Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Croatia Flights News’ Category

After doing a banner business in 2011, Zadar Airport is set to be even busier in 2012. Croatia’s national carrier, Croatia Airlines, is launching a weekly flight from Zadar to Charles-de-Gaulle in Paris. And the south of France won’t be left in the lurch with Ryanair’s new flight from Marseille to Zadar, due to start on March 26. Ryanair is vastly expanding their connections to Zadar. Look for flights from Karlsruhe (Germany), Billund (Denmark), East Midlands (UK) next year to augment this year’s flights to Zadar from Brussels, Frankfurt,  London (Stansted), Dublin, Oslo , Stockholm, and Dusseldorf.

With a web of international flights, Croatia should not lack for visitors next year. Here’s an early roundup of 2012 flights to Croatia:

Monarch Airlines will fly from Manchester, Birmingham and London Gatwick to Dubrovnik.

Croatia Airlines will start two weekly flights from Munich to Dubrovnik on April 16. Alas, this year’s service from Vienna and Istanbul to Dubrovnik will be retired. Zadar will get a direct weekly flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle starting on May 1. And this year’s popular Zagreb to Athens route will resume next summer, making it easy to extend your Mediterranean holiday to Greece. In more good news, fun-loving French  can spend New Year’s in Dubrovnik with a direct route from Paris Charles de Gaulle that will run twice weekly  all year.

Why do Russians visit Zagreb in winter? Who knows. Maybe Zagreb is warmer than Moscow. Maybe they’ll make a beeline to the balmier Dalmatian coast. This year Aeroflot will maintain daily flights between Zagreb and Moscow throughout the year.

Connections to Scandinavia and Central Europe are already scheduled for next year. Check out the following (with a thanks to Ex-Yu Aviation news):

Stockholm – Dubrovnik (March 25) SAS

Karlsruhe – Zadar (March 28) Ryanair

Copenhagen – Split (March 31) SAS

Helsinki – Dubrovnik (April 02) Finnair

Dubrovnik – Munich (April 16) Croatia Airlines

Zadar – Paris (May 01) Croatia Airlines

Bern – Split (May 05) SkyWork Airlines

Frankfurt – Rijeka (May 05) Condor

Frankfurt – Dubrovnik (May 13) Condor

Manchester – Pula (May 19) Jet2.com

Zurich – Dubrovnik (May 27) Edelweiss Air

Bergen – Split (June 25) SAS

Stavanger – Split (June 25) SAS

Copenhagen – Dubrovnik (July 04) SAS

Rotterdam – Split (July 07) Transavia.com

See more on cheap flights to Croatia!

Let bygones be bygones! In a series of moves to put a fractured past behind them, Serbia and Croatia are forging new transport ties. This summer will see the introduction of two new flights from Belgrade: one to Pula and one to Dubrovnik.

Of the two, I find the flights to Dubrovnik the most surprising as the city, famously, suffered badly in the bombing of 1991. It’s been 19 years since the last flight between Belgrade and Dubrovnik. Now there will be two flights weekly, beginning June 20 and running until September 7. It is not yet clear whether Croatia’s national carrier, Croatia Airlines, or Serbia’s airline, JAT will operate the route.

Fewer details are available for the Belgrade-Pula route except that it will resume this summer after a two-year absence.

See more on flights to Croatia.

Dubrovnik Airport still handles more visitors but Zadar Airport is catching up fast. This year, the airport received some 270,000 passengers, the largest number in its history and a surprising 28% increase over 2009. Clearly the entrance of low-cost carrier Ryanair has given a substantial boost to Zadar airport, bringing visitors from England, Scotland, Ireland and other countries in northern Europe. Ryanair now accounts for 64% of the passenger numbers at Zadar airport, greatly aided by Germanwings which brings in another 17%. And the airport is aiming to attract even more airlines in 2011.

All this traffic is putting a strain on the little airport’s facilities, prompting the announcement of a major expansion. Already, the main terminal is undergoing construction with the expansion of the international departures and domestic arrivals area. When all is completed the terminal should cover 7000 square metres. Workers are building at a feverish pace to complete construction in time for the summer season of 2011.

Zadar makes an excellent base from which to explore several stunning national parks. The Paklenica National Park and the Kornati Islands National Park are both within reach of Zadar. So are the fascinating islands of Pag and Dugi Otok.

See more about visiting Zadar.

While passenger numbers zoomed at other Croatia airports–Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik and Zadar airports recorded impressive increases this year–Rijeka‘s airport has seen a decline. That should change next year. Concerned about this year’s lack of direct flights from northern Europe to Rijeka’s airport,  tourism officials and Rijeka airport struck a deal with Croatia Airlines, Croatia’s national carrier, to subsidize a route from London Heathrow to Rijeka airport (actually on Krk Island).

Novilist has reported that there will be a weekly Wednesday flight from London Heathrow to Rijeka starting April 20, 2011 and running to October 19. The dates are important for local tourism officials who want to encourage traffic to the region outside of the peak summer season. With a price of only €200, tourists would be well advised to give this region a try even though the target market for the deal is Croatian diaspora in the UK and USA.

So what can you do when you arrive in Rijeka? Relax in the stately coastal resort of Opatija, rent a car and explore Istria, embark on a cruise of the northern Dalmatian islands and, oh yes, visit Rijeka!

See more on flights to Croatia.