September the 7th, 2026 – Croatia’s brand new Zagreb-Beijing connection by Air China means much more than just more tourism from Asia, with business and cultural ties implied.
On Friday at 09:47, fire engines stood ready as the “giant” Air China aircraft touched down on the runway of Zagreb’s Franjo Tuđman Airport. The majestic plane of the Chinese carrier completed the first, inaugural flight between Beijing, Bucharest and Zagreb. Katarina Kusec reports for Poslovni that the aircraft was welcomed with a water salute upon landing, while passengers and crew were greeted by a number of high-ranking officials. This flight marked the start of year-round services between the mentioned cities.
a bridge of friendship
Air China’s aircraft landed in Zagreb for the first time and thus began regular operations to Croatia, opening many doors for cooperation and travel. The new route will operate three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and flights will continue year-round, including throughout winter. “Good day, welcome (Dobar dan, dobrodosli,” Qi Qianjin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Croatia, briefly addressed everyone in Croatian. He added that the new route represents much more than an air link between China and Croatia: “It’s a bridge of friendship that connects our peoples and develops potential for further bilateral cooperation in culture, tourism, trade… It will also reduce logistics costs and improve delivery efficiency.”
He emphasised that this is the first such flight in the history of the two countries, while recalling that, despite this, we have a long history of cultural exchanges and economic and trade ties dating back to the time of Marco Polo.
The new route connects Beijing and Zagreb via Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Operations will work as follows: passengers, for example, board in Zagreb and fly to Bucharest as they would to other Schengen countries. There is a three-hour stopover during which border formalities and passport checks are carried out, after which the journey continues to China. The procedure is the same for return flights, while luggage remains on the aircraft. The total flight time is around 14 hours and practically connects two ends of the world.
more opportunities for cooperation
“Today we’re celebrating not only a new air route, but also a new opportunity for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of tourism, business and culture. We look forward to the development of this partnership in the years to come. This new route expands our connections and links Croatia with one of the most dynamic markets,” said Nicolas Duthilleul, CEO and Member of the Board of Zagreb International Airport (MZLZ). He added that more than 4.7 million passengers passed through the airport last year and that he is convinced that with this new route China and Croatia gain more opportunities to grow even closer.
He also noted that travel opportunities have now expanded and that the airport has prepared additional information and signage in Chinese throughout the terminal for Chinese passengers so they can navigate more easily and feel more comfortable.
Air China is using wide-body Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the route. This first arrival brings yet another major global carrier to Zagreb and further expands the flight offer. The A330-200 has a capacity of 265 seats, while around 120 passengers arrived on this inaugural flight from Beijing via Bucharest to Zagreb. The arrival time suits everyone, as morning disembarkation allows them to continue their day normally with other flights or to head into the city very early.
In any case, this is a good foundation for the coming tourist years, and Monika Udovičić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, also sees potential in it.
great results for croatian tourism
“Croatian tourism will again finish this year with very good results, but what is more important is that we are significantly investing efforts in sustainable tourism, and I think this is something that will resonate well on the Chinese market. They come to see our natural beauty and cultural landmarks. The main motive is not only sun and sea, but our natural beauty,” she said, adding that Croatia has never been closer to China and that this is not just a route, but a better connection between the two countries that is moving towards strengthening relations, friendship and business.
“On distant markets, presence is built continuously through better transport connectivity, promotion and long-term partnerships, and this route represents an important step in that direction. I believe this route will contribute to an even stronger positioning of Croatia on the Chinese market.”
After the official part and the welcome of the crew and passengers, a cake was cut and champagne was poured, because big and new things need to be celebrated. Six journalists from China also attended the ceremony, as well as representatives of tourist boards. Among the speakers were also State Secretary at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Tomislav Mihotić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić, and many others.
