One million passengers and counting
Yesterday, Croatia Airlines handled its millionth passenger so far this year, cementing its position as the busiest carrier in the former Yugoslavia. Ankica Šivak was the lucky millionth passenger, travelling between Zagreb and Dubrovnik. To mark the occasion, Ms. Šivak received two return tickets to any of Croatia Airlines’ destinations and a gift voucher from Zagreb Airport Duty Free. Croatia Airlines handled its millionth passenger in 2013 exactly a week behind 2012, as passenger growth begins to stall. The Croatian carrier started the year off strongly but was affected by a weeklong strike by its pilots and cabin crew in May.
Croatia Airlines’ Executive Director for Sales, Marketing, Network and Revenue, Nenad Jelavić, said he is pleased with this year’s passenger numbers despite the millionth traveller being handled a few days behind last year. “Considering we are operating with one aircraft less this summer season, as a result of restructuring, I am pleased with the accomplished result”, Mr. Jelavić explains. Last year, Croatia Airlines handled a record breaking 1.95 million passengers. However, the Croatian carrier has estimated it will see a 4% drop in passenger numbers by the end of the year.
During 2013, Croatia Airlines carried the majority of its passengers on flights to and from Germany, France and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the airline has recorded an on-time performance rate of 83% so far this year, one of its best results in recent times and above the industry average recorded by the Association of European Airlines, an alliance made up of Europe’s national carriers. “The situation within Croatia Airlines is normal and our cooperation with Zagreb Airport is very good”, Mr. Jelavić says. Since launching passenger flights in 1991, Croatia Airlines has welcomed 27.3 million passengers on board its aircraft and operated over 450.000 flights.
Wait... do they expect a 4% drop with the current service or have they calculated it with the planned cuts?
ReplyDeleteI think they're projecting 4% drop based on the fact that airline will have 1 aircraft less, but from looks it airline is on target to achieve lat year's figure, don't forget airline had 8 day strike that crippled airline and OU still manged to keep on track. Impressive if you ask me.
DeleteWell, I was mostly referring to the cuts such as the one announced yesterday, that is Dubrovnik-Frankfurt.
DeleteAre those included in the 4% drop or not?
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How realistic is it to expect 440,000 passengers at Belgrade airport this July? Last year the airport handled 410,000.
ReplyDeletewoah 410'000 that s damn well. Didn t know BEG is already that high in JUL...
DeleteAugust was 411,000 so I expect them to get even more this year.
DeleteFurthermore, in 2013 another month joined the over 300,000 passenger mark. It was May when they handled 301,000 up from 284,000 in 2012.
:)
Congrats OU! It's a shame that this airline is in the situation it is in. Good luck OU in restructuring and I hope the management does the right thing.
ReplyDeleteCool.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind getting a free return ticket 2 somewhere...
Well, the chance is one in a million. :D
DeleteIndeed, but I'm an optimist by nature :)
DeleteMediocre article but it does state that Jat-Etihad will tie up on 1st August.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aviokarta.net/vesti/1949-vlada-potpisuje-sporazum-sa-etihadom-1-avgusta/
A rare article on Aviokarta that actually has a neutral stance on Jat. They constantly trash them, so it is a nice change.
With JAT receiving all that investment from Etihad and the restructuring process taking place, JAT will surely overtake Croatia Airlines as the busiest carrier in Ex-Yu.
ReplyDeleteEspecially now that Croatia Airlines will downsize and introduce smaller aircraft (Embraer).
Deleteand pigs can fly !
Deleteand your mother can fly.
DeleteSo pigs can fly on OU? Is that some EU-sponsored directive concerning animal's rights and welfare? I'm sure your mothers must be happy to be finally able to fly
Deleteo.o i'm flying.,,
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DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteLike Croatia Airlines new planes and superb inflight service.
EY/JU tie-up will also have a positive impact on OU!
ReplyDeleteBeing number 1 in the Ex Yu made OU lazy and only sitting on their laurels.
Now with EY/JU in front of their pointy nose they really will have to compete -
and competing means improving in all aspects!
If they do their homework we can expect a better OU-product and service in the future.
Croatia Airlines W13 Operation Changes as of 26JUL13
ReplyDeletePosted: 25 Jul 2013 09:00 PM PDT
Update at 0400GMT 26JUL13
As per 26JUL13 GDS timetable/inventory display, initial changes to Croatia Airlines’ Winter 2013/14 operation, effective 27OCT13, as follow. Further changes remain possible in the next few weeks.
Dubrovnik – Rome 2 weekly service operated by Dash8, replacing 1 weekly each of Dash8 and A320 in W12
OU384 DBV1550 – 1710FCO DH4 4
OU384 DBV1555 – 1715FCO DH4 7
OU385 FCO1800 – 1925DBV DH4 47
Pula – Zadar Service reduce from daily in W12 to 6 weekly (Day x6)
Zagreb – Brussels Service increases from 7 weekly in W12 to 10 weekly
OU456 ZAG0625 – 0845BRU DH4 x267
OU4456 ZAG1510 – 1730BRU DH4 x6
OU457 BRU1030 – 1240ZAG DH4 x267
OU4457 BRU1815 – 2025ZAG DH4 x6
Zagreb – Paris CDG 2 of 5 weekly service moves to afternoon/evening operation
OU470 ZAG0830 – 1035CDG 319 135
OU470 ZAG1525 – 1730CDG 319 47
OU471 CDG1135 – 1325ZAG 319 135
OU471 CDG1830 – 2020ZAG 319 47
Following service cancelled in Winter 2013/14 season. Frequencies listed is from Winter 2012/13 season
Dubrovnik – Frankfurt 3 weekly
Dubrovnik – Paris CDG 2 weekly
Zagreb – London Gatwick 1 weekly
We'll talk when JAT reaches 1 milion pax at this time, in around 10 years ;)
ReplyDeleteAt least Jat will be around in 10 years, we can't say the same for OU ;)
DeleteJAT will have more pax than CTN in end of 2014!!!!
DeleteCTN reduce lines, planes and capacities (Embraers instead of Airbus)
Jat gets new planes, lines and code-shares.
Just watch it!
I doubt very much that OU will see a huge drop in passenger numbers, increases are more likely, maybe not this year but the numbers will still increase.
DeleteAs for Jat catching OU, that could happen for sure but I'm not convinced it will and if it does it wont be in the next 2 or even 5 years. We are talking an extra 800,000 passengers per year here!
Jat currently has more airplanes than Croatia.. Jat will only add to it's fleet and increase load favor while Croatia is only downsizing its fleet and changing some airbus airplanes into embraers.
DeleteIt is pretty obvious that Jat will over take Croatia within a couple of years max. Max.
Which means that within two years Belgrade can easily reach 4,000,000 passengers.
DeleteI agree Q400, purger talks nonsense, OU won't be getting Embraers or replace its Airbus aircraft.
DeleteOU is going to have same or slightly less passengers this year, but 2014 things should be back to normal and OU might have more than 2 million pax in 2014 and 2.1 million in 2015. By 2017 OU could be looking at 2.5 million pax and with arrival of 4 brand new Airbus A319 fleet would get a major boost.
by 2020 OU is set to handle between 3 and 3.2 million passengers per year, I'd be surprised if Jat or air Serbia is still operational by than.
Annually Jat only manged to keep flying due to large subsidies JAt received from Serbian government and still manged to accumulate €180 million debt.
Jat as an airline is finished, and if Ethiad gets anything out of Jat I'd be highly surprised, they'll soon enough learn the things are done in Serbia.
My condolences to Ethiad, you tried your best, mark my words.
It's freakin funny how you think that a lot of airplanes automatically means more pax... You don't take into account that maybe your airplanes won't be packed full?!??!
ReplyDeleteCroatia, in winter, sometimes fly with 10 pax on board... Serbia is no destination, no tourism, no nothing... Just big "dijaspora"...
And yet Etihad chooses to invest in Serbia and not Croatia
DeleteAnonymousJuly 27, 2013 at 12:11 PM
ReplyDeleteThis is cause Croatian airlines wasn't or is for sale, JAT was cause it faces bankruptcy, for all tense and purposes JAT is no more, with arrival of Ethiad Jat will become Air Serbia.
also entire purchase was political, in exchange for Serbia allowing UAE purchase large swaths of prime agricultural lands in Vojvodina.
Jat as an airline otherwise would fail, will it still might, just the chances now are slightly less than they were before.
Its not like Jat will suddenly become highly profitable and passanger numbers going to skyrocket, with Belgrade becoming more and more destination for low cost operators, Wizz Air all but crating a hub at Belgrade Airport, Jat what ever it is called will face tough competition from Wizz and Easy Jet and other low cost operators. We might be talking Jat and its troubles for some time.
Can someone tell me how much ZAG airport has passenegers per year ? Also I need an info for BEG airport for comparison.
ReplyDelete