Due to sharply increased kerosene prices, the closure of the regional subsidiary CityLine and the focus on major hubs (Frankfurt, Munich etc.) and less on small, unprofitable routes, Lufthansa is canceling many flights this season. While all of Europe is affected, Croatia is hit as well. SeaHelp shows which Croatian airports are affected, what alternatives exist, and what travelers should consider in their planning.
100 years ago, on January 6, 1926, Lufthansa was founded in Berlin, at that time still under the company name Luft Hansa, created by the merger of the two airlines Deutscher Aero Lloyd AG and Junkers Luftverkehr AG. After many glorious years, the “Crane Airline” is currently flying through heavy weather.
As stated in an official press release from the Lufthansa Group dated April 21, 2026 (“Lufthansa Group optimises flight offering in summer across all six hubs”), around 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from the schedule until October 2026 (“20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from the schedule through October”); the stated goal is to save around 40,000 tons of kerosene; “unprofitable short-haul flights” must therefore be reduced.
At the same time, a concentration on large hubs (Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, Rome) is taking place, and the network is to be “consolidated” (i.e. merged/restructured). Although the savings affect many destinations across Europe, the cuts are particularly noticeable in Croatia.
Specific impacts exist at the following Croatian (and other) airports:
- Ljubljana, Rijeka and Tivat – Flights from Munich – Ljubljana, Rijeka and Tivat have been temporarily suspended (at least until the beginning of June). According to Lufthansa, these routes are considered “unprofitable”. The future after that remains uncertain (permanent cancellation is even possible). As a result, many media outlets, especially in Croatia, reacted nervously.
- General network change (incl. Rijeka, Ljubljana, Tivat) – These airports belong to connections that are being “rerouted” within the group or managed via other hubs. In plain language, this means: fewer direct flights and more transfers (e.g. via Frankfurt or Vienna). At the moment, this is more of a restructuring than a complete abandonment.
- Rijeka Airport (on Krk) – Here, Lufthansa connections (primarily via Munich) have been completely canceled for May. For a small, highly seasonal airport, this represents a significant cut, but since Lufthansa has previously only flown to Krk once a week, this should be manageable for passengers, as they have the option to fly with Star Alliance member Croatia Airlines instead (Munich – Krk 2 x / week).
Some articles referring to the mentioned press release from the Lufthansa Group convey the impression that Croatia is losing massive Lufthansa connections or that airports are threatened in their existence. This is likely not entirely correct, as the cuts affect many countries simultaneously (e.g. also Poland, Norway or Ireland). And: Other Croatian destinations such as Split or Dubrovnik are expected to remain connected (partly through other Lufthansa airlines).
The goal of the restructuring at Lufthansa is said to be an increase in efficiency, not a withdrawal from entire regions
The goal of the restructuring is said to be an increase in efficiency, not a withdrawal from entire regions. In this respect, the “panic” observed in some media is indeed based on actual developments – but is partially presented more dramatically than the facts warrant.
Important for Croatia vacationers: The press release itself does not name individual smaller airports (such as Rijeka, Ljubljana, Tivat), so the announcement remains deliberately at a strategic level: “fewer unprofitable short-haul routes”, “more focus on hubs” and a “network consolidation” are highlighted. The “affectedness” of individual airports thus does not come directly from the press release, but from subsequent media reports, such as dpa/Reuters reports, which all refer to “Lufthansa information”.
However, these reports state that Lufthansa has confirmed that connections are to be canceled or relocated, and that Ljubljana, Rijeka and Tivat are also set to be affected.
Where there are currently no more direct flights to the desired destination, you should look for alternatives in good time
The fact is that vacationers planning a visit to Croatia in the coming months (for example to get to their booked charter yacht) should check carefully for available flights, plan long-term and book earlier than usual. Where there are no direct flights to the desired destination, you should look for alternatives in good time and, if necessary, adjust to a longer travel time with additional transfers.
This applies, for example, to the Munich – Ljubljana, Rijeka and Tivat routes, which have been completely suspended (for now) (at least until June 1, 2026), as these routes are currently considered “economically unprofitable”. For travelers to Rijeka / Krk & surrounding areas, an alternative is, for example, a flight to Zagreb, the main hub of Croatia, or to Split or Dubrovnik, which are expected to remain well connected.
The onward journey (from Zagreb) to Rijeka could then be done by rental car (approx. 2 h duration); from Split to the island of Krk it takes a little longer. Rijeka is not completely “cut off”, but is no longer directly accessible via Lufthansa.
Passengers to Krk also have the option of rebooking with Croatia Airlines, which, like Lufthansa, is a Star Alliance member (as described above).
Also, anyone wishing to go to Slovenia (Ljubljana) has a problem, because the direct flight Munich – Ljubljana has also been canceled. Alternatively, travelers could fly to Vienna or Zagreb and continue by rental car (Vienna – Ljubljana approx. 4 h, Zagreb – Ljubljana approx. 1.5 h). Zagreb, in particular, is likely to become the “replacement gateway” for Slovenia.
Montenegro (Tivat) is also affected; the direct flight Munich – Tivat has also been currently canceled. An alternative here is a flight to Podgorica, or one uses other airlines with transfers, e.g. in Vienna. By rental car, it takes about 1.5–2 h from Podgorica to Tivat. Here, too, the goal is certainly reachable, but just much less comfortable.
Travelers should look specifically for connecting flights (not just direct flights), include other airlines (Austrian, Croatia Airlines, Low-Cost) in their search from the start, use larger airports as their destination (e.g. Zagreb instead of Rijeka, Vienna instead of Ljubljana) and combine flight and rental car. Here, too, the rule is: first come, first served – because it is questionable whether the rental car companies will be able to adjust to the growing demand so quickly.
SeaHelp will regularly provide updates on current developments here.
