Croatia Airlines is considering growing its presence on regional markets to offset rising competition from Ryanair, which last week announced a further two new routes from Zagreb for a total of 29. The Croatian flag carrier is looking to capitalise on its transfer pontifical via its hub, which Ryanair is unable to offer. Starting next week, Croatia Airlines will cooperate on the new service between Pristina and Zagreb, which is being operated jointly in cooperation with Trade Air on behalf of MyWings. According to the “Croatia Aviation” portal, the national carrier will not only wet-lease one of its Dash 8 Q400 turboprops for the service, but it will also allocate a certain number of seats on the route, so passengers from Pristina will be able to continue their journey via Zagreb to other destinations in Europe, such as Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen. Munich, London and Dublin.
The Croatian carrier is also looking into the possibility of linking Skopje and Ljubljana. Over 40.000 passengers flew between Macedonia’s and Slovenia’s capital cities each year prior to the bankruptcy of Adria Airways in late September of 2019. The route has been unserved since. Ljubljana Airport’s operator Fraport Slovenija had previously expressed interest for Croatia Airlines to serve Vienna, Skopje, Prague and Copenhagen. Earlier this year, the carrier’s CEO, Jasmin Bajić, said the airline was in talks with Slovenian authorities over improving Ljubljana’s connectivity. “Croatia Airlines is potentially interested in establishing flights from Ljubljana Airport in order to enable passengers from Slovenia to connect to European destinations”, the carrier said.
Croatia Airlines is also considering expanding its offer on the Macedonian market following talks with the operator of the country’s airports TAV Macedonia, Mr Bajić, noted, “If there is interest from Macedonian tour operators and partners, we are ready to expand our cooperation onto routes other than Zagreb and Skopje, like perhaps Ohrid and Split”. However, Tirana remains Zagreb’s busiest unserved route in the region. Last year, Croatia Airlines considered introducing operations to the Albanian capital prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. “Both parties agreed for talks between Croatia Airlines and relevant authorities in Albania to commence immediately in order for this important project [flights] to be realised as soon as possible”, the Albanian Embassy in Zagreb said last year. Based on OAG data, some 6.229 passengers flew indirectly between the two cities on a single itinerary in 2019.
It's the only thing left for them to do. Hope they are successful.
ReplyDeleteThey announced a few months back that they will focus on regional connectivity in order to offer better connections via Zagreb. And although I think OU lost many opportunities, this is their best way to remain in the game with Ryanair taking away so many P2P pax from them in Zagreb.
DeleteOU has immensely powerful when it comes to regional markets, ZAG regional pax numbers don't lie! For Croatia, OU is of strategic interest!
DeleteWhat regional markets? They only fly to Skopje and Sarajevo.
DeleteThose regional markets, you said it yourself!
DeleteGood idea, how about establishing good connectivity between SKP and BRU via ZAG? Austrian taking all transfer passengers at present. Also regular business passengers etc. I have found impossible to find a good connection via ZAG on this route whereas in the past it was good and also cheaper than OS. Here is an idea to begin with in your regional expansion
DeleteFR has shown it is not afraid to launch regional routes from Zagreb. I mean they fly Pidgorica, Sofia and Thesalonikki from Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteThinking ,considering, looking into possibilities, evaluating, waiting, estimating...
ReplyDeleteAll the possible actions except actually doing something. OU is the best source of hot air during these cold winter months.
''Thinking ,considering, looking into possibilities, evaluating, waiting, estimating.''...... and shelves or give up in the end.....
DeleteIn my opinion, their main focus should be Zagreb and trying to deal with Ryanair's onslaught.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they are exploring new routes. This is best strategy they could have under current circumstances
ReplyDeleteWhere have they been the last few years during covid ? That's when you review, analyse, re-strategise and then act ... like NOW !!!!
DeleteAll these guys do is talk, issue news releases and then nothing, nada, zero .... no action. They are the world champions in doing absolutely nothing.
They deserve everything that comes their way ....
Best strategy? They have NO strategy. No plan. No vision. No actuall will and capability to do anything. These are not even "firefighting" measures as their volume, even if they come to realisation which I doubt, are not sufficient for any serious improvement
DeleteNe, ti imaš strategiju! I tebe se na ovom portalu sve pita!
DeleteOvaj "ti" s malim "t", kao i ton komentara, govore sve. Laki je malo nervozan kad god procita malo istine koja boli do boli
DeleteSo their strategy is to have no strategy...
ReplyDeleteCroatia Airlines is considering this, Croatia Airlines is considering that ... and like that for many years now. End result? Well we have it in front of our eyes.
ReplyDeleteI think their financial report will give us an idea of how well they are managing to cope with FR.
Btw does anyone know when ZAG is supposed to publish their financial report and does anyone know how they performed in 2019 and 2020?
Just what I wanted to write NEMJEE! Considered... considered... considered....... Nothing!
DeleteWhat about trying to restart discontinued flights from Zagreb like Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon, Milan....
ReplyDeleteI doubt we will see Lisbon come back since it has already been launched by TAP
DeleteMost have already been covered by Ryanair.
DeleteRyanair will overtake the routes.
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteHahahaha Hahahahahahahaha Hahahahahahahaha
DeleteNemaš pametniji komentar, ti iz Rijeke (navodno)?
DeleteNjegov komentar je sasvim pametan kad se uporedi sa prvim komentarom.
DeleteHa bolje i navodno iz Rijeke nego iz Ercegovne, uz ogradu i svo postovanje prema nemalom broju mojih prijatelja iz Hercegovine koji dijele moje stavove o OU i mafiji koja je vodi ka propasti a dolazi iz Ercegovne (to kad vec potezemo moje "navodno" iz Rijeke)
DeleteThese could work
ReplyDeleteZagreb - Skopje - Ljubljana - Skopje - Zagreb
Zagreb - Ljubljana - Munich - Ljubljana - Zagreb
It could work in winter but what do you do in summer when they need planes in Zagreb and the Croatian coast?
DeleteYou lease more planes for seasonal operations. The above mentioned routes can work year round.
DeleteShould have introduced Ljubljana W formation flights in November 2019!
DeleteAnd Skopje in 2010.
DeleteOnly issue with such schedule is connectivity as 50% of pax on those routes are transfer passengers. With flight ZAG-LJU-MUC you arrive at MUC to late to catch morning outbound flights. Same story in afternoon, you have to depart to early to catch inbound flight so again you have issues.
DeleteI think they are aware that it is too late. If they haven't reacted when Ryanair announced its first few flights to Zagreb, what are they going to do now when there are atc almost 30 routes.
ReplyDeleteThey had many years to prepare for serious competition and it was bound to happen at some point. They must have been aware of that.
DeleteTrue but it could have not come at a worse time, during the pandemic.
DeleteRunning away from a fight is not a strategy.
ReplyDeleteStrategy is done before the fighting begins, to position yourself on an advantages field where you can win.
It is time for you to engage Ryanair on your terms and not fight back on theirs.
If you can not defend your home base, you will loose support of the government and people. Try to find where the supply of the pax come from. Position yourself in the middle and starve the Lauda out of ZAG.
DeleteThis sounds like Adria's strategy.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteActually their strategy sound more like Air Serbia. Trying to be the transfer airline from several markets. Too little too late.
DeleteOU will still make heavy losses if they go ahead with this strategy.
DeleteIt seems like OU will go down the same way JP did - by spreading itself thin across secondary airports around Europe.
DeleteCroatia Airlines' growth opportunities are becoming smaller and smaller, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteThe current crisis has shown that opportunities have to be taken where they open up. Croatia Airlines so far hasn't taken up any.
DeleteIt turns out that Kucko's plan from a few years ago, for OU to open up bases in several nearby countries like Bosnia and Albania would have put them in a much better position than they are in now.
ReplyDeleteYes, had they gone through with that, they would be bankrupt by now.
DeleteHe could have done it if he wanted to.
DeleteThey have a lot of work ahead of them
ReplyDeleteI've lost all hope for OU.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, I think, they should seek even closer ties with Lufthansa, maybe even get LH to take it completely under its own wing. I think this is the only way they will stay afloat.
ReplyDeleteI think Lufthansa is more than happy having Croatia Airlines where it is at the moment.
DeleteThe OU strategy saga continues.
ReplyDeleteWorth a shot. It's not like they have much else left to try.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked at OU's inertia. Ryanair is announcing new routes each month yet they seem to be sleeping as if Ryan is going to pack up an leave soon.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it too early?
DeleteWouldn't it make more sense to start more European routes from Dubrovnik and Split and put greater focus on the coast?
ReplyDeleteYou have competition in DBV and SPU. Even worse than in Zagreb.
DeleteExactly. Because during the summer months there are 40-50 airlines operating operating intra-EU to the coast but all these airlines utilize their equipment somewhere else during the winter months, while OU is not able to utilize these equipment during winter. Besides, customers on scheduled flights tend to fly with the carrier they are familiar in their home market if possible, instead of unknown one. And it is not a secret that the demand for these flights come from abroad, automatically giving a disadvantage to OU.
DeleteLet's hope those talks with Aegean over acquisition restart ASAP. I don't see them being able to survive for long if they go it alone.
ReplyDeleteThe should have launched TIA as early as last year after the lockdowns. Watch FR launch those flights too.
ReplyDeleteWell they should do something so they can compete. These plans are not so bad. But they also said how they want to become the transfer airline for south east Europe yet this winter they only fly to Sarajevo and Skopje in the region.
ReplyDeleteLJU - SKP is long overdue
DeleteJust OU talking more about plans which rarely become reality.
ReplyDeleteThe only chance would be if they became a kind of air dolomiti from Lufthansa. With regional jets like A220 or E195 / E170. It's too late for anything else, all opportunities have been lost, no more money. And the management would have to be completely replaced, but that won't happen because of the HDZ government
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteDead man walking!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good luck.
Seems like OU is trying to play a bigger role in the region.
ReplyDeleteToo late
DeleteHahahahaha a bigger role??? Never in the history they played a less relevant role. Reality check.
DeleteKroatovanje.
ReplyDeleteZAG-SKP-LJU-SKP-ZAG would be prefect. With Dash 8
ReplyDeleteThe Q400 is the ideal plane for the routes Ljubljana wants established.
DeleteCroatia Airlines has taken up 0 opportunities so far, and somehow I'm not sure these ones will materialize either.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing OU "eyes" is bankruptcy and liquidation.
ReplyDeleteCome on they need to start year-round operations to Athens direct from Zagreb . ATH is a good hub being unserved during the winter . Let's hope that Aegean will fly year-round from next summer if Croatia Airlines doesn't fly year-round.
ReplyDeleteHope it happens.
ReplyDeleteThis could improve LJU's connectivity.
ReplyDeleteWith one flight to SKP and possibly MUC? That's the improvement we are all waiting for 2 years :)
Deleteif MUC is still not covered from LJU that's another route possibility for OU beside SKP
ReplyDeleteThere are so many routes uncovered in LJU that OU could move all fleet there..
DeleteLufthansa is starting Munich next summer
DeleteThey are starting it for 2 years and nothing happened. Another issue is that they want to operate it once per day (as most routes out of LJU) which is disaster as you need morning/evening flight to MUC to catch connections. So as someone said before, there is enough potential at LJU to bring whole fleet here.
DeleteOU stop spreading yourself too thin
ReplyDeleteIf this happens, I hope they offer decent prices.
ReplyDeleteThey could start flights from Banja Luka to Ljubljana, Munich, Zürich, Berlin, Frankfurt. There's a need in BL region for those destinations
ReplyDeleteLol
DeleteThat's why Air Srpska was such a smashing success, yeah?
DeleteThat doesn't have anything with profitable business. That was politics. Wrong people on wrong places.
DeleteThey even don't fly Zagreb-Berlin! Za ne vjerovati
ReplyDeleteDeep.
ReplyDeleteIf they want to launch regional routes via Zagreb, fine but they have to do it properly, offer near daily or double daily. Not this 2 or 3 flights a week crap they do.
ReplyDeleteI see in last 2 days they have A319 flying to BSP ...either they are dead serious about improving regional connections or they are transporting arms to the Ukraine.
ReplyDeleteBSP, Bensbach in Papua New Guinea is a bit of a stretch for the A319
DeleteKBP my mistake!
DeletePM and big croatian political and economic delegation visited Ukraine yesterday and today. 160 participants in HR-UA economic Forum. That's the reason for the flights. Do you really think they would be so stupid to go public with flights transporting arms?
DeleteWhy not focus on long-haul destinations? JFK, MIA,ICN?
ReplyDeleteThere aren't many taxpayers left in Croatia to fund such nonsense. Most of the population have emigrated.
Delete"Most of the population emigrated", hahahahahaha. I mean yes, we are not the best in the EU, and yes, people are emigrating, two or three hundred thousand, but most of the population, please, give me a break. And yes, not starting long haul, not doubling or tripling regional services, and not getting rid of politically appointed management the latest decade ago is precisely what brought OU to situation where it is today, on the brink of bankruptcy
Delete@16.20
DeleteDisagree with MIA. NYC and ICN yes. YYZ, ORD, PEK, BKK, BOM/DEL as well
As usual, everyone’s as smart as a Nobel laureate.
ReplyDeleteI don't expect to even try LJU by themselves. According to Slovenian press OU proposal to the Slovenian government was unacceptable and it seems they are willing to do something only with great financial incentives. And it seems that OU is happy with "greatly increased market share in Slovenia after the bankruptcy of JP".
ReplyDeleteThis will go down in tears as it did before. Track record of failed OU regional expansion:
ReplyDelete2016: The carrier intends to open bases in Sarajevo, Skopje and Pristina, as well as Tirana
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2016/05/croatia-airlines-unveils-major.html
2017: potential in ... Romanian markets
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2017/05/croatia-airlines-eyes-further-expansion.html
2019: President of the airline’s Supervisory Board, Zlatko Mateša, said the carrier was focused on launching services to Sofia and the Montenegrin capital.
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2020/01/croatia-airlines-plans-fleet-network.html