Dubrovnik Airport is facing an extremely challenging summer season with airlines continuing to cancel their operations to the city as a result of the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak and the expected decline in travel demand following the pandemic. According to General Manager Frano Luetić, the airport anticipates handling just 30% of its planned traffic this year, in the best of cases. So far, American Airlines and Qatar Airways have cancelled all of their planned operations to the coastal city for this year, while Lufthansa, airBaltic, Enter Air, Jet2, Finnair and Volotea will significantly reduce their operations. “We are witnessing something unlike we’ve ever seen in peacetime. We have been left without any traffic”, Mr Luetić said.
Dubrovnik Airport has been closed since March 19. In a statement this week it said its doors would remain shut until at least May 2. Some domestic flights are expected to resume next month, however, the majority of international services are unlikely to resume before June. The airport estimates it will register a net loss of 9.5 million euros during the first half of the year. Despite the result, none of its 387 staff members will be dismissed, although the fate of 162 seasonal workers will depend on the support the Croatian government provides to its airports as part of measures to stimulate the economy in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Dubrovnik Airport was expected to have a record summer with a 4% increase in overall operations. Instead, during the first quarter, it welcomed 72.406 travellers, down 38.6% on 2019. The airport has halted all ongoing non-essential investments for the time being but is considering the purchase of thermal cameras, which measure people’s body temperature, once it resumes operations. Tonči Peović, the General Manager of Brač Airport and one of the executive board members of the Croatian Employer’s Association has warned that the Croatian aviation industry stands to lose up to 93 million euros as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and up to 198.5 million euros in lost revenue.
I fear that other coastal airports in Croatia as well as Montenegro are faced with similar prospects
ReplyDeleteIt's looking that way unfortunately.
DeleteI'd like to hear about people on this blog who, last week, were really optimistic and wanted to fly in May... because the virus was weakening !
Delete30% that seems quite optimistic, if Dubrovnik handles 20% i'd be very surprised, that is 550 000.
DeleteI hope at least Croatia Airlines will be able to resume flights from DBV next month.
ReplyDeleteIt says domestic flights will likely resume next month.
DeleteSuch a shame for what is in my opinion the best managed airport in Croatia.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI really hope there will be at least some foreign traffic in August/September.
ReplyDeleteLikely from Germany and Austria at least.
DeleteAir Baltic will resume Riga-Dubrovnik on 27 July (3 weekly).
DeleteGood at least something.
DeleteAre they still planning Riga-Rijeka?
DeleteÝes 29JUL20 – 16SEP20. 1 weekly instead of 2
DeleteAlso they plan Riga – Split from 29JUN20 1 weekly
DeleteThey can plan whatever they want, but if the government won't open the borders for those nationals, we are talking about nothing.
DeleteIt's not only about opening borders but if people can afford to go to an expensive and premium destination like Croatia. Someone who lost their job might struggle.
Deletethere won't be any commercial flights before November, i can guarantee you that. December is most likely the month when things might go back to normal in terms of air travel, and even then service will be limited, most likely flights via Zagreb only. Same regime might be in place till April 2021. After that if Covid-19 vaccine works, we'll have full resumption of services. before that, i am not confident there'll be any flights.
DeleteLoosing AA is a big hit unfortunately. The question now is will it be back in 2021 considering the way the global economy is headed.
ReplyDeleteI believe they will come back. Same way they will resume flying to Venice too.
DeleteHope so
DeleteVenice and Dubrovnik can't be compared
DeleteIn terms of popularity they can be compared as AA flies to both. In terms of Corona they can be compared too, but in favour of DBV as Northern Italy is epicenter of virus and South Croatia is almost not hit at all.
DeleteWhat does that mean for passenger numbers this year?
ReplyDeleteIt means they will have a lot less.
DeleteI'm surprised the airport doesn't have thermal cameras already.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they have needed any up until now?
DeleteWell if some operations will restart next month I think it is necessary.
DeleteJU will most likely reduce BEG-DBV to 4 weekly on the ATR.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so confident those flights will resume this year. But even 4 weekly would be great at this point.
DeleteThere will be no summer season.
ReplyDeleteThere will be some. Low scale. At the end of summer.
DeleteDisaster :(
ReplyDeleteThis year will be a disaster for everyone.
DeleteIt will be difficult for everyone, but the touristic countries will be hit much more than the others.
DeleteIn that sense we might say Croatia will be terribly hit as the big percentage of income comes from tourism. The countries like Bosnia or N.Macedonia are here in much better position.
Macedonia and Bosnia may not be hit but their level is like 3x lower. Not sure what is better
DeleteDBV 'was the first airport in Croatia to close. Hopefully it will be the first to reopen.
ReplyDeleteWell it was crazy that they were accepting flights from Italy until the week they closed if you ask me.
DeleteDon't know why Croatia isn't doing what Greece is doing and to chose a few nationalities on which to focus. Greece is allowing Serbs, Bulgarians, Israelis and a few more to come for holidays while completely banning western Europeans. This is a wise move which will help them salvage at least a part of the summer season.
ReplyDeleteVery probably same will happen in Croatia. It all depends on how safe are the countries where the tourists are coming from.
DeleteOur politicians are dreaming about Czech tourists right now XD
DeleteCzech tourists are traditional tourists in Croatia and many arrive by car. Why do you think it is impossible for them to come late in the summer? Also a lot of hope is being put in Slovenian tourists.
DeleteMaybe because the Czech government said that they shouldn't think of going for holidays at all this summer? Czech borders might remain closed until September. Also I don't think Slovenes alone can help save the season.
DeleteSlovenes will be chilling on their own part of the Adriatic coast this summer due to economic impacts.
DeleteNo one can't save no-ones season. Also, Serbian Government is also telling its own people to stay in Serbia and explore their own country.
DeleteAlso, what does mean allowing nationalities of certain country to enter and not some others? How does that make any sense?
Your information on Serbia is invalid. The past few days they said that we can g on holidays to Greece and that Montenegro and Egypt will most likely also be valid options. There was no mention on other popular destinations like Turkey and Spain.
DeleteThere is no Schengen at the moment so Greece controls who enters and who dosn't. Serbs, Bulgarians, Israelis... can go in. For French, Croats, Brits, Germans... Hellenic borders will remain shut.
That's how visa system work for decades
DeleteFrishki what's wrong with not allowing certain nationals to come during the summer? There is obviously an emergency and if the infection is running in a country, there is a more than valid argument not to let those nationals to come.
DeleteWhat is wrong? Maybe the fact that letting people for a certain country doesn't mean that the virus won't spread again.
DeleteAlso, anon @ 11:02, I didn't say that they were told they CAN'T go, but they should stay. And you really think that people will be traveling as much as they did pre-corona, including Serbians?
i wouldnt take this opening the borders as granted.
Deleteour presi told us that he was ready to go shopping in Milan only a month ago ...
its a long way to go
Why wouldn't Serbs go abroad? Most have already paid for their summer holidays and anyway we went to Turkey during the coup and to Tunis during attacks. Serbs are not as bothered by these things as some others. Of course there will be less people travelling but there will still be those who will go. That is why they are working on making sure Egypt, Montenegro and Greece are open and accessible.
DeleteWhat does that mean that Serbs are not bothered by these things as others? Serbs have some special genes that make them less prone to get infected?
DeleteNo one will afford to go on holidays this year. The economy will go down everywhere. No more Chalkidi this year.....stay home!
DeleteFishki, he said that people are just less worried about it, not that they are superheroes. Oh my
DeleteWhich means what? If you're less bothered, you get more chance to travel?
DeleteAt the Greek border: -Are you bothered by the CoViD-19? -No, not really. -OK, enter.
:D :D
DeleteEveryone is talking about these western markets but I think we are not over with the worst pandemic here. Tests that they are doing are the fast ones, not the regular ones, government is refusing to provide all information on the disease and in recent days more people started dying. On top of all this the government is relaxing measures which means even more will be infected. Foreigners might not be able to come because we are not going to be ready to welcomed them.
ReplyDeleteActually the number of new infections seems to be decreasing in almost all countries in Europe.
Deletebut what does this mean?
Deletewe are still at the start of the crisis with the number of infected only at about 1 to 4% in all the countries here and the health care system already struggeling;
as soon as there is more contact, infections will go up; how will there be tourism without contact? how would you operate restaurants and discos with distancing rules?
In recent days some zupanije that didn't have any new infected reported new cases. This is far from over.
DeleteHow is Croatia Airlines coping with the lack of DBV flights. It gets the most revenue and profits from the coast in summer.
ReplyDeleteOU is in technical bankruptcy at the moment. It will be salvaged by government aid which will be more liberal due to relaxed EU regulations resulting from the current pandemic.
DeleteMost of the European flag carries are technical bankrupt. Brussels Airlines, Alitalia, Austrian etc.. And they all will be bailed out by their government.
DeleteTravel industry will never be the same. We are currently witnessing the slow collapse of Austrian Airlines and Vienna as a major regional hub. Yesterday they announced that they will retire further 10 aircraft on top of the 18 Q400 that are slowly leaving the fleet. Three B767 and 7 A319s are out.
ReplyDeleteAustrian Airlines will have just 60 aircraft in its fleet, which is tragic compared to 82+2 that LO will have. Austrian Airlines will have massive cuts coming as not only their smallest plane will have 116 seats but the next sized aircraft will have 174.
This is truly the end of an era. Good riddance our beloved Austrian Airlines, I had great transfer flights with you. They already cut Miami in December and they announced LAX is not coming back this winter. Let's see what else will be long gone.
Every time I flew with them their crew was very rude and impolite.
DeleteI heard the same from many other people that used their service.
I am not sure that this the major problem here: they were already on a push to operate more efficiently and already decided long ago to get rid of their dashs and possibly a319; now they are just accelerating the move and trying to get the payroll in line with the other costs... at least they are following standard procedures and go by the law...
Deletethe problem is more with the other operators: look how ryanair and wizz misused the situation and make their "employees" sign deals "voluntarily" in vienna and germany
Retiring aircrafts doesn't mean the company will collapse...
DeleteI just hope Croatia learns some solid economic lessons from this. i know we are in a financial crises and pretty much all sectors are effected but Croatia being so heavily reliant on tourism is not good.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, although Tourism is good, it is not ideal to center so much on it. Country should invest in to digital technology, information systems, manufacturing and exports.
Delete