Ryanair’s passenger share in Zagreb reaches 30%

Low cost carrier Ryanair handled over 600.000 passengers in Zagreb during the first three quarters of 2022, just over a year since opening its base in the Croatian capital. During that time, it contended with evolving pandemic-related restrictions up until the end of the first quarter of 2022, as well as operational issues for much of this year, which forced it to reduce a number of frequencies and even suspend a select number of routes at times. However, the airline reached the 30% passenger share mark at Zagreb Airport by the end of September, with London Stansted being its most popular route.

Ryanair’s performance on select Zagreb routes, Q1 - Q3

The airline has also performed strongly on a number of leisure-oriented routes, particularly Malta, Paphos in Cyprus and Malaga. The airline previously said that “Ryanair will change travel habits in Zagreb and encourage locals to travel more by air”, noting that popular year-round holiday destinations would generate greater demand for outbound flights from the Croatian capital. The carrier has announced plans to grow frequencies on a number of routes from Zagreb next year, including Basel, Charleroi, Corfu, Dublin, Malta, Malmo, Sandefjord and Sofia, however, no new destinations have so far been scheduled for 2023. The airline is considering further growing its Zagreb base in the near future. “Currently, we are really satisfied with the majority of the markets served out of Zagreb. For example, the UK market performs really well, as well as Ireland with the Dublin route. Then we see German markets, Swedish markets … so we are very happy with current demand. There are some tourist destinations in the future that are of interest to us too. We really believe that Zagreb can be attractive all-year round, not just for families and the diaspora, but for tourists as well, so we want to use all these opportunities in the future”, the airline said.

Ryanair’s strong performance in just over a year of flying out of the Croatian capital with just three aircraft stationed in the city has impacted Croatia Airlines, which is feeling pressure on a number of routes, including Rome and Dublin, that have been performing well for the budget carrier. Croatia Airlines has still not restored many destinations it suspended from Zagreb during the Covid-19 pandemic and last year added no new routes from the city. So far, it has not included the capital in its expansion plans for 2023. “Croatia Airlines is a distinguished carrier, but it has lost touch with the development of air travel in Croatia, particularly from Zagreb. We do not see them as a competitor because even on the routes we both operate on we fly to different airports. The fact of the matter is that Croatia Airlines has not achieved growth and profit in the past four years”, Ryanair previously said.