Ryanair plans use of Zagreb-based jets four days a week

Ryanair plans to operate a significant number of flights out of Zagreb this coming winter season with 25 operational routes, one more than during the 2021/22 season. However, the Ryanair Group will have its three aircraft stationed in the city only four days of the week. According to "Simple Flying", the three Airbus A320 jets operated by its Lauda Europe subsidiary will be based in the city only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, during which the majority of its Zagreb network will be performed. Services during the rest of the week will be maintained by jets from other cities and bases, which will also see W patterns (such as London Stansted - Zagreb - Podgorica - Zagreb - London Stansted).

This development will not have an impact on overall frequencies and capacity, but it will result in a considerable change to scheduling on many routes and is a first in the region in which several cities serve as bases for low cost carriers. The strategy will also see Ryanair deploy its Boeing 737-800 aircraft to the Croatian capital on days the A320s are not stationed in the city. The budget carrier has previously said it could eventually base up to ten jets in Zagreb, maintain between thirty to forty routes and handle some two to three million passengers per year. “We will grow exponentially in the years to come. The key for Zagreb is going to be the number of airports we have on offer in Europe. We made a bold decision to launch a base straight away. This shows our confidence in Zagreb”, the airline’s CEO, David O’Brien, previously said.

Ryanair has not commented on why it has opted to have aircraft stationed in one of their bases only on select days of the week. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the jets will be parked in Zagreb for the remaining days of the week when they are not utilised or whether they will be deployed elsewhere. The airline has faced staffing and capacity shortages this summer, which saw it temporarily suspend routes and reduce frequencies in Zagreb for over two months. The airline said, “As Europe’s number one airline, Ryanair is delighted to announce our winter ‘22/23 schedule for Zagreb with 25 routes to popular destinations across Europe, such as London, Brussels, and Dublin. Although this schedule offers plenty of choice, demand is growing swiftly, so customers should book their Winter ‘22/23 getaways early to ensure the lowest possible fares”. The 2022/23 winter season begins on October 30.