Jat’s big plans for Croatia

Jat Airways recently started service between Serbia and Croatia (Belgrade and Pula) resuming traffic after a 17 year absence. The new line which is operated twice a week is doing extremely well. Jat Airways has a license to fly to Pula until September but Jat management is announcing continuation of the flights well through the winter schedule, if the Croatian aviation board approves a license extension. Pula’s citizens are not hiding their happiness as the new flights swing into full operation and bring with it an enormous increase in tourists from Serbia. The management of the “Tourist Organisation of Istra” states that an aggressive promotional campaign has commenced to attract Serbian tourist. The organisation hopes that by 2011 a total of 100.000 Serbian tourists will visit the Istrian coast requiring air services to operate on a daily basis. Most of Jat Airways’ tickets to Pula have already been sold. However, the management has been surprised by the large interest from Pula residents to travel to Belgrade. The Pula - Belgrade line is, at the moment, more successful than the Belgrade-Pula line.

Due to the interest, Jat Airways is now working on ideas to open new lines to Croatia next year. Currently the airline plans possible lines between Belgrade – Zagreb, Belgrade – Dubrovnik and Belgrade – Split with this line continuing on to an Italian city. Pictured above are passengers from Jat’s first flight to Pula after 17 years, operated on July 3.