Croatian airports add over 1.5 million passengers


Croatian airports saw a notable surge in passenger numbers during the first three quarters of the year, with over 1.5 million additional travellers compared to the same period last year. The growth was primarily driven by the strong performance of Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Zadar airports. A factor contributing to this increase was Ryanair's expansion in both the Croatian capital and Zadar, alongside the airline's new base opening in Dubrovnik. These developments have boosted air traffic across the country, marking a successful summer season for Croatia’s aviation sector. The country’s nine commercial airports added an extra 1.548.391 passengers in 2024 when compared to last year.

The three fastest growing airports in the country accounted for 80% of Croatia’s passenger growth so far this year, when compared to 2023. Zagreb Airport aims to handle over four million passengers this year, while its counterpart in Dubrovnik some 3.2 million. Zagreb Airport’s CEO, Huseyin Bahadir Bedir, previously said, “We started the year off on a positive note by welcoming our new airline partner Pegasus Airlines. This summer, Croatia Airlines introduced three new routes from Zagreb, to Berlin, Stockholm, and Tirana. Ryanair expanded its network with five new destinations. Our new long-haul partner T’Way Air commenced flights from Seoul in May, with services running three times per week until late October”. He added, “If all goes to plan, we expect that this year, for the first time in the airport’s history, we will handle over four million passengers”.

Croatia’s fastest growing airports, Q1 - Q3 2024


Ryanair was Croatia’s largest carrier during the January - October period with 3.691.262 seats on the market, additional an extra 1.326.893 seats on last year. It was also the country’s fastest growing airline as it based a fourth aircraft in both Zagreb and Zadar, and two jets in Dubrovnik. “Ryanair is the only major European airline to significantly grow traffic post-Covid, particularly in Croatia, where Ryanair will increase traffic to four million annual passengers. As the fastest-growing airline in Europe and Croatia, Ryanair is best positioned to support Croatia’s post-Covid recovery and growth”, the budget carrier’s Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, said.

Croatia’s fastest growing airlines by capacity, Q1 - Q3 2024




Comments

  1. Anonymous09:05

    Bravo Hrvatska!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous09:06

    Impresive results!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous09:08

    Thank you Ryanair

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous09:12

    Everyone wants to visit beautiful Dalmatia!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:15

      🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 give us a break, dude

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:33

      He is right! Look at the numbers.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:34

      Unfortunately it's only on Ryanair flights and not OU flights.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous12:34

      I don't, so pleased stopped trolling. It's beautiful, and although beauty is matter of the taste, certainly not everyone wants to visit it.
      I've been there, seen it and no need to return.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:12

    Wow so Ryanair saved the day especially in DBV and ZAG.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:14

      Yes. DBV was way below pre Covid results last year. That's why they turned to FR and gave them everything they wanted

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:22

      Same with ZAG which struggled

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:25

      True. Most non FR routes are still below 2019 numbers
      https://www.exyuaviation.com/2024/09/ryanair-routes-see-strong-zagreb-growth.html

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:50

      Pre-covid DBV thought they can dictate to Ryan under which conditions it could fly there.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous10:11

      They realized the hard way that was not the case. People want to visit beautiful Dalmatia but only if fares are low

      Delete
    6. Anonymous10:55

      Hahahahahah

      Delete
    7. Anonymous12:36

      +1000 Anon 10.11. thank you!

      Delete
    8. Anonymous00:46

      Pathetic comments.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:13

    Ryanair has really done wonders for Franjo Tudman airport!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:10

      And maybe and finally lit a fire under OU's bum which means this Zagreb growth could continue over the next few years.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous21:25

      Ryanair has been doing wonders in ZAD. Unfortunately only them.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:18

    FR is killing in Croatia. Interesting thing, Air Serbia is not in top 10. Is it possible it has less than 35.000 seats in Q1-Q3 towards Croatian market?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:19

      You need to read the table carefully again. It lists airlines which ADDED the most seats.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:33

      FR's growth in ZAG has really reduced pax numbers for JU connections via BEG.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:42

      ^ Air Serbia's passenger numbers on Belgrade-Zagreb-Belgrade route have increased 16.5% year over year and 34.3% on 2019. Sometimes I wonder what goes through the minds of people like yourself when you decide to make something up. On top of the fact that you responded to a comment made by a person that does not know how to read a table.

      https://www.exyuaviation.com/2024/09/ryanair-routes-see-strong-zagreb-growth.html

      Delete
    4. Anonymous17:09

      FR's growth in ZAG has really reduced pax numbers for OU/LH connections via FRA/MUC.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous18:16

      I think FRA was especially impacted since LH almost exclusively sends the CRJ to ZAG. Before we would get anything from A319 to A321.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:36

    Bravo. Everyone wants to visit expensive Croatia once.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:12

      Prices are out of control. September or October can't remember now was not a good month for tourism.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:21

      Never happened, that's why you can't remember it.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous10:33

    Maybe OU could introduce summer flights Lubljana - Dubrovnik and Ljubljana - Split/Brač.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:43

      They could but they probably wouldn’t.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:46

      They could, but would charge something like €300 one way knowing their pricing strategy

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:47

      Wear and tear is too high on such short runs. Slovenes travel by car to Croatia because they want mobility. Most stay at their own property and need their cars for daily runs, unlike the Brits or Americans who stay in hotels.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous15:12

      Ouch

      Delete
    5. Anonymous21:39

      That's why Air Montenegro has a full flights from Ljubljana to Tivat.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous11:57

    This is impressive. Nobody could even dream about 1+ million passengers. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:48

      I expected 1,3 million. So much about the nobody.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous11:57

    Fantastic results. Pity about Rijeka though.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous11:57

    Ryanair is absolutely killing it

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous11:58

    This just shows how much potential Croatia has

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous11:58

    Any idea how many passengers all Croatian airport could handle this year?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous21:33

      13 million my guess

      Delete
  15. Yeah good luck in 2025, it will be -50% everywhere, every tourist i know who went for years ( some 20+ years ) will not go back to HR, because of the idiot prices over there, it's more expensive than Amsterdam, while they earn 3-5 times more here. Balkan greed kills it self, once again #fail

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:23

      What is more expensive in Croatia than in Amsterdam? Source please?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:37

      No matter how hard you want it, it will not be 50% down 🥰

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:37

      They said that last year and the year before yet records keep breaking. Its supply and demand, more people want to go so everyone needs to compete for the limited space on offer. I just feel bad for the locals who get caught up in having to pay for inflated food prices.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous15:13

      Yet post season considerably slowed down in HR. Pricing is out of control. Many are going to Turkey or Greece. Less money for more

      Delete
    5. Anonymous17:58

      We don’t care for post-season, we work two months only and then enjoy rest of the year, sipping coffee and staring at the sea.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous00:48

      Who cares if these people don't come back if new people come and pay more. If you can't afford it, go somewhere else

      Delete
  16. Anonymous14:23

    It would be nice to see Split growing more, some LCC to make a base there OR OU to take it seriously and make reasonable prices

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous15:25

    Ко са ђаволом тикве сади...

    In my opinion Ryanair is become a bit too dominant in Croatia. They are the most powerful airline in Dubrovnik, Zadar, Zagreb and Osijek (ok, small numbers by they handle Slavonija).

    If OU continues to suffer and become weaker then we know who will profit from it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:49

      All these airports are super super happy to have Ryanair. Zagreb and Dubrovnik would be below covid levels and Zadar would barely exist without Ryanair.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous17:35

    Ryanair added 7 times passengers Croatia Airlines did. Ryanair in Croatia added extra 1.326.893 seats in the first three quarters of the year. Croatia Airlines had a TOTAL of 1.733.529 passengers in ALL of 2023. You don't need PhD in mathematics to see where this is going in 2-3 years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:50

      I wish. But Ryanair growth cannot keep going on forever. L

      Delete
    2. Anonymous03:27

      Ryanair timed their base opening in Zagreb perfectly. Post Covid, Croatians starting to travel overseas, higher wages in Croatia have all coincided with their expansion in Croatia and Zagreb.

      Delete

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