Zadar Airport receives first Croatia Airlines direct flight from Munich, the latest route to the Dalmatian coast, making Croatian tourism more accessible.
The arrival of Croatia Airlines flight of OU4433 from Munich touched down Zadar at 11.25 on May 12 2011, marking the return of international flights to the airport for the national carrier, and became the latest new route to a rapidly expanding network of connections to Croatia's popular Dalmatian coast.
Press Conference to Mark the Inaugural Flight
A press conference was held to commemorate the arrival of the flight, carrying 55 passengers, attended by the head of Zadar County, Stipe Zrilic, the director of Zadar Airport, Katica Pupic Bakrac, and Croatia Airlines Vice President, Tonko Rilovic.
"Zadar is once again an international destination for Croatia Airlines," Rilovic was quoted as saying by HRT, "which is extremely important for our company, but also for the city of Zadar and wider Zadar region."
The Munich - Zadar route will operate twice a week, leaving Zadar at 11.40 and Munich at 1415 on Tuesdays, with an earlier 0730 departure, returning from Munich at 0915 on Thursdays.
A second international route operated by Croatia Airlines will connect the northern Dalmatian resort with Zurich from May 20 to September 30, with two flights a week scheduled.
Flights to Zadar: the Ryanair Factor
The flights mark the return of the national carrier to international routes from Zadar after an absence of six years, and are the latest piece of good news for the small regional airport, mined during the recent war, which has undergone a resurgence in recent years.
The main catalyst for that resurgence has been the decision by Ryanair to use the airport as its main (currently only) destination on the popular Dalmatian coast. The Irish low-cost carrier has an impressive selection of direct flights for the 2011 season: London Stansted, Dublin, Brussels, Stockholm, Oslo, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf.
Dalmatian Airports: Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar
The Ryanair effect has had a positive effect on tourist numbers for Zadar, a stunning ancient walled town north of Split. While an increasing number of passengers do visit Zadar, many use the airport as a cheaper entry point to their ultimate destinations further south – Split, Dubrovnik and the popular islands of Hvar, Vis, Brac and Korcula.
While flights to Zadar are increasing, the same is also true of the two bigger Dalmatian airports further down the coast. Flights to Split are increasingly international, while Aeroflot recently announced its plan to establish direct flights to Dubrovnik, another example of the increasing international appeal of Croatia's Adriatic coast.
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