Korean Air is yet to decide on whether it will resume operations to Zagreb next year. The carrier has added the seasonal summer flights into the Global Distribution System but has not opened them for sale, a practice it has often utilised over the past three years since it last operated between Seoul and the Croatian capital. Under its provisional timetable, services are planned to run three times per week, each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with the 218-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft. However, the Korean airline has told EX-YU Aviation News that it is in the process of finalising its 2023 summer timetable and that a decision on future flights to Croatia is yet be made.
The airline noted that it is rebuilding its network following the coronavirus pandemic. This winter, the carrier introduced a new two weekly service to nearby Budapest with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which is now set to increase to three flights per week next month. Korean Air planned to operate four charters from Seoul to Zagreb on behalf of Hanjin Travel this year, on September 30, October 7, October 14 and October 21. However, the flights did not go ahead after insufficient demand. On the other hand, a private Korean company did charter Korean Air aircraft to shuttle its employees to Dubrovnik on four flights throughout November.
Korean Air launched year-round nonstop operations between Seoul and Zagreb in September 2018. Services were maintained with a triangle routing - Seoul - Zagreb - Zurich - Seoul - during the winter of 2018/19, while the flights were downgraded to seasonal in 2019. Summer capacity was to be increased in 2020 from the A330 to the B787 Dreamliner. However, the flights never materialised due to the outbreak of Covid-19. During 2019, Korean Air handled 43.123 passengers between the two cities. Korean low cost carrier T’Way Air has previously said its plans to launch services to Zagreb. This year it took delivery of three wide-body A330-200 jets, although services to the Croatian capital are yet to be scheduled.
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I hope they will have year round to Zagreb...
ReplyDeleteWith their BUD flights growing the chances of them coming back are getting slimmer. Hope they do though
ReplyDeleteIf there is a demand, they will fly both. Before the covid they planned to both cities (3 weekly 787 to ZAG, 3 weekly A330 to BUD)
DeleteThey can fly again like ICN-ZAG-ZRH-ICN
Delete"Korean Air planned to operate four charters from Seoul to Zagreb on behalf of Hanjin Travel this year, on September 30, October 7, October 14 and October 21. However, the flights did not go ahead after insufficient demand."
DeleteIf they couldn't fill four return flights, what are the odds that they can successfully operate the whole season?
I noticed that Korean tour operators are selling packages to Croatia on Korean Air flights to Frankfurt. Then by bus to Zagreb. It also includes stop in Prague.
ReplyDeleteAren't there more interesting bus destinatons from Frankfurt than Zagreb? I mean that's great for Zagreb but those Koreans definitely don't follow usual tourism patterns.
DeleteIt's a package for people who want to visit Croatia.
DeleteT'Way may replace them next summer.
ReplyDeleteThe market is large enough for both to operate actually.
Delete@Anon 11:19
DeleteHow yes no 😂
Bravo Hrvatska
ReplyDelete?
DeleteCroatian tourism board should be more active in securing a return of former markets after Covid.
ReplyDeleteAnother missed opportunity for Croatia Airines.
ReplyDeleteYes, they can send the invisible brand new A350 to Seoul.
DeleteThey could lease an A330 for example. There are several long haul markets they could launch with the ease. It would be more profitable than buying A220s.
DeleteIt's true. They could have been serving important long haul markets without depending on foreign airlines.
DeleteAnd do you think stepmother Lufthansa will allow it?
DeleteHow dare you calling beloved Mutti stepmother? Danke Deutschland!!!
Deletehahaha
DeleteI was expecting long haul to recover a bit quicker than this in Zagreb. So far only.Transat is back. And since they shortened the season but added an extra weekly flight, they will have the same amount of flights as last year
ReplyDeleteAsia is still at the very early stages of recovery. I remember ZAG airport said that they expect full long haul recovery by 2025 and I see why now.
DeleteYes, demand from Asia is still low. The number of flights by QR says it all really. That's a good indicator of where demand is at (compared to pre Covid). Next summer they will still have 50% less flights.
DeleteTrue. You couldn't miss Korean tourists wherever you move, throughout Croatia, before pLandemic. Now, they are almost non existent, just few few few, here and there, definitely not enough for the service to be reintroduced
DeleteWouldn't it make more sense for Korean to fly to Dubrovnik? Just wondering, I don't know the structure of the tourists but I know they all go to DBV. What do people think?
ReplyDelete40,000+ pax for seasonal flights isn't bad at all
ReplyDeleteGood result but the real question is what the yields were like.
DeleteKorean will definitely come back at some point to Zagreb. Especially after their planned merger with Asiana.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed they resume flights next year.
ReplyDeleteHope they come back sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't come in summer 2023, which is looking unlikely, then I'm not sure we will see them back at all.
DeleteTo which destinations in Europe does Korean fly to?
ReplyDeleteBarcelona, Paris, Frankfurt, Budapest, Amsterdam, Prague, Istanbul and London.
DeleteNot bad all things considered.
DeleteAnd Frankfurt too.
DeleteSeems like BUD offered them better commercial terms than ZAG.
ReplyDeleteBUD will kill off chances of Korean resuming ZAG.
DeleteNot (only?) better commercial terms. Soth Korea was the biggest foreign investor in Hungary in the last 2-3 years, so there is a huge business traffic.
DeleteThere was 1 weekly LOT BUD-ICN flight during Covid.
Interesting. Had no idea relations between Hungary and Korea were so strong.
DeleteThat's what I talk about all the time. Industry, and business in general in Croatia, destroyed. Old technologies production closed, new technologies production not introduced. Tourism set as main industry, seasonal, not competitive enough, and vulnerable, what is seen in pLandemic situation and consequences still felt. Transportation market handed over to foreigners, especially aviation. Those are brilliant results of Kradeze, and we should all hail Bravo Hrvatska, and not allowed to call bots those hailing Bravo Hrvatska even when the news they Bravo are actually negative.
Delete@ 14:39
DeleteI agree. Croatia, with its geostrategic position, and not to mention good roads, has far more potential than is currently being utilised.
Any pics of KE in Dubrovnik?
ReplyDeletehttps://scontent.fbeg1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/313374317_5530897963689458_9080833960806839877_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=AzVUOFGrYGAAX9adwBB&_nc_ht=scontent.fbeg1-1.fna&oh=00_AfCJJJK7xdUzA_b_ZHfe8NhICxeL1XONLw3GClRuTYTpXg&oe=6385FF5E
Deletehttps://scontent.fbeg1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/313404890_5530897947022793_6881369939916434103_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=Jq0HbQD2nVsAX_Algeh&_nc_ht=scontent.fbeg1-1.fna&oh=00_AfBHHGfvTABNNr3mYfpIB-BcIlqJK84G5bb5svAFDiaQqw&oe=63860433
Thanks. They flew with B777?
DeleteYes
DeleteWe need Korean and Emirates back
ReplyDeletePity. Before Covid there was a lot of potential for flights from Japan, China, Singapore and Thailand along with Korea.
ReplyDeleteKorean Air better fly to Belgrade and codeshare on Air Serbia flights .
ReplyDeleteThat way Koreans could get anywhere in SE Europe easily .
Koreans can already get to anywhere in SE Europe easily through the major European hubs. Besides, JU doesn't even fly to the Croatian coast in winter.
Delete@Anon 17:49
Delete+1
Exactly!
Anon 17:49
DeleteFlights from Seoul to Zagreb were made for tourists who go to Croatia, not for transfer passengers to SE Europe.