Croatia Airlines on Monday introduced new international flights from Zagreb to Sofia and Podgorica, and Management Board chair Jasmin Bajic said that the coronavirus was not having a significant effect on the company's business results.

Asked whether Croatia Airlines felt the effect of the coronavirus epidemic, Bajic said: “Possibly less in Croatia Airlines, but this major problem is being felt considerably more in other companies in Europe.”

“We are feeling the effect on the bookings for March since that month is weaker than in previous years. However, so far there has been a one percent increase compared with the previous year so we still have not been adversely affected,” Bajic said.

Scheduled international flights from Zagreb to Sofia will start on 1 May and will be operated three times a week until the end of October. International flights from Zagreb to Podgorica will start on 3 May, and will also be operated three times a week.

“This way we are expanding the network of our destinations to 40, in the 26 countries where we are present as an airline,” Bajic said.

He added that besides having a beneficial effect on demand, these routes would support the ones to the west by providing passengers with transfer options.

“This is a significant event for both countries. It is important not only for connecting the two cities, but also for connecting our people,” Montenegro’s ambassador to Croatia Boro Vucinic said.

Bulgarian ambassador to Croatia Genka Vasileva Georgieva said that the flight service to Sofia was important for improving connections with the European market and the European Union and that it would help the two nations to get to know each other better.

Croatia Airlines will open this year’s season with one more aircraft in its fleet. An Airbus 319 with a seating capacity of 150 will join the company’s fleet at the end of March, and at the end of April an additional aircraft, Dash 8-Q400 with a seating capacity of 76, will be introduced as support in cases of unforeseen air traffic disruptions.

Croatia Airlines spokesman Davor Janusic said that there was no new information regarding strategic partners and that they would know more in June, when the government makes the decision.