A flight from Dublin with about 100 passengers landed in Zagreb on Thursday, whereby the national flag carrier Croatia Airlines (CA) and Zagreb International Airport (MZLZ) marked the relaunch on flights on that route after they had been suspended due to the pandemic, and CA hopes to intensify flights to European destinations.

CA hopes to expand its flight network from Croatia to European destinations and as part of its plans, it will intensify flights on the Zagreb-Dublin route.

There will be two flights a week on that route, on Thursdays and Sundays, and the plan is to adapt to current market demand, depending on the epidemiological situation in Croatia and the world. The first direct flight on that route was established in 2018.

A member of the management board at MZLZ, David Gabelica, said that Zagreb is currently connected to 24 destinations, and that as of June that will increase to 36. There are 300 flights a week and at peak season there will be 700.

Gabelica added that CA is MZLZ’s most important partner and they are in constant contact. Considering the conditions that Ryanair was recently awarded, which are much more favourable than for Croatia’s flag carrier, Gabelica said that CA can always count on the best conditions.

The director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, Martina Bienenfeld, underscored that the reintroduction of Dublin-Zagreb flights shows that interest exists for people to come to Zagreb and Croatia.

“The majority of passengers, according to my information, are staying in Zagreb but I am convinced that a large number of flights that Croatia Airlines is gradually reintroducing to Zagreb will have transfers to other destinations in Croatia,” she said.

She explained that the majority of tourists currently in Zagreb are from the USA and that tourism numbers are similar to last year’s.

CA commercial director Slaven Zabo said that CA will fly to 18 European destinations during the summer, including to 14 from Zagreb.

He confirmed that the national flag carrier was in negotiations with MZLZ regarding better conditions.

In an effort to ensure better connectivity and support to Croatia’s tourism, CA plans to provide 80,000 seats a month during the summer season on flights from European destinations to Croatia while cooperation with tour operators foresees more than 200 tourism charter flights from Austria, Italy, Ireland, Israel and Scandinavia, said Zabo.