Zagreb Airport is unlikely to see the introduction of nonstop flights from the United States next year despite favourable circumstances for the launch of the much-awaited services. Although the major US carriers have not completely finalised their 2024 summer operations, two have announced their planned new long haul routes for the coming year. American Airlines will launch seasonal flights to Copenhagen, Naples and Nice, while Delta will commence operations from New York to Munich, Naples and Shannon, and from Atlanta to Zurich. United Airlines is yet to announce its full summer schedule, however, it will resume seasonal operations from Newark to Dubrovnik on May 24.
Zagreb Airport recently said, “We are working on the establishment of nonstop flights between the United States and Zagreb. However, ultimately, whether these services will be introduced depends on the commercial decision of the individual carrier”. Sani Sener, the founder of TAV Airports Holding, one of the operators of Zagreb Airport, noted, "The most desired route from Zagreb would be New York”. New York is Zagreb’s busiest unserved destinations in the United States, accounting for 21% of all passengers between the Croatian capital and the US. It is followed by Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Miami, Boston and Houston. Lufthansa shuttles the most passengers between Zagreb and the States, accounting for 22% of all indirect travellers. It is followed by Croatia Airlines, which benefits from the notable number of codeshare partnerships it has with airlines flying to the US, including Lufthansa. British Airways also accounts for a sizeable number of transfer passengers between the two markets. Croatian passport holders no longer require a visa to enter the United States.
Zagreb Airport currently offers airlines incentives for the establishment of long haul flights, that is, service that are seven hours or longer. They include discounts on landing fees and the passenger service charge. The reduction in fees is dependent on whether services are operated on a year-round or seasonal basis. Incentives are also available for long haul charter flights. The last time Zagreb boasted scheduled flights to the United States was during the summer of 1991, when Pan Am maintained four weekly nonstop roundtrips from New York with its Airbus A310 aircraft. Prior to that, JAT Yugoslav Airlines ran services from Zagreb to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Business as usual.
ReplyDeleteI've lost all hope for the US flights.
DeletePa kad nisu angazovali jednog velikog strucnjaka iz okoline Zagreba da im resi te trivijalne problemcice ;)
DeleteCovek je hodajuca karikatura 🤣🤣🤣
DeleteTo be honest it makes sense that American tourists are interested to go to the coast...
ReplyDeleteI agree. As much as it sucks for ZG, if I was a tourist from US, I'd be looking for a direct service to DBV or SPU.
DeleteMy experience with Americans is that they consider whole Europe as one entity, so it's not like they look for specific destination (unless it's Paris, London, or some tourist package to i.e. Dubrovnik). Otherwise, they'll pick one entry point and then stroll around. Zagreb could be that entry point.
DeleteWhy would anyone realistically pick Zagreb as an entry point when it's virtually unknown in the US? Rome, Milan, Venice, Vienna, Budapest are much more likely "entry points" for Central Europe.
DeleteIts more logical that they fly to Dubrovnik first, and if they want to visit more places in Croatia they can book flight to ZAG on CTN. This makes sense to me.
DeleteCould work at least seasonally to Zagreb
ReplyDeleteIf it could, the flights would have materialised ages ago.
Deletesame situation is with Sofia and USA, there is always something which block establish if direct flights. Gullivair were having plans to establish several long routes like USA AND Indonesia and Canada, for that reason they took 3 Airbus A330 and 3ATRs for short flights but they simply doesn't have so many regular destinations like Air Serbia so plans were completely changed, now they have only 1 A330 which serves somewhere as wet leasing probably. Best case would be if Bulgaria Air decide to try such routes to USA but they are not interested
DeleteSorry, bratko, but it is not the same situation. Croatia has one million diaspora in North America, Bulgaria maybe one quarter of that number. Croatia has half million visitors from N. Am. doubt BG has one tenth of it. And despite, company from BG is trying, the same as the company from SRB which is both trying and succeeding. And Croatia, with the biggest potential, doing absolutely nothing. So, sorry, but you are much better than we are
DeleteLol "Croatia has one million diaspora in North America"
DeleteThe market from the US to Croatia is covered with flights to DBV. US carriers have done their homework and have obviosuly realized that flying to ZAG isn't lucrative enough. HR diaspora probably chases the cheapest tickets on the market which is why US carriers cover ZAG through major European hubs.
Delete@pozdravizRijeke: Croatia has one million diaspora in North America. True, mostly from coastal region. So ZAG is for them transfer point.
DeleteIt's unfortunate that the national flag carrier has no interest in these flights
ReplyDeleteAnd to Europe
DeleteTrue
DeleteI can only dream that one day Croatia Airlines will start long haul flights.
DeleteDon't dream ,come to BEG 😃
Delete"Lufthansa shuttle the most passengers between Zagreb and the States". This sentence from the article explains it all, and confirms what I've been saying for long time. "Hvala" gazda Ivane, I hope God will repay for everything you did to destroy croatian civil aviation
Delete@09.14
Delete1994, OU had announced, published, and prepared for operation flights to New York, Chicago and Toronto, to be operated with ex-LH DC-10. They had pilots, cabin crew, engineers and ground staff which had experience on type, LH was switching DC-10 to A340, with favourable contract which was continuation of cooperation after OU took their B737's from LH. Flights were announced, we were waiting for refresher/conversion trainings, and then, bloom, literally overnight, decision was changed that ATR was coming instead of DC-10. At the time, I still had hopes that they wanted to grow regional and domestic network, and long-haul would follow in couple of years. Then crooks and criminals definitely took over, with deliberate intention to make OU feeder only. Then I left the company. And as long as we let Croatia be corrupt and used by criminal organization, fully convicted, with mindset stuck in 1950's, you will be only dreaming about OU flying long-haul, as well as many many many more things
Oh you worked at OU. So you have fresh information about them, at least in the 90s. Today the times are other, only 15 International destinations from ZAG, and big low-coster with ambitions to be the first on the market.
DeleteOU is missing the opportunity in 2016-2020 to become like JU. People started traveling by plane en masse while ZAG sat and didn't develop. Without any competition!
DeleteToo bad I am not as clever as you are to understand what are you trying to say. Or maybe you don't try saying anything but just trying to cure complexes, unsuccessfuly, and spit hate, successfully. But for that, you are not on the right blog. So, please do me a favour and switch to Informer, Kurir, Blic and alikes
DeleteThis was meant for @10.33
Delete@Pozdrav
DeleteBut the man is right. Everything he wrote is true. Only 15 international destinations are served by Croatia. And it is true that Ryanair is close to dominance.
Today's topic is not number of destinations of OU, but US service from ZAG . I was writing about the topic. If there is one person critical to OU, that would be me, saying the same what "the man who is right" said, hundreds of times. But unfortunately, the only intention of the person you advocate is to simply belittle ZAG and enjoy while doing it, curing the complexes, instead admitting that ZAG has one and only problem, and that is national shame Croatia Airlines
DeleteNo one can say that ZAG's numbers are good, for the love of God they are not even in top 100 European airports. How many other European capitals are not in top 100?
DeleteFrom the top of my head I can only think of Vilnius, Tallinn and then capitals in our region except BEG. This is utter embarrassment for Zagreb.
That is why there are no flights to the US, demand is obviously limited.
UA always made the most sense since OU is in Star Alliance and can offer good onward connections to the region.
ReplyDeleteNo it doesn't make sense because OU has a pathetic network. No logic for UA to launch ZAG before VIE.
DeleteUnited would be the perfect fit for Zagreb. Continue flying to Dubrovnik 4 times a week, but the other 3 days fly to Zagreb an have Croatia Airlines connect to other cities in Croatia especially the coast during the summer season. A win win for everyone especially that they both belong to Star Alliance
DeleteWhere is the Croatian diaspora in the US mainly concentrated?
ReplyDeleteAnd south California, San Diego in particular
DeleteNew York has the largest Croat community in the USA
DeleteLA would be best option for Zagreb. Half of guest that visit Croatia are from California and 50% of them goes to Plitvice lakes. Now they fly through New York or some other city on east coast,so definitely they would be more interested in direct flight.
DeleteLAX-ZAG has a lot of potential but only if flights are timed in such a way to offer fast connections to BWK, OSI and OMO.
DeleteConditions are good for the US flights. Don't know what they are waiting for.
ReplyDeleteNew York flights are long overdue.
DeleteThey are waiting for there to be enough demand
DeleteAnd the connecting traffic you would have from Zagreb too, to domestic destinations and some in the region.
DeleteZAG has no direct connection to cities like Stockholm, Berlin, Prague, Lisbon, Cairo... so it is pointless talking about USA.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete+100!
DeleteThey have been delaying flights from Zagreb to US each year. Hope it finally happens in 2025.
ReplyDeleteThe only chance of these US flights happening is for Croatia Airlines to lease a widebody and start it themselves. This would also allow them to start other markets like Korea.
ReplyDeleteWe all know it won't happen.
DeleteIf Aegean isn't flying to the US then OU shouldn't either.
DeleteWhat a retarded comment.
DeleteAegean has to compete with American , Delta , United and Emitates for this route , who OU has to compete ???
Delete*Emirates
DeleteThe demand is there for A3, its up to them to go for it. And for some reason they're staying away from it. A3 has a large hub in ATH which could easily pull in transit traffic, Greece is a major holiday destination, not to mention there would be a portion of the market that would fly A3 due to the ease of being able to communicate in Greek making travel easier. Star Alliance membership gives them access to UA feed on the US side. If JU is able to pull it off A3 could certainly do it.
DeleteI read somewhere that Aegean plans long haul flights and new aircraft soon..
DeleteDear JATBEGMEL , Air Serbia had and still has the financial back up of the government , something that Aegean as a private owned airline hasn't . That means that they can not have the luxury of losing money for at least 5 years until they become profitable on ATH-JFK-ATH route.
Delete@20,48
DeleteAs of last year, JU finally has had the ability to stand on its own without financial injections by the Serbian Government. In fact, it has given back money to the government in the first half of the year with more to follow.
What A3 has that JU doesn't is:
- Main hub in one of Europe's largest tourist destinations.
- Large destination network plus frequencies in the Euro Mediterranean area (TLV, BEY, AMM, LCA, CAI, ADB, IST, TIA, domestic Greece).
- Star Alliance membership and access to the network of Star Alliance partners.
- Brand recognition.
- Double the fleet of JU with brand new aircraft with double the amount of destinations.
And this is just to start the list.
In theory, long haul shouldn't take 5 years to turn a profit, which goes to show how it wasn't executed well with JU. Inflated lease fees for ARA amounted to around a third of their overall losses in 2018 and 2019. It's interesting how JU further expanded long haul once ARA left the fleet and how JFK became one of JU's most profitable routes. The US also produces the greatest amount of revenue for JU.
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/12/air-serbia-closes-in-on-pre-covid.html?m=1
The troubles JU had with launching long haul isn't something I see happening at a well run airline as is A3.
JATBEGMEL , Aegean and Emirates extended their codeshare parternship also in Athens to Newark route . So personaly don't see Aegean starts a Transatlantic route anytime soon.
DeleteAlthough , there is a roumor for Aegean that they convert some of the 12 options for a320/321 neo into a321 LR or XLR and starts India and South Africa.
DeleteBiggest obstacle to their long-haul is ATH, they lack the necessary facilities to accommodate all this growth.
DeleteWell I do hope flights eventually start to the US. I was hoping for next summer but seems unlikely.
ReplyDeleteCome to LJU instead, you are welcome
ReplyDelete+1
Deleteex-OU CEO Kucko once said that Croatia doesn't need direct flights to NY because ZAG already has so many options to NY and elsewhere in the US with 1-stop connections over Europe...
ReplyDeleteThen it does not need flights to anywhere because there are many options with 1 stop connections.
DeleteZAG-NYC route will be more successful than some European ones.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a shame no US carrier sees it on that way 🤣
DeleteProper airlines are in business to make a profit, not fly routes with no potential for a return on investment. Indirect flights to ZAG will do just fine.
DeleteNothing surprising when your based carrier is given a role to feed bigger players' hubs, instead of developing its own.
ReplyDeleteI wonder which airline would be potentially interested in operating JFK-ZAG flights
ReplyDeleteNoone ! As US carriers do not care for BEG , the same goes for ZAG . Only if OU starts something.
DeleteWell I do hope flights eventually start.
ReplyDeleteToo seasonal market.
ReplyDeleteThere could be seasonal flights.
DeleteBEG is seasonal as well yet we have 4 long haul routes. There are ways to work around the seasonality.
DeleteNo visas for locals, big tourist market in Croatia, good connections to rest of domestic airports from Zagreb... Really the conditions are there. Don't know why there are still no flights.
ReplyDeleteIMO because ultimately, there is zero difference whether you reach SPU/DBV from ZAG or from FRA/MUC/AMS/CDG/LHR, and connecting pax through major hubs is much easier for US carriers than setting up or expanding codeshares with OU. I just don't see a competitive advantage for ZAG here.
Delete@ Vlad
DeleteAgree with everything you wrote. ZAG does not have competitive advantage for US flights under current circumstances. The only way to become competitive and get use of advantages would be synergy with OU, of course not the one in current shape, but the one with tripled domestic and regional network, different business model, different aircraft typeS, proper waves, proper marketing, more code shares on both sides of network, not only codeshares as feeder, possible change of alliance, competent management, development strategy, increased work productivity, getting rid of influence of politics, and many more. ZAG does have long-haul potential, if not even bigger, at least the one BEG has. Unfortunately nobody in Croatia is not interested in realization of that potential
ZAG absolutely has long-haul potential at least to NYC, but it would serve primarily the local population and the initiative needs to come from within (i.e. from OU). Sadly, that's unlikely to happen because it would impact Mother Lufti's cozy joint-venture TATL agreement.
DeletePozdrav:
Delete“ ZAG does have long-haul potential, if not even bigger, at least the one BEG has. ”
Yes, we all see that greater potential than Belgrade.
@11,37
DeleteWe see BEG with bigger potential because there was political will in getting JU into shape which sparked it's growth into making BEG a mini hub in the region which continues to grow. Just a decade ago OU was the better carrier in the ex YU region. Just look at the tourism statistics and numbers of Croatia and compare it with Serbia. Huge difference. Croatia has the demand just on O&D stats alone, let alone if transit traffic was thrown into the mix as well. OU has 0 will to do anything about it other than to boost capacity from every Croatian airport to FRA and MUC.
Thanks @JATBEGMEL. There are normal people here, who understand aviation, like you are, and the others, haters and those who are here to cure complexes. Thanks for replying to one of the "others 'instead of me, it's been for sure more effective
DeleteIs there any chance we will see Delta and American back in Dubrovnik first?
ReplyDeleteProbably not. It bigger money for them in Greece or Spain then in Croatia
DeleteDelta and American announced their summer 2024 flight schedule and DBV is not included and as the previous comment said they focus a lot on Greece, Italy and Spain.
DeleteIt's unfortunate more wasn't done to establish flights to JFK
ReplyDeleteYou can make one stop in Dubrovnik from Zagreb and land in Newark in summer.
ReplyDeleteOr in any of the major European hubs, so why would anyone connect in DBV?
Deletesometimes cost is a key factor for some customers.. we are all a little different
Delete@Vlad
DeleteAre passengers forbidden from transiting in DBV? Not getting the point of the comment. If the connection works for the customer both in time and price, why not connect via DBV if the option is there?
I have nothing against connections in DBV per se, but such connections are purely theoretical.
DeleteAs you say, to be a viable connecting airport, DBV needs to work for the customer both in time and price. In reality, however, DBV has always been one of the most expensive European destinations in US carriers' network (as the seasonal P2P demand is always very strong), and the number of frequencies has never been nowhere near enough to sustain a high level of connecting traffic.
Therefore, DBV is not and has never been a remotely viable transit airport for flights to the US. Can it become one? Sure, but only if the situation changes drastically.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
ReplyDelete@ex-yu aviation
ReplyDeleteLast sentence, that JAT had flights from ZAG to JFK, ORD and LAX is slightly incorrect. JFK and ORD were direct nonstop flights from ZAG. However, it was not the case with LAX. The fact is that only the flight number of ZAG-BEG-ORD-LAX was the same. In "real life", passengers were taking DC-9/B727 ZAG to BEG and had to transfer to DC-10 which would take them to LAX via ORD. (It was similar with flights from SKP and OHD to MEL and SYD, and from SJJ to TIP, BGW and DAM-KWI).So, ZAG had flights to LAX is questionable. On the other hand, there were scheduled (ABC charter) flights, nonstop, direct, from ZAG to CLE and DTW seasonally, which you completely omitted.
Zagreb to US flights is turning into an urban legend.
ReplyDeleteInstead of buying a220s, Croatia Airlines should have acquired two A350s and launched flights to the US, Korea, China...
ReplyDeleteInstead of the A350s, Croatia should have launched flights to Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, Stockholm, Oslo, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Bucharest, Podgorica, Tirana, Istanbul, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Malta, Madrid, Geneva...
DeleteThey should get A380 for flights to Frankfurt and Munich
DeleteCorrection : Vrankvurt and Minken.
DeleteAnd on more serious note, OU should have countinued flying both Q400 fleet and renewed A320F fleet, should have changed A320neo order to A321XLR, and meanwhile lease A330 and E175/195, altogether for less money than A220 plus lease back of 320, and drastically grow its euromediterrannean, and start long haul network. But you can't expect something like that in company "managed" by aparatchiks with mindset stuck in 1950's, and corrupt to the bone
DeleteExpected.
ReplyDeleteInstead of those half dozen or so all A220s they're suppose to be getting they could easily have added one A321 NEO long range. It offers the exact flexibility OU would need. Even in the winter it could be utilized on the thickest short haul routes and for a good 8 months of the year it could be used for long haul and even bring in connecting passenger to SE Europe. Toronto, New York and India are all within range. If US and CAD airlines don't want to fly to Croatia there's no other way to get there unless you're willing to do it yourself even if it needs to be subsidized!
ReplyDeleteFor flights to US you need feed from OU.
ReplyDeleteBut OUs network is a joke.
Tell that to Rijeka and Purger.
Delete@13,40
DeleteAll Rijeka does is criticize OU for the lack of building a proper network despite countless opportunities literally slapping them in the face.
What opportunities exactly?
DeleteThe market is way too decentralized, seasonal, and the population is far too small to support a hub airline with longhaul flights.
And that's without even considering the strong competition on all sides.
Every year the same. Zagreb Airport has to accept that american Airlines have not interest to approach Croatian capital
ReplyDeleteHonestly, this can work only between DBV and US
ReplyDeleteSo why cant Air Serbia set up a route from US to Dubrovnik? Or does it have to fly to BEG first?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the a321xlr idea. That plane seems like a no-brainer. If I was in charge I would use this plane for long range flights from ZAG in winter and from the coast in the summer
ReplyDeleteHow come YYZ-ZAG functions well, although seasonaly, but it works, you can't tell me there's bigger croatian diaspora in canada than the us, besides, it's not only croatian diaspora, there's also bosnian diaspora that would gladly have one stopover in us instead of two, or three to get to ORD or STL or DSM. Now ZAG is feeding not only FRA or MUC, but AMS, CDG, and IST with PAX for US.
ReplyDeleteHello. I enjoy the comments that I read on this site. I would like to participate, but just tell my opinions and experiences of my journeys, since I have been traveling to Croatia from the USA from 1971 to 1982, 2002 to 2020, and 2022 to present. A little about myself. I was born in America and my parents were from the Island of Krk, but met in New York in the early sixties. My mother had family in Croatia and wanted me to learn and experience the Croatian lifestyle. I enjoy visiting Croatia and that is why I travel to Croatia to this day, even if I wouldn’t have to anymore. I have seen many changes. Some good, some bad, and some that puzzle me.
ReplyDeleteNow to start off, direct flights to Zagreb. It has been my wish for many years. I even remember my mother saying that one day, there would be direct flights to Rijeka. I remember the days JAT flew the DC-10 direct from JFK to ZAG. It was a dream. It really made up for the drive to Rijeka on the “old road”. In my opinion, direct flights will only happen to Zagreb from the USA is if a flight originates from Zagreb. All these comments about US carriers flying to Zagreb for now is a dream. Believe me. I have been praying for such a thing for many years. Fact is Americans don’t know about Croatia, unless they are one of the many that watched a famous TV show filmed there and of course my co-workers. I don’t know what it is and I never did it, but people around me love talking about cruise ships or camping or going to the beach. Never hear about Europe or any far destinations. Well that’s it for now. Thanks for you attention.