Emirates, the world's largest long haul airline, expects to return to 100% of operations and network capacity in 2023 as demand for travel and tourism recovers, however, no final decision has been made concerning the resumption of its seasonal service to Zagreb. Flights to the Croatian capital were discontinued in 2020 at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Emirates' Chief Operating Officer, Adnan Kazim, noted that next year will be a “milestone” in terms of getting back to the level of operations where the airline had left it before the coronavirus pandemic. The carrier is operating at 70% of its pre-pandemic capacity at the moment, which will increase to 80% before the end of the summer, he added.
Emirates said that while it is recovering quickly from the pandemic and capacity should return to pre-Covid levels next year, no final decision has been made concerning its Zagreb operations. “We hope to restart our operations in Zagreb when it is commercially and operationally feasible to do so in the future, and we will make a formal announcement if there are any developments in this regard”, the airline said. Flydubai, which has served as Emirates’ replacement on the route since this summer, has scheduled flights to the Croatian capital into the 2023 summer season, which begins next March.
Emirates operated its last seasonal service to Zagreb in October 2019 and announced the route’s termination until further notice a year later. In addition, the carrier closed its sales office in Zagreb. Emirates initially launched daily year-round operations to the Croatian capital in the summer of 2017 with its Boeing 777 aircraft. However, the flights were downgraded to seasonal the following year and a route-sharing agreement was concluded with Flydubai, where the hybrid carrier maintained services over the winter, while Emirates ran flights over the summer. Emirates and Flydubai jointly handled 130.937 passengers between Dubai and Zagreb in 2019. That year, Emirates was the fifth largest transfer airline operating out of Zagreb Airport, behind Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Croatia Airlines and Turkish Airlines. It was the second busiest airline in Zagreb for connecting passengers to and from Asia, as well as from Australia with 23% of the transfer market, behind Qatar Airways. The route relied heavily on transfer passengers from Far East Asia and Australasia.
Zagreb - Dubai v.v. passenger traffic
| Year | PAX |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 98.301 |
| 2018 | 147.157 |
| 2019 | 130.937 |
I think currently Flydubai is a better option.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Especially with the FZ flights in LJU.
DeleteYes, Zagreb is such a great destination, there should be 3 A380 flights a day to cover all the demand...
DeleteI don't see them coming back soon. All the signs point that way: They closed the Zagreb office, Flydubai started flying Ljubljana, Zagreb has fewer flights than Ljubljana etc.
ReplyDeleteThey don't seem very reassuring.
ReplyDeleteI think we will see them back in ZAG once they get the Dreamliners delivered.
ReplyDeleteTheir Boeing 787 deliveries have been delayed by at least a year.
DeleteNews from last week:
DeleteEmirates airline said on Wednesday deliveries of Boeing 787 Dreamliners it has ordered are delayed by at least a year until 2024 and that it could be even longer due to the U.S. plane maker's continued delivery suspension over structural flaws.
The Dubai-based carrier ordered 30 of the twin-aisle jets nearly three years ago as part of a broader deal that saw it cut the number of orders for larger 777X aircraft, now also delayed.
Boeing is plagued by delivery and production delays.
Deleteoriginally they were supposed to start arriving this year.
DeleteI still can't believe Boeing hasn't resume 787 production.
DeleteThey might come back next year but in summer only.
ReplyDeleteEven before covid they operated during summer only.
DeleteI hope they consider other ex-Yu cities too
ReplyDeleteOhrid would be a good start.
DeleteI'm sure OHD is the top of their list...
DeleteTheir presence in Eastern Europe is generally quite poor.
DeleteNot Ohrid, but Osijek and Mostar for sur :)()(
DeleteOne daily Sarajevo in summer would work like a charm for them. Having EK come to Sarajevo would also take away passengers from Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air and Qatar.
DeleteWhat happened in 2019 that numbers were already decreasing?
ReplyDeleteYou can see in that photo that they reduced frequencies because of runway work at DXB.
DeleteIf not mistaken, some Asian carriers (Korea) started direct flights to ZAG so transfer pax pool reduced
DeleteYes, that was a factor as well.
DeleteI suggest Emirates tries Dubrovnik seasonal next year. They would fill the aircraft with tourists and would easily fill the premium cabins.
ReplyDeleteConsidering their financial results that were just published, they should take greater care with the routes they operate and their performance.
ReplyDeleteYes, they will be focusing on yields
DeleteEK's model is mainly focused on the long haul travel market, a segment that is not recovering as quickly as short and medium haul. Add to that the large capacity aircraft they have, there isn't much they can do but wait for the market to slowly recover.
DeleteThey could lease 20 midsize planes tomorrow if they wanted to.
DeleteLeasing smaller removes the biggest and greatest theme EK was going for. Obviously that has worked well for them. Their former A330's, although having a horribly outdated and worn down product, used to be great in starting those new European routes. Quite a number of them started on the A330. Shame they didn't refurbish them.
DeleteDon't see them coming this year. Demand is soft, even QR is reducing ZAG this summer from 7 to 5 weekly. If they can't fill their A320 every day then I don't see EK managing to do that with their B777.
ReplyDeleteThis year is definitely out of the question. They only fly in summer and they won't fly this summer. Question is about next year. But as the article notes, FZ has already scheduled flights for next summer which means less chance for EK taking over.
DeleteFZ had flights scheduled to ZAG, canceled them, and a couple of months later EK took over. FZ having flights scheduled doesn't mean much.
DeleteThat's true it could always change. Although Flydubai insists it didn't cancel Zagreb the first time around because of EK taking over. They said they didn't even know EK was considering this route.
DeleteDamn where is pozdrav iz Rijeke? Is he OK? I mean, someone has to say that this is all OU's fault and that Ryanair will save Zagreb and aviation in Croatia in general regardless of the article topic...
ReplyDeleteIt is OU's fault :D they should have started Dubai long ago :D
DeleteTo be honest, they really should have considered it.
DeleteGet yourself a life. I comment Mafia in OU and Croatia in general, I don't spit on other people, except those finding excuses for crime and corruption
DeleteAnd you are perfect. Everywhere politicians are the same.They promise you the whole world. They steel from the public and never have enough to spend on infrastructure and yet they can give themselves hefty raises.If you really want to do something constructive then run fir a position in the government and work fir change, otherwise just keep standing on the side lines and complain as you do. The administration should ban you from this site. I read how you try to disguise things so that you don't get flagged. Adele...gimme a break. Just to let you know, I don't live in Europe and was never born in Europe. Aviation is a hobby for me. Just get off your lazy butt and do something if you want change.
DeleteThere is simply no need for a big B777 on this route at the moment.
ReplyDeleteCorrect, 354 seat airplane during these uncertain times on this route is overkill.
DeleteZAG was the only seasonal route in their network. The few other they had have all been relegated to FZ. So it is not surprising they are not back yet and who knows when and if they will be.
ReplyDeleteZAG was from the start a highly seasonal route for them. Summer loads were great, it was the winter loads that was a disaster.
DeleteI think it is more likely we will see Zagreb go 10 weekly by Flydubai next summer rather than EK come back but we will see. Hope for EK to come back though.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteOr double daily
DeleteWhat are the fares like on FR from Zagreb this summer? Are they competitive compared to QR and TK?
ReplyDeleteYes, they have competitive pricing.
DeleteSeems like a logical choice for FZ to take over this route.
ReplyDeletewow well done to QR on being the second biggest transfer airline from Zag in pre-Covid times.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Very good work.
DeleteNo surprise then they had 2 daily flights
DeletePerhaps when they get 787, they can use it to Zagreb on a year round basis.
ReplyDeleteThat won't happen any time soon unfortunately.
Deletecan't wait to welcome them back :)
ReplyDeleteWhy doesn't Croatia Airlines codeshare on the Zagreb - Dubai flights? Both with EK in the past and Flydubai now.
ReplyDeleteThere are many logical things OU should have done which it hasn't.
DeleteHope they come back but I'm loosing hope.
ReplyDeleteThere are no restrictions in Croatia and tourism will rebound strongly this year. Flydubai decreasing frequencies compared to original plan is not a good sign for EK's return.
ReplyDeleteBut there are still restrictions in Asia.
DeleteNot as many. South Korean, Japanese, Singaporeans, Malaysians. Indonesians and Thai are free to travel now and can go back into their country without issues. Same as Australians.
DeleteLoved seeing Emirates' B777 in Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteHope they are back sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteMaybe try considering having more than 2 types of planes, both of which are widebodies, and perhaps you will be able to enter more markets. I have never seen a more stubborn airline.
ReplyDelete+100 so many missed opportunities because of their fleet structure.
DeleteI'm sure they will be just fine.
DeleteOne of Emirates' big strategic mistakes is having a two whale fleet model.
DeleteAviation does not end with Emirates. The whole wide-body-only-fleet proved to be unsustainable.
DeleteUntil Asia reopens, there will be no Emirates in Zagreb
ReplyDeleteThe markets from which Emirates had the most transfers to Zagreb have all reopened.
DeleteThey are reopened, but recovery is not in day by day...it takes time, months, years to reach pre pandemic numbers.
DeleteGood luck EK and ZAG.
ReplyDeleteZagreb Airport CEO said it might take up to 5 years for these airlines with widebodies to return. So EK's statement is in line with that. I think we may see them come back in summer 2023 or 2024.
ReplyDeleteTheir presence really gave ZAG a prestigious status.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm really over this prestigious mumbo jumbo, I do agree that having Emirates was a huge benefit for ZAG and did give the airport an elevated ranking.
DeleteEK also serve destinations such as Entebee and Lagos, nothing prestigious there, regardless of the bigger EK presence they get compared to ZAG. EK we're however fantastic for the added connectivity they brought ZAG.
DeleteThey won't come back.
ReplyDeleteEven QR seems to be struggling without Asian tourists. I expect FZ to continue flying this route all of next year.
ReplyDeleteLike you mentioned, it will all depend on the Asian market.
DeleteBad news for ZAG
ReplyDeleteConsidering they have been reducing this service since it started, I believe they won't come back in the next 2 yrs.
ReplyDeleteThe situation is still fluctuating and by summer 2023, things might change again for Zagreb. I expect they will be back at some point.
ReplyDeleteWhen they get 787s my guess is that it will go 4x weekly to Zagreb and 3x weekly to Ljubljana. Ljubljana is doing amazing
ReplyDeleteThat would be the best outcome.
DeleteI doubt they would do that. Both ZAG and LJU would need to be layover destinations for the crew, and keeping crew for a couple of days on these "shorter" European flights isn't ideal.
DeleteI see EK returning to ZAG with a smaller aircraft, while FZ remains in LJU.
@JATBEGMEL
DeleteI assume EK using a "smaller aircraft" is some way off.
I actually dont get what ZAG and OU are doing. I understand that the demand from Asia isnt at a all time high but how is ZAG doing so badly. First of all OU is a disaster. I dont understand how a simple minded human cant see that there is an anused market in the Balkans and that if Croatia positions itself well, it could become the hub for Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Kosovo and maybe more. This could all happen if a couple of widebodies are leased. Whats needed is 10x Q400, 7 A220 or Embraer, and 5x A330-900 or 787-8. I know that they dont have money, but if the state has already lent so much money up to now they could for sure help them lease these. They need to launch more routes in Europe, Stockholm, Madrid, Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Cairo, Bucharest, Prague, Berlin. For intercontinental, New York, Toronto, Chicago, Washington, Beijing and Guangzhou should definitely be looked into. The chance of all this happening is close to 0 but you never know. Maybe a new private company could step in and act as the national carrier.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteAgree with every single word. So much wasted potential.
After 6 years, JU still barely operates 3x weekly to JFK in winter with feeder flights from Bosnia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Albania but OU should be flying to Washington and Guangzhou. You can add Cleveland while you're at it. If Croatians want to get rid of OU they should put one of these experts in charge and it will be dead in 1 week.
DeleteBecause OU is doing so well under current strategy. Barely flies anywhere with massive losses and is kept artificially in service thanks to big help by the government and loans which it can no longer take out because of its growing debt.
DeleteYou forgot that an average Serb cant afford to fly. It might be harsh but its unfortunately the truth. The average Croat and Slovene, who are the users of Zagreb Airport can much more likley afford to fly. And about the Guangzhou and Washington flights, i dont know if you have been living under a rock but Guangzhou is by far the biggest city in the world if you include all of its metropolitan area. You dont know how many Chinese tourists are going to go crazy if they see a new European destination. Normally, Chinese tourists dont like to connect in Europe, so a direct flight would be revolutionary. For Washington, politican reasons, also Dulles is a big hub so not only DC- Baltimore residents are going to use the flight, but many more connecting from Star Alliance flights in North America. Its easy to hate, but not easy to use you brain a bit and think.
DeleteAverage Serb can't afford to fly compared to rich Slovenians and Croatians that's exactly why BEG handles double the amount of passengers. How are you going to become Bosnia and Kosovo hub then? If even Serb can't afford to fly I can only imagine Bosnians and Kosovars. Sweet dreams buddy
DeleteBelieve me, as a half Serb half Croat im telling you Serbs on average cant afford to fly long haul. Im as realistic as possible and not biast. The main reason why Belgrade has a much higher passenger count is because Serbs need to fly to go on summer holidays. Croats dont. Plus Belgrade is a bigger city so its obvious that its going to have more passengers, more people fly, especially the case with LCC, thats why LCC are filled in BEG and not in ZAG, cause more people want to and need to fly. In conclusion, I wish the best for both, but I just believe that it terms of people willing to fly, ZAG might have the upper hand.
DeleteWell, I wouldn't agree that Croatians fly more long haul than Serbs. All the destinations you listed are potential touristic destinations and have nothing to do with ZAG and the area. BEG is filled with LCC because the airport has a long relationship with them, and they weren't blocked like in ZAG, where they were kept away to protect OU, when Fra port pulled a plug Ryanair quickly came. LCC have nice offers for weekend trips and are quite popular in Serbia, on the other hand RYR weekend trips partially failed in Zagreb, so by your logic since Serbs fly more and can afford weekend trips they are richer than Czechs or Swiss. We can go as far as to say since Serbia has higher and richer population of gasto workers, none of the long haul flights could work from ZAG to gasto markets which is a total nonsense. Economy isn't just who has more potential passengers. For example Croats do have larger salaries, but Serbia is cheaper, thus local purchasing power is higher than in Croatia or if you compare BG and ZG they are pretty much the same. And we can go till tomorrow, who has a bigger "eggplant" and we will end up nowhere.
DeleteReality is that we need a regional carrier similar to SAS or what JAT was in the old days, who will connect our banana republics with the rest of the world.
This route seems to be rather specific for EK. It works well in summer, especially in the premium cabins but struggles greatly in winter. From what I can assume the absolute majority of passengers are tourists which is shown by the fact that Flydubai only has a few flights per week in the winter (when it is peak time to travel to Dubai) with a B737 MAX.
ReplyDelete+!
DeleteThis route needs an A330 or B777 between June and October and a B737 the rest of the year.
ReplyDeleteWhat was Emirates load factor before the pandemic if anyone knows?
DeleteHow many weekly flights did EK have to Zagreb in the summer of 2019?
ReplyDeleteI believe it was daily.
DeleteInitially 4 weekly because of runway work in DXB, then increased to daily.
Delete