CROATIA AIRLINES REPORTS SUCCESSFUL TOURIST SEASON

( Vidi vijest: 51900 ) ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - The Croatian national carrier Croatia Airlines said on Thursday it had transported 676,195 passengers in the first nine months of this year, or seven percent more than in the same period last year. Of that number, 130,000 passengers were tourists, which confirms that Croatia has returned to European markets as a tourist destination, Croatian Airlines Director Ivan Misetic told a news conference in Zagreb. The highest increase in the number of transported passengers was registered in charter services. The number of international charter flights increased by 30 percent compared to the same period last year. The best results were achieved on the Austrian, Czech, German, Slovene and Israeli markets, he said. The company plans to increase the number of flights in the next tourist season by purchasing one more aircraft, Airbus 319. (hina) vm jn 231454 MET oct 97