Croatia Airlines marked its 35th anniversary in Zagreb, celebrating a significant milestone in the company’s history. The event took place at the airline’s technical center at Zagreb Airport and was attended by representatives from the Croatian Parliament, Government of Croatia, international aviation associations, business partners, and company employees. Jasmin Bajić, CEO of Croatia Airlines, led the commemoration.
In his speech, Bajić recounted the airline’s history which began on August 7, 1989, when it was registered as Zagreb Airlines d.d. (Zagal). The company started operations in December of that year with postal transport services. On July 23, 1990, it changed its name to Croatia Airlines d.d., becoming the national airline for passenger, cargo, and mail transport.
Passenger transport commenced on May 5, 1991, with a domestic flight from Zagreb to Split using a leased MD-82 aircraft. The first international flight took place on April 5, 1992, connecting Zagreb to Frankfurt.
“We recently commemorated these milestones symbolically by operating the first both domestic and international commercial flights with our new Airbus A220-300 on these very routes,” said Bajić. “Believing in the strength of our wings and the expertise of our employees… we have strengthened our presence worldwide.”
Over its three-and-a-half decades of operation, Croatia Airlines has grown into a mid-sized European airline and joined key aviation associations like IATA and Star Alliance.
“By renewing our fleet… we will be able to meet the specific needs of our passengers in a better way,” added Bajić. The fleet renewal involves replacing existing aircraft with new Airbus A220 models aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing fuel consumption by 25%. The first new Airbus A220 joined their fleet in late July; additional deliveries are scheduled through 2027.
Theo Panagiotoulias, CEO of Star Alliance remarked: “We’re very proud to celebrate 35 incredible years of Croatia Airlines… this year is extra special as it also marks its 20 years of being a part of the Star Alliance family.”
Christian Scherer from Airbus congratulated Croatia Airlines: “We are proud that Croatia Airlines selected the A220 for their fleet renewal… Congratulations to Croatia Airlines on their anniversary.”
To mark its anniversary and thank passengers for their support over the years, Croatia Airlines is offering a limited-time discount on tickets purchased between September 20-22.
