Dubrovnik Airport held talks with American Airways final month because it continues efforts to safe further nonstop companies to the US. The airport’s Managing Director, Viktor Šober, and Deputy Director, Ivan Maslać, additionally met with representatives from the Chicago Division of Aviation, which manages O’Hare Airport, in addition to officers from the Metropolis of Chicago. Commenting on the airport’s ambitions, Mr Šober famous final 12 months, “Whereas we’re at present linked to New York, one route is proving inadequate. We want one other, much like what we had a couple of years in the past. The first problem is the scarcity of plane and the delays in new deliveries attributable to manufacturing and provide chain points. It is a advanced state of affairs that makes securing these flights troublesome. Nonetheless, I’m assured that throughout the subsequent 12 months or two, we could have one thing concrete”.
American Airways beforehand operated seasonal summer season flights between Philadelphia and Dubrovnik, however the service was discontinued in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019, the airline indicated it was contemplating launching flights from Chicago to the Croatian coastal metropolis as early as 2021. On the time, the service mentioned, “Dubrovnik went actually, rather well for us. We are able to join 95% of the US over Philadelphia, and none of our opponents’ operations in New York or the Northeast can do something even remotely near that”. In 2019, American Airways carried 17.879 passengers on the Philadelphia–Dubrovnik route, attaining a median cabin load issue of 80.7% on the Boeing 767-300 plane.
Croatia is stepping up efforts to develop nonstop connectivity with the US. Earlier this 12 months, the nation’s Overseas Minister, Gordan Grlić Radman, mentioned the “potential institution of nonstop flights between Croatian and American airports” throughout conferences with native officers in Florida. Since then, United Airways has introduced the launch of seasonal flights from its Newark hub to Cut up subsequent summer season, complementing its current service to Dubrovnik. The Croatian Nationwide Vacationer Board has pressured that long-haul markets reminiscent of the US are important for future progress, emphasising that “we should actively encourage the launch of latest routes” with a view to strengthen accessibility and assist tourism growth.
