Zagreb Airport shrugs off performance concerns
Zagreb Airport has shrugged off reports it is lagging behind its competitors, as well as concerns over a number of airlines terminating their services to the Croatian capital recenlty. “Since the beginning of the concession in 2013, Zagreb Airport has recorded excellent operational and financial results. We have registered passenger growth of around 46%. While Zagreb Airport handled 2.300.231 travellers in 2013, we welcomed 3.336.310 passengers five years later. This year we are also seeing an increase in our numbers. In 2013 the number of airlines serving the Croatian capital stood at 20, while today it amounts to 33. The number of destinations on offer has also grown from 34 to 52”, Zagreb Airport said. The Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković, has said his Minister for Sea Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, will hold talks with Zagreb Airport’s concessionaire concerning its operations.
In the past month, Eurowings announced it would suspend two of its routes to Zagreb, from Cologne and Stuttgart, while Swiss International Air Lines and Czech Airlines have said they would not resume their seasonal services, from Zurich and Prague respectively, to the Croatian capital. Furthermore, Korean Air recently downgraded its year-round operations from Seoul to Zagreb to seasonal summer flights. “We expect successful operations and passenger growth to continue in the future. We also believe that travellers will recognise our efforts and reward us for our high quality of service”, Zagreb Airport added. During the January - October period, Zagreb Airport handled 2.957.109 travellers, up 2.4%, which is just under the European average so far this year. No growth was recorded in January, while figures decreased in July. Overall, it added an extra 69.739 passengers compared to 2018.
Several airlines have complained of Zagreb Airport’s high fees, although these protests have come mostly from low cost airlines. Eurowings previously noted Zagreb Airport's charges are "significantly higher than most major European airports, making it less appealing for low cost carriers". Wizz Air, which has considered resuming operations to the Croatian capital, said, “It [Zagreb] is a high-priced airport environment with fluctuating demand. Should the costs come down, we think they would attract us”. Croatia's busiest airport hiked its fees following the opening of its new passenger terminal in 2017 by two euros per each international passenger for a total of seventeen euros. Similarly, it increased its fees by half a euro per every domestic passenger to seven and a half euros.
0 Response to "Zagreb Airport shrugs off performance concerns"
Post a Comment