Croatia Airlines will cancel around 900 flights in the next quarter due to rising jet fuel prices, the Croatian business daily Poslovni Dnevnik reported on Thursday.
Slaven Zabo, the airline’s commercial director, said that about five percent of the planned 27,000 flights will be canceled after jet fuel prices doubled following the escalation of the Middle East conflict. He added that current fuel costs could cause airlines to lose several million euros.
The majority state-owned carrier has introduced crisis management measures and is optimizing operations by modifying its route network, reducing capacity and increasing efficiency.
According to Zabo, ticket prices are being affected not only by fuel costs but also by rising airport fees. Zagreb Airport will increase its charges by 20 percent from June 1. The airline has not yet provided estimates regarding expected ticket price changes.
Croatia Airlines said the tourism season is not currently at risk: passenger numbers increased by 23 percent in the first four months of the year, representing nearly 100,000 more travelers compared to the same period last year.
(MTI)
