Croatia Airlines on May 21 launched a new route between Zagreb and Helsinki, Finland. Last year, the number of passengers at Helsinki Airport on Croatian routes is increased by 24 percent. Helsinki Airport has had routes to three destinations in Croatia: Pula, Split and Dubrovnik.
The growth rates on routes between Helsinki Airport and Croatia have been nothing short of amazing. In 2010 there were only 33,000 passengers travelling to Croatia, whereas last year 150,000 passengers travelled to the country from Helsinki. Even compared to 2015 alone, the number of passengers on the Croatian routes increased by a whopping 24 percent.
Since May, Croatia Airlines is operating three weekly flights between Helsinki Airport and Zagreb.
“We are glad that Helsinki has become the 39th destination in our network. We are now offering to our passengers the fastest travel option between Finland and Croatia and I believe that many of them will recognise the value of this route. I hope that our flights will help to discover natural, historical and cultural beauties of our capital, but also the whole country,” said Krešimir Kučko, President & CEO of Croatia Airlines, at the ceremony organised at Helsinki Airport after the celebratory flight on May 30.
The route between Helsinki and Zagreb is open during the summer season until 15th of October. In addition to Zagreb, the other new routes between Helsinki Airport and South-eastern Europe that will be opened in 2017 are Pristina in Kosovo, Varna in Bulgaria, and Bucharest in Romania.
“The region as a whole has now clearly become an important area of emphasis for Helsinki Airport. This is a sign both of increased demand and of successful sales work. Greece continues to be a huge attraction, and as an up-and-comer Croatia is in a class of its own. The upswing is not accounted for entirely by Finnish holidaymakers – the demand is on both sides. Finland itself is an attractive final destination, as are the onward destinations that are accessible through the Helsinki Airport,” Haapasaari says.
Preparations for new passenger records are currently underway at Helsinki Airport, with major extension work being carried out. The number of passengers is estimated to exceed 18 million this year, and by 2020 a total of 20 million passengers a year will pass through the airport.
