Croatia sees passengers boost

Good start for Croatia Airlines

Croatia Airlines is reporting improving passenger figures this year after a 6% slump in 2010. During March, Croatia Airlines’ figures improved by 10%, compared to the same month last year, with the result being driven by an increase in international passengers. During the crisis years of 2009 and 2010, Croatia Airlines heavily relied on its domestic traffic to substitute for losses made on international flights, however this sector is now improving. In March, the airline’s cabin load factor also increased, by 5.6%. Srećko Šimunović, Croatia Airlines’ CEO, told the “Poslovni dnevnik”, “The renewal of our fleet, with the introduction of the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, has been justified by these figures”. Croatia Airlines has introduced 6 Dash8s since 2008.

The national airline of Croatia recorded a 21.6 million Euro loss in 2010. However, the loss was decreased compared to 2009 by 5 million Euros. Croatia Airlines will hope to profit from recent and ongoing unrest in North Africa with many expected to choose Croatia as their summer holiday destination.