Lošinj/Lošinj I. Airport (LDLO)

Still—unlike practically all other aerodromes in Croatia—can be flown to without prior notice/parking approval. Opening hours and ATS hours per NOTAM. Parking uses both "grass positions" and asphalt positions—apparently without any system. You can probably reserve an asphalt spot in advance if you insist. The marshaller on the ground is quite puzzled if you do not want to taxi onto the "grass area" with its many stones and pebbles, and instead prefer to move the aircraft by hand. Positive: fuel still arrives very quickly; refueling is done before you have even finished with the aircraft. Otherwise, as ever in Losinj: finding a friendly face among the (plentiful) staff is almost impossible. Why? Instead you are asked again and again "do you need transport?" No, not at your sky‑high prices! Fuel must be paid immediately; fees at departure, though on request you can also pay them upon arrival so you do not lose time on the day of departure. €150 for 1–2 tonnes with two nights of parking is really cheeky; we therefore treat ourselves to Losinj only every few years.

For accommodation I still recommend Mare Mare. Anna and Dinko continue to run it with great care and the prices remain acceptable. Tip: do not book via booking, but directly with the operators, because if, as a pilot, you cannot make it at short notice, you have a chance of being let off cancellation fees as a courtesy. Dinko is also a very experienced skipper and offers very individual tours to great swimming spots with his 225 hp boat; unfortunately he intends to sell it in the foreseeable future and no longer act as skipper.

Food: we still find Baracuda good in every respect; the restaurant has been taken over by, among others, one of the waiters who has been there for 24 years. Dinko now rather recommends Boccavera; apparently they took over Baracuda’s former head chef. But it is even more expensive for fish. In Veli Losinj, apparently only Marina is recommended (reserve).

Departure: the field opens only at 0900 local, and of course you are only let onto the premises at that time. Therefore the earliest departure is around 0920, which can already be a bit late for an Alps crossing. In the morning there is sometimes a bit of rush hour at the field. VFR departure to the north (PUL) is coordinated with Pula, so you can usually climb directly northbound to cruise altitude.

Conclusion: thanks to the beauty of Losinj still just about three stars; the airport itself really only gets 1.5 (for the fact that it exists).

Mali/Veli Lošinj remain top destinations—especially in spring, when the weather is already pleasant and things are still quiet.

Unfortunately, the increasingly poor reviews of the field are understandable: after the fees in recent years were padded with “fantasy” items (crew fee, centralized infrastructure fee), they were raised significantly again in 2026: now €300 for 1.3 t MTOW, 3 days’ parking including transfer into town. There’s hardly any service in return: ATC is on site only on weekends; assistance with baggage—as in Portorož—or pickup directly at the aircraft are not offered. Overall, more of a small self-service field while charging the fee level of a commercial airport.

From a flying standpoint, everything is as usual; Croatian ATC is, as ever, good and customer‑oriented. Departure VFR or with a Z flight plan if no ATC is on the field. AVGAS 100LL just over €3; via fuel truck.

A good GA destination. Helpful, dedicated ground crew. On Friday, surprisingly, no one at the tower; that works too. The shuttle is good, and the new building as well. But they’re obviously testing how far they can push it. 50 EUR LDG and 20 EUR parking are borderline. But we do keep going 😉