Croatia Airline expands into Eastern Europe
The CEO of Croatia Airlines, Srećko Šimunović, has said that the national carrier plans to expand its services into Eastern Europe by 2014. As has previously been reported, Croatia Airlines will inaugurate flights to Moscow this summer season. In 2014 the airline will be launching flights to Sofia and St. Petersburg, which should coincide with the arrival of new aircraft. Although the first of four ordered Airbus A319s are set to begin arriving from 2013 through to 2014, there are indications that the arrivals could be pushed back until 2015 and 2016.Despite frequency increases throughout the network over the summer and the introduction of flights to Moscow, plans are also being made for the carrier to suspend several loss making routes. The action is needed in order for Croatia Airlines to reach its goal of operating with a profit in 2012. Last year showed encouraging trends as the airline managed to slash its losses.
Croatia Airlines has also made an announcement that it will resume its seasonal summer flights from Dubrovnik to Belgrade, launched last year. It will once again compete against Jat Airways on the route. On its new Zagreb to Moscow service, Croatia Airlines will face competition from Aeroflot.
Nice news. Opening up to the East definitely a step in a right direction for OU. By 2018 I'd also like to see OU open routes to Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo, Warsaw, Kiev, Minsk and at least 1 capital of one of the 3 Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia or Estonia).
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the deal is with Zagreb to Belgrade ? It used to be one of the most popular route back in the 70s and 80s. Can't image it'd do poorly - especially if done by Dash 8 or Atr 72s 4x a week ?
Ok, Belgrade-Zagreb just can not work, it's as simple as that. It worked back in Yugoslavia because JAT's priority was not to make money. Now that I think of it, most of the Yugoslav airlines today seem to have the same ideology!
ReplyDeleteAlso, why would Croatia launch flights to the Baltics? The three Baltic nations have around 6.800.000 inhabitants. If Tarom didn't manage to make Riga work then what are the chances of Croatia making it?
I was hoping that OU would try and compete with JU on the Belgrade - Split route as well, but I can also see why they wouldn't be interested. Then again, JU may cancel everything at the last moment, in which case OU would perhaps take over the route.
ReplyDeleteAs with everything this airline does, its going to fail and the fact that they have to source outside assistance for restructuring the airlines says a lot about the managements abilities. With EU membership coming, they have very little time to restructure and receive their final golden handshake.
ReplyDeleteLike every other airline in this region, all are staffed with management that don't understand the regular scheduled airline concept.
Zag-Beg I think can work very well. There are strong business links and there is increasing tourism from both cities.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that Sofia will be a good destination. LED only in Summer to the coast.
ReplyDeleteMain focus for 2012 should now be, how to improve cooperation with JP and maybe other ex YU carriers to find synergies.
ZAG-BEG for sure would work. Of course not 10 times a day but as Purger couple weeks mentioned, 1 flight each morning/evening
Vladimir,
ReplyDeleteExcuse me but when did Jat withdraw last minute?
If you are referring to Dubrovnik in 2009 that's a different story as the Croats revoked their flight permit and the airline was left without a choice but to give refund to its passengers.
Also, why would OU compete with Jat on the other Croatian routes? Jat destroyed OU last summer season in DBV. Croatian barely managed to secure a lf of 70% when Jat had on average 95%.
zag-beg could be great business for croatia airlines, because they can offer beg-zag-wherever else they fly.
ReplyDeleteIIRC, most flights out of the former yugoslavia went beg-zag-wherever.
zag is in a better place to act a a regional hub than any other city in the ex-yu
@ last Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteThere are rumours in JAT's management that the company won't be able to follow up on any of the newly announced destinations, I wasn't referring to any past event.
As for OU competing with JAT, I only said I was hoping they'd compete because I'm a Miles & More member, but I totally see why it wouldn't be feasible for OU, although a 70% load factor isn't at all terrible.
to 1st anonymous - the point for LDZA and OU is to go into a direction of opening up routes to as many capital cities in Europe as possible. 2018 is 6 yrs. away so it is only logical that after opening to Scandinavian and Eastern Europe markets, and given all those go well enough, why wouldn't Baltic follow then too ?
ReplyDeleteReasons for opening to 1 Baltic hub may be many: business, inbound and outbound tourism ... all 3 Baltic capital would be too much, but 1 - maybe it could work.
Maybe it'll happen in 2022, but I believe it will.
Zagreb to Belgrade sure can work. With small enough aircraft and good timetable, why not ?
The fact that Serbs and Croats understand each other perfectly well, although officially under "different" languages, connects these 2 countries - which is a long term base for business and tourism integration. Again, maybe the results won't be spectacular in the first 2 yrs., but by 2020 - especially after Serbia enters the EU, they sure will. Maybe well even see A320 several times a day, every day of the week.
Didn't JAT DC-9s and 727s operate that route in the 80s ?
Doot,
ReplyDeleteRight because Croatia Airlines can compete with airlines such as Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Malév, Lufthansa... all of them have greater network with far more frequencies than Croatia Airlines will ever have.
Belgrade-Zagreb can not work for two reasons:
1. JU or OU are incapable of providing the passengers with decent fares. If either one of them launched the route ticket price would have been 180 euros return.
2. highway all the way from Belgrade to Zagreb.
Adria is struggling to make Belgrade profitable, what makes you think Croatia Airlines will manage? Especially now that Jat has competitive prices to the vast majority of destinations.
Wake up and smell reality.
Well, will some of you understand that the reason behind BEG-ZAG on JAT back in the day was for completely different reasons. There was a lot of demand for administration and JAT was feeding its network in Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteThe only way OU could make BEG-ZAG work is if they would offer BEG-ZAG-Croatian coast.
With Jat expanding in Croatia and opening up new coastal cities I just do not see how OU can compete with that through ZAG.
Also, the fact that OU will be returning only from DBV to BEG showed that they had given up the Belgrade-Croatian coast to Jat Airways.
wait a sec, why OU morning/evening daily with Q400 wouldn't work for 99eur roundtrip? it makes sense for both transit and business pax...
ReplyDeletewouldn't it seem that Adria and OU are not comparable on the LJU- BEG vs. ZAG-BEG route due to the much lower population base flying out of Ljubljana ?
ReplyDeleteIf there are flights such as Zagreb-Sarajevo, Zagreb-Podgorica, Zagreb- Pristina, why wouldn't there be some demand for Zag-Beg with Dash 8s or ATR 72s for as less frequent as 3 or 4 x a week ?
As for the highway issue, there is a highway to Split, and the milage between Zagreb and Split is about the same as in between Zagreb and Belgrade. To Split there are several flights per day, oftern with A319, sometimes even with A320s. Why wouldn't twice as small Dash 8 or ATR 72 work ina twice on a twice as frequent timetable Zag-Beg ?
I feel you guys are too pesimistic about this. Do you have data to support this ?
I don't, but I wonder is this route really so hopeless as you claim ?
Sorry for this offtopic. Germanwings is stopping CGN-BEG next summer!
ReplyDeleteLoadfactors are saying only half truth...
ReplyDeleteat the end of the day, what counts is the profit flown in on the route.
ZAG-BEG for sure would work. Time is running quicker. In either of the cities, there will be the headquarters for many global companies and they will have meetings etc. Those people will fly and not drive.
And don t forget. ZAG has around 1 mio, BEG almost 2 mio population. Both cities are the big centres of the Western Balkans.
Regarding transit pax. As long ZAG airport is as bad as now and JAT flies with jalopies around, both potential of pax will prefer to use other airlines and gateways.
As we might all have noticed. LH,OS,LX are picking up heavely in these markets.
So to attract transfer pax away from ZRH,VIE,MUC,FRA, we still need improvements in BEG and ZAG.
last anonymous: very pitty for Germanwings to stop BEG-CGN...
I would like to see more flights from them to former ex YU, also to LJU for example or even ZRH-SPU or ZRH-RJK. We need LCC in ZRH to the adriatic coast. OU is expensive and flies only during summer timetable
If Montenegro airlines can offer BEG-TGD-ZHR for 160 euros return, why can't Croatia airlines do the same through Zagreb, but with a more efficient connection?
ReplyDeleteWhat makes me think Croatia airlines can complete with Swiss?
Well, why not? I'm sure Croats get paid less than Swiss. I don't understand why Croatia can't feed traffic from Skoplje, Podgorica, Belgrade and enhance it's european traffic.
Barcelona – Belgrade 25JUL12 – 05SEP12 Increases from 3 to 4 weekly
ReplyDeleteJK171 BCN0025 – 0255BEG 320 6
JK171 BCN0030 – 0300BEG 321 3
JK171 BCN0050 – 0320BEG 320 7
JK171 BCN1130 – 1400BEG 320 4
JK172 BEG0335 – 0610BCN 320 6
JK172 BEG0340 – 0615BCN 321 3
JK172 BEG0400 – 0635BCN 320 7
JK172 BEG1440 – 1715BCN 320 4
Above schedule in effect from 25JUL12 to 05SEP12. Schedules outside this period varies
Barcelona – Dubrovnik Reduces from 4 weekly in S11 to 3 weekly
zag-beg is too short for flying, the motorway is there and busses are running the service for those who need to to travel between the two cities. zag as transit point would not be very popular for beg pax. there are still lots of people with objections. it's as simple as that.
ReplyDeleteI've flown from beg-skp a few times this year and the planes were full.
ReplyDeletethere are at least 6 busses/day between the two cities and is beg-skp a much longer drive than beg-zag? Train takes 6 hours, same as a bus to skp.
I think, when it comes down to it, people's "objections" will fade pretty fast for the a competitive fare to Europe. Heck, I bet a 20 euros cheaper flight would do it.
you cannot compare beg-skp with beg-zag. macedonia has no national carrier at the moment and jat carriers lots of transit pax beyond beg.
ReplyDeletethat's why the planes are full. beg-zag would work if croatia would offer really good fares to points beyond zag not served by jat.
last anonymous - good example for that could be codesharing flights that OU could have with TAP to Lisbon. BEG-ZAG-Lisbon - (somewhere in South America) or just Lisbon.
ReplyDeleteCroatia Airlines S12 Operation Changes as of 03JAN12
ReplyDeletePosted: 03 Jan 2012 02:40 AM PST
Update at 1040GMT 03JAN12
As per 03JAN12 GDS timetable and inventory display, Croatia Airlines has further adjusted planned operation effective 25MAR12.
Latest changes as follows:
Dubrovnik – Istanbul 1 weekly Service reinstated, service to operate from 17JUN12 with Airbus A320 (Service in S11 was 2 weekly)
OU4352 DBV2330 – 0210+1IST 320 7
OU4353 IST0500 – 0540DBV 320 1
Dubrovnik – Munich PLANNED 2 weekly service from 16APR12, CANCELLED
Dubrovnik – Vienna 2 weekly Service reinstated, service to operate from 13APR12 with Dash8-Q400
OU446 DBV0735 – 0910VIE DH4 15
OU447 VIE1010 – 1145DBV DH4 15
Zagreb – Copenhagen Airbus A319 operation increases from 4 weekly in S11 to 6 weekly
OU480 ZAG0805 – 1030CPH DH4 6
OU480 ZAG0840 – 1030CPH 319 x6
OU481 CPH1115 – 1335ZAG DH4 6
OU481 CPH1120 – 1315ZAG 319 x6
Previously reported changes:
Dubrovnik – Athens Reduces from 3 to 2 weekly
Dubrovnik – Paris CDG Increases from 2 to 3 weekly
Dubrovnik – Tel Aviv Reduces from 2 to 1 weekly, service operates from 02JUL12
Zadar – Paris CDG eff 01MAY12 NEW 1 weekly service
OU472 ZAD1515 – 1710CDG 319 2
OU473 CDG1135 – 1330ZAD 319 2
Zadar – Zurich Increases from 2 to 3 weekly
Zagreb – Athens eff 22APR12 NONSTOP service Resumption, 2 weekly (Service not operating in S11)
OU300 ZAG1525 – 1815ATH 319 25
OU301 ATH1905 – 2000ZAG 319 25
Zagreb – Copenhagen Capacity Increase with 6 weekly A319 and 1 weekly Dash8 (S11 was 4 weekly A319 and 3 weekly Dash8)
Zagreb – Rome Increases from 3 to 4 weekly
Zagreb – Tel Aviv eff 05JUL12 Increases from 1 to 2 weekly (Service begins from 05JUN12)
Every day Zagreb and Belgrade are connected with
ReplyDelete- 6x bus connection
- 3x train connection
ZAG-BEG Croatia Airlines can success in case:
- 12 flights per week 123456- in morning + 12345-7 in evening
- flights are in 2nd and 4th wave (like AMS, BRU, CPH, CDG...) that can be connected to Adriatic cost
- connection to ZAD, PUY, SPU, DBV, SJJ with less than 90 minutes of connection time
That means
(SPU, DBV, PUY, ZAD, SJJ) - ZAG 0830 – 0940 BEG 1200 – 1310 ZAG – (SPU, DBV,PUY, ZAD, SJJ) – ZAG 1745 – 1855 BEG 1930 - 2040 ZAG – (SPU, DBV, ZAD, PUY, SJJ)
My very good friend is manager of one Croatian company (managing Belgrade office) and he travel every Tuesday from ZAG to BEG and every Friday back. He will kill for this line, and he is not only one.
Jat does not have any chance on this route because Jat has no possibilities for connection.
Dubai? Other cities E and S of Beograd for cheap prices!
ReplyDeleteBEG-ZAG has sufficient demand as an O&D alone, not to mention connections.
ReplyDeleteDoot made a good example about BEG-SKP taking e.g. 2 more hours by car/bus. People that traveled by buses, minivans or train between BEG-ZAG know that it takse at least 6-7 hours. Also, for many people using a company car is a harassment and there are price issues concerning increased costs of driver per-diems, parking etc.
Air travel would be an effective solution for most business passengers, and I presume that JU would be able to offer it for max 100/115EUR, which is their standard price for the region now.
Another example is that BEG-SJJ flights are also doing very well, although it takes "only" around 5-6h by car.
what is happening with BEG-baku flights?
ReplyDeleteBeg has greater number of flights, companies and Wizzair based there...I do not see how OU can attract pax ex Beg except with 99 eur price for RT anywhere in Europe! MGX offers 150 Eur tkts from Beg to Fra and few other destinations...You can find very often Swiss offer of about 160 euro Rt Europe (they fly 2x daily ZRH-BEG). OU/JU flights could work with O&D traffic plus Adriatic destination beyond ZAG...ZAG has 1.110.000 metro population and BEG has 1.639.000...
ReplyDeletei think that both ZAG and BEG have potential for attracting and exchanging in between them passengers. People could use BEG for example for flights with wizz air and also ZAg to lisbon and madrid i think!
ReplyDeleteThat line is P2P line with connections just to SPU, PUY, ZAD, DBV and possibly SJJ (because of 2 frequencies). That is why it must fly on 2nd and 4th wave, and why just Croatia Airlines have chance for it but not Jat.
ReplyDeleteThe only transfer option would be LIS via ZAG and TGD, TIV and OHR via BEG. For all other destination potential passengers will choose better option via VIE, MUC, ZRH, FRA, or in Zagreb case car to VIE or BUD and than direct flight (for example DXB).
OT
ReplyDeletespanair on their website Belgrade is featured in 1 of 4 commericals and says "always find something interesting" OPA ;D
Doot,
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect - have you been to ZAG? It's arguably the worst airport of any capital city in Europe (and I'm including Chisinau). It's operating at over 100% of it's design capacity so increasing transfer pax through there is just not viable.
Good on OU for planning into the future. The airline is doing the right thing by planning ahead, rather than what appeared very on-the-fly when IST was launched in response to TKs proposed double-daily service.
ReplyDeleteOne thing missing from this posting (that was in the original last week on CAPA) is that the 4 new 319s are *replacing* the 320 fleet. So 4 planes/528 seats replaces 3 planes/504 seats, an increase of just 24 seats, or some 4% growth. It is the 33% increased flexibility of the extra aircraft which will allow the additional destinations and stimulate growth, much in the way 2 Q400s rightly replaced a 320.
Purger and others have rightly touched on the need to improve the 'waves' of flights and destinations: the stumbling block of course is the decrepit ZAG terminal and lack of tarmac! OU still needs 1-2 additional Q400s to really build on the more 'local' connections (within 500NM) - WAW, MXP, BEG and bringing the direct FCO flight to daily would be priority.
Concerning BEG-ZAG flights, it is really an O&D market, but strong enough to have sufficient loads in its own right.
ReplyDeleteThere are really too few possible connections both BEG and ZAG passenger-wise.
For example, BEG passenger already has direct options for SJJ (although single daily) and in summer period DBV with SPU and PUY expected from this summer (although OU would be able to offer additional frequencies). All these destinations are served for 100/115EUR which really makes small room for flights via ZAG being a viable option. Presume that for example PRN via ZAG might attract some pax, or perhaps MAD or LIS, although there is a competing offer via MUC and ZRH for these destinations.
On the other hand ZAG passenger might for example benefit from SKG, LCA or OHD options (not sure about the demands there), or perhaps from flights to Dubai, although if price sensitivity is to be excluded flying there with TK via IST (with collecting miles) is a more realistic option.
@ last anonymous.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Zagreb airport.
Is it worse than Podgorica?
Again, if Montenegro airlines can make a go of beg-tgd-zrh for 160 euros return, why can't Croatia?
zagreb airport sucks!
ReplyDeleteI am tired of all those jibes towards Pleso Airport. Yes, ZAG airport is SMALL, that is true and that is why it is planned to build a new and much bigger terminal. But no, this airport is not like the one in Podgorica or Tivat. ZG Airport is small, but it is modern and clean and efficient.
ReplyDeleteEnough said.
Well 160€ DOES NOT work for Montenegro, are they making profit witht that ticket price - NO they do not, they are being bail out every year by the country and suppliers.
ReplyDeleteSo you can not csay 'if they can, why other cant' because other are not so stupid to make a loss, or at least such a bg loss just to offer a cheap tickets.
ZAG airport is small- true. it is modern and clean- not true.however, there are also other airports in the region that need improvements. not only in the "visible parts=terminals, etc" but also in professionlism of there staff.and that goes for ZAG too, like it or not, one of the most arogant in Europe.haven't been to MNE airport yet:)
ReplyDeleteSwiss offers similar price and others including LH, too! It is question of pax structure among others, stronger companies have bussines class pax and there are other components, too...
ReplyDeleteZagreb airport was rebuild 4 years ago inside and outside. It is very modern airport and extremely efficient. I was in Belgrade some 6 months ago, and Belgrade airport is not even near to Zagreb by equipment and efficient. I put some 30 photos in CAF which shows some terrible things in BEG especially on parking, T2, fooling down of facade, but also in T1, especially on corridor between T2 and T1, everything is very dirty... Those photos had reaction on some CAF members from Belgrade and they sent those to BEG management.
ReplyDeleteLink for those photos: http://www.zrakoplovni-forum.hr/forum/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=3300&start=80
Those which write against ZAG terminal are those which were not in ZAG in near future.
"but also in professionlism of there staff"
ReplyDeleteBelgrad's pretty terrible when it comes to customer service, but that's pretty par for the course when it comes to Serbia. Not sure if other ex-yu contries went to the Basil Fawlty school of customer service or not, I can only speak from experience.
I can't even imagine being yelled "DECKO! BORDING PASS" in the business-class line up at any airport, but it's happened in Belgrade.
ahhh Belgrade. I wonder if I'll miss this kind of abuse when I don't have to come here again.
Purger, i've used ZAG 2 years ago.improvements are visible as you stated, but all in all it is still terrible.i don't want to even begin about the rude staff..cannot compare to BEG cause haven't used it yet...
ReplyDeletein terms of the interior, LDZA qualifies for 7/10. Given the fact that this is a 1964 building, 8,5/10 for the effort especially since about 6 yrs. ago it'd get 2/10. But in reality all this is still only acceptable, and in no way presentable !
ReplyDeleteToday's standards in Europe and across "developed world" are much higher.
In terms of the exterior - sorry but it doesn't pass 1,5/10. Terrible.
The staff that I had been encountering was mediocre. However, even in 2009 when I used the cafe bar in the basement, I had encountered super rude and slow staff. One waiter argued with guests and was shouting at them. I don't have to even mention that menues were enveloped in plastic covers, the kind that was sticky due to the beverage drops that had dried and stayed on those... And yes, the coffee was disgusting and overpriced.
A lot has changed in the meantime. For example, LDZA got new signalization, the new visitors' area opened, airport managment relaxed and allowed spotters to come and take pictures in organized groups, and the menues improved easthetically. And yes, the new web page design is refreshed and modern looking.
Still, we need a new terminal asap.
Even 2015 which is the date when the concessioner should complete the works sounds too far away.
I don't want to think what would happen if we are to cancell the concession tender.
...we will put some excellent manager, do it by ourselves by system like Ljubljana (49% of ownership to private capital), and finish it in 1-2 years.
ReplyDeleteMatkovic had this plan and he was very near to start working (all licenses, real plans, secure money etc.). By this plan we would have new terminal this year. But we have to try with something that in end as total fiasco.
Let me just remind you that big part of French consortium for ZAG concession is Bouyguesom company that gets concession on Istria Y what costs Croatia 5 billion EUR from budget (tax payers money) instead Croatia gets some money from it. We don’t have highway in Istria after more than 15 years now but spent so much money on it, and all because of terrible concession contract with Bouygues, the same company that is “the only one” in tender for concession of ZAG.
Purger - please don't compare Ljubljana to Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteas it+s in a completely different category than Zagreb.
Ljubljana serves a much smaller population, has significantly lower incoming tourists - factors that we see are already reflecting on their national carrier. This is to be happening more and more as Ljubljana faces more and more competition from the surrounding airports and airlines.
Given all that, I am not so sure they'll finish this project as soon as they claim. Even if they do, I bet the airport'll stay empty for some time - a long time. I believe their profitability is of short breath. Ljubljana will always stay a regional airport.
Zagreb on the other hand has problem in that it is not working up to its full potential. It's limited to its infrastructure.
I don't think the new terminal is too ambitious in size. Perhaps that would have been the case 10 yrs ago, but the momentum is such (market recovery, tourism boost, upcoming EU membership and the fact that regional air traffic is too undeveloped and has too much potential) that Zagreb could use the upgraded, much larger terminal.
Do you really think that Zagreb and Croatian government would be able to make this step with putting away 3-4 mil. euros on a side each year ?
This is a 230 mil. euro project. Someone else wants to pay for it. In fact, that someone wants to put in 87 mil eur in fees starting in 2012.
Haven't you read that French said they'd build terminal for 5 mil. pax right away, and not wait to first build the terminal with capacity of 3 mil pax. (and later extend the legs thus enlarging it to 5).
Oh yes, and they will be putting 1/3 of money out of the yearly income. That may be over 50% of profit...I seriously doubt they'd put in so much money and show so much effort if they didn't believe in Zagreb making it...
I am not familiar to this company, but what I extremely like is their sensitive approach to other factors in our economy. For example they included Zagorje Tehnobeton and Viadukt in their tender. IGH is there too.
Did you notice that Zagorje Tehnobeton had already been working on the Sisak highway loop (zaobilaznica) around Zagreb airport ?
To me, these French guys are smart and are seemingly playin a win-win game to make money.
In case all these factors stand the truth and are actually part of the tender documentation, I don't see a reason why not.
Perhaps they regret that things went wrong with Istria Y - and with making such good offer want to "prove themselves" they are worthy of the job- as this project is a project of the decade for Zagreb and Croatia.
I think Croats had clearly shown 1964- 2011 how successful they are in managing Zagreb airport. There's too much dirt and politics. Someone else should take over and have Zagreb beat Belgrade and Sofia (and get close to Budapest).
In 1979 Zagreb handled 1,9 mil pax, Budapest had 1,7 mil
We need to save 1964 stračara from ourselves.
Purger - another argument to dispute your point that concessioner is only interested in expliting the existing infrastructure (which you clearly brought up many times on Croatian Aviation Forum).
ReplyDeleteIf French give out 1,5 euros per passenger, they'd mean that by the existing pax volume they'd have to give away 3,45 mil euros. As the actual profit of the existing airport is around 4 mil euros, they'd leave them with 0,55 mil euro - maybe 1 mil tops.
In case they "restructure" and fire off people - that's only maybe couple of more mil a year.
C'mon, do you really think they are in this for such change ? :) Get real.
They'd rather turn it into a money making machine.
The only "bad" side effect to this is that lazy ass workers won't be able to lay around on their asses and stay "rich" the way they are now.
On the other hand, the national economy will prosper x 10 times, especially the tourism.
Let me remind you that in 1995 Bouygues made huge promises for Istria Y!!! It was “perfect deal”. And fairy-tale that cost Croatia several billion EUR, no highway and concession till 2027 which will cost us even more money. Now, isn't that nice that Bouygues AGAIN!!!! have perfect deal, huge promises, a new fairy-tale. And that company is the only one which find interest where all other run like they saw ghost. How strange…
ReplyDeleteIn Croatia Bouygues was perfect example of company that show how can they conduct concession just on their interest without any sense of public benefit. That is western capitalism which is for you better than corrupted Croatian politician. Like MOL, Hypo, Patria, Mercedes and all other that give money to our politicians which are in prison today. Where are those companies come from? Russia, Croatia, Moldova? Ohhh, nooo, they are from Austria, Germany, Hungary, Finland… How can that be so? Those countries don’t have corruption!?!?! Nice examples where we go, and who give us lessons in corruptions.
By same principle, Bouygues show us in Istria Y, ZAG will not have new terminal, will have much bigger taxes, less traffic and no future!
@Purger
ReplyDelete3 years ago I drove on the Istra Y from Buje to Pula and used it on the return until Pazin, I think it was December 2008. No highway that time but some sort of motorway. 3 months ago I took the same road from Buje until Limski Kanal exit. That was a great highway, there was a new road toll point established, so we had to pay some Kunas, but defintely worth it.
Don t know how the rest is looking. what annoys me more is that the Slovenians couldn t build the last part from Koper to the border yet....
Zagreb airport I used Sep 2010 last time. defintely needs an upgrade, eventhough it s small, clean and the distances are comfortable short :-)
what really suprised me was the train from Zagreb to Slavonia, being spoiled from swiss trains, I was amazed how clean and modern this Intercity was. and it was no exception, on the return travel same nice conditions again and all on time. When I remember how the trains looked from ZRH to BEG 30 years ago....
not to forget to mention the good design of the TMK 2200 trams in your capital
TGD airport 10 years ago was horrible, but seeing the pictures now, they got a nice refurbish
BEG airport can t judge, used it many times, but the last time Dec 1990
Zagreb airport if anything is definitely clean, in terms of 'rude' staff, you get that everywhere the worse I seen is Frankfurt but best in Europe for me anyway was London Heathrow.
ReplyDeleteCroatians need to stop being suspicious of foreign investment which is basically free money. All countries in Croatia's position, if they would like to improve the standard for their citizens, must go through this unless they are sitting on 10% of the worlds natural resource of some kind. I still remember the great suspicion we in Australia had of foreign investment but now Australia has become a huge foreign investor. For me, this Zagreb airport delay has more to do with certain people making sure they get a personal good deal and then anything else.
Petar, spot on.
ReplyDeleteObviously, again in discussion with old socialist way of understanding how business and normal world functions and works.
LDZA is one of last relics of self-management in ZG, after Radio Taxi has been destroyed by Cameo & others.
3rd of January I witnessed bitter and loud discussion of duty free shop employees (3) who were paying absolutely no attention on work or customers in the shop, at all.
It is well known that majority of employees, if not all, at LDZA, are overpaid for their work and most of them employed via "connections".
There is a fear that new concessionaire will not tolerate incompetence, arrogance and laziness and of course everyone wants to fix existing status of socialist "OUR" forever.
Anyone remembers OURs and SOURs?
Previous CEO was even "loved" by LDZA employees, according to Mr.Purger"s previous posts. One could easily imagine why.
In every contract there are two or more contractual parties, all terms are negotiated and fixed / signed off and appealing on one side to work outside of contractual terms i.e. for overall well-being is a joke.
Obviously, Bouygues team in "Y" contract was competent and ours incompetent, unless corrupted, as Mr.Purger suggests.
So, to blame Bouygues for competence in their work is again just a joke.
“Obviously, Bouygues team in "Y" contract was competent and ours incompetent, unless corrupted, as Mr.Purger suggests. So, to blame Bouygues for competence in their work is again just a joke.”
ReplyDeleteCorruption is always corruption. And those who give dirty money are not a bit better from those who take it. Bouygues can not be excuse if that happens.
And today management of Zagreb airport is not incompetent? So many delays, so many “misunderstandings”, so many undefined things in tender, so many unknown things (like building license expired, did not know that they have to change law...)... In same time procedure is secret and public can not control it. At the end JUST ONE company stay in tender, all other run away. That fact is enough to make someone questionable. And on top of that company is the same one that was “COMPETENTE” in Istria Y! You really think we should not worry?
To make tender public will make us less distrustful and not to worry that Bouygues is “COMPETENTE” again. Why, on earth, they don’t want to do that?
I really don't see what OU can do in Eastern Europe, except a slim (and probably not cheap) 2-3 a week service to Moscow.
ReplyDeleteMr.Purger;
ReplyDeleteBest Deal of the Year 1999 - International Trade Finance Magazine in category of concession agreements for infrastructure was awarded to Bouygues for BINA Istra.
This, of course, could mean anything.
From one extreme, meaning really good concession agreement, to another one, "posteno su nas ozenili". Very likely, this another one is our reality.
I might be naive, but nowadays all types of contracts are under detail scrutiny and anti-corruption process, which makes taking money extremely risky.
So, let's go to basics, i.e. competency. If new government has a capacity to properly study new terminal Bouygues bid and finds out that all is in compliance with the law and in the best interest of the country, that is it. Finally, they get a mandate to govern on their claimed honesty, which again leaves competency as a major factor.
BTW Mr.Purger;
What is with CTN Zag / Milan flights? Any news?
There are no plans to open Zagreb-Milano flights at all!
ReplyDelete