July the 2nd, 2026 – Pula Airport has seen a very encouraging 8.8% increase in passenger numbers, with stronger demand for travel to Istria more obvious than ever.
Vecernji reports that Pula Airport successfully recorded strong passenger growth last year, with traffic increasing by 8.8% compared with the previous year as the airport continued its recovery and development.
A total of 554,247 passengers passed through Pula Airport in 2025, which is nearly 45,000 more passengers than were processed by the facility back in 2024. This marked increase reflects continued growth in air travel demand and stronger international connections. Pula Airport also reported higher revenues in addition to an increase in passenger numbers. Total revenue rose to 9.32 million euros, while sales revenue increased by more than 12%.
Despite the positive passenger and revenue trends, the airport did still unfortunately end the year with a financial loss of around 1.1 million euros. Officials explained that the result was linked to higher operating costs across the European aviation sector, continued investment in development, and the fact that passenger numbers are still gradually recovering compared with the pre-pandemic and record year of 2019.
Throughout 2025, Pula Airport continued working with existing airlines while also focusing on opening new routes, increasing flight frequencies, and extending operations into the pre-season and post-season periods.
Extending the tourism season remains one of the airport’s main priorities, as better air connectivity is considered essential for the continued growth of tourism and the wider economy of Istria and Croatia. Airport director Nina Vojnić Žagar said the results show that efforts to strengthen international connections and cooperation with airline partners are producing results. She added that further growth will require continued work and long-term cooperation.
The airport also invested in safety and infrastructure improvements during the year, including new operational equipment and upgrades designed to improve airport capacity and efficiency. Pula Airport’s latest impressive figures show that Croatia’s aviation sector continues to recover exceptionally well, with smaller regional airports playing an important role in supporting tourism and international access.
