Croatia Airlines expands international flight network from Zagreb

A formal ceremony was held today at Zagreb Airport to mark the launch of Croatia Airlines’ new seasonal flights from Zagreb to Hamburg, Bucharest, Milan, Madrid, and Prague. With these new services, Croatia’s flag carrier will further enhance connectivity between the Croatian capital and the world during this year’s tourist season, contributing to the development of Zagreb’s tourism potential.

This year’s major expansion of the Zagreb destination network was celebrated with a special welcome of passengers arriving on the first seasonal flight from Hamburg to Zagreb. The flight landed just after noon, operated by Croatia Airlines’ new Airbus A220-300 aircraft. The welcome event was attended by diplomatic representatives from Germany, Romania, Italy, Spain, and the Czech Republic – the countries to which Croatia Airlines has introduced new services this year.

Zagreb–Hamburg flights will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This afternoon also marks the first seasonal flight to Bucharest, with flights on this route scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tomorrow, 2 July, marks the start of Zagreb–Milan flights, which will operate three times a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Thursday, 3 July, the new Zagreb–Madrid route will launch, offering flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The first flight on the new seasonal Zagreb–Prague route is scheduled for Friday, 4 July, with services on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. All of Croatia Airlines’ new seasonal routes for 2025 are expected to run through to the end of October.

– Our fleet renewal with Airbus A220 aircraft has enabled a significant expansion of our destination network from our home base, Zagreb Airport, and we’re delighted that the launch of five new seasonal routes strengthens Zagreb’s position as a desirable and more accessible destination on the global tourism map. As Croatia’s flag carrier, we are thereby providing further support to Croatia’s tourism and economy as a whole, while also reinforcing our importance in the development of Croatia’s transport infrastructure. We are especially pleased that passengers on these new seasonal routes will, in addition to a better choice of travel options, be able to enjoy a first-class flying experience aboard our new A220 aircraft – said Slaven Žabo, Commercial Division Director at Croatia Airlines.

– Zagreb Airport welcomes Croatia Airlines’ introduction of new direct summer flights to Hamburg, Prague, Milan, Madrid, and Bucharest. We congratulate our esteemed partner on this expansion, and look forward to our continued success together in the future – said Huseyin Bahadir Bedir, President of the Management Board and CEO of Zagreb Airport.

– Croatia Airlines is our long-standing strategic partner, and the introduction of new seasonal routes represents a significant step in strengthening Zagreb’s international visibility as a primarily air travel destination. We are therefore delighted to welcome the launch of seasonal services to cities such as Hamburg, Bucharest, Milan, Madrid, and Prague. This step provides an important boost to tourism traffic, and further enhances our international profile, making Zagreb even more accessible to many travellers from across Europe and the world – stated Martina Bienenfeld, CEO at the Zagreb Tourist Board.

During this year’s tourist season, Croatia Airlines will directly connect the Croatian capital with a total of 23 international destinations – specifically, Amsterdam, Athens (via Dubrovnik), Barcelona, Vienna, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London (Heathrow), Madrid, Milan, Mostar, Munich, Paris, Prague, Rome (via Split/Dubrovnik), Sarajevo, Skopje, Stockholm, Tirana, and Zurich.

During this period, Croatia’s flag carrier will be connecting Croatia with a total of 30 international destinations, across 31 European airports, operating 55 scheduled international routes. The summer flight timetable includes over 18,200 flights (7% increase compared to the same period in 2024), offering more than 2,260,000 seats (18% more than in 2024).

Croatia Airlines’ fleet renewal – the biggest project in the company’s history – began in 2024 with the introduction of the first two Airbus A220 aircraft, part of a plan to replace the entire existing fleet with 15 new aircraft by 2027. This year, three more aircraft of the same type have arrived. During the 2025 tourist season, Croatia’s flag carrier will be operating five state-of-the-art aircraft featuring innovative design and next-generation technology.