November the 15th, 2025 – Croatian airports enjoyed increases throughout the month of September 2025 as well, providing a clear picture of the gradual extension of the tourist season.
As Sinisa Malus/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian airports served a total of 1.8 million passengers in September 2025, representative of a 6.1% increase compared to the exact same month last year. The highest number of passengers were served Split Airport, 533,000 of them in total, according to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
Of all Croatian airports to experience increases in September 2025, Split Airport stands out. In September this year, passenger numbers were up 4.7% compared to September 2024. There were also more passengers recorded at Zagreb Airport, which ranked in second place with 466,000 people served, representing a marked increase of 11.3%. Third in September 2025 was Dubrovnik Airport with 441,000 passengers served, which is almost 5% more than in September 2024. The increase in the number of passengers served by Croatian airports during September 2025 was accompanied by an increase in the number of aircraft operations overall (landings and takeoffs), which totalled more than 17.2 thousand at all Croatian airports, marking an encouraging 4.3% increase compared to last year.
croatian airports enjoy increases in september 2025 with steady links across europe
The largest international passenger traffic at Croatian airports in September 2025 was linked with airports in Germany, with 359,000 passengers or 5.7% more than in September last year, followed by airports in the United Kingdom (UK) and Poland, with fewer passengers from the UK and much more from Poland than in September last year.
Unlike passengers, the decline in cargo traffic at Croatian airports also continued in September 2025, and it was down by a very significant 27.6% compared to September last year, with a total of 825 tonnes processed. In the first nine months of this year, Croatian airports achieved an overall increase in the number of passengers of 6.5%, to more than 11.8 million, while a further increase of 4.5% was achieved with 120.5 thousand aircraft operations.
a drop in cargo bolstered by direct connections to 25 countries across europe this winter
Cargo processed at Croatian airports was down 13%, to just over seven thousand tonnes processed. According to information collected by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) from all Croatian airports, Croatia will be directly connected to 25 countries during the winter flight schedule. The largest number of direct flights will connect Croatia with Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
it isn’t just europe, either…
In addition to all of the aforementioned European countries, Croatia will also be directly connected to much more distant destinations on other continents, such as Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. “Air transport plays an important role in the development of Croatian tourism, especially in periods outside the main summer months when quality connections with source markets are of enormous importance for achieving good tourism results.
During this winter flight season, Croatia is directly connected to 69 foreign cities, making Croatian destinations even more attractive to travellers from all over the world, not just from elsewhere in Europe.
“Efficient air traffic directly affects the year-round and sustainable development of the tourism sector,” said Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.
Taking into account the available data and announcements, the largest number of overall passenger operations is planned for Zagreb Airport, followed by Split Airport and Dubrovnik Airport. In total, 32 different airlines will fly into and out of Croatia. On both domestic and international routes during the winter flight schedule, the majority of operations are planned by Croatia Airlines, Ryanair, Trade Air and Lufthansa.
