Croatia Airlines plans to further expand its network from Zagreb next summer as it continues its transition to a single-type fleet. The carrier is due to take delivery of another four to five A220 aircraft in 2026. It has previously indicated that most of the new routes to be introduced over the coming years will focus on Europe and the Mediterranean. Although the airline has ruled out long-haul flights, it intends to launch new intercontinental services, making North Africa and the Middle East likely candidates. The focus will be on strengthening year-round connectivity and reducing the carrier’s high level of summer seasonality. This year, the Croatia Airlines introduced new flights from Zagreb to Prague, Bucharest, Milan, Madrid and Hamburg.
The carrier has so far indicated interest in launching flights between Zagreb and Lisbon, which it last served in 2019. It applied for slots to serve the route this year but was unable to secure them due to congestion at Lisbon Airport. Slovenian tour operators have also discussed with the airline the potential introduction of flights between Dubrovnik and Ljubljana. Since the coronavirus pandemic, Croatia Airlines has yet to restore services from Zagreb to Helsinki and Oslo, while planned 2020 launches to Podgorica and Sofia did not materialise due to the onset of the pandemic.
Lisbon remains Zagreb’s busiest unserved destination in Europe. Apart from Croatia Airlines, TAP Air Portugal also previously operated flights between the two cities, with the last service running from June to October 2021. Other high-demand destinations without nonstop flights from Zagreb include Helsinki, last served by Finnair in October 2023, and Oslo, which Croatia Airlines last operated in October 2019. In North Africa, where Zagreb currently lacks scheduled services, Cairo is the busiest unserved destination, followed by Marrakesh, Algiers and Tunis. Within the Middle East, Kuwait City, Muscat and Beirut see the most indirect passengers from the Croatian capital.