November 25, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Qatar Airways increases traffic to Zagreb in December.

Croatian AviationCroatian Aviation reports that Qatar Airways, the national carrier of Qatar, will increase the number of weekly flights on the Doha - Zagreb route in December.

Qatar Airways currently operates on the Doha - Zagreb - Doha route only once a week, every Friday, on A320 aircraft. These are drastically fewer weekly flights as a direct result of weak demand caused by the global pandemic.

Last summer, Qatar Airways operated on this route as many as 14 times a week, and this summer the route to Dubrovnik was supposed to begin.

Qatar Airways stopped traffic to Zagreb during the pandemic, and the airline brought back the route on July 1 with three flights per week. Due to low demand, flights were suspended even during the summer season for two weeks, in August and September. Qatar has since stayed on one flight a week to Zagreb.

An extra flight on Wednesdays in December

The airline will briefly increase the number of weekly flights on this route. In addition to the flight on Friday, a flight is reintroduced on Wednesdays in December. Both flights will be operated weekly by A320 aircraft with a capacity of 132 seats in the carrier's fleet; 12 in business and 120 in economy class. The extra flight will operate according to the same schedule, with an afternoon departure from Zagreb Airport.

Doha 07:45 - 11:45 Zagreb 15:35 - 23:00 Doha

The temporary increase of Qatar Airways during the Christmas and New Year holidays is certainly a logical move by the company, considering that Croatian citizens will want to travel to Croatia at this time, and it is generally known that a large number of Slovenian citizens use this line.

From 1,188 to 2,376 available seats on this line in December

The question remains what Qatar Airways will do with the Zagreb route in January and February, or the traditionally bad months when demand is relatively low even under normal circumstances. The airline planned to connect the Zagreb line with Vienna, but that did not happen.

One thing is for sure - if Croatia's biggest markets, primarily from Asia, are reactivated in the summer flight schedule next year, Qatar Airways will certainly react by increasing the weekly frequencies on this route. A minimum of four flights a week should not be in question, especially when we take into account that Emirates will not fly to Zagreb next summer, and probably not Korean Air either.

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November 23, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Turkish Airlines is selling over 5,700 seats on the Istanbul-Zagreb route this December.

Croatian Aviation reports that in December, Turkish Airlines will operate four times a week on the Istanbul-Zagreb route.

The Turkish national airline has stabilized the number of operations to the Croatian capital, with four flights a week available since mid-September this year. 

In the last month of this year, Turkish Airlines will keep the same number of weekly flights as before, operating between Zagreb and Istanbul on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

The B737-800 and A321 aircraft, which have a capacity of 151 and 188 seats, respectively, will operate on the route between Zagreb and Istanbul. Given the announced 17 flights between the two mentioned cities, Turkish will offer as many as 5,726 seats in both directions in December, which, given the current situation, is more than satisfactory.

Turkish Airlines currently offers daily flights to Zagreb from January 2021, but it is actually an old schedule that the airline has not yet revised. It is expected that the number of flights in the coming winter months will be reduced between three to four flights a week.

The Turkish airline operates regularly to Zagreb and there have been no ad-hoc flight cancellations on this route, given that there are no restrictions on travel to Turkey, and a number of people travel to Istanbul for a short vacation. 

Turkish Airlines continues to monitor the situation with the coronavirus pandemic. It is expected that in the spring of next year, the growth of demand will result in more weekly flights on this international route, with the possible return of this airline to Dubrovnik Airport.

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November 19, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as LOT regularly operates to Zagreb in December this year. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Polish national airline LOT has announced its flight schedule for December. There will be only one active line to Croatia, between Warsaw and Zagreb.

LOT's winter flight schedule in 2019 operated on the Warsaw - Dubrovnik line. However, this year, that line will not be in operation. As confirmed to Croatian Aviation by the Polish airline, there was an option of direct flights to Dubrovnik during the Christmas and New Year holidays, but due to the spread of the pandemic, the line will remain out of service.

LOT will thus maintain their presence on the Croatian market with one line, operating between the capitals of Poland and Croatia, Warsaw and Zagreb.

The airline will not increase the number of weekly flights on this route from mid-December, as is the case with many airlines, and one more flight per week is available only between December 7 and 12.

In the first week of December, LOT will operate to Zagreb on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and in the second week, additionally on Saturdays.

In the last two weeks of December, four flights a week have also been announced. Depending on the day, departures are available in the morning and afternoon.

LOT has significantly increased the number of routes to Croatia in this year's summer flight schedule and plans to operate on them next year as well. We will have to wait until January for the final confirmation of the flight schedule for the summer of 2021. Still, the number of Polish tourists in Croatia was relatively high even in the season behind us, marked by a global pandemic and declining demand in tourism and transport.

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November 14, 2020 - The latest flight news for Croatia, as Korean low-cost carrier T’Way Air plans to launch Seoul-Zagreb in the near future. 

Because around half a million Korean tourists visit Croatia annually, it's not a surprise that Korean low-cost carrier T’Way Air is looking to launch a service from Seoul to Croatia soon.

Namely, Ex Yu Aviation reports that by marking its tenth anniversary, CEO Hong-Geun Jung announced that he wants the airline to react quickly in the post-pandemic world once international travel resumes and acquire wide-body aircraft to launch medium and long-haul routes to Croatia, Australia, and Kyrgyzstan.

"T’Way has received all necessary permits from the Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure, and Transport to launch up to four weekly commercial flights between Seoul and Croatia," Hong-Geun Jung said.

T’Way Air currently has around thirty narrow-body Boeing aircraft in its fleet, and before the coronavirus pandemic, they operated flights to Asia and Russia. 

Currently, Korean Air operates seasonal flights between Seoul and Zagreb, apart from this year, for obvious reasons. However, Korean Air tentatively should return to Zagreb on March 29, 2021, and plans to run three flights a week next summer, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Korean Air will operate this route using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Ex Yu Aviation adds that Korean Air registered 43,123 passengers between Seoul and Zagreb in 2019. However, while the capital city Zagreb is where most Korean tourists enter Croatia, Dubrovnik is the real pull for tourists, so much so that local authorities have already discussed launching flights to the 'Adriatic Pearl' from South Korea. 

“It is imperative for us to improve connectivity with Korea. It is a big market, and we could attract even more tourists," the Mayor of Dubrovnik revealed then. 

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November 10, 2020 - Despite the 330 million euro investment in the new Zagreb Airport terminal, it seems there was only a tiny budget for translation - and for correcting the legendary 'Toilet Disabled' signs.

It opened with great fanfare in the middle of June, 2017 - the pride of Croatia. Its capital FINALLY had a high quality, modern airport as an impressive entry point to Zagreb. 

Everyone smiled, and everyone was happy, especially those involved in its construction. The cost of the new Split Airport terminal was approximately 60 million euro, slightly less than Zagreb's reported 330 million. 

And then the media started taking a closer look, highlighting some embarrassing language fails, the most hilarious (embarrassing, depending on your point of view) - toilets disabled. Meant of course to point out the toilet facilities for disabled passengers, 'toilet disabled' actually means toilet out of use. 

A hard thing to get wrong, and an easy thing to correct, one might think 

And the Zagreb Airport authorities were quick react, as you can see from the same sign above. No more embarrassing 'Toilet Disabled' anymore. In fact, nothing at all in English. The English translation was simply erased, with disabled passengers left to work things out via the picture of the Croatian version. Presumably the decision-makers were worried about the cost of an accurate translation.  If a bad translator had contributed to the 330 million euro cost, how much would an accurate translation of a toilet sign cost? Much easier just to erase the whole thing. 

I don't fly often these days, but I passed through Zagreb Airport last December on a business trip to Berlin. I was curious to see the toilet signs, to see if there were any gems still remaining. There were. 

Toilet Women. 

They are presumably related to Toilet Men, who exist today in English, next to the now erased Toilet Disabled. I don't know what is worse, erasing Toilet Disabled because a correct translation is too difficult, or assessing the sign to see if there were any more language fails in the only two English words which remain (there are). 

Perhaps Zagreb Airport was trying to prepare its passengers for the world of Balkan brilliance and epic language fails, for this region certainly specialises in them,  

Here are some of the best in Lauren Simmonds' excellent piece - Smallpox, Diarrhoea and Free Hand Jobs: Lost in Translation in Croatia. 

November 10, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Air Transat plans to reconnect Toronto and Zagreb next summer. 

Croatian Aviation reports that the Canadian leisure airline, Air Transat, confirmed for their portal that in the 2021 summer flight schedule, it plans to reconnect Toronto and Zagreb with a direct airline.

Air Transat is the first airline from a distant market to confirm its return to Zagreb in the next summer season. After the complete withdrawal of Emirates, and at this moment, indecisive carriers such as Korean Air and Air Canada Rouge, Air Transat has confirmed its plan to return to Zagreb Airport.

Air Transat made its first flight on the Toronto - Zagreb route in June 2016, continuously increasing the number of weekly flights on this route from season to season and extending the duration of operations (currently from May to the end of October).

This airline mainly transported many Canadian tourists to Zagreb (to a lesser extent the diaspora, but is mainly used the Air Canada Rouge), and it was logical to temporarily cancel the route for this summer season, given the reduced demand and passenger restrictions on state borders.

"Croatia is a well-known tourist destination, and we believe that in 2021 we will reconnect Toronto and Zagreb with a direct line. Tickets are already on sale, and operations will depend solely on passenger demand - our intention is clear, we want to reconnect these two markets!"

The first flight on the Toronto - Zagreb route has been announced for Tuesday, May 11, 2021. The line will operate once a week until the end of May, with departures on Sundays from May 30 and flights on Thursdays from June 17.

From June 17, Air Transat intends to operate on this route three times a week until the beginning of September, and then the number of weekly flights will decrease as the summer season approaches.

On the Toronto - Zagreb - Toronto route, A330-200 aircraft have been announced, which have a capacity of 332 to 345 seats in the fleet of this airline.

Departures from Toronto are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays in the evening, and as it is a night flight, a departure from Zagreb to Toronto is the next day (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Apart from Toronto as a final destination, passengers from Zagreb have access to other Canadian cities, such as Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal.

Air Transat's intention to return to Zagreb in the summer of 2021 is certainly positive news; if we live a normal lifestyle again next summer, there is no doubt that many Canadian tourists will use this line and come to Croatia on vacation.

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November 7, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Lufthansa cancels Munich-Zagreb from December 1, and Chair Airlines announces a route between Zurich and Split next year. 

Croatian Aviation reports that German airline Lufthansa has canceled the Munich-Zagreb line from December 1. With the cancellation of this line, the airline will temporarily leave Zagreb Airport. Recall, the Frankfurt-Zagreb line was previously canceled until the spring of 2021.

Lufthansa launched the Munich-Zagreb route shortly after the lockdown and initially operated on it three times a week, gradually increasing the number of weekly flights between the two cities. During the lockdown, the airline stopped traffic on the Frankfurt-Zagreb line, and its resumption of operations was announced for March 2021.

The figures confirm how important Lufthansa is as a partner of Zagreb Airport - in 2016; this airline had a share of a high 18.25% of passenger traffic; in 2017, as much as 17.45%

Lufthansa was expected to operate the entire winter flight schedule on the Munich-Zagreb route (the only active route to Croatia). The number of operations has even increased for November, and daily flights are available. Still, from December 1, they will suspend traffic on this route, and will completely, temporarily, withdraw from Zagreb Airport, and consequently from the Croatian market.

Because Lufthansa will stop traffic on the currently only active route to Zagreb, and with previously canceled flights of Austrian Airlines, Eurowings is the only company from the Lufthansa Group will operate to Zagreb Airport this winter.

Thus, 53 years after the first flight to Zagreb, Lufthansa will temporarily withdraw from Zagreb Airport due to the global pandemic and weak demand.

From Wednesday, December 16, Croatia Airlines will offer daily flights on the Zagreb-Munich route, which will primarily depend on booking, which, after the withdrawal of Lufthansa, could be satisfactory, especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The withdrawal of Lufthansa from Zagreb is certainly bad news, considering that the direct connection with Munich is being lost, which, as a hub, enables the continuation of travel to numerous destinations in Europe and the world.

Croatian Aviation also reports that Swiss Chair Airlines has announced its destinations for next year's summer flight schedule. Among others, the Zurich-Split line is being introduced.

It is an airline operating under the name Chair Airlines since the summer of last year, formerly known as Germania Flug. The airline has two A319 aircraft in its fleet that can carry up to 150 passengers.

The announcement of the Zurich-Split route by Chair Airlines comes just a few days after the news that the German Condor will also operate on this route in the summer flight schedule next year.

With this new Chair Airlines route, Split and Zurich will be connected with as many as four airlines, with Croatia Airlines, Edelweiss, and Condor Airlines operating on the same route. Chair Airlines line will be in operation from April 25 to October 24, 2021, almost the entire summer flight schedule.

"After most citizens spent their summer vacation in Switzerland, we believe that next summer, popular destinations will be in demand more than ever before, that's why we decided to introduce a line to Split."

Chair Airlines between Zurich-Split-Zurich will be in operation twice a week, every Thursday and Sunday in the evening. The company has a total of 15,900 seats on sale between the two cities for the summer of 2021.

Timetable:

Thursday: Zurich 18:40 - 20:10 Split 20:55 - 22:30 Zurich

Sunday: Zurich 17:20 - 18:50 Split 19:35 - 21:10 Zurich

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November 5, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Air Serbia reduces weekly flights between Belgrade and Zagreb in November. 

Croatian Aviation reports that in November this year, Air Serbia operates only three times a week on the Belgrade-Zagreb route. The airline normally operated on this route up to 10 times a week in the winter flight schedule.

Due to the global pandemic's impact, Air Serbia has further reduced the number of weekly flights between the capitals of Serbia and Croatia. Although the company's original plan was to operate up to 5 times a week on this route, low demand forced Air Serbia to reduce weekly flights further.

Until the end of November, Air Serbia will operate on this route only three times a week, on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays, in the afternoon and evening.

ATR72 aircraft with a capacity of 70 seats have been announced on all flights to and from Zagreb Airport.

The second year-round Air Serbia flight to Croatia, between Belgrade and Rijeka, did not operate this summer season, nor will it this winter, so a direct flight to Belgrade is only available at Zagreb Airport.

This summer, Air Serbia operated to Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, to a lesser extent than in the summer of 2019, while direct flights from Belgrade to Zadar, Pula, and Rijeka did not operate.

If the situation normalizes by the beginning of the next summer season, Air Serbia again plans to operate to all 6 destinations in Croatia.

Furthermore, Ex Yu Aviation reports that KLM is the busiest foreign airline maintaining flights to Zagreb this November, accounting for 5.3% of all traffic from the capital. KLM operates between Amsterdam and Zagreb daily, using the Boeing 737-700 aircraft or two Embraer 190 jets.

Thus, KLM leads in front of Lufthansa, Air France, Eurowings, and Turkish Airlines as Zagreb's busiest foreign airline. 

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November 4, 2020 - The three largest Croatian airports, Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, released their monthly statistics for October. All airports recorded a decrease in the number of passengers compared to September.

Croatian Aviation reports that the drop in passenger numbers in October was actually expected for several reasons. First, we traditionally have fewer seasonal lines in October, especially in Split and Dubrovnik. This year, due to the pandemic's impact, several lines stopped operating in late September, a month earlier than usual in previous years.

Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik combined did not reach 100,000 passengers in October

In addition to the earlier cancellation of routes, aircraft operating to and from the three mentioned airports had low passenger cabin occupancy. In addition to the pandemic itself and the crisis it causes, there is the fear of traveling by plane due to frequent flight cancellations and uncertainty about frequent changes in rules at state borders. All of the above resulted in record low numbers - the three largest Croatian airports in October together did not have even 100 thousand passengers (specifically, there were 95,432)! 

Zagreb Airport in October this year recorded 55,289 passengers, by far the most of all Croatian airports. Still, there is a noticeable decrease in the number of passengers than in September (more than 10 thousand fewer passengers than the previous month).

In October 2019, Zagreb registered 330,598 passengers. In total, from January 1 to October 31, 840,610 passengers passed through the main Croatian airport (2,957,109 in the same period last year). Thus, it is clear that Zagreb Airport will not reach the millionth passenger this year. From January to October, Zagreb recorded a drop in passenger traffic of over 71% compared to the same period last year.

Split Airport recorded 25,796 passengers in October, while in October 2019, 247,172 passengers passed through this airport. Split lost its chance for the millionth passenger a long time ago; by the end of October, only 657,570 passengers passed through Split Airport, which is actually an excellent result considering that there was almost no significant traffic by May. Hence, most passengers passed through Split at the height of the season. Namely, from June to October, Split generated over 600 thousand passengers!

This airport had more passengers from January to October last year than Zagreb - over 3 million (3,214,702).

Dubrovnik was far from famous this year in air traffic, and October was another modest month. Only 14,347 passengers passed through Dubrovnik Airport, while in the same month last year, there were almost 300,000 passengers (299,532).

At Dubrovnik Airport, slightly better traffic monthly was achieved only in August (almost 120 thousand passengers).

From January to October, 321,296 passengers passed through this airport, while last year in the same period - 2,804,478.

One thing is for sure, the decline in the number of passengers will continue in the last two months of this year, but the problem is that the market recovery is not in sight, almost certainly not until the spring of next year. Detailed statistics of other Croatian airports (Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, and Osijek) will be published soon.

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October 28, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Qatar Airways operates only once a week to Zagreb in November. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Qatar Airways reduced its traffic to Zagreb at the end of September, and the line will operate with a minimum number of weekly operations in November.

Qatar Airways canceled departures on Mondays and Wednesdays and will operate on the Doha-Zagreb route only once a week, on Fridays throughout November.

Under normal circumstances, the Doha-Zagreb route operated twice a day, with A320 and A321 aircraft, but since the outbreak of the global pandemic, this airline has very often changed its flight schedule to Zagreb, canceling operations in July and August for two to three weeks.

Since September, the airline has operated on this line only once a week, on Fridays, and one flight a week has been announced for November.

Qatar Airways will have a morning departure from Doha to Zagreb in November, while the departure from Zagreb is planned at 3:35 pm. Arrival in Doha is at 11 pm, which allows passengers from the Croatian capital to transfer to numerous flights to a number of destinations in Asia.

However, only one flight a week is not satisfactory, and the airline thus does not offer passengers flexibility in choosing the date of travel, so the low occupancy of this line (with the pandemic and travel restrictions) is not a surprise.

It is likely that when the situation calms down, Qatar Airways will return to Zagreb with a significantly higher number of weekly flights, but we will have to wait and see. A temporary suspension of traffic on this line is certainly possible, especially in the winter months ahead.

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