One of the most important features of a quality conference destination is its transport connectivity, primarily the air routes that connect it with other global destinations. This makes it more attractive for organizing large international events, conferences, and incentive travel, thereby increasing the prestige and competitiveness of the destination in the global market. To make Dubrovnik, one of Croatia's most significant conference destinations, as accessible as possible to visitors from around the world, Ruđer Bošković Airport continuously develops, modernizes, and builds quality partnerships and connections in air traffic.
Dubrovnik Airport - Host and Active Participant of Professional Conferences
Ruđer Bošković Airport hosted the 15th ACI RACE (ACI Europe Regional Airport Conference & Exhibition) conference in mid-April, bringing together directors and representatives of regional and smaller airports in Dubrovnik. Additionally, the Southeast Europe Aviation Network conference was held in Dubrovnik at the end of May, another successful conference attended by representatives of Ruđer Bošković Airport. By participating in such events, Dubrovnik Airport connects and stands alongside other regional and global airports, sharing experiences and ideas for further development. These events are also opportunities for establishing new or deeper collaborations with suppliers and business partners, as well as with airlines.
Over 45 Airlines During the Summer Season
During this year's summer season, over 45 airlines operate at Ruđer Bošković Airport, connecting it with about 70 international destinations. This impressive flight network is the result of cooperation with renowned global airlines that recognize the importance of Dubrovnik as a key tourist destination.
The summer season of 2024 was marked by the opening of a Ryanair base, which stationed two aircraft in Dubrovnik, operating to 19 international destinations: Dublin, London, Vienna, Manchester, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Baden-Baden, Memmingen, Brussels, Milan, Paris, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Bari, Krakow, Poznan, and Wroclaw.
During July and August, the Dutch airline KLM positioned an aircraft at the airport, operating on the Amsterdam - Dubrovnik route. New destinations for this summer season include Lille and Bari by Volotea and Gothenburg by Norwegian Air Sweden.
Additionally, Ruđer Bošković Airport is the only Croatian airport with direct flights to the USA during the summer schedule. United Airlines operates the route between Dubrovnik (DBV) and New York (EWR) from May 25th to September 24th, 2024.
Significant Increase in Passenger Numbers
In June, Dubrovnik Airport handled 431,771 passengers, which is 87,000 more passengers compared to June last year. During the first six months of 2024, a total of 1,093,059 passengers and 9,641 aircraft operations were recorded.
Compared to the record year of 2019, this is an increase in traffic and passenger numbers of 3.15% for the first six months. Ruđer Bošković Airport anticipates ending the year with a 30% increase compared to 2023, with a record number of 3.15 million passengers.
The highest number of passenger arrivals was recorded from the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and the USA.
Plans for Winter – More International Routes
The winter flight schedule in Dubrovnik is somewhat modest, especially during and immediately after the global pandemic. This year, a significant increase in international routes has been announced. Ruđer Bošković Airport highlights that, according to the current situation, there are announcements for international flights by the national carrier Croatia Airlines to Frankfurt, Ryanair to Brussels, London, and Vienna, Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, LOT to Warsaw, easyJet to London and Manchester, Iberia Airlines to Madrid, and negotiations are ongoing with several other companies.