Croatia - International Special Reports

Croatia Airlines:
Creating a national identity during war and peace

Croatia Airlines: Creating a national identity during war and peace

Croatia Airlines is a growing regional air carrier that has played a critical role in helping an independent Croatia to create an international identity. The airline was already in existence during the time when Croatia belonged to the Yugoslav Federation, but upon independence in 1991 it changed its name from Zagal to Croatia Airlines.

The company soon began flying to European destinations such as London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Zurich. "That was actually the first time when the people of Europe saw the Croatian flag," says Ivan Misetic, President and CEO of Croatia Airlines, "On the tail of our aircraft."

The fact that the airline can be seen as one taxi’s about the airports of other European cities, and hears the arrival and departure announcements for Croatia Airlines over the intercom means that the country is being promoted in a way that newspaper and television stories cannot.

Although Croatia is a safe, peaceful, increasingly prosperous country it is still difficult for it to shake the headlines of the early 1990s when it struggled to win its independence from Yugoslavia. Many people still confuse Croatia with Kosovo. It has been an especially difficult journey for Croatia Airlines, being a relatively small carrier, to shake the bad image of a country that still has not established a name in the international community.

Croatian civil aviation has lost the use of Croatian airspace twice over the past ten years. The first time was in 1991 when the war for independence broke out and Zagreb was shelled. The Airline had just begun operation when the airspace over Croatia was shut down for seven months. For the next five years, owing to the country’s bow-shaped geography, Croatia Airlines was forced to fly most of its routes the long way- remaining over Croatian airspace to avoid entering over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"The first time we flew to Dubrovnik over Bosnia was last year!" said Misetic. Even today, when flying from Zagreb to Dubrovnik or to Split, the company can fly over Bosnia only during the daylight hours, owing to NATO regulations. At night, flight plans to such destinations must remain consistent with the geographic confines of Croatia.

"We are facing the problems that no airline in world is facing," says Mr. Misetic.

When military operations were on going in Kosovo the airspace over Croatia was shut down again, this time for seven days. During that crisis Croatia Airlines had to restrict their flights to below 7000 feet for a total of seven months. The company also had to suspend service across the Adriatic Sea because of the flight path of NATO aircraft operating out of Aviano, Italy.

"War has had a significant impact on Croatia Airlines," said Misetic. "We were just starting to build ourselves up as an airline, after the war in Croatia, when the NATO operation took place. We suddenly had to stop. This impacted several airlines that had to fly over this area. For us, after being grounded for seven days, recommencing the service, getting the passengers back to fly on your airline, and to your country, was not an easy thing."