5% compared to last year. In the first half of the year, Zagreb Airport handled 1,534,105 passengers, which is up 4.2%, or an additional 62,477 compared to 2018.

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

On June 14, 2019, TCN reported that Split Airport's new passenger terminal was set to open on schedule, and in approximately two weeks, though the exact date was still unknown. Technical checks were said to be currently underway at the site, after which the Croatian Ministry for Construction and Spatial Planning would issue an operating permit. 

However, on July 5, 2019, we still don’t have an answer. Namely, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Split Airport missed the deadline for opening the new passenger terminal, as the Airport announced it would be open to travelers by the end of June. A reason for the delay is not yet known, nor is the new opening date. 

Over the last six months, we’ve reported that the new terminal was on schedule to open in June, with Croatia’s Minister of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković confirming in March that the more than 450 million kuna terminal and its additional facilities were progressing faster than planned. 

This delay comes as Split Airport welcomed 513,706 passengers or an increase of 8.2% for a record June. In the first six months of 2019, Split Airport welcomed 1,102,118 passengers, which is up 8%. 

Recall, the new terminal will spread across 50,000 square meters, which is a significant improvement compared to the current 14,000. The will be 30 check-in counters, 6 exits, 5 luggage carousels, a new sorting facility, parking for 900 cars, a station for 49 buses, and a 120-meter-long air-conditioned pedestrian bridge that connects it all. There will also be a lounge for business class passengers, an observation deck, and more restaurants. You can see the progress of the airport back in March here.

“This additional space will enable us to handle 2,500 passengers per hour instead of the current 2,000. That totals 40,000 travelers per day,” said Lukša Novak, Split Airport’s general manager. 

"On an annual basis, the extra capacity will enable us to handle an additional one million passengers. Depending on tourism industry trends, this terminal should cater to our needs over the next fifteen years. We expect new routes to be launched once the new terminal opens. Each year we expand with some five or six new destinations. We are currently linked with around 100 cities or some fifty countries. We expect for this trend to continue in the coming years,” added Novak. 

Split Airport expects to see 5-10% growth in passengers this year. 

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

June 30, 2019 - Here we are - the last weekend of June, the second official weekend of summer, and already deep into the Split tourist season. 

You might recall that last weekend as we formally welcomed the new season, Split estimated 112,000 travelers from Croatia, around Europe and the world thanks to airplanes, ships, ferries, and catamarans.

And the weekend before that, on June 15th, which officially marks the start of the tourist season, figures revealed that 140,000 passengers would travel through the Split Airport and ferry port that weekend. 

The interest was even so great that extra ferry lines for Supetar on the island Brač were introduced. 

It should come as no surprise then that one day away from July, the figures are only growing bigger. 

Namely, this weekend, 212 aircraft are expected to fly to Split, which will bring 52,000 passengers from more than a hundred world destinations, reports Splitski Dnevnik.

Mate Melvan from Split Airport said that on Saturday, 110 planes would take off and land in Split, bringing 28,000 passengers, and on Sunday, 102 aircraft would transport 24,000 passengers.

From Friday to Sunday, more than 70,000 passengers and more than 13,000 vehicles are expected at the Split Ferry Port, announced Jelena Ivuljić from Jadrolinija.

It was also rumored that 21,500 passengers and 4,058 vehicles passed through the port on Friday and that Saturday’s numbers were somewhat higher, with more than 26,000 passengers and 4,800 vehicles expected, while the number of passengers on Sunday is 22,500 and 4,200 vehicles. 

We also announced back on June 14th that the new terminal at Split Airport was slated to open in “approximately two weeks” as technical checks were underway and they only needed the Croatian Ministry for Construction and Spatial Planning to issue an operating permit. We are still waiting for news about the opening date today. 

Fortunately, the new one-way traffic regulation at the Split Ferry Port seems to be significantly reducing crowds, as you can see in the video posted on Saturday.

To say that summer is well and truly here would be an understatement. 

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

June 21st officially marked the start of the summer season, which could certainly be felt in Split thanks to the crowds. 

Namely, an estimated 112,000 travelers from Croatia, around Europe and the world will visit Split this weekend thanks to airplanes, ships, ferries, and catamarans, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on June 22, 2019.

As reported by Mate Melvan from Split Airport, 110 planes with 27,000 passengers took off and landed on Saturday, and on Sunday, 88 aircraft and 20,000 passengers are expected. This means that a total of 47,000 passengers on 198 aircraft are expected at Split Airport during the weekend -and the new terminal hasn't even opened yet.

Passengers from almost every part of the world are traveling through Split Airport, and sometime next week, it will welcome its millionth passengers this year, thanks to the fact that a half a million passengers traveled through the airport in June. As far as percentages are concerned, Split Airport this year, especially in the season, recorded an increase of almost nine percent, Melvan confirmed.

Jelena Ivuljić from Jadrolinija said that from Friday to Sunday, around 65,000 passengers and about 12,000 vehicles would travel through the Split Ferry Port. The most significant interest among travelers is Brač and Hvar.

“We have 12 regular lines for Brač, though on Friday we added one extra line and on Saturday two extra lines. We are learning from our experience so far, and on Sunday, we will have two extra lines. Apart from Brač, there is also pressure going to the island of Hvar, the Split-Starigrad line, as well as the catamaran line towards the town of Hvar,” Ivuljić said.

The crowds should only grow larger as we move into July and August, though there is one reason we can let out a sigh of relief - the new traffic regulation at the Split Ferry Port seems to be more effective than last year, reports Dalmacija Danas.

Recall, on June 17, the new one-way traffic regulation was kicked into gear at the Split Ferry Port. Unlike last year, when we could see no significant difference before and after the traffic regulation was implemented, this year, it seems to be mostly running without major problems. The first summer weekend brought a significant increase in traffic through the city harbor, but the crowds were minimal on the roads, if not non-existent at times. As expected, the problem arises at the Bačvice bridge, where all the traffic flows, though no crowds have been recorded through Zvonimirova or the ferry port.

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