Air Transat sees Zagreb success

Canada's Air Transat has registered strong bookings for a second consecutive year on its seasonal flights between Toronto and Zagreb with the leisure carrier showing its confidence in the route by putting tickets on sale for the 2018 summer season last week. According to Nicole Bursey, Transat's Commercial Director, the service to the Croatian capital has been well received by travellers. “For a relatively new program, it’s been going amazing. It’s performing better than most new programs and I think it’s because there’s a pent-up demand and the value is so good”, Ms Bursey said. However, despite strong interest, the airline does not plan to extend operations into the winter months for the time being, maintaining that the route is highly seasonal. "Our estimates show there is low demand during the winter, so we are keeping it as a seasonal service running until October", the carrier told EX-YU Aviation News.

This summer, Air Transat is maintaining two instead of one weekly flight to the Croatian capital with its 345-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Furthermore, services will run longer into the year, until October 18. The second weekly flight will launch this Sunday and operate until September 3. "Booking numbers are very good. There is a big Croatian community in Toronto and there is interest from Croatian travellers from both Europe and Canada", the airline said. The Canadian leisure specialist has also shown wider interest in the region, selecting the Belgrade-based office of the Discover the World tour operator for sales and marketing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.

Croatia Airlines has also recognised the growing demand for travel between Croatia and Canada. The carrier expanded its codeshare agreement with Air Canada this April. The Canadian airline now has its "AC" designator code on Croatia Airlines' flights from Zagreb to Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, London Heathrow, Paris and Zurich, as well as from Dubrovnik to Paris and Rome, from Split to London, Paris, Rome and Zurich, and from Rijeka to London. In return, the Croatian carrier codeshares on Air Canada's services from Toronto to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, Paris and Zurich, from Montreal to Brussels, London and Paris, as well as from Calgary, Halifax and Vancouver to London. Air Canada's leisure subsidiary, Air Canada rouge, has ruled out services to the former Yugoslavia for the time being. It said, "We are continuously looking at all opportunities, including Croatia, and other destinations. Like all airlines, there are a number of considerations involved when we are selecting a destination, including customer demand, airport infrastructure and competition from other carriers. The Air Canada rouge fleet is growing and that fleet growth will power both network and capacity growth".