Croatia Airlines eyes new routes out of Mostar


Croatia Airlines is working with Mostar Airport on further developing traffic from the city with the introduction of new scheduled routes in 2024 and 2025 following the launch of its service from Zagreb. Speaking for a “Blejsak.info” podcast, the General Manager of Mostar Airport, Marko Djuzel, said, “Croatia Airlines’ new service from Zagreb is a year-round route. The aim is for these flights to continue on a three weekly basis next year as well. Furthermore, in 2024, it is planned for Croatia Airlines to introduce services to Rome. Afterwards, we will draft a four-year plan with the carrier which would see them add a third destination in 2025 and then we would gradually increase the number of routes by one each year”.

Croatia Airlines has been increasingly focusing on the introduction of subsidised services from secondary airports since Ryanair opened a base at its main hub in Zagreb in 2021. Over the past two years, Croatia Airlines has launched W route pattern services from Osijek to Munich, which are subsidised by local authorities. and recently added flights between Brač and the Bavarian capital, which are also supported by local stakeholders. The Croatian carrier is seeking a three-year agreement with Mostar Airport, similar to the one in Osijek. It comes as Croatia Airlines prepares to start taking delivery of new Airbus A220 aircraft next year with plans to expand its overall route network.

Commenting on Croatia Airlines’ existing Zagreb service, which is subsidised by local authorities in Mostar, Mr Djuzel said, “Considering that ticket sales for the new route started some fifteen days before its launch, the average cabin load factor between the two cities is around 35%. Our aim is for that number to grow to 40% during the first year of operations. Therefore, we are very pleased with its performance”. The Croatian airline maintains the service with its Dash 8 turboprop aircraft, which have the capacity to seat 76 passengers. Mr Djuzel added the airport is working on attracting a low cost carrier to commence operations in 2024, while it is also in contact with Eurowings over the potential resumption of flights from Stuttgart and Dusseldorf which were maintained until the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.



Comments

  1. Anonymous09:01

    Bravo Jasmin!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:39

      What you are in other words saying it's that CA had been driven out of it s own hub, where in a short time every third passenger is FR - now will apply the same "business" model on sub prime secondary airports??? That is the strategy now?

      Delete
    2. Another Bravo for Jasmin (his bosses actually) goes for A220 which will crash 35 % LF to 17-20 %. Double Bravo!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:06

      Bravo JASMIN !

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:03

    Ironic if Croatia Airlines starts nonstop flights between Mostar and Rome before it starts nonstop flights between Zagreb and Rome.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:07

      Maybe they`ll fly Zagreb - Mostar - Rome...

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:09

      🤣🤣🤣

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:56

      Actually this Mostar-Rome service could mean just that. It probably means they would fly Zagreb--Rome-Mostar-Rome-Zagreb.

      Delete
    4. And what was preventing them for 30 years flying Zagreb-Rome-Split-Rome-Zagreb?

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:04

    If they will get paid for these flight, why not?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:07

      Exactly

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:40

      In other words - there is no demand

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:36

      Nimalo loša ideja. Neće štetiti previše ni Dubrovniku, a ni Splitu. No letovi iz Mostara trebaju biti prema Stuttgartu, Frankfurtu, Berlinu, Beču i Minhenu.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous12:38

      Rim ima smisla, ali samo zbog Međugorja.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:05

    To me it just seems there is no network strategy from OU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:07

      They just do what ever.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:05

    Rome could definitely work from Mostar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:02

      Just because of Medjugorje.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:37

      Not only because of Medjugorje... A lot of groups go from Herzegovina to visit Vatican city. People there are very religious.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:07

    Good luck with that

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:08

    I hope they will actually launch some new destinations from Zagreb when the A220 arrives and not W Mostar flights!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:14

      Doubt the A220 will be deployed to Mostar until the last Q400 leaves the fleet.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:13

    Yes, they have just reached their peak at Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula, even Ljubljana, and now it's time to look for the passengers at lowest yield market in the region. Good strategy, the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:13

      That's the problem, they have no strategy.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:18

      They have, haven't they accepted that BCG post-covid strategy? I don't know if Mostar fits in it but it's approved even by government.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:38

      +1
      Only difference is Adria flew in Poland and Croatia in BiH.

      Delete
    4. Only difference is 40 million reacher market versus 4 million poorer market. But, hey, it's Jasmin we talk about, what he represents care about market as much as about last year's snow

      Delete
  9. Anonymous09:15

    In my opinion, their main focus should be Zagreb and trying to deal with Ryanair's onslaught.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:15

    Which other routes could they introduce from Mostar besides Rome?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:17

      Munich of course

      Delete
    2. And Frankfurt. That's where the World begins and ends. Amen!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous14:05

      Some schandinavian airport. Mostar have a huge diaspora in Scandinavian counties.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:42

      Yes I agree. There is a large diaspora from Mostar that lives around Stuttgart, Munich and Dusseldorf and also in Oslo, Gothenburg and Malmo.
      I think seasonal flights to these destinations could work in adition to year round flights to Rome and Frankfurt.
      I think this will be max that Mostar can support in terms of pax numbers.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:18

    Well done. When you have no strategy, run away somewhere else irrelevant, instead of fighting to keep your house intact.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous09:18

    What about trying to restart discontinued flights from Zagreb like Helsinki, Oslo, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon, Milan....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:20

      Most have already been covered by Ryanair.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:27

      They restarted Barcelona. Milan is never coming back with Ryanair flying there five times weekly.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:53

      Why? Milan is huge center, why do you think there's no place for OU? Everyone flies to Milano, they even have couple of airports. I guess there are many business and leisure travelers who would prefer OU over Ryan for this particular high-end destination.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous09:21

    Bravo Hrvatska!

    ReplyDelete
  14. notLufthansa09:25

    I wonder what will they eye next? Coach line Zadar-Split?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous09:27

    Wouldn't it make more sense to start more European routes from Dubrovnik and Split then from Mostar?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:28

      I'm sorry but why wouldn't they start an extra route from Mostar which will be fully subsidized? They would be mad not to.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:28

      They are getting loads of money to fly from Mostar. They complain about Ryanair but ironically they are worse.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:58

      Why would they have to fly subsidized route? It's not like anyone looks into their finances and it's not like they are gonna do something smart with that money. They'll use Mostar money to boost flights to Munich and Frankfurt in winter and cover those losses since LF is not pretty on these routes so far this year.

      Delete
  16. Anonymous09:27

    Just watch Ryanair come to Mostar very soon :D

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous09:28

    This would be fine if they did this out of every city. They could have small bases in Ljubljana, Pristina, Sarajevo, Split, Dubrovnik and Mostar.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:29

      How can they do that with 12 planes?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:14

      This is the end for OU.

      Delete
    3. How dare you saying they have 12 planes? They have whole 13!!!! OK, one is not flying, just collecting dust on the tarmac, but hey, 13 is 13. It's huuuuuge! And just right for Jasmin 's capacities as CEO, actually maybe even bit too much 😃

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:56

      BRAVO JASMIN !

      Delete
    5. Anonymous16:07

      Which Aircraft is gathering dust Pozdrav?

      Delete
    6. Anonymous16:35

      Pozdrav, CTO is carrying out regular flights, it's not sitting in the dust.

      Delete
    7. 12 or 13, it really makes no difference knowing potentials of the market(s) where 30 or 40 could be deployed. But some people simple miss the point of the post or deliberately turn the conversation other direction, and point and right direction is OU nou gud, OU sud du mor

      Delete
  18. Anonymous09:28

    This is great news for Mostar. I hope they eventually base a Dash there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:33

      Dashes will be leaving the fleet.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous09:29

    Bravo OU, Bravo Mostar!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:39

      Prebravo! Puno previse bravo!!!

      Delete
    2. Bravo Kradeze, ruining and destroying both for 30 years already, and going on....

      Delete
    3. notLufthansa11:08

      Hu let d dogs aut?! Hu, hu?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous13:40

      He is talking about you, pozz, don't you get it!?

      Delete
    5. No, I don't get it because I am stupid. Thanks got I have you to enlighten me, with the facts you saw in your cristal ball

      Delete
  20. Anonymous09:39

    Croatia Airlines' growth opportunities are becoming smaller and smaller, that's for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous09:40

    It 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:49

      I can only imagine what their costs would be like in such a case.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:53

      He could have done it if he wanted to.

      Delete
  22. Anonymous09:41

    Should have introduced Ljubljana W formation flights

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:49

      in November 2019!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:53

      And Skopje in 2010.

      Delete
    3. They should have introduced long-haul the latest decade ago, they should have grown their regional network, they should have increased the fleet, they should have increased their market share, they should have decently connected remote secondary cities within Croatia, they should have had synergy with ZAG making it hub for the Balkans, they should have get competent management, they should have got rid of uhljebs, aparatchiks and excessive administrative work force, they should have increased work productivity, they should have had better marketing and sales, they should have had many many more codeshares and interlines, the list of their should haves, or missed opportunities and wasted potentials is end less....

      Delete
    4. endless, never ending

      Delete
  23. Anonymous09:54

    Good luck OU and OMO.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous09:55

    Profitability booster🤘🏾

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous10:26

    Truly groundbreaking. And an unmissable bravo to everyone and everything, as well as other similar felicitations.

    ReplyDelete
  26. my last fligt to OMO less tahn 30 PAX.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:10

      When that happened?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous20:00

      That is bad. How much the ticket was?

      Delete
  27. Anonymous10:56

    I don't understand why they don't operate W rotation for Rome flights from Zagreb?? Zagreb - Rome - Split/Dubrovnik - Rome - Zagreb. Or at least do it that way with Mostar. It would make them more competitive against Ryanair which flies nonstop from Zagreb to Rome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:10

      same with athens.

      Delete
  28. So they are thinking about essencialy basing A220 there in a few years? How's that gonna work?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous11:18

    This reminds me of Adrija when they launched some crazy routes from Poland. Apparently JU is weak in OMO and OU wants to be a regional leader in the area. good luck

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:28

      The difference is that OU will get paid to open the routes, Lodz would actually make sense for adria with Saabs, but they used CRJs instead

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:43

      JU doesn’t fly to OMO. Out of obvious reasons.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:49

      "JU is weak in OMO"

      They don't even fly there. Some people here...

      Delete
    4. Once I flew on MUC-LCJ-MUC and MUC-SZY-MUC by Adria route. The load factor was 10-30 % ...

      Delete
  30. Slav.Man11:29

    If theyre genuinly trying to develop routes and travel then well done to Croatia Arilines. Air serbia could have done the same for bosnia but they didint.
    I hope its successful for them, at least theyre trying something new instead of dissapearing.

    But if they know it wont work and just looking to take money from different citites in subsidies then thats sad theyre being stolen from.

    only time will tell

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If AirSerbia was flying 30 people between Belgrade and Mostar the comment section would be closed do to the uproar.

      Instead of A-220 OU should get a Saab to fly this route.

      Delete
    2. Slav.Man15:11

      Both airlines face different conditions, so the response will not be the same for both.
      mistakes are more severe for Air Serbia.

      OU has more flexibility and less things to stop them, so maybe OU can endure this poor passenger loas longer until one day it becomes profitable.

      or people in mostar will get angry that theyre being stolen from. only time will tell.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:43

      You always say how things are more severe for Air Serbia. When both OU and JU have delays, you always say things are really bad for JU. You really sound like Burger.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous17:39

      But the reality is that JU has far more delays and cancellations. That's just a fact.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous17:45

      It has double the network size of Croatia Airlines and unlike Croatia Airlines it actually has strong feed from other destinations. For example, my flight to Brussels on Air Serbi was delayed this morning because we were waiting for connecting passengers (as explained by the pilot). Croatia Airlines has frequent flight cancellations and delays for an airline with a small network. One cabin crew member being sick and not showing up to work last week caused chaos to their entire network that day.

      @Slav.Man
      "OU has more flexibility and less things to stop them,"

      Have you bothered to read Croatia Airlines' financial reports? The airline is bleeding money everywhere, It has no room to make mistakes. In fact the airline says in its financial report for Q1 that it is facing liquidity issues, but somehow you concluded they have the flexibility and freedom to play around. Sometimes I think some people here are detached from reality.

      Delete
    6. Slav.Man21:29

      @anon 16:43
      i said "mistake are more severe" this means that when something goes wrong for JU it is more dangerous. Croatia still has great connectivity and will be fine even without the national airline doing much, just like slovenia. without a national airline slovenia lost what 250 million euro(something like that) in its economy.
      but if air serbia collapses, then the effect to the country will be much worse maybe lose billions. the national airline is much more important and vital to serbia than to the others, so mistakes have worse effect.

      @anon 17:45
      the reason that i say they have more flexibility, this means that if air serbia was in the same position they would have had to close already. air serbia has less support, the government cant do for them as much as the other government can do for OU.
      probably not huge gap but the gap is still there. i hope its easier to understand now.


      for the sake of the city of mostar i hope the route works and can be kept.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous22:01

      @Slav.Burger "air serbia has less support, the government cant do for them as much as the other government can do for OU"

      Yet Air Serbia is making profit during Q1 but OU is almost on a deathbed! Why don't you spend more time caring for OU and leave Air Serbia alone, they are doing just fine without your "advice"

      Delete
  31. Anonymous11:31

    Have to agree with Pozdrav. OU had huge, I mean huge potential for regional dominance some time ago. They did not care, it seems they truly are HDZ & LH side kick. And this will not change. They will continue like this for a loooong time.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous12:53

    Average load factor of 35 - 40% is not so good. In winter it will be lower. I guess they don't care that much because of the subsidies. Am I missing something?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous14:33

      Perhaps only that the route was launched very recently, with tickets going on sale only a couple weeks before launch. That said, I doubt it will change much.

      Delete
  33. Anonymous16:15

    why not ZAG-OMO-LJU-OMO-ZAG? or ZAG-OMO-VIE-OMO-ZAG?

    ReplyDelete

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