One of the quiet workhorses of Central European aviation is being retired. Austrian Airlines will fly its last Vienna–Zagreb service on 10 January 2027, closing out a route the carrier has operated since the mid-1980s. There's no summer comeback planned either — the airline has confirmed the route won't return for the 2027 summer season.
The pull-out didn't happen overnight. Austrian had already been scaling back: a route that once ran up to 12 flights a week was trimmed to a single daily rotation for summer 2026, a 37.5% cut in frequency and a 27% drop in seats compared with the year before. The shrinking started even earlier, in late 2024, when the airline reduced frequencies and put smaller turboprops on some sectors. Over its long history, the route was paused twice — during Croatia's War of Independence and again during the pandemic — and each time it came back. This time it appears to be permanent.
For travellers, the practical picture is less dramatic than the headline suggests. Croatia Airlines will keep flying the same city pair through the winter season starting 25 October, with two daily flights in line with its previous winter schedule. So Vienna–Zagreb remains well connected; it just loses its Austrian flag carrier option. Until the January cut-off, Austrian will operate daily, with many flights handled by Air Dolomiti aircraft under a wet-lease arrangement — worth knowing if you're booking, since the onboard product and aircraft type will differ from Austrian's own fleet.
If you had hoped to use Vienna as a cheap onward gateway from Zagreb, you'll want to factor in the change when planning 2027 trips. Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa Group partners and other carriers still link Zagreb with major European hubs, but fare competition on the route may shift once Austrian exits. Anyone with an Austrian booking for dates after 10 January 2027 should watch for rebooking or refund notices from the airline.
The flip side is an easy excuse to build a two-stop trip. Zagreb makes a relaxed base for a few days — coffee culture, Austro-Hungarian streets, easy day trips to Lake Bled or the Plitvice lakes — and Croatia Airlines' double-daily Vienna flights mean you can still stitch the Austrian capital into the same itinerary with minimal friction.
Story via Croatia Week.
