Croatia to be connected by 517 air routes this summer

Croatia Airlines

Distant markets are returning: direct flights between Zagreb-Seoul and Riyadh-Dubrovnik

Throughout the upcoming summer flight season, Croatia will be connected with 517 unique routes in domestic and international traffic, initial data collected by the Croatian Tourist Board from Croatian airports reveals. 

In line with this, a double-digit increase in the number of passenger aircraft operations is expected compared to last year’s summer flight schedule.

“The significant increase in the number of unique air routes is the best indicator that Croatia continues to firmly hold its position as a safe and attractive tourist destination. Numerous airlines have recognised the increased demand for Croatian destinations, leading them to expand their programs. We are particularly pleased with the growing number of connections to distant markets, which are increasingly contributing to the overall results of Croatian tourism,” stated Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian Tourist Board. 

He added that air transport is extremely important in connecting Croatia with the world, especially the southernmost parts of Croatia with key source markets.

Overall, almost all airports expect an increase in traffic, with the highest number of passenger aircraft operations planned for Zagreb Airport, Split Airport, and Dubrovnik Airport.

In terms of source markets, the highest number of passenger aircraft operations is planned for Germany, the UK, Italy, France, and Poland.

During the summer flight season, direct connections between Croatia and 41 countries are expected – mostly from Europe, while connections to destinations on other continents are also anticipated, such as Canada, Qatar, the USA, and the UAE.

Return of Zagreb-Soul route

A special highlight is the revival of direct air links between Croatia and South Korea on the Zagreb-Seoul route, scheduled from mid-May to the end of October, operated by the Korean carrier T’way Air. 

Additionally, a new route between Croatia and Saudi Arabia has been announced, which according to the plans of Dubrovnik Airport, should be operated by the carrier Flynas, with flights between Riyadh and Dubrovnik from mid-June to the end of August.

Furthermore, Croatia will be directly connected to 133 foreign cities, three cities more than during last year’s summer flight schedule. The airports with the highest number of planned operations to Croatia include Frankfurt/Main – Frankfurt Airport, Vienna – Vienna International, Munich – Franz Josef Strauss, and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

80 new connections 

There are around 80 new unique connections, mostly due to Ryanair, which significantly expanded its programs in Croatia in 2024. Croatia Airlines also introduced several new routes, such as flights between Zagreb-Athens, Zagreb-Berlin, Zagreb-Stockholm, Zagreb-Tirana, Split-Istanbul, and others.

In total, during the summer flight season, around 70 different airline carriers will operate between Croatia and abroad, with Croatia Airlines, Ryanair, Easyjet, Eurowings, and Lufthansa being the carriers predicting the highest number of rotations overall.