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| Planned Chongqing – Zadar flights unlikely to materialise |
Hainan Airlines, China’s largest privately owned carrier and the country’s fourth largest, has ruled out flights from Chongqing, in China’s south-west, to Zadar, which were initially to be launched on May 1 but were then delayed until September. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, a Hainan Airlines spokesperson said the carrier had no knowledge of any future services to Zadar. In April, Zadar Airport’s Managing Director, Irena Ćosić, said that one weekly charter flights, operated each Friday from Chongqing to Zadar, would most likely be introduced in September, after plans to launch the route in May were cancelled. “We are not giving up on our cooperation with the Chinese. We will continue to lobby hard on the Chinese market”, Ms Ćosić said at the time.
Hainan Airlines is concerned that the proposed route would not generate enough interest. The head of the Chinese Southeast Europe Business Association (CSEBA), Mario Rendulić, who initiated talks between Zadar Airport and the Chinese, previously said that Zadar is still relatively unknown and undiscovered by Chinese tourists. “We are still just a dot and we are working on changing that. We still don’t have any brands that could attract Chinese tourists”, Mr Rendulić noted. In recent years, Croatia has seen a surge in travellers from China, with a little over 60.000 visiting last year. Ms Ćosić believes Hainan Airlines could carry some 25.000 passengers during its first year and could eventually introduce scheduled two-weekly flights between the two cities.
Hainan Airlines’ arrival at Zadar Airport would have been a much welcomed addition during the slow winter months when Croatia Airlines is the airport’s sole customer, maintaining flights only to Zagreb and Pula. Furthermore, the airport was hoping to compensate for the loss of several Ryanair routes this summer with this new service. In addition, the bulk of Scandinavian tourists traveling with tour operator Scandjet have been rerouted to Rijeka this summer instead. Despite these setbacks, the airport’s passenger numbers have held up well. During the first five months it registered a 14% increase in passenger numbers. However, in June and July figures slipped slightly. The airport expects to end the year with similar numbers as in 2014. Zadar Airport recently entered talks with Air Serbia over potential flights from Belgrade next summer season.
Can't say I'm surprised. It was too far fetched.
ReplyDeleteNot surprising. Ms. Cosic and Mr. Rendulic nees to calm the f... down and get realistic.
ReplyDeleteGiven Croatia's size and global (un)importance, at this point the country should consolidate all of its efforts into trying to bring long haul carriers to Zagreb, the capital, which is a great starting point to explore Croatia and the surrounding attractions: Plitvice Lakes, Zagorje Castles, Bled Lake in Slovenia, Istria, Opatija Riviera etc. I see Split and Dubrovnik handle some of such traffic in a more distant future... but Zadar... ? C'mon Ms. Cosic - stick to your LCC model and stop trying to de-fragment the wider picture...
da Petar, samo Split nema infrastrukture i nece imati za widebodies.
DeleteSve se optimira ocigledno na 320s i 737s.
Ali DBV da, imali su longhaul i na jugu trebalo bi imati isto potencialni aerodrom za takve letove.
Ustvari JAL je pokazao sta ima smisla (kombinacija sa severnom destinacijom).
SPU can and does handle widebodies, at least 767s (i.e. Transaero and Condor). Not sure though if they accommodate 777s/340s though.
DeleteBNX is experiencing passenger decline comparing to last year.
ReplyDeleteThat statement holds little water, unless you back it up with some figures. Source?
DeleteI wouldn't be surprised given that JA suspended operations.
DeleteSince the end of May 2015, there is no route to Zurich, and there are no announced charter flights to Tivat in July and August.
DeleteThe Managing Board didn't find any other airline to substitute JA.
What a shame, what an incapable board!
DeleteKina, Srbija mora da se zezas exYu.
ReplyDeleteDid you even read the article?
Deletehttp://www.exyuaviation.com/2015/03/zadar-airport-prepares-for-long-haul.html
Deletehttp://www.exyuaviation.com/2015/05/belgrade-zadar-route-decision-in-few.html
Air Canada / Croatia Airlines Begins Codeshare Partnership from late-July 2015
ReplyDeleteby JL
Posted at 0440GMT 27JUL15
Star Alliance members Air Canada and Croatia Airlines on Saturday (25JUL15) launched unilateral codeshare partnership, after securing approval from Canadian Transportation Agency on 17JUL15. Air Canada’s AC code will appear on following service operated by Croatia Airlines.
Air Canada operated by Croatia Airlines
Dubrovnik – Paris CDG
Dubrovik – Rome
Dubrovnik – Zurich
Split – London Heathrow
Split – Paris CDG
Split – Rome
Split – Zurich
Zagreb – Amsterdam
Zagreb – Brussels
Zagreb – Copenhagen
Zagreb – London Heathrow
Zagreb – Paris CDG
Zagreb – Zurich
Source: http://airlineroute.net/2015/07/27/acou-codeshare-jul15/
Croatia Airlines reacting to SkyGreece or has this been planned for a while now?
DeleteI think AC is reacting..?
DeleteThis is not a surprise and someone needs to really understand the job they are in before making such claims.
ReplyDeleteHow much potential business has Zadar lost while persons were looking to establish flights which could never physically materialise!
This saga should result in the end of the career at Zadar airport of whoever initiated it.
What I don't understand is why did the CEO of the airport announce this route so much. She must have known the Chinese were not interested. Yes, it would have been fantastic but it seems so unrealistic. Like Petar said, if it were DBV or SPU I would understand.
DeleteShe announced it because she most probably believed or was convinced by some interests that it might actually happen but a basic understanding of air law which she in that position should have would have alerted her to the fact that Zadar can not handle an RPT operation of this nature!
DeleteSo she is either not competent for the job or scammed a few free trips to China. Either one would be enough for me to see here moved on especially when the time and resources she wasted here could have been used to secure other more suitable flights for Zadar.
Well that's the end of that adventure
ReplyDeleteOT:
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know the LF on W6's new routes from SKP?
First flights were almost full, but now its going with 120-150 pax
DeleteEX YU pisali ste da će flydubai uvesti četvrti let tjedno za BEG i ZAG, još uvijek ga nema u sistemu rezervacije, jel to sigurna informacija ili ???
ReplyDeleteFy Dubai announced that months ago
Deletehttps://scontent-fra3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/11049598_833636046686118_877718781868099247_n.jpg?oh=374cf292ba3c9fc61848e826ff6e6b8c&oe=565807BD
Both were in GDS already as 4 weekly effective start of winter schedule, but then two or three weeks ago decreased back to 3 weekly.
DeleteBolje da su ponudili ZAG nego ovako to je totalna glupost .
ReplyDeleteKad sam pricao pre neki dan da se pregovara u INI sa Aviokompanijama rekli ste da sam lud .
INN-NS
@ INN-NS jer si samo ponovil sta je vec bilo napisano
DeleteNe nisam.nista ponovio.
DeleteINN-NS
I will repeat a comment from a few days ago which I think is suitible for this topic as well.
ReplyDeleteThis RJK-ZAD comparison shows best what competent, or incompetent management means for an airport. Both RJK and ZAD have new CEO's. RJK FINALLY managed to get rid of the guy who was in charge for something like 20+ years, and destroyed the airport and the destination. At the same time, extremely succesfull lady who was in charge of ZAD, who increased traffic, increased income, refurbished and expanded terminal, brought new operators, and above all was beloved by the employees, was released from duty. And it shows.
How many of these Chinese visitors are actually from Hong Kong?
ReplyDeleteLike we didn't see that coming.
ReplyDeleteLOL
Zadar airport fail
DeleteZAD is operational airport, for the city of its size it has decent traffic and decent numbers (400.000 pax),to arange of destinations, both on scheduled and charter flights, on both conventional and LCC carriers, so not getting one long hsaul flight, is not fail. Or, with the same standards, it is Belgrade Airport fail, because BEG failed to attract long-haul as well, like ZAD did. Not to mention Kraljevo Ladjevci or Uzice Ponikve, which are both non-operational, and exist in some people dreams only. So, it's rather Belgrade airport fail, Kraljevo airport fail and Uzice airport fail.
DeleteSo let me get this right. The airport CEO announced first flights in March, then they moved them to May, then to September and now they are cancelled. On 28 April they had their first ever meeting with Hainan Airlines and realized that they don't even have a license to fly to Croatia.
ReplyDeleteVery professional.
I’m not going to say that things in Western world are so much better because they are not. Here in Canada you’ll read stories about embezzlement, fraud etc. almost every day. However, one big difference is that here you can actually read about them. Some local or even national level journalist should be all over the this story. They could through Freedom of Information get access to the info related to her trips, timelines, how much she spent there , how long she stayed etc. All of this would result in her “resignation” and governments would think twice who they hire afterwards. But it seems that even in journalistic world nobody is willing to do some work.
ReplyDeleteOT
ReplyDeleteSome more info about JA's demise;
http://www.avaz.ba/clanak/188295/bh-airlines-novalic-uvjerio-radnike-da-je-stecaj-pravo-rjesenje
Otkad sam ja rekao da od te linije nema nista ali sam bio napadnut .
ReplyDeleteINN-NS
Ma ko te napao, sinko. Pa svi smo se složili ovdje da se to neće dogoditi. Šta lupaš! Mislim da nitko ovdje nije vjerovao da ovo ima šanse.
DeleteIf anyone interested, JU and EY are lately going overbooked to and from BEG and AUH, EY even selling out its J class. JU loads in J class to and from AUH is still showing spare seats. This is excluding the non rev pax. EY unfortunately is still sending its A319 to BEG.
ReplyDelete