🇭🇷 Croatia's Two Cities Diverge: Dubrovnik's Peak Season Off to a Slow Start
Avi-Go data shows that for the cumulative period of January to June 2026, business jet movements at Dubrovnik (LDDU) reached 841, up 8.9% year-on-year, marking steady expansion. Over the same period, Split (LDSP) recorded only 766 movements, down 8.4% year-on-year, including a sharp 21.4% decline in June, revealing a clear divergence between the two cities in the first half of the year. However, entering the early stage of the July peak season (daily average basis for the 1st to the 9th), the trend reversed: Split fell about 5.8% year-on-year, while Dubrovnik plunged around 40.3% (daily average of 11.7 versus 19.6 movements in the same period last year), suggesting a slow start to Dubrovnik's peak season. Note that July is an incomplete period, and data for the most recent days may not be fully captured, warranting continued observation. In terms of operator composition, Split shows a distinctly local character, with NetJets Europe leading at 56 movements and VistaJet second at 44. Balkan operators such as Air Pannonia and Prince Aviation are active, and turboprop PC-12s account for a relatively high proportion.
Impact: If Dubrovnik's sharp first-week peak-season decline persists, it will directly compress revenue expectations for local FBOs and ground handling during the July-August peak window. Split's dense concentration of local operators reflects a customer base more reliant on regional short-haul demand, giving it a counter-cyclical resilience that differs from the Western Mediterranean market dominated by large fleets.
Recommendation: FBO and ground handling teams should complete verification of Dubrovnik booking data before mid-July. If the August schedule shows no rebound, ground support resources can be shifted toward the more stable Split. Operators should lock in peak-season repositioning plans for both cities before July 20 to avoid empty legs.