Zagreb Airport is poised for another record-breaking year, with most routes showing significant passenger growth in 2023. Data from Eurostat reveals that Ryanair has been a key driver of this development in the first half of the year, particularly with its leisure routes to Malta and Malaga, which saw passenger increases of 72% and 98% year-on-year, respectively. Ryanair's London Stansted route remains the busiest out of Zagreb, outperforming the London Heathrow service by over 16,000 travelers, reports EX-YU Aviation. 

However, many routes served by Lufthansa Group hubs are still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels, with Frankfurt and Vienna showing weaker passenger numbers. Croatia Airlines has also experienced a significant decline in its Brussels service, nearly halving its passengers compared to 2019, likely due to competition from Ryanair's Charleroi flights and Brussels Airlines' exit from the route. Additionally, the airline’s Zurich service has seen a 25% drop in passenger numbers compared to 2019.

Eurostat's passenger data covers over 80% of Zagreb's total passenger numbers for the first half of 2024, indicating a robust recovery overall, driven primarily by Ryanair.