(Photo: Croatia Airlines)
ZAGREB, 31 July 2026 – Croatia Airlines recorded its strongest ever first half-year passenger result in 2026, with almost one million travellers flying with Croatia’s national carrier as the company continues the largest fleet renewal programme in its history.
The airline transported 981,482 passengers between January and June 2026, an increase of 15% compared with the same period last year, or almost 130,000 additional passengers.
Passenger numbers grew across both domestic and international services. Domestic scheduled traffic increased by 6%, while international scheduled traffic recorded stronger growth of 18%.
The growth rate was significantly higher than the overall Croatian aviation market. According to data from Croatian airports, total passenger traffic in the country increased by 3% during the first six months of 2026, reaching 5.5 million passengers.
As a result, Croatia Airlines increased its market share during the period.
The airline also recorded a 16% increase in passenger kilometres, while aircraft occupancy improved. The passenger load factor reached 66.2%, up 2.7 percentage points compared with the first half of 2025.
During the first six months of the year, Croatia Airlines operated 12,631 flights, completing 17,648 block hours, representing increases of 2% and 5% respectively compared with the previous year.
The passenger growth comes during a major transformation period for Croatia Airlines, with the company currently replacing its entire fleet with new generation aircraft.
During the first half of 2026, two additional Airbus A220 aircraft entered service, bringing the total number of A220 aircraft in the fleet to nine by the end of June.
The airline plans to receive seven new Airbus A220 aircraft during 2026, with the fleet expected to include 14 of the 15 contracted aircraft by the end of the year.
The new fleet is expected to improve operational efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions, simplify maintenance processes and further improve passenger services.
However, the transition has also brought additional costs, including expenses related to introducing new aircraft, staff training, operational adjustments and managing different aircraft types during the replacement process.
Despite record passenger numbers and higher revenues, Croatia Airlines reported challenging financial results for the first half of 2026.
Operating revenues increased by 12% year-on-year, with passenger transport revenues, which account for 84% of total operating income, rising by 11%.
However, operating costs increased by 22%, influenced by higher fuel prices, aircraft maintenance costs, airport services and depreciation expenses linked to fleet renewal.
The company recorded an operating loss of €36.8 million, while the total loss including financial results amounted to €49.7 million.
Croatia Airlines said the result was affected by external factors, including higher jet fuel prices, exchange rate movements and increased costs across the aviation sector.
Fuel expenses increased by €11.9 million, aircraft maintenance costs rose by €4.9 million, while aviation service costs increased by €3.4 million.
The company said 2026 operations have taken place in a difficult international environment, affected by geopolitical uncertainty, higher fuel prices and supply chain disruptions impacting aircraft parts and maintenance availability.
Despite these challenges, Croatia Airlines said the fleet renewal programme remains the foundation of its long-term development strategy.
The company expects the introduction of a unified Airbus A220 fleet to support more efficient operations, strengthen competitiveness and improve the overall passenger experience in the years ahead.
