🛂 Pressure on Dubrovnik Out-of-Hours Operating Approvals
The current NOTAM list published by Croatia’s air navigation service provider, Crocontrol, on September 3, 2026, indicates that operations at Dubrovnik Airport (LDDU) outside published service hours still require prior permission from the airport (PPR). This does not mean the airport has ceased operations, but ground handling during out-of-hours periods must be confirmed separately. Avi-Go data show that from 00:00 on August 26, 2026, to 23:59 on September 5, 2026, LDDU recorded 66 international business aviation arrivals, with each landing counted as one movement and without filtering by FBO, ground handler, or service location. Italy and Greece accounted for 15 and 11 movements, respectively, representing 22.73% and 16.67%; Poland accounted for 4 movements, while Germany and Switzerland each contributed 3. The top 10 origin countries generated a combined 46 movements, accounting for 69.70% of all international arrivals, while other countries contributed 20 movements. This shows that handling demand during these 11 days included both major source markets and more dispersed long-tail traffic.
Impact: The PPR requirement directly links the feasibility of operations outside published service hours to airport approval and ground-handling capacity. For operators flying to LDDU, the 66 international arrivals and 20 movements from long-tail origin countries mean that handling coordination must cover a broader range of departure points, crew arrangements, and arrival/departure time combinations. For local handling providers, the combined 26 movements from Italy and Greece represent the clearest sources of demand for near-term resource allocation.
Recommendation: Operators should make airport PPR approval and written confirmation from the handling provider parallel conditions for flight release, and reconfirm both statuses following any adjustment to arrival or departure times. Based on the recent origin-market composition of 15 movements from Italy and 11 from Greece, handling providers can prioritize improvements to relevant crew communications and cross-border arrival procedures. Going forward, it will be worthwhile to continue monitoring the volume of applications for operations outside published service hours and the actual handling arrangements.