Austrian Airlines to drop long-running Vienna–Zagreb route in January 2027

In a notice confirmed on 23 October, Austrian Airlines said it will operate its final Vienna–Zagreb flight on 10 January 2027, pulling out of the Croatian market after more than 40 years of service. The decision follows sustained competition from Croatia Airlines and rising unit costs on regional services. While Croatian flag-carrier OU will maintain two daily rotations under a codeshare, Austrian’s exit removes a key feeder for Star Alliance long-haul flights from Vienna. Business travellers originating in Zagreb will need to rely on OU’s morning departure or connect via Munich. Multinationals with shared-service centres in Croatia are already reviewing travel policies and may shift volume to Lufthansa Group’s German hubs. The cancellation also weakens cargo options: automotive and pharmaceutical exporters used Austrian’s Embraer E195 belly space for urgent shipments. Forwarders expect to re-route via road to Vienna or truck-feed OU flights. The move comes just days after Austrian ditched its domestic Graz link and amid loud calls to scrap Austria’s flight tax, underlining the airline’s strategy of pruning short routes in favour of longer-haul growth and intermodal rail partnerships. Corporate mobility teams should note that existing OS/OU codeshare tickets beyond 10 January will be re-accommodated automatically, but employees may lose through-checked baggage privileges if itineraries now involve non-Star carriers.