Eurowings, Lufthansa, and Austrian Airlines have canceled a total of 55 return flights to Croatian airports announced in July this year, all to ensure regular operations due to a lack of staff within the airlines and at the airports to which they operate, reports Croatian Aviation.
The three mentioned Lufthansa Group carriers canceled 55 return flights to Zagreb, Rijeka, Pula, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik.
Lufthansa has reduced the number of flights on only one route to Croatia, between Zagreb and Munich, so in July, it will operate 6 instead of 7 times a week on this route, for a total of 28 return flights.
Low-cost airline Eurowings reduces traffic on 10 international routes to six Croatian airports:
Cologne – Rijeka, instead of 13, announced 9 flights (canceled 4),
Cologne – Zadar, instead of 13, announced 9 flights (canceled 4),
Cologne – Zagreb, instead of 26, 14 flights announced (12 canceled),
Cologne – Dubrovnik, suspended line, last flight performed on June 12,
Dusseldorf – Rijeka, instead of 14, 11 flights announced (3 canceled),
Dusseldorf – Zagreb, instead of 13, 9 flights announced (4 canceled),
Stuttgart – Pula, instead of 7, 6 flights announced (1 canceled),
Stuttgart – Rijeka, instead of 9, 6 flights announced (3 canceled),
Stuttgart – Split, instead of 41, 38 flights announced (3 canceled),
Stuttgart – Zagreb, instead of 23, announced 14 flights (canceled 9),
In July, Austrian Airlines continues to operate daily to Adriatic airports, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik, but significantly reduces the number of flights to Zagreb airport.
Instead of 53 scheduled return flights in July, Austrian has canceled 9 and now plans 44 flights on this route for July.
The Lufthansa Group is no exception among carriers. Companies and airports were not ready for high demand this summer, resulting in a shortage of workforce in all segments of air transport, from a lack of flight and cabin staff to the crew at airports (check-in, loading, and unloading of luggage, general reception and departure of passengers and aircraft). There are also standard problems with the workforce in air traffic control, which is why aircraft in the summer months rarely take off (and land) according to the planned flight schedule.
Given that the number of monthly flights by the Lufthansa Group to Croatian airports is relatively large, 55 canceled flights to Croatia in July is not a huge number, especially if this will relieve the pressure on the previously mentioned stakeholders and enable some normalization of air traffic in the peak season.
Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reports that British low-cost airline easyJet canceled 15 return flights previously announced to three Croatian airports – Pula, Rijeka, and Split. The airline also cites major operational problems at airports in London (Gatwick) and Paris (Charles de Gaulle).
On the route from London (Gatwick) to Pula, easyJet offered 27 return flights in July until Sunday, but three flights were canceled, and 24 are now available for booking.
There were supposed to be 13 return flights between Paris and Pula in July, but easyJet canceled four return flights, and only nine are now available.
easyJet has the largest number of summer flights to Split Airport, to which only six flights are currently canceled. Namely, between Gatwick and Split, 95 return flights are planned in July (previously 99), while between Paris and Split, 38 return flights are now available (previously 40).
easyJet continuously cancels flights on the new route between Rijeka and London, originally announced twice a week. The airline also cut the weekly operations in July and canceled announced flights on Tuesdays, leaving only flights on Saturdays on sale. For now, only flights on July 5 and 12 have been canceled, but the carrier has not yet revised the flight schedule for the second half of July, so further reductions may happen.
For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.
