Croatia Airlines has said it is considering the introduction of intercontinental flights with its incoming fleet of new A220 aircraft but has ruled out the launch of long-haul services for the time being. The Croatian carrier also confirmed a report by EX-YU Aviation News that it plans to wet-lease turboprop aircraft for shorter regional routes. Speaking at a press conference in Zagreb, upon the presentation of the carrier’s new livery, CEO Jasmin Bajić, said, “Our team is constantly scanning for new routes and our desire is to launch nonstop intercontinental flights in the future”. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the airline is aiming to reduce the effects of the country’s high seasonality by launching services to destinations south of Croatia over the winter months, when the the carrier has considerable spare capacity. Furthermore, it will increase frequencies on existing services. Over the past two years, Ryanair has successfully introduced a number of leisure routes out of Zagreb which remain popular over winter, including Malta, Paphos and Lanzarote. Currently, Croatia Airlines' southernmost scheduled service is between Split and Istanbul, launched this May.
Mr Bajić noted that few outside the region know of Croatia Airlines but that the carrier manages to fill its planes thanks to its Star Alliance codeshare and interline partners. The CEO added that 85% of Croatia’s inbound traffic is made up of foreigners. “Upon the delivery of all fifteen A220 aircraft, which we expect by the end of 2027, we will have the ability to achieve the full potential for network growth. We will continue to strategically support Croatia’s economy and tourism industry”, Mr Bajić said. The CEO noted the arrival of new aircraft would enable the airline to better promote itself on select regional markets such as Slovenia, which lacks its own flag carrier. "In the long-term, aircraft such as A321XLRs may be considered, but that is a possibility in the distant future. However, we will always continue to seek out new opportunities", Mr Bajić added.
Croatia Airlines’ CEO confirmed the airline will seek a capacity provider to wet-lease turboprop aircraft in order to replace its six 76-seat Dash 8s, which will be phased out over the next two years, as reported by EX-YU Aviation News yesterday. “For routes that require less capacity, such as Zagreb - Sarajevo, we will find a partner airline with turboprop aircraft that will operate the flights on our behalf, while the new Airbuses will be deployed on new routes”, Mr Bajić concluded.
Croatia Airlines and Air Serbia are really ambitious lately!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, one is launching two long-haul routes to China, and the other is maybe - perhaps - considering something south of IST.
DeleteAnd one costs taxpayers double than the other one.
DeleteAccording to OU this deal costs 500,000,0000 US dollars. It certainly won't be paid from the airline's cashflow.
DeleteIt probably will be paid by OU.
DeleteWell, National airline is subsidised in tune of €40 million each year for noumber of reasons, mostly - POS flights, but I think they'll manage to make profit if they plan routes well, even with 17 aircraft that now seems quite likely 2 types, 15 A220 and 2 ATR 72 600. I expect if they do decide on long hull flights OU will need to negotiate at least 2-3 A320 NEO XLR with the Airbus. Adding a 3rd type in to the fleet. Potentially direct flights to New York, Chicago and Toronto with these and perhaps even seasonal flights to Boston, Montreal and Philadelphia.
DeleteThere's a strong Croatian community in Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh in particular), Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and New York, with Toronto in Canada. But more importantly, Croatia is becoming very popular destination, especially in USA and Canada. This year, 850 000 US and 250 000 Canadian visitors are expected to visit Croatia. In 2025, this figure will rise to over 1 million US Visitors and 320 000 Canadian visitors. There's no indication when an US airline will establish direct flights to Zagreb, year round, like Pan Am used to do.
It would be only logical for Croatian Airlines to initiate some flights to US, after all there's a massive market to tap in to, US has population of 337 million and Canada 42 million. So would be very smart to initiate these intercontinental flights when ever possible, perhaps by 2030, by which point Croatia will be hosting at least 1.5 million US visitors, Canada at least 500 000 visitors.
@12:54
DeleteWhile launching flights to North America would be logical, OU executives don’t seem to understand the concept of logic
@Anonymous 12:54 - also add to that Bosnian diaspora. Tons of people, especially from Northern and Northwest Bosnia that live in the US and Canada, use ZAG as their final destination and then they drive to Bosnia. AirTransat's flights to ZAG are full of Bosnians visiting their country over the summer.
DeleteEven better, secures year round traffic for A-321 NEO XLR, I am guessing here, but 184 seats (16B+168E seats) would be more than sufficient for A321 XLR to reach Chicago or Toronto. Year round flights to NYC would pay for themselves, especially if A321 XLRs are ordered in 2026 and delivered for 2030 flight operations. By this point OU could afford these flights and make a profit.
DeleteHello OU. Your flights will still be seasonal. Americans will not fly to the Adriatic in winter!
DeletePan Am flew to Frankfurt, where it had a hub, not the USA.
Delete@Anonymous15:03
DeleteActually Americans and Canadians come in winter months too, especially over Christmas. There are at least 30 000 Americans visiting Croatia during December alone. Zagreb tourist board keeps the data but Americans are 3rd most frequent visitors to Zagreb and they come to Croatia throughout entire year. Canadians too, also large diaspora also helps. Suffice to say over 100 000 Americans visit Croatia from December 1st to March 31st. Half of them visit Zagreb.
And what do they do in Croatia in winter? The coast is too wet and cold and there are no true ski fields unless they go to next door Slovenia or Bosnia. This must be just diaspora travel.
DeleteWater is too wet, is it what you've just said? There's plenty of things to do, Christmas markets across the country, especially in Zagreb, Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik. Cultural and historic monuments, wonderful nature to explore, plitvice ,krka, velebit, brioni. Cities to explore, Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Varazdin... if snow visit noumber of ski slopes but certainly visit Mevednica for star of the new year's world' ski season which normally starts on January 5th... Two weeks of international skiing competitions and international sport. Slovenia is next door, so visit to Bled, Ljubljana, and other places of interest. Croatia and Slovenia literally come in the same package on most international travel programs. So yes plenty of things to do and see.
DeleteAnd yet this has not worked for OU to date with Europeans to eliminate seasonality but this will work with Americans. No one bathes in the Adriatic during the bora season and all the businesses on the Coast shut down.
DeleteSeasonality comes from stupid European habit to go for collective vacation in 2-3 months/year, while most Americans can take their short vacation whenever they want it, When I was discussing visit from my friends from germany in USA, I could not get them to come here in April or May to visit Arizona and surrounding are. They said, nobody will give us free time in April or May. It has to be only July or August. July and Aiugust were not options to be in a desert. I am in Phoenix today and tommorow. It is June and today temperature was 45 C. Wanna come? Baked birds are dropping from the trees here.
DeleteTrade air should add some ATR-42 500s. Looks like there might be some work for them soon.
ReplyDeleteNo way, mr. Analiticar clearly said that A42 is no profitable airplane, even with 100%LF!
DeleteWell hes not exactly wrong, theres a reason even JAT dumped its ATR42s within 2 years of flying them and switched to 72s
DeleteThey didn't drop them. They were forced to return them due to sanctions. The ATR42s were leased.
DeleteA42s have really poor efficiency compared to the 72s, so not surprising.
DeleteTheir value comes from the fact that they need runways shorter than 1000m to take off. For OU's needs, something like am ERJ50, Mitsubishi CRJ or A72-600 would make more sense, as they don't operate to difficult runways
Of course he’s wrong. Marek said that A72 has break even with 50% load factor, so A42 should be fine with maximum 70%LF. He is smaller and lighter than A72, so fuel consumption has to be less
DeleteOU should get E45 they are cheap and the right capacity
DeleteWho would fly them? OU has not pilots nor crew for Stars, that's why they are looking for wet lease provider.
DeleteThe ATR42s were only leased from Aerospatiale ahead of delivery of JAT's own ATR72s and returned well ahead of the war starting and sanctions being imposed in 1992.
DeleteYU-ALK, YU-ALL and YU-ALM ATR42s all left the JAT fleet in October 1990.
DeleteSo this could mean potentially some destination in Middle East?
ReplyDeleteI hope so, but I wouldn't hold my breath.
DeleteWhen you watch that video you would think OU is a state of the art airline. Then you check FR24 and reality hits you right across the face.
ReplyDeleteOU is the market leader in the region.
DeleteMarket leader in what? It literally is not the market leader in any metric in the region.
DeleteThey totally missed out with choosing A220 instead of Embaer family. The E175 would perfectly fit for these 'less capacity' routes, while the 190/195 would cater for the main destinations. Not to mention the much cheaper price tag of the Embraer.
ReplyDeleteNe pitaju se oni, nego država, a državu vode oni koji imaju deal u EY, i koji obostrano uzimaju proviziju na ovako velikom transakcijama. Lakše vam je kad to shvatite.
DeleteKakav EY? O cemu pricas?
DeleteEU obviously
DeleteA220s are far more versatile, Embraers are significantly cheaper. Ultimately, if they're eyeing long-haul, they could launch something like ZAG-Abu Dhabi or Jeddah with A220s.
DeleteOr they could lease A321LRs or XLRs and reach India and New York
^ you might want to read the article.
DeleteAnonymous09:24
DeleteEU obviously
Thank you for correcting my typo... But you get the point. 👍
Jeddah-Dubrovnik would a really good route in my opinion. Also Abu Dhabi-Dubrovnik
DeleteCEL saying that his airline is not recognized by people outside (Balkan) region is sad. It is not something to brag about:
ReplyDelete"Mr Bajić noted that few outside the region know of Croatia Airlines but that the carrier manages to fill its planes thanks to its Star Alliance codeshare and interline partners."
CEO*
DeleteAnd yesterday they said they are a world renowned company recognized by everyone as one of the best in the world....
DeleteWhat was exactly stopping them to do this before the A220s?
ReplyDeleteLufthansa cartel politics
DeleteBut that's stronger than ever with this current OU management.
DeleteSorry I find the whole wet leasing of turboprops very bizarre as it seems they will have to wet lease at least 4 of these planes. What was the point of the “single type fleet” story if in reality you will be flying wetleased turboprops on a chunk of the network?
ReplyDeleteThey also first said how they would own the new planes but now they are leasing them.
DeleteWhat's bizarre? It will be overpriced and money will flow backwards
DeleteThe more expensive the better
Worry not.... You'll pay . How ever it turns out
DeleteAnd Ryanair did it within 2 years without issues yet it takes Croatia Airlines 35 years and counting.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI can see few charter kind of flights to the North of Africa, Israel, eventually Dubai. Nothing too much unfortnuately.
ReplyDeleteDubai already has scheduled service with Flydubai
DeleteExactly. And I think Dubai is a very big stretch.
DeleteDubai no but Abu Dhabi with Etihad code share..... Could work year round.
DeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteWhy do they have "Zagreb_Airbus A220-300"? Why not just write Zagreb near the front of the plane?
ReplyDeleteIt's odd to me too. But I do like that they bolded the "Croatia" on the fuselage. Looks better this way.
DeleteAnd they did not even use the Airbus font.
DeleteHas OU ever flown beyond Tel Aviv? I think that is the most south destination. They don't fly there at the moment though.
ReplyDeleteTel Aviv is no go atm, and would be too dangerous, Croatia has tourism industry to think about,
DeleteI wouldn't be surprised if it includes Hurghada or Monastir. They are operating some charters to Monastir this summer. So maybe they located it on the map.
ReplyDeleteBajic says they "constantly scanning" destinations but they have barely introduced any in the last 5 years.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see this list of destinations.
DeleteI mean the list of destinations they are scanning.
DeleteLets just firstly fix our European network and then try something new...
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteInteresting they mention A321XLR.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't look very convincing.
Delete"In the long-term, aircraft such as A321XLRs may be considered, but that is a possibility in the distant future. "
So when will this happen? In 2027 when they get all the planes?
ReplyDeleteSadly, they’re probably going to go bankrupt before then.
DeleteWhat are the busiest unserved routes from Zagreb now?
ReplyDeleteProbably JFK!
DeleteI said it before and I will say it again. They are talking about decreasing seasonality yet every new route they have launched since 2016 has been seasonal!
ReplyDeleteThey need a complete overhaul to the way they do business. I hope, (hope) they are keeping their cards close to their chests and might soon be a little more ambitious but are keeping it quiet for obvious reasons.
ReplyDeleteGood that they realised they need some type of turboprop in their fleet but I hope this doesn't meant they continue to use them to Copenhagen and Brussels.
Omg...yes! Those 2 and a half hour turboprop flights to Copenhagen were pure torture!
DeleteThey've luckily stopped that already, hopefully it stays this way.
Need desperately of a route connecting Croatia to Portugal.
ReplyDeleteFirst nail in to the coffin
ReplyDeleteBy the time these cats at Croatia Airlines get around to getting XLRs and flying them intercontinentally, there will be numerous US airlines that will already be doing that for years already. As always, Croatia Airlines is way too late coming to the party. JetBlue, United, American, Delta, and who knows who else, will already conquer the market. These orders for XLRs should have already been placed and the planes should have been part of the fleet by 2026. It’s called having a vision and being forward-thinking.
ReplyDeleteNice to see Croatia blossoming on all fronts! First Rafales , now new A220’s for Croatia Airlines! This is what happens when Croatia’s GDP grows by more than 40% since 2016!
ReplyDeleteAnd lots of debt too!
DeleteCroatia’s debt percentage is actually slightly below the EU average at 58.9% of GDP down from 63.5% of GDP in 2023.
DeleteIt was a nonsense idea to dispose DH4s if they now need to wetlease smaller aircraft. It was so obvious that A221 is simply to big to be the smallest OU aircraft.
ReplyDeleteLet's forget about flying A321XLR flying nonstop from ZAG to North America or India. That aircraft is not capable of such range. Flights are not operating at the distance of great circle but much longer.