After the low-cost Hungarian carrier Wizz Air announced their difficulties in expanding operations in Croatia due to seasonality and high costs, Israel’s second-largest airline isn’t intimidated by traveling to Split.
Namely, the Israeli carrier Akria Israel Airlines will operate a short-term charter line between Split and Tel Aviv beginning in March of 2019. Flights on the new preseason charter line will run once a week on Tuesdays between February 26, 2019, and March 19, 2019, and run two arrivals in the last two weeks, respectively March 12, 2019, and March 19, 2019, reports AvioRadar on December 12, 2018.
According to the available flight schedules, no aircraft has been specified yet for this operation. What we do know, however, is that the Akria fleet consists of 3 Embraer ERJ-190, 3 Embraer ERJ-195, one new Airbus A321(Neo) LR, and one Boeing 757-300. In addition to their own fleet, Akria hires Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which could be the aircraft used to fly to Split.
This won’t be the first time Akria has flown to Croatia in the offseason, as it operated a one-off flight to Dubrovnik last month. Not an entirely common occurrence, Akria flew a one-time flight from Tel Aviv to Dubrovnik on Tuesday, November 8, 2018, with a return on Tuesday, November 15, 2018. Akria used their Boeing 757-300 aircraft for this route.
Last month, the Israel airline also announced a new route between Tel Aviv and Dubrovnik next summer which will be traded under the tourist brand Sun d’Or. This will be the first route regularly arriving in Dubrovnik for the airline. Akria will operate once a week, on Tuesdays, from June 4 to September 24, 2019, using the Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
In other flight news, Finnair announced this month that they would strengthen their presence in Dalmatia, and will be increasing their services to Split for 2019. Finnair will offer six flights a week between the Finnish and Dalmatia capitals, with the first flight commencing on April 16, 2019. The airline will operate to Split until October 23, 2019.
To read more about Split airport, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
