Just two days before American Airlines lands in Dubrovnik, connecting the United States and Croatia for the first time in 28 years, Croatia's Minister of Tourism Gari Cappelli expressed that this hopefully won’t be the only route from the US and that Zagreb could see love from the Big Apple soon, reports Ex Yu Aviation on June 6, 2019. 

"Following the arrangement with American Airlines between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik this summer, which will act as a trial run, we are already in advanced talks for the introduction of a nonstop service from New York to Zagreb. I hope that we will have this route operational next summer. The service to Zagreb will most likely be seasonal during its first year of operations, while year-round flights could commence as early as the second year. As a result, we would have seasonal flights from the United States to Dubrovnik and year-round operations to Zagreb,” said Cappelli to HRT. 

You might also recall that Zagreb Airport General Manager Huseyin Bahadir Bedir is also keen on connecting the two destinations.

"New York is a destination we are focusing on. We are in talks with airlines and we expect for the route to be launched. However, a bit more patience is required for a final agreement to be reached on when the flights will commence and who will be the operating carrier. Long haul flights are very demanding for airlines, both operationally and financially, and therefore they must be carefully planned. There are some airports in Europe which are two or three times larger than ours but have no long haul flights operated by some of the world's leading carriers. We have set the bar high in attracting some of the world's best airlines to Zagreb, with nonstop services to North America and Asia. Our aim is to have a quality and long-term relationship with each airline we cooperate with".

It seems that all talks are positive ahead of the American Airlines flight, and it is even more apparent that this route certainly won’t stand alone. The world’s largest airline has even said it is open to the possibility of connecting the US and Croatian further. 

"Wherever we see opportunities and demand, we'll go. As with the opening of our Dubrovnik - Philadelphia line, we are very specific about demand. Central Europe has the greatest growth potential. We are preparing to add more and more new links. We want to continue to lead the market. We will look closely at the results for the first year of operations. We are always looking at new opportunities to grow our network to ensure we offer service to where our customers wish to go,” the airline said. 

From next Saturday, American Airlines will connect Croatia and the United States for the first time in almost 30 years as the seasonal line between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik will begin.

On June 7th at 18:10 local time, passengers will travel on the 209-seat Boeing 767-300ER aircraft from the Philadelphia international airport, and will land in Dubrovnik at 9:30 am the next day. The flight duration is 9 hours and 15 minutes. The first flight from Dubrovnik to Philadelphia takes off on June 8th at 11:40 am and is 10 hours and 25 minutes.

"American Airlines is very pleased with the bookings for our new flight between Dubrovnik and Philadelphia. While it is performing in line with our expectations, it is too early for us to comment on our 2020 summer schedule as that planning process is still being done,” the airline said to Ex Yu Aviation. 

Flights to Dubrovnik will run on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and from Dubrovnik on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Mondays. Recall, bookings were so good on this route that American Airlines announced they had to boost operations back in April. Namely, in September, the service will operate four times a week until the end of the month. 

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

As most of you are already aware, Croatia and the United States will be connected for the first time in almost 30 years thanks to the new American Airlines seasonal line connecting Dubrovnik and Philadelphia. However, this new route is only the beginning for connections to the USA. 

Namely, Zagreb Airport’s current long-haul flights to North America and Asia are not enough, and the capital's airport hopes to connect with New York, reports Ex-Yu Aviation on April 15, 2019. 

"New York is a destination we are focusing on. We are in talks with airlines and we expect for the route to be launched. However, a bit more patience is required for a final agreement to be reached on when the flights will commence and who will be the operating carrier,” said the airport's General Manager, Huseyin Bahadir Bedir. 

Bedir added, however, that Zagreb Airport is in no rush to secure new long-haul flights given their difficulty to sustain. 

"Long haul flights are very demanding for airlines, both operationally and financially, and therefore they must be carefully planned. There are some airports in Europe which are two or three times larger than ours but have no long haul flights operated by some of the world's leading carriers. We have set the bar high in attracting some of the world's best airlines to Zagreb, with nonstop services to North America and Asia. We aim to have a quality and long-term relationship with each airline we cooperate with,” Bedir added.

You might also recall that just last month, the new organization VisitUSA Croatia is working on boosting flight connections between Croatia and the US, and is primarily looking at a route between Zagreb and New York. 

But Zagreb Airport isn’t only looking west. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is also optimistic that nonstop flights to Croatia are on their way.

"We still don't have a direct air route to connect us. This is one of the reasons why the number of Chinese tourists visiting Croatia is still below market demand. I believe that the day we will launch nonstop flights is coming soon. Both the Chinese and Croatian governments will directly support it,"  the Chinese Premier said. 

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

March 29, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Split and Zagreb airports. 

The Zagreb Airport is the best airport in Europe in the category of airports between two and five million passengers a year, according to a survey of passengers and users, it was announced today by the Airports Council International organisation from Canada, reports Novac.hr on March 6, 2019.

The passengers selected the Zagreb Airport as the best airport in the regular service quality survey ACI/ASQ (Airports Council International/Airport Service Quality). This is the second award which the Zagreb Airport won for the quality of its service. In in the same survey in 2017, the Zagreb Airport was named as the most-improved European airport.

“We are extremely proud of the fact that passengers and users of services have recognised and rewarded us as part of the ACI/ASQ survey, which is a unique survey which assesses passenger satisfaction with airport services in 2018. This is just a continuation of our excellent results and the excellent introduction to celebrating the second anniversary of the opening of the new passenger terminal. During this period, we have recorded a continuous increase in traffic figures,” said Huseyin Bahadir Bedir, the chairman and the CEO of the Zagreb International Airport.

The Airport Service Quality (ASQ) programme is the quality assessment programme for airport services and the leading global plan for the so-called benchmarking, measuring passenger satisfaction through 37 key performance indicators. It is implemented by certified ASQ agents who interview passengers at airports through a specialised ACI / ASQ questionnaire.

The Franjo Tuđman International Airport is one of the largest and busiest international airports in Croatia. In 2018 it handled around 3.4 million passengers and 13,500 tons of cargo. The airport is managed under a 30-year concession. The contract includes the financing, designing and construction of a new passenger terminal which was completed in March 2017. The current terminal building was opened to the public on 28 March 2017. It stretches over 65,800 m2 on three levels featuring three baggage carousels, eight airbridges, nine security checkpoints, 30 check-in desks, 23 passport control booths and a car park with the capacity of 1,100 vehicles. Further extensions envisaged during the thirty-year concession period will potentially see the terminal capacity increased to eight million, according to the official website.

More news about airports in Croatia can be found in the Travel section.

Translated from Novac.hr (reported by Krešimir Žabec).

Croatian airports did not slow down even in February when they continued recording stellar results.

ZAGREB, March 2, 2019 - Preliminary figures show that Croatia Airlines incurred a loss of 82.2 million kuna in 2018, which is a much poorer result than in 2017 when the flag carrier posted a profit of 25 million kuna, which was owing to the partial sale of slots at Heathrow Airport in the amount of 138.6 million kuna.

Excluding the sale of slots, the loss in 2018 was down by 28% or 31.4 million kuna compared to 2017, while fuel expenses rose by 71.3 million kuna due to an increase in oil prices, the airline's financial report for 2018 shows.

Operating revenue in 2018 amounted to 1.7 billion kuna, 4% more than in 2017, after one-off items are excluded.

Total operating expenditure amounted to 1.77 billion kuna, an increase of 3% on 2017. The cost of fuel, which accounted for 18% of total expenses, was one of the main reasons for the increase in operating expenditure.

The airline flew a record-high 2.169 million passengers in 2018, a 2% increase on the previous year, with the average occupancy rate being 73.5%.

Croatia Airlines is currently looking for a strategic partner, for which the government formed an interdepartmental commission last week. The process of hiring a financial consultant to define a model for the company's recapitalisation and find a strategic partner is nearing completion.

Zagreb's Franjo Tuđman international Airport (MZLZ) expects positive business results again this year and an increase in the number of passengers from last year's 3.3 million, and will continue upgrading its operating processes and expanding its capacity, MZLZ said.

Noting that preparations for the season are going according to plan, MZLZ said that the summer flight timetable would start on 31 March and continue until 27 October.

MZLZ announced several projects to improve the airport's facilities, including a new baggage conveyor belt as well as the construction of additional parking space and an additional 15 passenger registration counters and the implementation of the automatic boarding pass and passport control systems.

MZLZ said that in the past five years the airport's passenger traffic had increased by 36% and that in that period 15 new airlines had arrived at the airport.

"Today, 30 airlines have regular flights to the airport connecting Zagreb with 50 destinations in Croatia, Europe and the world. MZLZ is in intensive talks with a large number of airlines to open new destinations," MZLZ said.

MZLZ said that its business results for 2018 would soon be published in a consolidated annual report, noting that MZLZ had paid almost 200 million kuna in concession fees into the state budget over the past six years.

According to data for 2018, the airport logged 3.3 million passengers, an increase of 244,200 or 7.7% on 2017, almost 43,600 flights, up 5%, and almost 14,000 tonnes of freight, an increase of 16.7%.

In January 2019, 191,200 passengers used the airport, similar to January 2018, the number of flights increased by six or 0.2% on the year to 3,045, and the amount of cargo fell by 2.3% to 924,000 tonnes.

More news on Croatia Airlines can be found in the Business section.

TCN looks at the plans and expectations for Croatian airports in 2019, beginning with Zagreb. 

The Viadukt construction company announced the sale of its stake in the concessionaire of Zagreb Airport at a starting price of seven million euro. However, according to the company’s bankruptcy manager Milorad Zajkovski, there were no interested buyers. Therefore, the company will soon announce a new call, with the same initial price, reports Večernji List on January 12, 2019.

Viadukt owns a share of 5.11 percent in the ZAIC-A Limited company, which is registered in the United Kingdom and which won the Zagreb Airport concession tender. The rest of the shares are owned by French companies Aeroports de Paris Management (ADPM) and Bouygues Batiment International (BBI), each with a stake of 20.77 percent. The same proportion of shares is owned by the Marguerite fund, while IFC, the World Bank fund, holds 17.58 percent of ZAIC. Turkish TAV Airports has a share of 15 percent.

In order to construct the new passenger terminal of Zagreb Airport and manage it, ZAIC-A established the Međunarodna Zračna Luka Zagreb (MZLZ) company, to which the rights and obligations from the concession contract have been transferred. On December 5, 2013, MZLZ took over the management of the Zagreb Airport for the next 30 years.

Zajkovski admitted that he was surprised that he did not receive a single bid for Viadukt's stake in ZAIC-A, adding that he expected other co-owners of the company to come forward and that everything would be finished quickly. However, he said that the price would remain the same in the second call.

Potential buyers must submit their annual financial reports for 2017, which will provide the basis for evaluation of whether they meet the required condition, which is that the potential buyers must have a net asset value of at least 50 million euro.

The share capital of MZLZ amounts to 543,427,700 kuna. The total investment in the new Zagreb Airport terminal is worth 331 million euro. Viadukt was one of the subcontractors in the construction of the new terminal and received jobs worth 650 million kuna.

The bankruptcy proceedings for the company, once one of the largest Croatian construction companies, were opened in October 2017. According to the latest bankruptcy administrator's report, the value of Viadukt's property is 251.7 million kuna, while movable assets amount to 395.1 million kuna.

After a court hearing, claims for liabilities amounted to 1.06 billion kuna. Given that the company's long-term and short-term assets are estimated at 596.5 million kuna, this means that liabilities are double the amount of the company’s assets, according to a report by Zajkovski published in late November.

More news on the Zagreb Airport can be found in the Travel section.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Josip Bohutinski).

From the beginning of 2019, Korean Air introduced the Dreamliner Boeing 787-9 aircraft for winter operations on the popular Zagreb-Seoul route, reports AvioRadar and Ex Yu Aviation on January 4, 2018. 

Recall, Korean Air launched the route between Zagreb and Seoul in September 2018, which was also the first service between Croatia and East Asia directly. Currently, or precisely during the winter months, Korean Air will operate three weekly flights, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, via Zurich. The schedule has proven very favorable for passengers

“I congratulate Korean Air on introducing the Dreamliner on the flight to Zagreb. This airline became the first to fly the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on a scheduled flight to Zagreb. I believe that Korean Air will continue to strongly contribute to the positive results that Franjo Tudjman Airport continuously records and also further leverage Zagreb’s overall tourist traffic in 2019,” said Huseyin Bahadir Bedir, the president of the company MZLZ d.d. 

“I am very excited that Korean Air is operating the Dreamliner on the route between Zagreb and Seoul and that we are the first to fly this type of aircraft to Zagreb. We will fly this aircraft throughout the winter season, more precisely from January 2 to March 2019,” said Yeong Ho Choe, general manager for Korean Air in the Central and Eastern Europe region. 

The B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft is known as an environmentally friendly aircraft that offers advanced Boeing technology. Thanks to larger windows, higher ceilings, and an increased level of humidity, it gives passengers an even more enjoyable in-flight experience. 

The Dreamliner boasts 269 seats, with 6 passengers in first class, 18 in business, and 245 in economy class, which is an increase in capacity from the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. In March, Korean Air will operate it’s three-class 218-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft between Zagreb and Seoul. 

Won-Tae Cho, president of Korean Air, said that fuel-efficient jets like the Boeing 787-9 allow the airline to reduce costs and improve business.

"This will give us an opportunity to improve our results and further expand in markets such as Croatia. We will focus on various overseas routes,” Won-Tae Cho concluded. 

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

From the booming nightlife of one of the world’s major cities, to helping my mother raise GMO free chickens on a family farm, it’s not the transition in life many young adults would willingly take.

In my introduction to Total Croatia News, I mentioned leaving the fast paced and opportunity “haven” of London instead to start afresh in a small village of the Croatian Zagrebačka region. By small village, I mean one street with a milk depot, several farms and a café bar. There is one bus that runs through at 6am connecting you to the nearest big town but returning is near impossible without a car. In short, I decided to move as I thought I had a sign from the universe to do so.

It sounds more than crazy to move based on a suspected “hunch” to a place famed for war and political corruption, and I was stubborn up until the last minute. There were many reasonable factors that influenced my decision to leave and many just as reasonable telling me to stay: Croatia offered a safer way of life but was lacking in professional opportunity. I was young and it could be a “life changing experience” but I also did not know the language or have a clear plan ahead.

Despite the constant back and forth, the ultimate choice to plunge headfirst into Croatian life was based on instinct and the fact that I thought (half jokingly, but probably more seriously than I will admit) the universe was guiding me to so do. It was this gut instinct combined with the phrase “heck, why not” that dictated most of my decision making process, and later adopting from my mother the philosophy of “we’ll cross that bridge when we get there” that guided me to where I am today.

After my family moved, I stubbornly stayed behind with my Grandmother in a small hippie village of East Sussex. Christmas time was upon us and I was desperate to see my family over the festive period. Broke from travelling around the UK and London visiting friends at university, tired of vegan food in the village, I decided to browse online at my potential options in Croatia. To figure out what all the fuss was about.

I would take my laptop to Costa coffee most days to get my daily dose of free wifi and I scoured the internet for university and job opportunities in Zagreb. After a long argument with my mum over the phone about what I will do in the coming future (and subsequent existential crisis in the corner of the cafe with a mocha and brownie in hand), I booked my one way flight to Zagreb Airport and breathed a sigh of relief that I’ll be able to see my family over the Christmas holidays.

I had the intentions of returning and to begin my university degree, but that was until I heard back about one of my job applications in Zagreb. I had been invited for an interview!

Exchanging emails with the representative, eventually we settled on a date. The day after my plane would land, I would have an interview. I sat in the chair surrounded by the miasma of coffee and pondered the success. After months of applications to various jobs in England without success, here, I had an interview ready only a few days after application. Living in England on my own I had encountered many roadblocks and became overcome with loneliness and defeat, but any moves I made directed towards Croatia seemed to fair well with relative ease. I took it as a sign, and realised I had to give Croatia a serious chance when I arrived.

At the time before moving, I saw London as the pinnacle. The huge transport network would take me anywhere I needed to be, which, at my age just meant Pryzm or XOYO. I had my established group of friends and knew more or less how the country functioned - Never count on Southern Rail, Wetherspoons for cheap drinks, and Peckham is the bit you go around. In short, I understood and saw a convenience in London I didn’t want to walk away from.

I am still infatuated with this convenience. I can’t deny that London is a more modern, booming city and I often find myself missing the variety and ease of access it had to offer that Croatia so poorly lacks in. What Croatia does offer in place of convenience for me though, is a sense of belonging. With a strong Russian background, there were many times I simply did not understand or connect with the British culture. I felt the same kind of “click” in Zagreb, as I did when visiting Moscow or our hometown of Yaroslavl.

This “hunch” or feeling of rightness is what kept Croatia in the back of my mind as a legitimate option despite having no real foundations there, only the experience of a few family holidays. So when everything fell into place while preparing to visit, and subsequently when I arrived, I couldn’t help but feel like the universe was screaming at me to go.

On the plane ride over, it was my first time flying totally alone. Nervous and self conscious, I made sure I read every sign and checked my bags over and over. I was petrified. Then on the second plane, connecting me from Warsaw to Zagreb, I had the pleasure of meeting a young Croatian man from Rijeka. We chatted about life in London where he had been working and he prepared me for life in Croatia, giving me advice on the best coffee spots too. We continued our conversation all the way up until we had to depart at the exit of the airport.

I got a taste for what was to come. I felt at ease waiting for my ride, and quietly thanked the universe for showing me what life can bring. What is possible when you give yourself completely up to chance.