Croatia Airlines has ruled out launching long-haul routes, noting that its current and future network planning will be focused on Europe. The airline’s CEO Jasmin Bajić told Regional International: “Croatia Airlines’ fleet, both current and future, is well suited for regional traffic within Europe. Our primary role is to ensure connectivity within Croatia and maintain year-round links with international destinations. In addition, given Croatia’s tourism-driven economy, we allocate capacity to strategic leisure routes, even during the winter months when other airlines may not operate.” Mr Bajić added: “Throughout the summer months, we prioritize connectivity while celebrating our twentieth anniversary in the Star Alliance. The alliance enables us to offer a significant amount of capacity to Star Alliance hubs, offering a wider range of destinations than we could operate independently. While overseas markets play an important role in Croatia Airlines’ overall traffic, we prioritize efficient connections through Star Alliance and codeshare partners.”
The Croatian airline had transatlantic ambitions in the past. In the summer of 1994, the airline planned to lease a Lufthansa DC-10 aircraft to launch a route between Zagreb and New York’s JFK. The airline had even started scheduling flights, subject to government approval, however, the plan was cancelled overnight. In 2013, the airline’s management once again expressed interest in launching long-haul flights. “I would like to include intercontinental flights in our network in the future,” said then-CEO Krešimir Kučko. “I would like to see the long-haul model move from the dreaming stage to the planning stage and then to the implementation stage.”
Mr Bajic noted that Croatia Airlines remains committed to optimizing its route network in order to reduce the seasonal nature of the Croatian market. “Our vision is to create sustainable year-round tourism in the next five to ten years. This goal requires cooperation from all stakeholders in the tourism industry, and Croatia Airlines plays an important role in this.” “Croatia Airlines has been closely following market trends and passenger demand and planning routes accordingly. The focus remains on destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean,” added the CEO. Croatia Airlines has a total of 15 A220 jets, with the first of the new Airbus A220-300 aircraft currently undergoing painting, which is expected to be completed this Friday. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered at the end of June, marking the beginning of the airline’s transition to an all-A220 fleet.
