Zagreb’s busiest EX-YU routes: Skopje stays on top, Belgrade grows

Skopje has retained its position as the Zagreb’s busiest capital city route from the republics which once formed the former Yugoslavia, followed by Belgrade, Sarajevo and Podgorica, with flights to the Montenegrin capital to be discontinued at the end of next month. Croatia Airlines, as the sole operator on the Zagreb – Skopje service, handled 26.044 passengers between the two capital cities. It performed a total of 503 flights during the six-month period (both directions included) and registered an average cabin load factor of 55.1% during the first half of the year. Figures on the route have still not reached pre-Covid levels, with the carrier welcoming 30.691 passengers during the same period in 2019. This coming winter, Croatia Airlines will operate eleven weekly services to the Macedonian capital, up from seven weekly rotations during the 2019/20 winter.

Roundtrip passenger performance on Zagreb flights, H1 2023

Air Serbia, as the only operator on the Belgrade – Zagreb service, welcomed 25.855 passengers on board its aircraft, according to the European Union’s statistical office. The airline maintained a total of 560 flights between the two cities, registering an average cabin load factor of 75.1% during the six-month period. The carrier’s figures on the route exceeded pre-Covid levels. In 2019, it handled 22.456 travellers. Air Serbia plans to increase frequencies between the two capitals from eleven weekly last winter and fourteen weekly this summer to seventeen weekly rotations this winter season, with three daily flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This will mark the highest number of weekly frequencies between the two cities since the collapse of the former Yugoslavia.

Croatia Airlines handled 23.547 passengers between Zagreb and Sarajevo. It is the sole carrier operating between the two cities. During the January – June period it performed a total of 667 flights. Its average cabin load factor over the six months stood at 46.3%. The route is some way off from recovering its pre-Covid passenger figures. In 2019, the Croatian carrier handled 30.241 passengers between the two cities. This winter, Croatia Airlines will maintain double daily flights on the route, up from thirteen weekly during the 2019/20 winter. The only other capital city from the former Yugoslavia served out of Zagreb is Podgorica, however, the route, operated by Ryanair, will be discontinued at the end of next month. Last year, the budget airline handled 28.745 passengers between the two cities for the entire twelve-month period.