Ryanair, the largest and fastest-growing European and Croatian airline, announced on November 29, 2023, its new base at the Ruder Boskovic Airport starting April '24, with 2 Boeing 8-200 "Gamechanger" aircraft (a $200 million investment), creating up to 500 local jobs (including 60 highly paid positions for pilots and cabin crew).
Dubrovnik becomes Ryanair's third Croatian base, alongside the longstanding base in Zadar and the recently opened base in Zagreb, further expanding Ryanair's presence in Croatia with 18 exciting routes for summer '24 to Dubrovnik, including 16 new routes to major cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Milan, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Wroclaw, as well as increased frequencies on popular routes to Dublin and Vienna.
Ryanair's schedule for Dubrovnik - summer 2024 includes:
- Two based "Gamechanger" Boeing 8-200 aircraft (a $200 million investment in Dubrovnik), offering +4% higher capacity, burning -16% less fuel, and reducing noise emissions by -40%
- 18 routes, including 16 new ones – Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Milan, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Wroclaw
- Increased frequencies on existing routes Dublin and Vienna
- Year-round operation to Dubrovnik
- Over 600 thousand passengers in the first 12 months
- Over 500 new local jobs (including 60 high-paying jobs for pilots and cabin crew)
Since the pandemic, Ryanair has invested over $800 million in Croatia, opening its new aviation base in Dubrovnik (two aircraft) and three aircraft based in Zagreb and Zadar. Ryanair also offers flights to four more Croatian airports – Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, and Split. With the addition of Ryanair's new base in Dubrovnik from April '24, Ryanair will continue to provide the lowest ticket prices in Europe and greater connectivity for Croatian citizens and visitors through environmentally friendly Boeing 8-200 aircraft, offering +4% higher capacity, burning -16% less fuel, and reducing noise emissions by -40% - fostering valuable inbound tourist and business opportunities in the picturesque coastal city of Dubrovnik.
Ryanair is the only major European airline that significantly increased traffic after COVID, especially in Croatia, where Ryanair will increase traffic to about 4 million annual passengers (a traffic increase of +450% compared to pre-COVID), in line with its plans to grow to 300 million passengers annually by 2034 while Ryanair takes delivery of an additional 400 aircraft (including 300 Boeing MAX-10 aircraft).
To celebrate the launch of Ryanair's new base for summer '24 in Dubrovnik, the airline offers prices starting from 29.99 euros one way, available for booking only on the Ryanair app/website.
Speaking from Dubrovnik, Ryanair's Chief Commercial Officer, Jason McGuinness, said: "As the largest and fastest-growing European and Croatian airline, Ryanair is pleased to announce our new base in Dubrovnik for summer '24 with 2 Boeing 8-200 'Gamechanger' aircraft, complementing our existing bases in Zagreb and Zadar. This represents an additional investment of $200 million (total of $800 million in 3 bases) in Croatia, creating over 60 highly paid jobs for pilots and cabin crew, simultaneously supporting over 500 local jobs in Dubrovnik by enabling year-round tourism and connectivity.
Ryanair's base with Boeing 8-200 'Gamechanger' in Dubrovnik will significantly increase Croatia's connectivity in an environmentally sustainable way, expanding our offering from the current 2 routes to/from Dubrovnik to 18 routes, including exciting new connections with some of the largest European cities such as Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Milan, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, and Wroclaw.
As the fastest-growing airline in Europe and Croatia, supported by our revolutionary order of 300 Boeing MAX-10 aircraft, Ryanair is in the best position to support Croatia's recovery and growth after COVID, providing the lowest European prices and unparalleled choices to our Croatian citizens and visitors from summer '24 onward."
The Chief Executive Officer of Dubrovnik Airport Ltd., Viktor Sober, stated: "We are pleased to announce that Ryanair will open its new base at Ruder Boskovic Airport with an initial plan to base two of its aircraft, which will start operating in early April 2024. During the summer of '24/25, Ryanair will connect Ruder Boskovic Airport with 18 European destinations and 3 destinations in winter '24/25. This partnership between Ryanair and our airport will result in better connectivity, more flights in the summer season, and much-desired winter routes, connecting Dubrovnik with European destinations. Through this partnership, Ruder Boskovic Airport will be better connected than ever before, further developing Dubrovnik as a tourist and city break destination."
