Croatia has established a clearer regulatory framework for seaplane operations on maritime and inland waters. The new rules are the result of cooperation between the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency (CCAA), the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, and the competent authorities responsible for maritime and inland navigation, and are also expected to create the conditions for seaplane pilot training to be conducted in Croatia.

In cooperation with the Directorate for Navigation Safety, provisions governing seaplane operations at sea have been defined, while rules for operations on inland waters have been harmonised with the Directorate for Inland Navigation. At the same time, the CCAA published the second revision of Aviation Safety Order ASO-2018-004, which regulates off-aerodrome aircraft landings and take-offs on land and water surfaces. The new revision is dated 16 September 2026.

One of the more significant changes concerns clearer definitions of the aircraft commander’s responsibilities during operations on water. Before an off-aerodrome landing or take-off on a water surface, the commander must notify the competent traffic monitoring and management service, namely RIS or VTS, as well as the competent harbour master’s office, no later than 30 minutes before the operation, providing the location and estimated time of the planned operation.

The water surface used for landing or take-off must have dimensions appropriate to the aircraft’s performance and the type of operation. When assessing its suitability, the requirements contained in the aircraft flight manual must be taken into account, as well as wind, waves, currents, obstacles and the approach and departure paths. Before landing, the commander must overfly the selected location to assess the condition of the surface, obstacles, wind, and the presence and movement of people, vessels or other objects.

The Order stipulates that off-aerodrome landings and take-offs may only be conducted during daylight hours and under visual meteorological conditions, while such operations are not permitted in commercial air transport. If passengers are carried on board, they must be informed before the flight that the operation involves landing or taking off from a surface that is neither an aerodrome nor a registered landing site, as well as of the specific risks associated with such an operation.

The changes are also significant for flight training. In the Order itself, the CCAA states that the reason for its revision is the amendment of conditions governing operations on water surfaces in order to enable training courses for a single-pilot seaplane class rating to be conducted. According to the Agency, the new regulatory framework therefore creates the necessary conditions for such training to be carried out in Croatia in the future.

By aligning aviation regulations with maritime and inland navigation rules, procedures have been defined more precisely for situations in which a seaplane is simultaneously subject to requirements arising from two different regulatory areas during the same operation. The CCAA states that it will continue to monitor developments in this field and participate in creating the conditions necessary for the safe operation of seaplanes in Croatia.