Croatia Airways recorded a decline in passenger numbers in Sarajevo throughout the first quarter, regardless of rising its capability in comparison with final yr. The drop comes as Ryanair expanded its operations from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital in late March and early April. On the identical time, Sarajevo has considerably enhanced its connectivity over the previous yr, with a number of new carriers launching providers to the town.
Primarily based on figures supplied by the European Union’s statistical workplace, Croatia Airways dealt with 22.938 passengers between Zagreb and Sarajevo throughout H1 2025. The determine represents a decline of 13.6% year-on-year and is 24% beneath 2019 ranges. The Croatian service elevated its capability on the Zagreb – Sarajevo service this yr when in comparison with final by 1.074 seats, sustaining eleven extra operations in comparison with 2024. Its common cabin load issue on the route stood at 44%.
Sarajevo has historically been an essential switch marketplace for Croatia Airways, with sturdy demand for connections through Zagreb to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Paris and Munich. Earlier than the pandemic, 56% of passengers on its Sarajevo service had been switch travellers. The airline now hopes to spice up its efficiency within the second half of the yr, supported by new routes launched from Zagreb in July and additional community enlargement deliberate for subsequent yr with the arrival of extra Airbus A220 plane.
Croatia Airways has a long-standing relationship with Sarajevo Airport. It was the primary service to renew scheduled flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital after the battle and has since dealt with over a million passengers on the Zagreb – Sarajevo route. Providers initially started with an ATR42 turboprop, later rising to 13 weekly flights operated by the Sprint 8. In 2016, the airline even thought of opening a base in Sarajevo and launching a number of nonstop routes to Western Europe, although the plan by no means materialised. As Croatia Airways transitions to an all-A220 fleet, it has indicated that routes similar to Sarajevo shall be operated by a wet-lease associate utilizing turboprop plane.
