Croatia Airlines
146972
223893768
2008-07-06T11:13:59Z
122.107.131.68
/* Destinations */
{{Infobox Airline
|airline = Croatia Airlines
|logo = CroatiaAirlinesLogo.png
|logo_size =
|IATA = OU
|ICAO = CTN
|callsign = CROATIA
|parent = [[Government of Croatia]]
|founded = 1989 (as Zagal-Zagreb Airlines)
|key_people = Ivan Mišetić (President and [[CEO]])
|headquarters = [[Zagreb]], [[Croatia]]
|hubs = [[Zagreb Airport]]
|focus_cities = [[Dubrovnik Airport]]<br>[[Split Airport]]
|frequent_flyer = [[Miles & More]]
|lounge = Senator Lounge
|alliance = [[Star Alliance]]
|fleet_size = 11 (+3 orders, 2 options)
|destinations = 27
|website = http://www.croatiaairlines.hr
}}
[[Image:croatia.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|Croatia Airlines Airbus A319-100 near a Nippon Cargo Airways 747, at Amsterdam (Schiphol) Airport, the Netherlands.]]
[[Image:croatia.a319.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|Croatia Airlines Airbus A319-100]]
[[Image:croatia.a320.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|Croatia Airlines Airbus A320-200]]
'''Croatia Airlines d.d.''' is the national [[airline]] and [[flag carrier]] of [[Croatia]], based in [[Zagreb]], and a regional member of the [[Star Alliance]]. It operates services to domestic and international destinations. Its main base is [[Zagreb Airport]], with focus cities at [[Dubrovnik Airport]] and [[Split Airport]].<ref name="FI">[[Flight International]] 3 April 2007</ref> In 2007 Croatia Airlines posted a [[net profit]] of 25 million [[Croatian Kuna]] and transported 1,715,027, a maximum in the airline's history.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
== History ==
{{Fact|date=May 2007}}
The airline was established on [[20 July]] [[1989]] as '''Zagal{{ndash}} Zagreb Airlines''', and started operations using [[Cessna 402]] aircraft on cargo services for the [[United Parcel Service|UPS]]. The company used the name ''Zagal'' for short. After the first democratic elections held in [[Croatia]], ''Zagal'' changed its name on [[July 23]] [[1990]] to ''Croatia Airlines''<ref name="FI"/>.
In 1991 the airline signed an agreement with [[Adria Airways]] and then was able to lease a [[Douglas DC-9|McDonnell Douglas MD-82]] to start domestic jet services between Zagreb and [[Split]]. 1992 was a tough year for the company when the [[Yugoslav wars]] forced the airline to stop flying. As soon as flights restarted, ''Croatia Airlines'' bought three [[Boeing 737]]s from [[Lufthansa]] and became a member of the [[International Air Transport Association]] (IATA). That year also saw the airline's first international route.
In 1993 two [[ATR 42]]s and two more 737s joined the fleet, offices were opened in several European cities and the company bought a travel agency, ''Obzor'', to organize travel for groups and individuals. By 1994, ''Croatia Airlines'' had welcomed its one millionth passenger. Later that year, [[Pope John Paul II]] flew the airline on a trip to Croatia.
In 1995, another ATR 42 was welcomed, as was the two millionth passenger. In 1996, ''Croatia Airlines'' became the first airline to fly to [[Sarajevo]]. In 1997 the airline's first [[Airbus A320]] arrived and was nicknamed ''Rijeka''. In 1998, another first plane of a new type arrived when the airline's first [[Airbus A320#A319|Airbus A319]] joined the fleet. This airplane was nicknamed ''Zadar''. Also that year, Croatia Airlines became a member of the Association of European Airlines (AEA). By 1999, two more Airbus jets had arrived and ''Croatia Airlines'' started selling the [[Boeing]] part of their fleet. Another important event occurred when the airline flew its five millionth passenger.
In 2000 two more Airbus planes arrived and an ''Automated Ticketing System'' was inaugurated. 2001 saw ''Croatia Airlines'' get maintenance and technical performing certificates from the [[Germany|German]] aviation authority [[Luftfahrt-Bundesamt]]. On [[November 18]], [[2004]], ''Croatia Airlines'' joined the [[Star Alliance]] as a regional member, sponsored by [[Lufthansa]]. Croatia Airlines carried 1,715,027 passengers in 2007.{{Fact|date=January 2008}} According to some estimates 2007 was their best traffic year and also most profitable.{{Fact|date=January 2008}}
Early 2008 saw the airline retire one of its three [[ATR 42]] short-haul aircraft in anticipation for the delivery of replacement [[Bombardier]] [[Q400]] aircraft. The airline is also believed to be interested in taking a stake in neighbouring airline [[BH Airlines]] with whom it presently codeshares.<ref>http://www.ch-aviation.ch/airlinepage.php?code1=OU</ref>
== Destinations ==
[[Image:Croatia airlines 320.JPG|thumb|right|Croatia Airlines Airbus A320 at [[Frankfurt International Airport]]]]
Summer schedules for 2008 see the airline expand <ref>http://www.croatiaairlines.com/hr/novosti/tabid/237/Default.aspx</ref> its destination network to: [[Podgorica]], [[Priština]], [[Düsseldorf]] and [[Copenhagen]].
Croatia Airlines serves the following destinations (as of May 2008):
*[[Austria]]
**[[Vienna]] ([[Vienna International Airport]])
*[[Belgium]]
**[[Brussels]] ([[Brussels Airport]])
*[[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
**[[Sarajevo]] ([[Sarajevo International Airport]])
*[[Croatia]]
**[[Bol]] ([[Bol Airport]])
**[[Dubrovnik]] ([[Dubrovnik Airport]]) '''Focus city'''
**[[Osijek]] ([[Osijek Airport]])
**[[Pula]] ([[Pula Airport]])
**[[Rijeka]] ([[Rijeka Airport]])
**[[Split]] ([[Split Airport]]) '''Focus city'''
**[[Zadar]] ([[Zadar Airport]])
**[[Zagreb]] ([[Zagreb Airport]]) '''Hub'''
*[[Denmark]]
**[[Copenhagen]] ([[Copenhagen Airport]])
*[[France]]
**[[Paris]] ([[Charles de Gaulle International Airport]])
**[[Lyon]] ([[Saint-Exupéry International Airport]])
*[[Germany]]
**[[Berlin]] ([[Berlin-Schönefeld International Airport]])
**[[Düsseldorf]] ([[Düsseldorf International Airport]])
**[[Frankfurt]] ([[Frankfurt International Airport]])
**[[Munich]] ([[Franz Josef Strauß International Airport]])
*[[Kosovo]]
**[[Priština]] ([[Priština International Airport]])
*[[Italy]]
**[[Rome]] ([[Leonardo da Vinci International Airport]])
**[[Venice]] ([[Venice Marco Polo Airport]])
*[[Israel]]
**[[Tel Aviv]] ([[Ben Gurion International Airport]])
*[[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]]
**[[Skopje]] ([[Skopje Airport]])
*[[Montenegro]]
**[[Podgorica]] ([[Podgorica Airport]])
*[[Netherlands]]
**[[Amsterdam]] ([[Amsterdam Schiphol Airport]])
*[[Switzerland]]
** [[Zürich]] ([[Zürich International Airport]])
*[[United Kingdom]]
**[[London]]
***([[London Gatwick Airport]])
***([[London Heathrow Airport]])
**[[Manchester]]
***([[Manchester Airport]])
Croatia Airlines also operates [[codeshare]] services to other destinations, primarily with [[Star Alliance]] partners.
==Fleet==
The Croatia Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (at April 2008) <ref>[http://www.croatiaairlines.com/en/nbspnbspnbspnbspaboutusnbspnbspnbsp/fleet/tabid/257/Default.aspx Croatia Airlines Fleet]</ref> :
<center>
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
|+ '''Croatia Airlines Fleet'''
!Aircraft
!Total
!Passengers<br>(Business/Economy)
!Routes
!Notes
|-
|[[ATR 42|ATR 42-300]]
|2 (Dalmacija,Istra)
|48(0/48)
|Short haul routes
|exit service 2008
|-
|[[Airbus A320|Airbus A319-100]]
|4 (Zadar, Zagreb, Vukovar, Split)
|132 (12/120)
|Short and medium haul routes
|
|-
|[[Airbus A320|Airbus A320-200]]
|4 (Rijeka, Dubrovnik, Šibenik, Osijek)
|164 (18/146)
|Short and medium haul routes
|
|-
|[[De Havilland Canada Dash 8|Bombardier Q400]]
|1 (Slavonija) <br> (1 to be delivered June 2008)
|76 (0/76)
|Short haul routes
|another 2 deliveries in 2009, <br> 2 options
|-
|[[Fokker 100]]
|1 ([[wet leased]] from [[Trade Air]])
|around 100
|Short haul routes
|}
</center>
As of [[3 June]] [[2008]], the average age of the Croatia Airlines fleet is 11.3 years ([http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Croatia%20Airlines.htm]).
The airline is to acquire 4 (with options for 2 more) factory new 76-seat [[de Havilland Canada Dash 8|Bombardier Dash 8 Q400]] aircraft to boost its regional route network currently served with [[ATR 42]] aircraft. Delivery of the first aircraft registered 9A-CQA started in May 2008 and will continue in 2008 and 2009 with all aircraft on a 6 years finance leases. It is part of their plan to finally establish [[Zagreb]] as a major regional hub.<ref>{{cite news | title= Croatia Airlines to boost regional network | work= [[Airliner World]] | page= 5 |date=June 2007}}</ref>
Croatia Airlines will [[wet lease]] a [[Fokker 100]] operated by [[Trade Air]] from May 2nd to June 16th to enhance the fleet while waiting the delivery of 2 new Q400s. <ref>http://aerocroatia.awardspace.com/</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
==External links==
*[http://www.croatiaairlines.hr Croatia Airlines official website]
{{Template group
|list =
{{Star Alliance}}
{{Navbox Airlines of Croatia}}
{{IATA members|europe}}
{{Association of European Airlines}}
}}
[[Category:Airlines of Croatia]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1990]]
[[Category:IATA members]]
[[Category:Association of European Airlines members]]
[[Category:Government-owned airlines]]
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