Croatia Airlines registers record April figures
Croatia Airlines saw its busiest April on record, managing to offset the declining passenger numbers registered during the first quarter. The carrier welcomed 172.758 travellers on board its aircraft last month, an increase of 16% year-on-year. It carried an additional 23.359 passengers compared to 2018 and overtook its previous April record set in 2011 when it handled 151.231 travellers. The strong growth was in part due to the Easter holidays falling later on in the month, as well as the 16+1 CEEC - China summit, comprising of sixteen Central and Eastern European nations and China, which took place in Dubrovnik, with the Croatian carrier operating several additional flights to the city. The continued growth of Croatia's tourism industry also aided the figures, as well as the airline's resumption of the majority of its seasonal services almost a month in advance. As a result, Croatia Airlines managed to overturn its passenger decline in the first quarter, during which it handled 345.800 passengers on board its aircraft, a decline of 2.4%.
During the January - April period, Croatia's national airline carried 518.557 travellers, up 3% on the same period last year, with its average cabin load factor standing at 69.9%. "Considering strong advanced bookings and demand, we expect for the passenger growth to continue for the rest of the year, particularly over the tourist season during which Croatia Airlines will serve 38 destinations in 24 European cities", the company said. It anticipates registering a 5% increase in passenger numbers by year's end. In 2018 the airline handled a record 2.168.863 travellers. The airline will carry Zagreb Airport's millionth passenger of the year this Sunday on flight OU513 from Dublin to the Croatian capital.
Croatia Airlines has made only minor tweaks to its 2019 summer operations compared to last year but brought forward the resumption of the majority of its seasonal Zagreb flights. The carrier will extend its services to Dublin into the winter this year. It is also considering prolonging flights to a select number of seasonal destinations in the lead-up to Croatia's presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will take place during the first half of next year. Furthermore, it has scheduled a wet-leased Bombardier CRJ1000 aircraft on a number of routes for the 2019/2020 winter season. The carrier wet-leases two of the jets during the summer months from Spanish regional carrier Air Nostrum in order to maintain its busy schedule. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, Croatia Airlines said, "It is true that the CRJ1000 aircraft is being set up in the reservation systems for some flights during the 2019/2020 season, but at this moment we can't confirm that the company will extend the lease for one of them after the summer timetable".
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