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| Croatia Airlines hits a million as Split Airport sees record growth |
Croatia Airlines yesterday handled its millionth passenger for the year, three days behind 2013. Jelena Ninčević was the lucky millionth passenger, travelling from Paris to Split. To mark the occasion, Ms. Ninčević (pictured above) was awarded two return tickets to any destination in Croatia Airlines’ international network and received a gift voucher from Split Airport Duty Free. With the arrival of its millionth passenger, Croatia Airlines has caught up to last year’s results following a slow start to 2014. However, it should be noted that the carrier experienced a ten day strike by staff in May last year, grounding a majority of its flights, which wasn't the case this year around. The airline is expected to report its second quarterly results this week which should reinforce a halt to the passenger decline experienced earlier this year.
During the first quarter, Croatia Airlines welcomed 292.524 travellers on board its aircraft, a decrease of 6.5% on 2013. It is the first time in over a decade the airline has lost its position as the busiest carrier in the former Yugoslavia. Croatia Airlines recorded 83.077 passengers on domestic flights (down 7%) while it handled 203.286 travellers on scheduled international services (down 8%) and a further 6.161 on international charter flights (up 117%). During Q1, the carrier saw healthier loads on its flights to Macedonia (+1.4%), Germany (+2.4%), Austria (+3), the Netherlands (+3.9%) and Belgium (+43.9) when compared to last year. On the other hand, flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina (-0.7%), Italy (-16.1), Switzerland (-10%), the United Kingdom (-19.8%) and France (-24.9%), saw their numbers contract.
In related news, Split Airport, which handled Croatia Airlines’ millionth passenger this year, saw record numbers over the weekend. On Saturday some 26.000 travellers passed through the airport, which represents a 24-hour record. In addition, the airport is estimated to register an impressive 17% increase in passenger numbers this June when compared to the same month last year. The encouraging results have put Split on course to take over the position of the former Yugoslavia’s third busiest airport. Furthermore, on Saturday, a record 2.520 aircraft flew over Croatian airspace. The increase in traffic comes as a result of the recent reopening of Kosovo’s airspace, as well as airlines rerouting their flights towards south-eastern Europe in order to bypass Ukraine in the wake of the Malaysia Airlines disaster.
Go Croatia!
ReplyDeleteGood job to Split Airport. As for Croatia Airlines, having your millionth passenger late compared to the disaster that was last year with the strike isn't such a rosy result.
ReplyDeleteWell, since our tourist season is not rosy so far this year, and considering more competition on most routes, yeah, I think it's a great result!
Delete@AnonymousJuly 29, 2014 at 9:39 AM
DeleteOU still operates at reduced schedule and they have retried 1A320, drop was expected. 2015 will see a lot better results.
Btw OU is on track to hit 1.75 million pax this year and 50 million kuna profits.
Also airline is looking to lease 3 Emberer 95 for next summer season.
@AnonymousJuly 29, 2014 at 9:56 AM
Tourist season isn't rosy this year, not sure what you call a rosy reason but if ~5% growth isn't https://www.hgk.hr/sektor-centar/sektor-turizam/srpanj-podbacio-ukupan-broj-nocenja-raste
good not sure what it, first 6 months 8.9% more tourist and 10.9% more nights and 3.5% more expenditure. Sure July is bit down, first two weeks were not impressive with 1-2% growth, but 3rd week is up significantly with 7.2% more arrivals than last year. Croatia is expecting 14.0 million visitors this year, Zagreb is expected to hit 1.0 million mark. This will be far be the best year for Croatian tourism, and 2nd best for Zagreb, best year Zagreb had were way back when Croatia was still part of Yugo Federation, back than 1.2 million visitors visited Zagreb who generated 1.85 million nights.
Anonymous, 7:11 PM, I live in Dubrovnik, they say that Dubrovnik has more tourists than last year, they're lying, ask anyone in Dubrovnik, no data needed to see that there are less arrivals, we are overpriced, our mayor is an idiot, our tourist board is hillarious!
Delete...and here is a source.
Deletehttp://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/croatian-tourism-dips-worryingly-in-july
All I can say that in Cavtat there is lot less people this year, noticeable less this time of year. First hand observation.
DeleteEx YU: it was Saturday in Split not Sunday.
ReplyDeleteHve a good day. Ciao
Well people you forgot to say overall results are negative -27% compared to last year .This just proves bad management may in Croatia means good management but sorry negative saldo is negative how creative book keeping you do .This Ceo would have been fired long time ago. Every day that he stays as Ceo is a day to long we need Ceo to save company not one that only worries about his ego and his private affairs in the Company .BUSINESS first the PLEASURE that's how a business should be run .
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean - overall results?
DeleteReferring to the +% and the - % you come to the overall results .So easy is it you don't need to be a rocket scientist like the Ceo Mr. Kucko. The 43% Brussels is Politicians going from Croatia to the EU that means no profit on that flights but still keep all OU staff .My question would be do you really need so many has Politicians have there own staff to arrange their on flights not OU staff , so if you want to do really saving with the intention to save the airline you would start there with cutting staff unless the Ceo Mr.Kucko has a personal agenda which I wouldn't be surprised at all.
DeleteI know for sure he has a personal agenda! And we all agree with that unfortunately!
DeleteWHEN IS HE LEAVING?????
WITH HIS MISTRESS????
Croatia Airlines loss down 52%
Deletehttp://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/region.php?yyyy=2014&mm=07&dd=29&nav_id=882394
Why do you think nobody is interested in buying Croatia Airlines sure not due to good results like you say but due the financial situation the company is in , if it financial situation was so good you could be sure that there would be serious interest ,000 interest that says enough .
Delete@AnonymousJuly 29, 2014 at 8:35 PM
Deletedid you read the article or you just don't know how to read your own language?
Croatian Air losses in first 6 months are 52% lower than they were same time last year. Losses for first 6 months 37.7 million kuna or ~5 million euros.
@AnonymousJuly 29, 2014 at 9:31 PM
Situation throught out the airline industry is really bad, very few profitable airlines, mostly low cost operators and largest global airlines.
Croatia made small profit last year, I'm sure they'll make very decent profit this year. Do I want Kucko to go, sure who doesn't, but OU needs a good forward thinking visionary CEO not political appointee.
Less planes, staff, expenses and they're still making losses???
Delete@AnonymousJuly 30, 2014 at 12:02 AM
DeleteJust less planes, not staff, and yes they're still making losses, but less than last year and 6 months losses isn't that significant, considering last year same time OU had 80 million kuna losses yet they still made 5 million kuna after tax profits at the end of the year.
OU makes most of its money between april and December and most of its loses between Jan and March as half the fleet is sitting on the platform waiting for spring to come, reason for losses.
Competition at Zagreb airport is also one factor why OU must change its act from next year on.
Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar are most likely to record a double digit growth in July, but, altogether, tourist season is worse than last year!
ReplyDeleteWhy is the tourists season worse than last year? Its bad here in Montenegro this year but mostly because of no Russians and Ukrainians and also fewer Serbia. The weather has been horrible as well.
DeleteMostly because of high prices and bad offer, I live (and was born) in Dubrovnik, the data they give are simply false, this season is worse than last year's, unfortunately! Dubrovnik, for example, is overpriced, not much to offer, besides sun and sea!
DeleteMy opinion is that OU is actually doing great job considering the ticket prices. They are so expensive during the summer months, promo ticket Zagreb - Vienna costs 250 Euro!! Air Serbia looks like a LCC comparing to OU prices.
ReplyDeleteCause Croatia is Europe and Serbia is "Balkans"...
DeleteDoesnt matter if we are in Europe or the Balkans, prices should not be this high for economy class.
DeleteAgreed, I use Croatia Airlines at least once a month or so, sometimes the prices can be decent, but mostly they are too high!
DeleteAccording to Air Serbia's website, they will increase Budapest to 11 weekly flights!
ReplyDeleteI cannot sebe it. Anyways I guess there is a lot of transfer pax since options for o & d pax are rather cheap, reliable and affordable.
Deletealso LJU from 7 to 11 weekly in W14
DeleteWhere have you seen that?
DeleteOne could see it on their website.
DeleteGuess Im stupid...
DeleteCongratulations Split, but the airport is simply not big enough to handle that many passengers in a day.......they try reall hard....but it is too much pressure on the staff, and not enough space in departures or arrivals.
ReplyDeletePlease either Ju or Croatian keep a couple of flights beg spu in the winter months....
New terminal is about to be constructed next year, 25000sqm add on current 12.500 sqm with current platform to be doubled as well, from 45000 sqm to around 100 000sqm by 2017.
DeleteAll works should be completed by 2017 summer season, new terminal will add additional 3.5 million capacity on current terminal, although with new terminal combined capacity will be closer to 5.5 million sufficient to handle enough passengers even in busiest months of the year.
U also have to understand in winter months Split airport handles barely 1000 passengers per day. Only in summer months does airport come to life. This year Split airport is expected to handle 1.72 million passengers and in 2015 1.85 million.
SPU do a great job. I try to avoid flying in on a Saturday as it is so so busy, but the staff do a great job. Taking a typical Easyjet flight as soon as the plane parks up two baggage trolleys turn up, one empty for the hold luggage and one full of cases to be loaded. It's a perfectly executed operation and within 25 minutes the plane turns around and is on its way again. If only the same could be said for BEG.
ReplyDeleteJos da ih DLH ne iskoriscava tako. Nije zanimljivo ako ASL nema konkurencije ��.
ReplyDeleteINN
Does anyone know why Lufthansa cancelled their flight tonight?
ReplyDelete