Zagreb eyes more Croatia Airlines flights and potential Wizz entry
Zagreb Airport is hoping for Croatia Airlines to expand its operations from the city in the future and would also like to see Wizz Air restore services to the Croatian capital, securing a second major low cost carrier alongside Ryanair, which boasts a base in the city. The airport’s recent Connecting Capital Cities Incentive Model, which motivates airlines to introduce flights from Zagreb to up to sixteen European capital cities have been geared towards the pair, however, so far, neither has applied, nor has any other carrier to date. In order for an airline to utilise the incentives on offer from the abovementioned program, they must launch at least two weekly year-round flights to at least three of the sixteen pre-selected destinations. They include Prague, Tallinn, Berlin, Budapest, Riga, Vilnius, Luxembourg, Stockholm (Arlanda or Skavsta airports), Tirana, Pristina, Reykjavik, Tbilisi, Kiev (upon the reopening of Ukrainian airspace), Chisinau and Yerevan.
Zagreb Airport noted the Connecting Capital Cities Incentive Model may still be utilised by any carrier, with the scheme valid until May 2026. “Zagreb Airport has several different models in use as part of its incentive program, which are designed to encourage the expansion of the destination network and increase in traffic through financial support. The incentive model for connecting capital cities, which came into force in June 2023 and will run until May 2026, provides greater financial support for the simultaneous introduction of a number of destinations, compared to support for the opening of just a single route”. It added, “Airport fees and incentives are just on of the many elements, not usually known to the public, that have an influence on a carriers’ decision to introduce flights”.
Croatia Airlines has been increasingly expanding its network from the country’s coast since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and is yet to restore a number of routes out of Zagreb which were discontinued as a result of the global health emergency. On the other hand, Wizz Air used to maintain services to the Croatian capital from Dortmund and London but terminated its operations to the city in 2011. Wizz Air’s CEO, Jozsef Varadi, previously said Zagreb Airport was too expensive for the airline. “Zagreb is a high-priced airport environment with fluctuating demand. If Zagreb Airport becomes more reasonable, we will certainly consider that airport as an opportunity for expanding our network", Mr Varadi said at the time. Ryanair said last month it would expand operations out of its Zagreb base next year with plans to serve over thirty destinations during the 2024 summer season, up from 27 this year.
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