Croatian private airline Trade Air made its final rotations on domestic PSO routes on Friday (April 29). The interruption was because the PSO program has expired, reports Croatian Aviation.
The Croatian private airline has operated on domestic routes for years as part of the PSO program on the following routes:
Osijek – Zagreb – Osijek,
Osijek – Pula – Split – Pula – Osijek,
Osijek – Rijeka – Osijek,
Rijeka – Split – Dubrovnik – Split – Rijeka.
The lines operated throughout the year with the same number of rotations. However, at the end of April, the contract expired, and on Friday, April 29, Trade Air operated the last rotations from and to Osijek.
The interruption is due to the fact that the competent Ministry has yet to announce the winner of the new PSO program (signing a new four-year contract), so it was expected that the airline would not continue operations when the winner is still unknown.
Trade Air should resume domestic traffic this summer season and introduce a line between Osijek and Zadar and Zadar and Rijeka, but only after concluding a contract with the competent authorities.
The 19-seat L-410 aircraft owned by the Czech Van Air operated on Trade Air routes. The new four-year contract should provide a higher capacity aircraft on domestic routes. According to the latest information, operations should resume in June.
The PSO program in the Republic of Croatia is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure. PSOs are in place to make European funds available for unprofitable, primarily domestic routes which are vital for the economic development of the region they serve, reports Ex Yu Aviation back in 2020. Croatian Aviation has sent an inquiry related to this topic, but has yet to receive a response.
TCN CEO Paul Bradbury recently wrote about his experience flying with Trade Air from Dubrovnik to Osijek via Split and Rijeka.
“The PSO service is an excellent initiative and vital link for communities (even more so with Jadrolinija connecting islands by ferry).”
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