July 20, 2020 - The penultimate 35th round of the Croatian First League was held from July 17 to 19, 2020. This round featured the Adriatic Derby between Hajduk and Rijeka, which was the final game played at Poljud this season. 

Slaven Belupo v. Inter Zapresic (3:1)

Belupo and Inter opened the 35th round on Friday, July 17, 2020, in Koprivnica.

Adric scored the first goal of the match in the 13th minute for the Inter lead. Bacelic-Grgic equalized in the 42nd for 1:1 at the half. 

Etoundi increased Belupo's lead in the 49th minute for 2:1, and a Krstanovic penalty made it 3:1 three minutes later.

Slaven Belupo is currently in 7th place with 38 points, while Inter is in the last place with 17. 

Varazdin v. Osijek (1:0)

Varazdin and Osijek met in Varazdin on Saturday, July 18, 2020. 

A Drozdek goal in the 39th minute gave Varazdin the win. 

Varazdin is currently in 8th place with 36 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 62. 

Istra 1961 v. Dinamo Zagreb (0:0) 

Istra and Dinamo met in Pula on July 18, 2020. 

The game went without goals. 

Istra is currently in 9th place with 25 points, while Dinamo already clinched the titled in first place with 77. 

Lokomotiva v. Gorica (1:1)

Lokomotiva and Gorica met in Zagreb on Sunday, July 19, 2020. 

Budimir scored for Lokomotiva in the 10th minute for the early lead. Twenty minutes later, a Lokomotiva goal was called back by VAR. 

Mudrinski equalized for Gorica in the 61st minute for a final score of 1:1. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 3rd place with 62 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 48. 

Hajduk v. Rijeka (2:3)

Hajduk and Rijeka closed out the 35th round on Sunday, July 19, 2020, at Poljud in Split. 

Rijeka's Colak was the first to score with a goal in the 19th minute. Eduok equalized in the 39th for 1:1. Colak scored again during the added time for 1:2 Rijeka at the half. 

A Caktas penalty in the 69th minute made it 2:2, though a header from Galovic in the third minute of added time (90+3') gave Rijeka the 2:3 win. 

Hajduk is currently in 5th place with 57 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 61. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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July 19, 2020 - This weekend, 60,000 passengers from many destinations are expected to arrive at the Split Airport and city port, which is 30 and 45 percent of traffic, respectively, compared to the same weekend last year.

Net.hr reports that Jelena Ivulic from Jadrolinija in Split said that 40,000 passengers with ten thousand vehicles will enter the city port across the three weekend days, that they are at 45 percent compared to the same weekend last year and that their numbers are increasing. The interest of passengers to go to and from islands is not waning, so this weekend they organized 12 regular lines to Brac. As an announcement of a good weekend, on Friday, there were two extraordinary lines for Supetar.

"This weekend, we will still have three regular lines to Vis, two to Vela Luka, six to Stari Grad, and the same number to Solta. We also offer three state catamaran lines for Hvar, and as of Friday, two more commercial lines. In any case, we are rising as far as traffic is concerned," Ivulic said.

As for the airport, 20,000 passengers are expected on Saturday and Sunday, who will land or take off in 135 planes. The head of the Reception and Dispatch Service at Split Airport, Mate Melvan, says that among those planes that will touchdown at the Resnik runway, 35 are private. All these planes come and go to a total of fifty European destinations.

Melvan said that their turnover this weekend is 30 percent compared to last year, but in total, they expect that July will have an average of 20 to 25 percent of 2019.

"The first weekend in July we had ten thousand, the second weekend 15 thousand, and now this third weekend, we already have 20 thousand passengers. You can see the growth trend because our traffic is increasing every weekend. We can see that the number of passengers is rising from the data that we had 26,150 passengers in the whole of June, and only in these two weekend days we will have 20 thousand," claims Melvan.

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July 18, 2020 - The Split-Makarska Archdiocese announced on Saturday that the Saint Domnius Cathedral bell tower reopened to the public after being closed for two years. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the bell tower was closed due to the reconstruction of the staircase and conservation and restoration works. The process of reconstructing the staircase inside the bell tower and consolidating the stone took a long time. The statement reminds us that the preparatory works began in 2015 when an architectural survey of the existing condition was made.

In addition, conservation and restoration works were carried out inside and outside the bell tower of the Saint Domnious Cathedral.

"The event that preceded may not have received as much attention as it deserved due to this year's circumstances, and that is the return of the old bells of the Split Cathedral after a full sixteen years. The bell tower has long been and is the visual and spiritual identity of our city, so these last interventions on the interior and exterior of the bell tower go down in history," said the Archdiocese.

The bell tower renovation project was financed by the Split-Makarska Archdiocese, Kaptol, the home parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.

After the final inspections, the bell tower was handed over in the presence of Msgr. Miroslav Vidovic, Vicar General of the Split-Makarska Archdiocese, Canon of the Split Primary Chapter Don Ante Mateljan, and finally, Pastor Don Tomislav Cubelic, who supervised and monitored the entire project from its beginnings to the very end, the statement concluded. 

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July 18, 2020 - At Friday's City Council session, Trogir City Councilors unanimously adopted a decision that marks a historic moment for HNK Hajduk and paves the way for the construction of the long-awaited football camp at the barracks of Trogir's Divulje.

HNK Hajduk reported on its website:

"We have repeated many times so far and I believe that you are all aware that the construction of the football camp is Hajduk's capital project, our most important infrastructure project in the 21st century and a solid foundation without which the Club cannot develop and progress. Therefore, we can proudly confirm that today, we are at the starting point of a great story that has been worked on for a long time and in silence, and which will ensure the continuity of education and production of elite players, talented footballers and quality people, which throughout history has adorned the Croatian football club Hajduk and our Academy "Luka Kaliterna"," said the President of the HNK Hajduk Management Board Marin Brbic after the City Council session.

"We are especially pleased that the future football camp will be in Trogir, a city that has always lived with its heart and soul for Hajduk. We are also extremely grateful to the City of Trogir for recognizing this moment and the importance of building a football camp, and I am sure that the entire local community will reap many benefits from our future cooperation. In the end, I will emphasize that this is not a project of Marin Brbic, or any individual who has been or will be in the Club. This is a project of all of us, all of Hajduk, this is a project of Hajduk's future. We are just at the beginning, we have a lot of work ahead of us, many stages that we have to go through, but together we will reach the goal," said Brbic.

The mayor of Trogir, Ante Bilic, did not hide his satisfaction with the city councilors' decision.

"On behalf of the citizens of the city of Trogir, I can say that I am happy that Hajduk will have its camp, its second home, in our city. We are realistic, we think sustainably and that is why the project is conceived realistically, phased and financially sustainable. This is not a project of Ante Bilic and Marin Brbic; this is a project of the City of Trogir and HNK Hajduk that will be developed and used to benefit the institutions we represent for much longer than the duration of our mandates. I had no doubt that the councilors would support our agreement, because who in Dalmatia would not want such an honor, but also a development opportunity from which both of us benefit exclusively?  This is an initiative of Hajduk, which we accepted, and together, we quickly completed all the steps so far, both between us and towards the state. Hajduk will have a partner in us, and the city services will be maximally efficient in terms of changing the spatial planning documentation required for part of the project, issuing permits and other steps so that the planned dynamics of the project is not endangered," said Bilic and added:

"Such content, at this location and with us as partners, is a prerequisite for creating sports content without competition in this part of Europe. After the agreement on business cooperation that was signed a little more than a week ago between NK Trogir and Hajduk, I would mark today as an important point for Trogir football and Trogir sport. After the renovated field on Batarija, our children and seniors will get a new field, additional sports facilities and the opportunity to develop with the best that Dalmatia has. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I consider this one of the most important steps in the recent history of Hajduk and a great opportunity for Trogir," concluded the mayor of Trogir.

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

July 18, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split and Zadar. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Russian Aeroflot has announced the launch of its seasonal line between Moscow and Split. There are currently no announcements about the start of traffic on the line between Moscow - Zagreb.

The Russian national airline, which normally operates throughout the year between Moscow (Sheremetyevo Airport) and Zagreb, and between Moscow and Split in the summer flight schedule, has announced it is resuming traffic to Croatia.

From August 1, the direct line between Moscow - Split will be re-introduced, which will be in traffic every day, with the A321 aircraft, which has a capacity of 183 seats in the fleet of this airline.

At the moment, there are no announcements for the line between Moscow and Zagreb, and all flights that were supposed to take place in August have been withdrawn from sale and are not in the announcement.

Aeroflot has announced a significant change in its business in which the company will focus on intercontinental flights, while subsidiaries Pobeda (a low-budget company) and Rossiya Airlines will take over other routes from the destination network. At the moment, there are no announcements about a change of carrier on the line to Zagreb, but it is likely that Aeroflot will soon implement its plan.

Recall that until the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Aeroflot operated daily between Moscow and Zagreb, both in summer and in winter, while flights to Split operate only in summer.

Furthermore, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Jet2, the low-cost carrier which was supposed to launch services from London Stansted and Manchester to Zadar this summer, has delayed the service until 2021.

Jet2 was initially scheduled to begin on May 21, though it has been delayed several times. Operations from Manchester and London to Zadar should begin on May 23 next year. 

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July 17, 2020 – Zagreb's residents have voiced outrage at the removal of a beloved work of art, replaced by nothing. But is this really anything new for Croatia Public Art?

Over the last 24 hours, residents of Zagreb have voiced their outrage at the removal of one of the city's best-loved pieces of street art. 'The Little Prince' had sat in Čulinečka ulica in the Dubrava neighbourhood since 2016. But now it is no more.

Inspired by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's children's novel - one of the world's best-selling and most-translated books – the mural was placed at the end of a busy underpass. As such, it was a colourful piece of Croatia Public Art, a welcome for motorists entering the drab, grey concrete of the city, stuck in traffic, on their way to another grueling day of work.

Updates to the story have revealed the culprits to be fans of the local football team, Dinamo Zagreb. They had been given permission to paint yet more murals of their logos and slogans on the rest of the underpass, under the provision – according to neighbourhood authorities who granted it – they did not touch the existing artwork. But they did. Where once was placed an inspiring and cheering mural, there now sits nothing.

Representatives of the largest organised group of Dinamo supporters – known as Bad Blue Boys – have, at the time of writing, failed to comment on the affair. Perhaps they weren't aware of the Dubrava sect's actions? They certainly don't appear capable of reprimanding their own members. So much for claiming to be 'organised'. Or perhaps they're just exhausted by all the bad press?

In recent memory, the Bad Blue Boys have repeatedly hit the headlines and, to be fair, not always for such reprehensible, thoughtless behaviour. Following Zagreb's 2020 earthquake, supporters came together as some of the first responders at the scene of a hospital, where they assisted in removing infants from the damaged wards. Bravo! But, then young supporters were pictured with a banner bearing the scandalous words “We will f*ck Serbian women and children”

Representatives from the Bad Blue Boys were quick to denounce the disgusting banner. Bravo! However, they implied the wording was only problematic as it pertained to pedophilia. Eek. And, within 24 hours, the same voices were raging about anti-Croat slogans used by Serbian football fans, in that classically Balkan method of argument where you ignore the issue at hand, point somewhere else and say “But, they are much worse!”

With the removal of 'The Little Prince', this time they seem to have gone too far. All but the most insecure and ardent of supporters have turned on the Bad Blue Boys, labelling them hooligans, idiots and selfish. Comments under news items covering the story are filled with angry criticism for the football fans.

“They like to paint themselves as hooligans who we should all fear,” one angry Zagreb resident who wished to remain anonymous, told TCN, “but really they can only paint their retarded logos. They piss all over the city like feral dogs marking their territory. Their murals are already on walls everywhere, why destroy this art? Everyone loved it! They are not even real football fans, let alone hooligans. They boycotted (attending) because of the club's (allegedly) corrupt management, but as soon as the club released 1 Euro tickets, stadium was again full. For 20 years they shout and spray (paint) fake anger over corruption at the club, but they don't do a thing about it. The same people are still in charge and the stadium is full of these so-called fans. Can you imagine that happening in a football club in your country, in Spain, in Argentina, in Brazil? No. Impossible. Such corruption would not last a year before fans removed them. The corrupt would be assassinated if that's what is needed (to remove them). They are not Bad Blue Boys, they are Big Blue Babies. They are dogs with loud voice but absolutely no teeth”

The anger of Zagreb residents is palpable. But, can we blame the pointless and saddening idiocy of this affair on the Bad Blue Boys? Like the disgusting slogan on the teenage supporters' banner, such rhetoric does not appear out of thin air. Actions like these are sadly learned. And the country has an established history of needlessly destroying Croatia Public Art and replacing it with... nothing.


A photograph of a small section of Ivan Joko Knežević's mosaic in Omiš, the only record in colour remaining of this piece of Croatia Public Art © Knežević family archives

The long-cursed bottleneck on the Jadranska magistrala (Adriatic highway), the Dalmatian town of Omiš, is now fighting to attract the kind of footfall that its neighbours Makarska and Split experience during summer. And, sitting at the mouth of the Cetina river, it sure does have a lot to offer. However, one thing it no longer has to offer is the amazing mosaic created by renowned local artist Ivan Joko Knežević on one of the town's most prominent squares. Today, the square is known as Trg Franje Tuđmana (but, of course it is – it's probably very close to a street called Ante Starčevića too) and where the beautiful mosaic once stood, there sits a blank wall. This piece of Croatia Public Art was removed under a wave of nationalist sentiment following Croatia's war of independence, solely because one of the local scenes it contained depicted Partizan soldiers (who fought to recapture for its inhabitants this very area from the Nazi-allied Italians it had been gifted to). Now, there is no reason for tourists to come to this square other than the drinks on offer. They sit and sip and look at nothing.


The wife of Ivan Joko Knežević and friends, standing in front of the mosaic in Omiš after the unveiling of this work of Croatia Public Art © Knežević family archives

This is not the only time the work of the rather brilliant Ivan Joko Knežević has undergone such a fate. Croatia's only true master of mosaic operating in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, his incredible 'Narod u svojoj težnji k stalnom napretku' mosaic was a proud feature adorning the walls of the former military hospital in Križine, Split until Croatian independence. Thereafter, it sat behind a closed curtain for 15 years until some of the city's more enlightened residents insisted the curtain be removed. Happily, this work of Croatia Public Art is now back on display.


Ivan Joko Knežević standing in front of his Croatia Public Art mosaic at the former military hospital in Split © Knežević family archives

Spomenik narodu-heroju Slavonije (Monument to the hero people of Slavonia) was a former World War II memorial by Vojin Bakić. So gigantic was this stainless steel monolith of gratitude that it took over a decade to build. After completion, it was the largest postmodern sculpture in the world. It took a concerted but incomparable five-day effort by bored soldiers with leftover explosives to destroy it following the end of Croatia's war of independence. Today, such structures of art are recognised and hugely appreciated by many. Fans from all over the world travel to see them. Located in Kamenska, Brestovac, one of the most deprived areas of Slavonia, there is now nothing for the tourists to come and see except the lubenica (watermelon) growing slowly. So, they do not come.

Spomenik narodu-heroju Slavonije (Monument to the hero people of Slavonia) by Vojin Bakić. Built over 10 years, it was the largest postmodern sculpture in the world. It took five days to destroy with explosives © Public domain

Of course, the removal of the latter examples are rooted in a change of regime and political climate. Whether you approve of the recent removal of statues of slave traders in England in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, the famous toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue following the liberation of Baghdad or the destruction of world heritage sites like Palmyra by Isis depends only on your personal perspective and politics. It is all the same thing. The removal of Zagreb's 'Little Prince' just seems like thoughtless vandalism in comparison.

Neighbourhood authorities in Dubrava have promised the return of the much-loved mural, a feat complicated by travel restrictions as its author lives in Novi Sad, Serbia. For now, city residents will look at nothing and curse the shortsightedness of the 'Big Blue Babies' who removed it. But, can they really be so harshly blamed in a country with a history for such wanton destruction of art that is never replaced?

July 17, 2020 - Business troubles caused by the coronavirus will bring considerable annual losses to airlines, and 2020 will be remembered as “the worst year in the history of the aviation industry”. The crisis has not bypassed Split Airport in Kastela, where it is estimated that this year's losses at the end of the year will reach 2 million fewer passengers compared to 2019, when more than three million passengers landed at that airport.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the first 6 months of this year, Split Airport had a turnover of 108,000  passengers, while in the first half of last year, 1.2 million passengers were recorded. If we compare the month of June, the decline is about half a million passengers. This year, 26,000 passengers were realized, while last year, 513,000 passed through Split Airport.

"Until July 13, we had a turnover of 55,000 passengers, and by the end, we expect another 65,000, which at the end of the month will amount to a total of about 120,000 passengers. In the first 6 months of this year, we recorded a loss of about a million passengers, and we will lose that much more in July and August. So we are in the red about 2 million passengers," said Mate Melvan of Split Airport.

When it comes to companies that fly to Split Airport, the situation is somewhat better, but the problem, they point out, is that there are no passengers.

"Unlike last year when we were connected with about 58 global companies, this year we are connected with 30. I must emphasize that only ten of these thirty companies last year accounted for 90 percent of our total turnover last year. I think we are well covered in this regard, but the problem is that there are no passengers. People just don’t travel by plane and that’s where the whole problem lies. Last weekend, our port had the highest traffic, there are all the main carriers and there are no obstacles and problems," concludes Melvan.

It is interesting to note that in April this year, there were only six passengers, and in the same month last year, the traffic was more than 156,000 passengers.

Vienna, Warsaw, Madrid, Oslo, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt, Riga are just some of the twenty or so airports that are currently connected to Dubrovnik. However, the "real season" should start soon, when flights from Great Britain begin. British Airways (from London - three times a week), Jet2.com, EasyJet and others are establishing lines with certainly the most important tourist market for Dubrovnik. Low-cost carrier Ryanair is already flying on a route to Dublin, Ireland, and other airlines have decided to resume in an attempt to at least partially recoup losses in recent months.

Despite everything, by the end of July, Dubrovnik should be connected with more than 30 European cities. Compared to the current situation, traffic is expected to triple by the end of August. Thus, according to the announcements, there should be as many as 140 landings and take-offs at Dubrovnik Airport on the first weekend of August.

"It all depends on the epidemiological situation both in our country and in the countries from which our guests come. Most of the airlines we have worked with before are coming back, new ones are coming, and some have failed due to the corona crisis. We have to be optimistic because the situation is moving as we predicted," says the director of Dubrovnik Airport Frano Luetic.

Despite the unprecedented crisis for air traffic around the world, the airport is proud to highlight this week's agreement on the intercontinental connection of Dubrovnik and Dubai with Flydubai, and the start of flights from new destinations in Kyiv, Ukraine, Budapest, and Vilnius in Lithuania.

However, even with such an increase, the airport will find it difficult to achieve 30 percent of last year's traffic in July and August, which is mostly at the level of total air traffic worldwide. Namely, this year, up to thirty international planes a day will land at the airport in Cilipi during July and August, while in the same period last year there were even more than sixty.

The semi-annual number of passengers at the end of June last year was 1,059,684, while this year's number was 87,026 passengers in the same period, which is just over eight percent. Also, in June 2019, there were 415,876 passengers, while this year there were 10,592, which means that with the greatest optimism this year, it is difficult to expect more than half a million passengers at the airport.

"The Dubrovnik area and everything that gravitates to our airport are much smaller than the often mentioned area of ​​Split and their airport, which currently has more planes and passengers than us. One should know that Split gravitates to more than half a million local people, and their tourist capacities range from Zadar to the Neretva, and from numerous islands to the deep hinterland and Medjugorje. Our area is cramped and has less than a hundred thousand people, without the roads that Split has and with less tourist capacity. We are also oriented towards guests of higher purchasing power given that we have a lot more five-star hotels. And that is the reason why low-cost carriers opt more for Split because such is the offer and the purchasing power of passengers," says Luetic.

Last weekend, 3870 passengers passed through Zadar Airport. Compared to last year, the turnover is lower by 70 percent, and judging by the forecasts, these figures will be transferred to all of July. Namely, the expected weekly traffic in July is about 60 commercial aircraft, or 120 rotations, while during August, 70 commercial aircraft or 140 arrivals and departures are expected.

"Although it is difficult and ungrateful to give any forecasts at the moment, we expect about 33,000 passengers in July, and about 60 thousand in August. By the end of the year, the total traffic should reach the number of about 150,000 passengers, which is 19 percent of last year's result," said the management of Zadar Airport about the season which, if corona had not happened, should have been a record.

Last year, the traffic at Zadar Airport increased by 30 percent compared to 2018, and they welcomed the end of the year with more than 800,000 passengers. On the wings of these results, which were the best in the history of Zadar airport, this summer was greeted even more ambitiously.

This is best illustrated by the projections of the largest low-cost carrier in the world, Ryanair, which announced in early 2020 that it will carry a total of 670,000 passengers on 30 lines and its base in Zadar this season, 50 percent more than a year earlier. Instead, Ryanair currently flies on only ten routes, and the base, which was supposed to house three aircraft with staff for eight months, has been postponed until the summer of 2021.

In addition to Ryanair, whose share in traffic is by far the largest with almost 70 percent, ten other airlines are currently flying to Zadar Airport, connecting Zemunik with 29 European destinations.

Whether that number will be maintained or increased next season, no one currently wants to predict. Because it’s hard to say what will be next month, let alone next summer.

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July 17, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar, and Rijeka. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Transavia, a low-cost airline with subsidiaries in France and the Netherlands, has made some changes to its flight schedule to destinations in Croatia.

At the end of June and the beginning of July, the company launched lines to Croatia, as many as 8 of them, and continues to operate on them through August.

The Paris Orly - Split route operates 3 times a week, but the company previously planned to increase it to as many as 6 weekly flights. This will not happen due to low demand. From August 13, the number of weekly flights will be reduced to 2.

The Rotterdam - Split line runs 5 times a week, and the same number of weekly flights is announced in August (every day except Monday and Wednesday).

The Nantes - Dubrovnik line continues to operate twice a week, as was announced earlier.

The Paris Orly - Dubrovnik line operates 3 times a week, and the company planned one more flight a week through August, but will keep the same number of operations (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays).

The Rotterdam - Dubrovnik line continues to operate according to plan and through August, 2 times a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays).

The Rotterdam - Zadar line will hold three weekly flights in August (Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays).

The Rotterdam - Pula line will increase the number of weekly flights, from 3 to as many as 5, every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August.

The Eindhoven - Rijeka line will continue to operate 3 times a week in August (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays), which is one flight less per week compared to the 2019 season.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that the Slovak airline, Air Explore, announced its first scheduled flight to Croatia.

So far, the company has operated to Croatia on charter lines, mostly in the summer months, but will now launch the first regular line between Bratislava and Split.

The Bratislava - Split line will be in operation from Sunday, July 19, twice a week until the end of September this year. The line will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays in the afternoon on B737-800 aircraft.

This is the first, completely new route introduced by the airline since the coronavirus pandemic.

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July 16, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Dubrovnik.

Croatian Aviation reports that Spanish low-cost airline Volotea is announcing a return on its international routes to Dubrovnik, while routes to Split are already in operation.

The well-known Spanish low-cost airline resumed regular flights to Split last week. The company launched certain lines from France to Split, and introduced one from Athens.

Split - Marseille from July 8, once a week, Wednesday,

Split - Nantes from July 8, once a week, Wednesday,

Split - Bordeaux from July 8, once a week, Wednesday,

Split - Lyon from July 8, once a week, Wednesday,

Split - Athens from July 8, once a week, on Wednesdays.

Volotea is currently running some lines to the Adriatic Pearl, including Dubrovnik - Athens (Tuesdays) and Dubrovnik - Nantes (Thursdays). However, three more routes from France will be introduced soon:

Dubrovnik - Bordeaux from July 29, once a week, Wednesday,

Dubrovnik - Marseille from July 29, once a week, Wednesday,

Dubrovnik - Toulouse from July 29, once a week, on Wednesdays.

The company has opted for a minimum number of weekly frequencies, only once a week, but will expect an increase in the number of flights next month. B717 and A319 aircraft have been announced on all routes.

Furthermore, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Ryanair subsidiary Lauda has sacked plans to launch flights between Vienna and Dubrovnik, which were meant to kick off this summer. Recall, flights were initially meant to start on March 29 but were pushed back to August 1 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ex Yu Aviation writes that this line was to operate twice per week, and was to be performed by Ryanair equipment on behalf of Lauda. Austrian Airlines resumed its seasonal service between Vienna and Dubrovnik in June.

To conclude, Avio Radar reports that Swiss airline Helvetic Airways plans to travel to Brac soon. Namely, the airline will travel from Zurich on July 27, with return on Thursday, July 30. Helvetic has only Embraer ERJ-190 aircraft in its fleet. All Fokker F-100s left the fleet by December last year. The flights are in cooperation with the Swiss travel agency Meersicht Travel & Lifestyle. 

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July 15, 2020 - The 66th Split Summer Festival was officially opened on Tuesday evening at Peristyle with Verdi's opera I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata.

This year's edition, respecting all epidemiological measures, brings art back to the ancient stages under the starry night sky. Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara pointed out in his speech that art does not stop at challenges and crises, but is the crown of the crisis and everything that comes with it, giving many artists additional inspiration. Like last year, he called to maintain measures and civic decency and not to surrender to the greed that has disrupted human lives:

"Dear respected citizens of Split, esteemed dignitaries and guests, loyal viewers and listeners of HRT and all friends and admirers of Split, art and our Split Summer!

I am happy that we are here tonight and that this great cultural event, extremely precious and significant to all of us, has not been interrupted, despite the unfavorable circumstances. Yes, health and safety are above everything, but life must go on. And we move on. Without fear.

Art does not stop at challenges and crises, on the contrary, it was the corona crisis and a kind of social alienation caused by the necessary social distance that gave space and time to many artists for additional inspiration and an even stronger impulse of creativity that they can't wait to bring to their audience.

This year's special Split summer opens with I Lombardi. There is a lot of symbolism in this powerful Verdi opera imbued with tenderness, piety, determination and patriotic enthusiasm. From here, from the Imperial Peristyle, we will symbolically pay tribute to the attacked people of Lombardy and send a message of strength and invincibility of art and creation, but also the victory of all of us.

Last year, I invited you to take back public spaces again, when no one even dreamed that the coronavirus and the crisis caused by it would bring us back to the city and nature, which, thank God, has regenerated. Despite the trouble, or rather, precisely because of it, we returned to family and the enjoyment of everyday life that we often took for granted. The epidemic reminded us of true values, we focused on the essentials, and we successfully adapted and learned to tame the virus that we do not allow to take over our lives. I’m sure we learned this lesson.

I wish these circumstances also reminded me of my last year’s thought and plea not to succumb to the greed that has disrupted our lives and distorted natural priorities. I have called and am now calling to maintain the measures, and that we have civic decency and respect for everything around us, and above all, the person next to us. Are we humble enough to accept that lesson? Split recognized that. I am convinced of that.

We live one strong warning. One hundred years ago, during the Spanish flu that plagued our city as well, my predecessors took care of the future of the City. And they endeavored with the citizens, after that terrible warning, altogether turned to creation and beauty which had a healing effect.

In the last century, young people, athletes, and especially artists regenerated our city. Jedinstvo was also founded, and our theater flourished, so, for example, our alleyways and city streets were filled with the music of maestro Tijardovic," Opara said, and continued:

"The art of living with measures and the necessary restraint in the new circumstances was transformed into this year's Split Summer. And it is the fruit of the courage and determination of the people who, despite threats, have returned art to our squares and streets, where it has always belonged and where it will always belong. It is up to us to give art an additional well-deserved place. It is needed for our City and me to recover.

I invite you, dear citizens of Split, to enjoy the diverse and rich program of this year's Split Summer, in compliance with all recommendations and precautions. I once again congratulate the artists, organizers and all participants and thank them for their courage and determination.

In the desire to remember him for his exceptional artistic achievements, and to infect everyone only with the joy of creativity and beauty, I am pleased to declare the 66th Split Summer open."

During the opening ceremony, the Cultural Art Society Jedinstvo and Glazba Split performed the most famous Split dance Monfrinu, and the festival flag was raised by members of KUD Jedinstvo, Paola Demarchi and Drazen Bosnjak. This was followed by the premiere performance of Verdi's opera "I Lombardi" performed by soloists, orchestra, choir and ballet of the Croatian National Theater Split under the direction of maestro Ivo Lipanovic and directed by Robert Boškovic.

This year's Split Summer brings the best Croatian and foreign opera soloists and orchestras led by top conductors, ballet performances and a rich concert and drama program. There will also be four film screenings and two exhibitions. The Split Summer will have a total of 32 titles in 44 performances, so the Festival will turn the city into the summer theater capital of this part of the Mediterranean.

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