The potential investor has has a change of heart…
Although it seemed earlier this year that seaplanes would return to Pula this summer, the plans for linking the largest Istrian town with the islands and Dalmatia, and potentially even with Italy, have come to nothing, reports Glas Istre on June 13, 2018.
Information about the possible return of seaplanes to Pula appeared at the beginning of the year when Airways Europe expressed serious interest in launching the flights. At the time, the process of drafting the feasibility study for granting a concession for conducting the flights was started.
“According to the latest information, the investor Airways Europe, which was supposed to take over the flights, has decided against it. Therefore, it is certain that this year there will no seaplane flights from Pula,” said the director of the Pula Port Authority Donald De Gravisi.
There are rumours about a Chinese company possibly also being interested in the introduction of seaplane flights from Pula to the islands and Dalmatia and Italy. An inquiry about it was sent about ten days ago to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, but no reply has arrived.
In November last year, Airways Europe started discussions with towns to which the European Coastal Airlines (ECA) company operated its seaplane flights until 2016. The company ceased operations after its seaplanes were grounded in the middle of the 2016 tourist season. The Croatian Civil Aviation Agency alleged that the aircraft were not safe.
Given that a new interested concessionaire appeared, the management council of the Pula Port Authority decided to published a new tender for the seaplane concession, since Pula has all the preconditions for introducing such flights, which are very beneficial and attractive for tourists. According to unofficial information, Airways Europe has purchased from the ECA pontoons and kiosks where tickets would be purchased, and one of them is located on the Pula waterfront. But, obviously, they have given up on the idea, at least for the time being.
The first ECA seaplane landed in Pula’s harbour in April 2015, and the service soon became very popular among tourists, both Croatian and international. The abolishing of the flights mostly affected Adriatic islands, whose mayors have repeatedly pointed out the need for such a fast and efficient transport option for connecting the islands with larger towns on the Croatian and Italian coasts.
