April the 4th, 2026 – A Croatian airport loses half of all its flights, with the relevant ministry quick to explain what is actually going on.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Osijek Airport has lost half of its flights, which has surprised many despite the eastern Croatian airport not being anywhere near as popular as others. Things are done a little differently at Osijek Airport, but the planes of the private domestic airline Trade Air, which used to fly to Zagreb, Pula, Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik, are no longer flying from there. The Trade Air website only briefly announced that tickets for the summer flight schedule are not yet available.
subsidised flights aren’t commercially viable for the airlines themselves
“Tickets for the summer flight schedule on domestic routes are currently not yet available for sale. We expect new information on April the 13th,” it reads on the Trade Air website, with Osijek Airport further explaining what this is actually all about. The current contractual framework for performing domestic scheduled air transport within the framework of the PSO (Public Service Obligation) was in force in the period from July the 4th, 2022 to March the 28th, 2026 and has now expired, which is why operations on PSO routes have been totally suspended. PSO flights are air routes within Croatian air space that are subsidised by the state because they are of public interest, but are not commercially viable for airlines at all. Due to these state subsidies, ticket prices on these routes are often fixed and more affordable than on regular commercial routes, as reported by Večernji list.
“This is a matter that is within the competence of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, i.e. with the implementation of a new procedure and the adoption of an appropriate solution for the continuation of PSO traffic. Osijek Airport isn’t actually a participant in making decisions on announcing a tender, contracting a PSO obligation or securing budgetary funds for this purpose. As a result, at this time it cannot be confirmed whether funds for PSO flights have been secured in the State Budget for 2026,” Osijek Airport told Večernji list, adding: “We’d like to emphasise that PSO traffic is of exceptional importance for the air connectivity of eastern Croatia, especially for smaller airports and their users, and we hope to soon find a sustainable and long-term stable solution that will enable the continuation of regular connectivity,”
money is invested in osijek airport annually
Currently, there are Croatia Airlines flights from Osijek to Munich going twice a week, and to Split and Dubrovnik. Ryanair will be available to fly to London from June the 2nd. The City of Osijek, co-owner of this eastern Croatian airport which has currently lost half of its flights, emphasised that they do invest money in the airport’s operations every single year.
“The City of Osijek, as one of the co-owners with a 25% share, has provided 931,800 euros in subsidies for Osijek Airport in the period from 2021 to 2025. In addition, together with Osijek-Baranja County, we’ve participated on several occasions in providing support to Osijek Airport in accordance with the needs of maintaining liquidity and strengthening regular operations. For example, we’ve resolved the inherited debt to Ryanair, which has since resumed operating on the Osijek-London route. In addition, in the 2026 budget, the City of Osijek has provided an additional 300,000 euros for support to airlines, thereby confirming the continuity and strategic importance of investing in air connectivity,” revealed Osijek Mayor Ivan Radić.
no official information surrounding the tender is known
Osijek-Baranja County, the state as the majority owner, and the City of Osijek are all owners of the airport. They currently don’t know why a new tender for PSO lines had not been announced. “At this moment in time, we don’t have official information about the reasons why a new tender for PSO lines has not yet been announced, nor about the further dynamics of the establishment of flights. Osijek-Baranja County is in constant contact with the airport administration and actively communicates with them, with the aim of ensuring the stability and continuity of air traffic as quickly as possible,” assured Osijek-Baranja Prefect Nataša Tramišak.
However, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure did explain what’s exactly at stake here. They stated that new programmes and tenders are being prepared, but are delayed due to alignment with the new European Union rules on state aid and that this is not about cancelling flights, but about adjusting the rules to avoid legal consequences. They also emphasised that this is a temporary interruption of a certain number of flights to and from Osijek, and not about giving up the programme.
