TIRANA, Jan. 18 – ‘Croatia Airlines’ aims to begin operating flights between Zagreb and Tirana in summer 2020, in line with its plans to start operations in Podgorica and Sofia. A few days ago, the Minister of Finance and Economy, Anila Denaj, paid an official visit to Croatia, where she met the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Zdravko Marić, Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Darko Horvat, and by the Minister of Tourism, Gari Cappelli, during which Horvat pledged the Croatian government’s support for Albania’s EU integration, the launch of procedures for a Zagreb-Tirana direct flight route, and actual cooperation in areas such as tourism, maritime trade and craftsmanship. This was followed by another meeting between the airline company’s General Manager, Jasmin Bajić, Director of its Commercial Division, Slaven Žabo and Albania’s Ambassador to Croatia, Riza Poda, to discuss on the future of the airline services. “Both sides agreed that talks between Croatia Airlines and the relevant authorities in Albania should begin immediately so that this important project can be implemented as soon as possible,” the Albanian Embassy in Zagreb said in an official statement.
In 2016, ‘Croatia Airlines’ announced plans to establish a base in Tirana, along with several other cities in the region, but the strategy was never implemented. Additionally, in 2017, Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama, announced that the country’s newly established national airline, Air Albania, would begin operating flights to Croatia. However, three years later operating flights have not begun yet.
‘Croatia Airlines’ is seeking to establish a larger presence in the region following the bankruptcy of Adria Airways, which had a well-developed regional network, including direct flights from Tirana to Germany. Its bankruptcy has opened up opportunities in some of the markets where the Slovenian carrier previously conducted its activities.
In May 2016, ‘Croatia Airlines’ introduced direct flights from Zagreb to Lisbon, Milan, Prague and St. Petersburg, with which it expanded its network of European destinations by four new destinations. While in September last year, Croatian Airlines said it would be “good to expand” after the Adria bankruptcy, but claimed that it was too early to take action at the time.
