Jasmin Bajić, President and CEO of Croatia Airlines, submitted his resignation on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and will officially step down from his position on December 5. Health reasons and retirement were cited as the reasons for his departure, according to a notice published on the Zagreb Stock Exchange.

According to available information, a new Management Board of Croatia Airlines is expected to be appointed within the next month. It remains unclear who will succeed Bajić, who has led Croatia’s national carrier for the past nine years.

Bajić took over as CEO of Croatia Airlines on November 4, 2017, meaning that his resignation was submitted exactly nine years after assuming the position. He joined the airline in January 1995 and has held numerous senior management positions throughout his career, covering corporate planning, development strategy, fleet planning, network management, finance, and controlling.

During his tenure, he was also actively involved in international aviation organisations. Since 2018, he has been elected three times to the governing body of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), while in 2024, he was appointed to the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

His time at the helm of Croatia Airlines was marked by numerous challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the European aviation market, and the launch of the largest fleet renewal programme in the airline’s history. It was during his leadership that the decision was made to gradually transition to a single-type fleet of Airbus A220 aircraft, a project expected to be completed during 2027.

The leadership change comes at an exceptionally challenging time for the airline’s financial performance. According to recently published financial results, Croatia Airlines recorded a net loss of €64.7 million in the first nine months of 2026, compared with €20.9 million during the same period last year. At the same time, passenger numbers increased by seven percent to approximately 1.66 million.

The airline has attributed its deteriorating financial performance to costs associated with the fleet transition, increased operating expenses, rising fuel prices, and unfavourable financial developments. Nevertheless, the official announcement of Bajić’s resignation cites only health reasons and retirement as the grounds for his departure.

The incoming Management Board will face the demanding task of continuing the fleet renewal programme, stabilising the airline’s financial performance, and improving the competitiveness of Croatia’s national carrier. A particularly important challenge will be turning substantial investments in fleet modernisation into a financially sustainable long-term business model while maintaining and developing Croatia Airlines’ route network.