Austrian Airlines is discontinuing its Vienna–Zagreb service, with the final flight scheduled for 10 January 2027. No return is planned for the summer timetable, bringing more than four decades of the Austrian carrier’s presence on the route to an end. Its departure is a loss for Zagreb Airport, although the practical impact must also be considered in light of Croatia Airlines’ continued operations, with two daily round trips between the two capitals planned for the winter timetable.

Croatia Airlines will continue to connect Zagreb and Vienna with morning and evening services. According to the published winter timetable, the morning flight is scheduled to leave Zagreb at around 08:10 and arrive in Vienna at approximately 09:10, while the evening service departs at around 17:50. Austrian’s service, which is being withdrawn, leaves Zagreb at around 11:00. Its departure therefore removes an additional late-morning option, while the Croatian carrier’s two daily services remain.

Croatia Airlines’ morning flight is particularly important for passengers connecting through Vienna to long-haul destinations. An arrival at around 09:10 allows connections to some of Austrian’s intercontinental flights departing later in the morning and around midday. These include Newark, with departures scheduled at approximately 10:30–10:45. This option will remain available after Austrian withdraws from Zagreb, meaning the closure of its own service does not entail the loss of those connections.

The two carriers’ schedules are much closer in the Vienna–Zagreb direction: Austrian departs at around 09:30, while Croatia Airlines’ morning flight leaves at approximately 10:05, just 35 minutes later. In this direction, the Croatian carrier’s existing service offers an alternative at a very similar time. Exact timings may vary depending on the day of operation, but the overall schedule clearly shows that Zagreb will retain a functional link to the Vienna hub. Croatia Airlines’ flights already carry Austrian flight numbers under their codeshare partnership.

Austrian’s withdrawal also fits into the transformation of its fleet, which is already underway. Its long-term plan centres on the Airbus A320 family for short- and medium-haul services and the Boeing 787-9 for long-haul operations. As part of this process, 17 Embraer E195s are being gradually phased out, while six additional A320neos, each seating 180 passengers, are being introduced. The Embraer phase-out is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. This leaves increasingly limited scope for routes that require smaller aircraft and higher frequencies, and the decision to leave Zagreb can be viewed as part of that network reshaping.

The challenge of matching aircraft capacity to demand was compounded by the end of cooperation with Braathens Regional Airlines, whose ATR aircraft also served Zagreb. Austrian terminated the arrangement in December 2025 after announcing that its partner no longer met Lufthansa Group’s standards for such wet-lease operations. This removed a solution that had enabled regional routes to be served with aircraft smaller than the Embraer, while the shift to larger Airbus aircraft further increases the number of seats that need to be filled on each flight.

Some of the Embraers are moving to Air Dolomiti, which will continue to operate selected flights for Austrian, but this does not mean that Vienna’s regional operations will be maintained at their previous scale. The published arrangement for 2026 provided for two Air Dolomiti aircraft to operate for Austrian, considerably fewer than the latter’s previous fleet of 17 Embraers. Smaller aircraft will therefore remain available through a partner, but on a much more limited basis. In that context, Zagreb is evidently not among the routes Austrian prioritises when allocating this capacity.

The commercial logic behind the decision is not difficult to understand. A partner airline remains on the route, passengers can still connect to Austrian’s network, and the Austrian carrier can deploy its aircraft in other markets. Nevertheless, retaining the connection through a partner does not compensate for everything lost when an operator withdraws. Fewer departures are available, passengers have less choice when planning their journeys, and flexibility is reduced in the event of disruption.

The end of a relationship lasting more than forty years nevertheless leaves a bitter taste. Austrian had connected Zagreb with Vienna since the mid-1980s, with interruptions during the war and the pandemic. Its departure is therefore more than another timetable adjustment; it also reflects Zagreb’s position among the carrier’s changing priorities. Croatia Airlines’ two daily round trips soften the practical impact, but they do not alter the fact that, after decades of service, Austrian has decided to entrust this connection to a partner.