Spring plunge for Zagreb Airport

Numbers slump at Zagreb Airport

Zagreb Airport has recorded its first passenger decrease of the year, with numbers dipping just under 2% in April. This is despite the fact that the airport handled more flights compared the same month last year. It welcomed 186.663 passengers, down 1.7% compared to last April’s 189.877. A total of 1.763 aircraft operations were registered at Croatia’s busiest airport, up a considerable 7%. Last year, Easter fell in the first week of April, while this year the holiday was observed in the last week of March which attributed to the passenger slump. Nevertheless, the airport did record its poorest April results in three years.

So far in 2013, Zagreb Airport has welcomed 628.171 passengers through its doors, a solid increase of 5.4% compared to last year’s 595.817 passengers. Similar April trends were observed in Dubrovnik with passenger numbers plunging 8%. In the first four months of the year Dubrovnik Airport handled 145.124 passengers (down 0.1%). Rival Split Airport managed to improve on its April results and has welcomed 149.124 passengers through its doors so far this year (up 7.4%).

Zagreb Airport is likely to be affected by Croatia Airlines’ eight day strike in May. The Croatian national carrier has been reporting strong passenger growth so far this year but will be derailed by the industrial dispute which saw many of its flights cancelled. In the first quarter of 2013, Croatia Airlines welcomed 312.618 passengers, up 6% compared to the same period last year. However, the average cabin load factor in the first three months stood at a relatively poor 59.6%. Once again, the Croatian national carrier ended the first quarter as the busiest airline in the former Yugoslavia, some 90.986 passengers ahead of second placed Jat Airways.