Spain’s second largest airline, Spanair, has launched Barcelona - Zagreb flights on Wednesday (April 28th). The airline will operate three flights a week between the Spanish city and Croatian capital.

Zagreb airport manager Tonci Peovic voiced confidence that the flights would help bring more passengers from South America and northern Africa to Zagreb given that Spanair services via Barcelona many destinations on those continents.

The Croatian ambassador to Spain, Neven Pelicaric, said Spanair's Barcelona-Zagreb-Barcelona flights provided about 1,000 seats and that apart from Zagreb, Spanair would also fly to Dubrovnik and possibly other Croatian airports.

Spanair manager Javier Ortega Figueriala confirmed this, adding the Barcelona-Zagreb-Barcelona flights would operate all year round.

Silvia Palacios Ucelay of the Spanish Embassy Zagreb said the latest flights would contribute to Croatian-Spain trade and improve cooperation in tourism. She added Croatia was the second favourite tourist destination among Spaniards after Italy.