Zadar Airport — Zadar, Croatia

Zadar Airport, marked by the code ZAD, lies a short drive from the old town of Zadar on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, and its passenger numbers swell dramatically each summer. Built during the Yugoslav era primarily for military use, the airfield only gradually opened to scheduled civilian flights, growing modestly for decades before low-cost carriers discovered the route. Ryanair's arrival transformed the airport in the 2010s, linking Zadar directly to dozens of cities across Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, and beyond, and turning a once-sleepy regional strip into one of Croatia's fastest-growing gateways. Travelers arriving here typically head for Zadar's Roman ruins and Sea Organ, the walled town of Nin, or boat trips to the Kornati archipelago and Dugi Otok. Winter service drops sharply, reflecting the airport's near-total dependence on leisure tourism rather than business or connecting traffic.