Zadar Airport

Airports are the nodes that connect cultures, bridging nations and enabling people to travel to places they might not have been able to experience otherwise. In this regard, Zadar Airport stands out.

The regional airport in Croatia is located on the Adriatic coast, which makes it close to all major cities in Croatia. It is the only airport in the country with two runways positioned perpendicular to each other, creating an advantage for takeoff or touchdown of airplanes.

Its geographical positioning makes it an optimal destination, with a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the capital city Zagreb and an hour’s drive from Split, the biggest city on the coast. Zadar Airport has a military airbase that uses one of the runways. It provides logistics for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility for military purposes. The MRO facility extends to smaller aircraft and plans to provide the same for Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

During the pandemic, the European Union (EU) started a national resilience and restructuring program. Under this program, Zadar Airport was the only airport in the EU to get funds for the green airport. It is investing in solar power plants and building photovoltaic plants on the roofs of buildings. The airport plans to have nearly two megawatts of power plants on its premises. In addition, it is installing new ground power units (GPUs) powered by solar power plants and changing its all-GAC ground service equipment from diesel to electric. It envisions being the first self-sufficient green airport in Croatia by 2030 and is buying new electric buses for passengers.

“We became the first airport in Croatia to surpass the pre-COVID numbers by 30 percent. We see a good opportunity for further growth and expansion by offering new services for our airline partners,” says Josip Klimani, general manager of Zadar Airport.

It primarily uses Ryanair airplanes to facilitate air travel. Zadar Airport has collaborated with Lufthansa aircraft and has used SAS and GE airplanes, fueling its growth and attracting many companies to partner with it. Good conditions for maintenance and weather, with over 250 sunny days, make it the greatest ally to do business with.

Zadar Airport has a highly skilled firefighters’ unit with candidates who undergo frequent training to ensure high security along with six firefighter aircraft. It undertakes the maintenance of military helicopters. Apart from that, it maintains smaller private aircraft, helicopters, and school planes for general aviation. Agreements and contracts with Ryanair for maintaining their Boeing and Airbus create the potential for further growth.

Since more people now travel for leisure, it is vital to uphold a skilled labor force to provide the level of service expected. Zadar Airport understands this and undertakes coordination of air carriers relative to the price level. Over the years, it has provided innovative services with increased passengers from 120,000 to 1.1 million annually. Challenges along the way did not deter Zadar Airport, with the brilliant workforce collaboratively working toward excellence.

By diversifying its services, it is creating opportunities for new investments, including hydrogen fuel and electric aircraft. It provides better space for new facilities and is open to cooperation with other companies.

Zadar Airport, the greatest ally in making anyone’s flying dream a reality, has seamlessly fostered aircraft divergence from other destinations. By taking giant steps forward, it secures its position at the helm of the aviation sector by working toward a sustainable future.