June 23, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar.

Croatian AviationCroatian Aviation reports that Scandinavian Airlines, better known as SAS, has announced a modified flight schedule for July, in which the number of weekly flights to Split has increased significantly.

As we announced earlier this month, the company launched flights to Split from Copenhagen and Oslo in a reduced form, only once a week from Oslo and twice a week from Copenhagen.

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The company has decided to increase the number of weekly flights and add a route from Stockholm to Split, so SAS will connect Split with Scandinavia according to the following schedule:

Copenhagen - Split, from June 29, daily (so far twice a week)

Oslo - Split, from June 29, six times a week, except Thursdays (so far once a week).

SAS will also introduce Stockholm - Split, from July 1, which will operate daily!

On the routes from Copenhagen and Oslo, the company will use A320neo aircraft, while B737-800 aircraft will operate from Stockholm. The A320 in the fleet of this carrier has a capacity of 174 passengers, while the B737-800 has a capacity for 181 passengers.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that Austrian Airlines changed its flight schedule for July, and there were some operational changes on the routes from Vienna to Croatia.

Austrian made its first flight this summer to Dubrovnik on Sunday and will operate twice a week on the route to Vienna until the end of the month. On Wednesday, Austrian will launch a line to Split. As of June 29, a daily connection between Vienna and Zagreb will be introduced.

In July, there will be some changes to these lines. Namely, Austrian Airlines will increase the number of weekly flights to Dubrovnik and Zagreb and decrease it to Split.

Vienna-Dubrovnik will be increased from the existing two flights a week to four (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays),

Vienna-Split will be reduced from the existing four flights to three (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays),

Vienna - Zagreb will continue to operate daily, but on Thursdays, there will be two daily flights on this line (a total of 8 flights per week).

The Vienna-Zadar line will not be in operation in July either, so its launch this summer season is questionable.

The announcement of Lufthansa, which is part of the group that also includes Austrian Airlines, is expected soon, so we believe that Lufthansa will increase the number of flights to Croatia.

June 15, 2020 - Life after corona is slowly normalizing in Split, and traffic is increasing day by day at Split Airport, where the first significant increase in air traffic and 3,000 passengers is expected this weekend.

"Next weekend, June 20 and 21, according to previous announcements, about 30 planes are expected to arrive in both directions, which will be the first significant increase in traffic at Split Airport after the epidemic," said the head of the Reception and Dispatch Service at Split Airport on Sunday, Mate Melvan, for Index.hr.

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He added that the last weekend in June also expects traffic of around 3,000 passengers.

Melvan reminded that this year, 60 airlines were registered at Split Airport, though most of them canceled their services due to the coronavirus epidemic. However, nine airlines resumed traffic in June. “Already in early July, we expect continued growth in airline engagement,” he added.

According to him, the largest passenger traffic at Split Airport this year is expected in the second half of July and early August.

Recall, just last week, KLM announced its return to Split, and from July 4, the Amsterdam - Split line will be introduced, operating daily, and on Sundays even twice a day. 

Furthermore, Wizz Air announced the launch of three routes to Croatia, specifically from Poland (from June 20) and the UK (from June 15) to Split. 

Air France also announced their return to Split and will resume on the Paris - Split line from July 13, 4 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays), while from July, Ryanair will operate from Dublin and Stuttgart, and Luxair from Luxembourg.

Croatia Airlines will also introduce five international routes from Split, four to destinations in Germany and one to Switzerland.

As of June 24, the Split-Frankfurt route will be introduced with two weeks of departure, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, of the A319 aircraft.

From June 27, the Split - Dusseldorf route will be introduced, once a week, on Saturdays, by A319 aircraft.

From the same date, the Split - Berlin route will be introduced, also once a week (Saturdays), by A319 aircraft.

As of June 26, the Split - Munich route will be introduced with two weeks of departure, on Fridays and Saturdays, for the 76-seat DashQ400 aircraft.

From the same date, the Split - Zurich line will be introduced, also with two weeks of departure (Friday and Saturday) by DashQ400 aircraft.

From June 24, the Croatian national airline will operate on five international routes from Split, and one domestic, between Split and Zagreb.

Split Airport currently has the most announcements of airlines in the summer flight schedule.

Junee 12, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb and Split.

Croatian Aviation reports that from July 4, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will gradually resume flights to Zagreb and Split from Amsterdam, which has been suspended due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus.

The airline will restart 3 weeks of flights to Zagreb and daily flights to Split from the Dutch capital.

From July 4, the Amsterdam - Zagreb line will be introduced, three times a week, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Embraer 190 aircraft with a capacity of 98 passengers have been announced on the route.

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From the same day, the Amsterdam - Split line will be introduced, though it will operate daily, and on Sundays even twice a day. Embraer 190 aircraft of the previously mentioned capacity have also been announced on this route.

With a gradual increase in its flight network in July, KLM will establish 78% of its originally planned number of destinations, with more than 3,000 flights departing from Amsterdam. This is 25 to 30% of the number of flights that KLM operates under normal circumstances.

KLM suggests that all passengers contact the appropriate national authorities before making any plans to check the conditions of entry and stay at the desired destination and in transit countries. In some destinations, a quarantine measure on arrival is still valid.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that Wizz Air, a low-cost airline based in Hungary, has announced the launch of three routes to Croatia, from Poland and the UK to Split.

Wizz Air currently operates only to Split in Croatia, but it is interesting that it is one of the few airlines that announced expansion at the time of the pandemic, and is opening three new bases in Europe. Unfortunately, there are no new lines to Croatia among these new announcements.

The company introduces the following lines:

London (Luton Airport) - Split, from June 15, 3 times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays),

Katowice - Split, from June 20, 2 times a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays),

Warsaw - Split, from June 20, 2 times a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays).

The company intends to increase the number of weekly flights from July (adding another weekly flight, on Thursdays, on the route from Katowice and Warsaw).

This low-budget carrier will use A320 aircraft with a capacity of 180 passengers on the routes to Split, and larger A321 aircraft with a capacity of as many as 230 passengers are also expected.

June 7, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split and the island of Losinj.

Croatian Aviation reports that Scandinavian Airlines, better known as SAS, the airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, will soon launch two international routes to Croatia.

SAS is a long-time guest at Croatian coastal airports, so it is not surprising that it will be among the first after the corona crisis to launch two flights to Split Airport.

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The company has announced a flight schedule for June, while the schedule for July will be finalized soon.

From June 20, the company will introduce the Copenhagen - Split line, twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays), with the A320neo aircraft.

From the same date, the Oslo - Split route will be introduced, but only once a week (on Saturdays), with the same type of aircraft, the A320neo, which has a capacity of 174 seats in the fleet of this carrier.

In the summer flight schedule, SAS operates from numerous destinations in Scandinavia to Pula, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik, but the company has so far announced only two flights for Split Airport.

Avio Radar reports that Czech airline Silver Air has returned to traffic in Italy and is flying again from several Italian cities to the island of Elba. Losinj is planned this year as well, but with only one line from Switzerland on offer. The Losinj - Zagreb line is no longer available, nor are the other lines from Losinj to Split and Pula, or other Italian destinations. 

The Lugano -  Losinj line is offered once a week, on Wednesdays, which is one flight less per week than last year. Traffic on this route is planned from July 8 to September 30 with the Let L-410 Turboolet aircraft. 

Finally, Avio Radar reports that on Saturday,June 6, German low-cost carrier Eurowings increased traffic on two lines from Germany to Split. Namely, on the planned routes on this day, there will be two planes from Dusseldorf and Stuttgart to Split.

An even larger aircraft will come from Dusseldorf, the Airbus A320. Eurowings noted this change thanks to an increased interest in passengers. 

May 30, 2020 - Two planes from Frankfurt have arrived at Split Airport, bringing 200 German tourists to the coastal Dalmatian city.

Dalmacija Danas reports that on Thursday, the Croatian government decided that Croatia would open its borders to citizens of 10 countries that, like Croatia, are estimated to have a favorable epidemiological situation. This applies to citizens of Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany.

With the decision made, passengers from these ten countries will not have to prove the reason for their entry into the Republic of Croatia. However, epidemiological control is still necessary, reports HRT.

After domestic air traffic, international air traffic was re-established. Two planes from Frankfurt with about 200 passengers landed at Split Airport.

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In recent years, due to record results and good business, Split Airport has invested HRK 500 million in the building of the new terminal.

"In June, there will be 180 flights in international traffic and 80 in domestic, and 30,000 passengers are expected," said Pero Bilas, Deputy Director of Split Airport.

Which is ten times less than last June, but optimism is not lacking.

Split Airport had direct flights from 25 countries around the world. They are aiming for that record even in this most difficult tourist season.

Upon entering the Republic of Croatia, their entry will be recorded with the collection of additional data (destination, mobile phone number and e-mail address), due to the possible need to contact for epidemiological reasons.

Therefore, in order to reduce congestion at border crossings and shorten the waiting time for crossing the state border, it is recommended that foreign citizens submit their data in advance via the website entercroatia.mup.hr.

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May 12, 2020 - British Airways announced its flight schedule for June, which includes two destinations in Croatia - Zagreb and Split. 

Croatian Aviation reports that according to the current schedule, the British airline will fly to Zagreb and Split next month in a significantly reduced flight schedule compared to their operations before the outbreak of COVID-19.

Namely, from June 1, British Airways will fly between London (Heathrow) and Zagreb three times a week (Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays) on the A320 aircraft.

The route between London (Heathrow) and Split will operate from the same date. The line will run four times a week in June (Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays).

Seasonal routes to Dubrovnik and Pula on British Airways are not on sale for now. It is expected that the number of weekly flights to Zagreb and Split will increase in July, and then the lines from London to Pula and Dubrovnik could start operating in a reduced form.

Croatian Aviation also touched on how air traffic to Croatia will look after the pandemic. Given that the world is still somewhat on lockdown, it is tough to predict all the details, but if the traffic at Croatian airports is 50% of that in 2019, airports will be satisfied.

Croatia began to attract large international airlines, which, in turn, managed to survive in our market. Some will return this summer, some next, and some will kick Croatia out of their network of destinations.

American Airlines canceled Dubrovnik for this year and removed all B767 aircraft from the fleet, which is the aircraft on this route. If the situation in the world stabilizes soon, this line could return to traffic as early as next summer. Last year, American introduced the route to Dubrovnik along with several other European destinations, and it was the airline's best hit among all other routes, which flew to far larger European cities. The line started operating three times per week, and another trip was added in September. The announcement for this year was great, as American was supposed to fly to Dubrovnik every day! 

Air Canada Rouge has canceled the Toronto - Zagreb route for this year and will remove all 25 B767 aircraft from its fleet. The question arises as to how the long-haul Air Canada Rouge network will function in the future given that this was the only long-haul type of aircraft in the carrier’s fleet. Air Canada has announced several times so far that it does not plan to launch a route to Zagreb, but that the Rouge branch will operate it, so there are no great prospects for the arrival of this carrier. Given that demand will be lower and that the Air Canada mainline has cut a large number of routes, Rouge could use Air Canada aircraft in next summer's flight schedule, which would definitely be a plus for the travel experience.

Air Transat has delayed the Toronto-Zagreb route for July, but we can expect the complete cancellation of this line. Will this carrier return to Zagreb? Most likely. Air Transat is a leisure company, and if Air Canada Rouge does not return, Air Transat will have no competition on this route and will certainly profit.

Korean Air has also canceled the line between Seoul and Zagreb for this year. Given the financial situation of this company, if Korea does not react through state aid, the company will have to go through a major restructuring, and in that case, the line to Zagreb will not return as it has been operating since September 2018. However, the company can do what it did before 2018 - introduce regular charter flights on this line. 

Qatar Airways has reduced the number of departures to Zagreb, and there is no fear that this carrier will not return to Croatia given that this line is maintained by tourists but also Croatian and Slovenian citizens, especially because Qatar Airways does not fly to Ljubljana and the choice for passengers departing from Ljubljana was slim even before the pandemic. Qatar, therefore, canceled the planned line to Dubrovnik. Given that this airline has been in negotiations with Dubrovnik Airport for years on establishing a line between Doha and Dubrovnik, its introduction is expected, if the situation stabilizes soon, next year.

Emirates has reduced Zagreb and plans to fly again on the route from Dubai in July. This carrier, which has only large capacity aircraft in its fleet (B777, A380) is currently in trouble. The small flexibility of the fleet, especially in capacity, makes it impossible to adjust market demand and it is now obvious that this airline had to have long-haul aircraft of smaller capacity in its fleet as well. Over 300 seats on the departure from Zagreb were often too many (except for the peak season). The line may be canceled entirely this year, and it would be logical for partner FlyDubai to operate on it with a significantly smaller capacity, the B737.

Thai Air Asia X has planned several rotations in the summer flight schedule between Bangkok and Zagreb. These were intended regular charter flights that will certainly not happen this year.

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January 10, 2020 - The Split Ferry Port registered a record annual turnover of 5.6 million passengers and 827,000 vehicles in 2019, the Port Authority of Split announced.

"The total traffic of 5,616,000 passengers at the Split Ferry Port in 2019 is up four percent from a year earlier and is a record annual turnover," said Vjekoslav Grgic of the Port Authority of Split. 

Splitski Dnevnik reports that a new record was also achieved in the number of vehicles at the Split Ferry Port, totaling 827,000 vehicles in 2019, which is three percent higher than a year earlier.

"Throughout 2020, we expect a further increase in passenger and vehicle traffic of about three percent compared to last year's traffic," Grgic said.

He noted that despite the heavy traffic, there is no delay in the entry and departure of ships, which is extremely important for tourists.

Furthermore, Split Airport ended the year with a total of 3,301,930 passengers. Ex Yu Aviation reports that Split Airport had more passengers than Zagreb Airport, which is Croatia’s busiest, from August until the end of November, which is the longest it has held such a lead. 

"Almost half of our annual traffic is achieved during July and August. During the four summer months we have the most passenger traffic in the country. We are extremely seasonal in character but when looking at it on an annual level, we are in second place,” said General Manager Luksa Novak about how extreme seasonality may prevent Split Airport from overtaking Zagreb annually. 

Recall, Split Airport also opened a new terminal in 2019, which is 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. 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 was 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 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.

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December 15, 2019 - Tourism numbers are booming on the Dalmatian coast, nowhere more so than Split Airport. A look at the phenomenal growth. 

As a long-time expat living in Croatia since 2002, one of the things that makes me smile is the sound of more recent arrivals complaining about the lack of connectivity to Split out of season. 

I fondly remember my trips home to Jelsa on Hvar from the UK, which were either by Ryanair to Trieste, then bus to Rijeka and onward bus to Split, or Ryanair to Graz, train to Zagreb and then bus to Split. It was not until 2007 that Ryanair entered the Croatian market in Zadar, after which things started to change. 

And the rise and growth of Split Airport in that time has been particularly strong, just how strong I had not realised until I was writing an article for a client earlier today. 

With its new terminal opened this July, the dual carriageway into the city now fully open, and with seasonal transfer options including even a boat transfer to downtown Split, arriving in Split these days is more comfortable than it has been for quite some time. but those passenger growth numbers are astonishing, as are the expanded services of airlines such as Norwegian and easyJet, who now fly to the Dalmatian capital from March to November, a marked improvement on those lonely days back in 2002 for this aspiring blogger. 

Last year, Split Airport broke the 3 million passenger mark for the first time, a number already surpassed in 2019, with more than 3.2 million passengers in the first 11 months alone. Having heard about record numbers every year for years now, I was curious how this compared historically and so checked the official statistics from Split Airport historically. The growth is unbelievable. 

Up almost 50% since 2016, just three years ago. 

More than double the passenger traffic of 2013, just six years ago. 

Almost triple the traffic of 2009, just a decade ago. 

And as for my lonely time back in 2002, there were more than five times the number of passengers last year. Indeed, July and August 2019 both handled more traffic in a month than the entire year I arrived 17 years ago. 

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

November 25, 2019 - Sixteen months ago, at a Government session in Split, a decision was made to implement the Split Suburban Railway Project, connecting the Split ferry port with the Split Airport with an intermodal terminal at the new central station in Kopilica.

Splitski Dnevnik reports that the project is worth around 150 million euro and is estimated to be completed in 2027. For its realization, it is necessary to reconstruct 18 kilometers of the existing railway line from the Split ferry port to Kastel Stari and to construct about 10 kilometers of the new railway line from Kastel Stari to the airport. It is precisely on these ten kilometers of the new railway that the project seriously begins.

The people of Kastela have been offered three options. All three envisage using part of the existing railway line, and then a new railway line to the airport would be built either from Kastel Kambelovac or Kastel Stari. The City of Kastela, however, was not in favor of the first, cheapest option, costing 300 million euro.

This project envisaged that the new line would depart from Radun, via Crkva Gospe od Stomorije, to the airport. Mayor Denis Ivanovic explains Kastela’s refusal of the route by the fact that buildings would be damaged and it would pass through the fields, as well as through the protected sanctuary of Crkva Gospe od Stomorije. Kastela demanded that part of the railway line be buried underground, below the highway, but this would significantly increase the cost of the project.

However, a new proposal for Croatian Railways has now been crystallized, according to which trains should run on an overhead line that runs parallel to the high-speed Split-Trogir road, mostly on pillars.

This was confirmed by the Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy in charge of construction, Mirjana Cagalj.

"We are currently in the process of determining that railway route. So far, a dozen variants have been released, accepted by all but Kastela. Some made objections and some didn't respond. However, the last option by the HZ Infrastruktura designers is excellent, and we all have a feeling that this will be the variant that will be accepted.

For now, it has been sent to the Ministry of Transport and forwarded to the designers of Ernst & Young who should return this as a conclusion to all other variants, whether it is good or not,” said Cagalj, adding that this variant is not the cheapest option, but it is not as expensive as building a tunnel.

"This variant is a little more expensive than the ground railway, but it also has the advantage that for its construction, we do not have to resolve property and legal relations, expropriation, or the consent of neighbors, so we avoid the potential of delaying the project indefinitely," said Cagalj, who added that the new section would go through the body of the expressway.

"So, in that part, there is room for foundations and pillars above the road. Visually, if done well it can be great, there are many such examples in the world, and with several descending platforms, so that all the people of Kastela can use the rail to get to work, school, or the doctor."

“The cost of land is lower and the construction is more expensive, so a price will be conceived after that, and the construction deadlines are shorter in this project. We all have hopes that this will be the option that will suit Kastela as well.”

Ernst & Young consultants should evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this solution within 15 days and include it in a study that has already been completed, followed by a revised spatial plan.

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November 16, 2019 - An initiative has been launched to name the newly renovated and record-breaking Split Airport after great Croatian innovator Faust Vrancic, the father of the first functional parachute.

The initiative was launched by Vecernji List, which has received praise and approval.

HRTurizam writes that airports are a window to the outside and the first place tourists touch our soil. Thus, naming Split Airport after Faust Vrancic isn’t a bad idea, after all, primarily to promote, position, and brand Croatia internationally. Also, since 2012, the Faust Vrancic Memorial Center has been opened on the island of Prvic, with a contemporary exhibition of multimedia and interactive content aimed at promoting the character and work of Faust Vrancic.

Faust Vrancic, a native of Sibenik, is one of the greatest Croatian inventors of all time, and his most famous invention is undoubtedly the parachute.

His Dictionary of the five most respected European languages - Latin, Italian, German, Dalmatian and Hungarian - is the first Croatian and the first Hungarian dictionary in history. It was published in Venice in 1595 and is considered the basis of Croatian lexicography.

In his collection of Machinae Novae or New Machine inventions, Faust, on 49 large-format copper cutters, describes 56 different devices and technical structures. In addition to his most famous invention - the parachute, two groups of projects - bridges and mills - are also prominent. Three of Faust’s bridges are inventions of great importance because they are the first ideas to appear in technical literature: the Bronze bridge- the first idea of a metal bridge in the history of technology, a Bridge with one rope – the forerunner of modern cable car and the Iron bridge – the first idea of chain suspension bridge in history.

Famous Split musician Petar Graso is delighted with the idea.

“It is a good initiative, I would like to choose from several names, but it is a great idea for us to remember the more important Croats once again,” said Graso.

Vecernji List also asked Dino Radja, one of the best basketball players in Croatia’s history.

“There were no objections to the name ‘Split Airport’, but as soon as a personal name is given, there will certainly be many different opinions in Split, even though Faust Vrancic is a world-renowned inventor,” said the famous Split basketball player and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. 

The initiative to rename Split Airport after the great Faust Vrancic is an opportunity and a step forward to finally begin to use Croatia’s potential globally through promotion and branding, which are the basis for various other stories. 

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