No go for Milan - Zagreb flights
The Alitalia subsidiary airline, Air One, has cancelled its plans to commence flights from its base in Milan to Zagreb later this month. The flights, which were announced several months ago, were to begin on September 25 and operate 3 times per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Tickets were on sale until recently. The flights were to be code shared by Alitalia. As a result, Croatia Airlines will maintain its monopoly on flights between Zagreb and Italy. The only Italian city currently served from Zagreb is Rome, by Croatia Airlines.
Zagreb Airport has seen a significant increase in passenger numbers this year thanks to a resurgent national carrier and more interest from foreign airlines. Earlier this year it managed to lure the low cost airline easyJet to operate flights from several European cities. In the first 7 months of the year the airport saw the number of flights operating in and out of Zagreb increase by 6.9% with 24.772 flights. Still, the airport is hoping for more new inter European routes to open and is particularly pushing for flights from Warsaw, Helsinki, Bucharest and Geneva. Meanwhile, the second phase of the tender to select a partner to build the much anticipated new terminal is ongoing.
To view details for the Air One flights that were not to be, click here.
Bucharest makes sense and it could actually work with flights operated several times per week.
ReplyDeleteHowever if they are pushing for Geneva then we might see Easyjet launching this route. However I do not see how happy OU will be about this. I am sure that they do not need more Easyjet in Zagreb.
Lot would not start any flights to Zagreb. Their flights to Zagreb would be with for the same purpose as those to Belgrade. Since Belgrade was axed then Zagreb would not be launched.
Also, let's see if we are going to see the same comments about Zagreb as we saw for CSA's axing of Belgrade ;)
Tickets were on sale! Not just in summer season even in winter till March 2012!
ReplyDeleteMoreover, there was promotion 10 eur per leg twice in August. But obviously no one was interested.
almost the same story as easyjet flights MXP-LJU-MXP .... someone pushed it away... it was not true that sales was bad! lets wait after JP will close down!
ReplyDeleteMXP with old Alitalia (later operated by Air Alps) worked well from ZAG and also from SJJ.
ReplyDeleteBut now, MXP is not as big hub as it used to be. Maybe that's the reason for this cancellation.
"The tickets never went on sale" is not true. Tickets were on sale and I bought ticket for Sep 22, ZAG-MXP OW, for ca 30 euro. Now I'll have to see if I would be re-routed, or simply got my money back, and use train Trieste-Milano.
ReplyDeleteBefore, I flew few times ZAG-MXP previously operated by Alitalia/Air Alps, and flights were always packed. Same, long time ago JAT used to operate ZAG-LIN, and later ZAG-MXP, daily on DC-9.
I think this service might have worked if Air One CRJ's were planned to operate it instead of much bigger A320.
Amended the ticketing mistake.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great destination for an OU Q400!
ReplyDeleteA lunacy-free day here! What a pleasant surprise, keep it up.
ReplyDeleteAir One also used to fly to PRN out of Verona, if I am not mistaken. The route was then taken over by Alpi Eagles and now is covered by Meridiana and Belle Air. So, if the demand is there someone will link the two cities. For that to happen some figures about the flights booked would help ;)
I am doubtful that O&D traffic alone could sustain this connection, hence an airline that does not offer connecting flights would suffer, in my opinion. This is purely because there is a relatively good road and rail network between the two cities and I can imagine a lot of people not flying "because it's so expensive."
I love aviation as much as the next guy or gal on this website but sometimes you should be able to take your car and drive the distance. Not to say Milano is not far but a little perspective is in order. Living in North America some of the Euro flight distances are a bit of a joke.
ReplyDelete