On Wednesday, 7 August, Croatia Airlines celebrated its 35th anniversary by performing the first international commercial flight with its new Airbus A220-300 on the Zagreb-Frankfurt route. This milestone event not only marked the airline’s birthday, established on the same date in 1989, but also symbolically retraced the path of its inaugural international flight in 1992, when the airline first connected Croatia to the world through regular passenger traffic.
Thirty-five years ago, on 7 August 1989, the airline was registered in Zagreb under the name Zagreb Airlines d.d. (Zagal), beginning its operations in December of that year with postal transport services. On 23 July 23 1990, Zagal was rebranded as Croatia Airlines d.d., becoming the national carrier for passenger, cargo, and mail transport.
The airline’s first passenger flight took place on 5 May 1991, on the Zagreb-Split route, establishing regular domestic passenger traffic within Croatia. The international connections began on 5 April 1992, with the inaugural international flight from Zagreb to Frankfurt.
Over the past three and a half decades, Croatia Airlines has evolved into a reputable European carrier known for its commitment to flight safety, professional staff, and high-quality service in both regular and charter operations. Since its inception, the airline has conducted nearly 709,000 flights and transported over 45.8 million passengers. Along the way, it has earned membership in key aviation organizations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Star Alliance, the world’s leading airline network.
Marking the arrival of the new Airbus A220-300 and its first international passengers in Frankfurt, Alexandra Ulm, Head of Transport Development at Fraport, expressed her enthusiasm: “We are very proud that Croatia Airlines has chosen Frankfurt as the first international destination for its new aircraft. We wish Croatia Airlines and its new A220-300 many happy landings at Frankfurt Airport in the future!”
The arrival of the first Airbus A220 in late July 2024 marks the beginning of the most significant fleet renewal project in Croatia Airlines’ history, which is set to continue until 2027. The second A220 is expected by the end of 2024, followed by six more in 2025, four in 2026, and three in 2027, bringing the fleet to a total of 15 new A220 aircraft.
In a press release, Croatia Airlines expressed its gratitude: “As we aim to create memorable moments with our passengers, Croatia Airlines sincerely thanks all our customers for their trust over the past 35 years. We look forward to new journeys together, promising even more pleasant and efficient flights, and meeting passengers’ expectations at every moment.”
