Croatia Airlines is set to order six brand-new Airbus A220 aircraft as part of a move to replace the entirety of its fleet by 2026.
The choice to order A220s comes after a year spent deliberating between several aircraft including the Airbus A220, Embraer E2, and the Boeing 737 MAX.
Croatia Airlines’ fleet currently consists of six Dash Q400 aircraft, five Airbus A319s and one Airbus A320. The airline is intending on moving to a single aircraft fleet by 2026, and for this purpose it’s chosen the Airbus A220 as its aircraft of choice.
Croatia Airlines will replace the entire fleet over the next four years. This move is in keeping with the post-pandemic strategy that the company announced in August 2021.
The goal of the fleet renewal is to increase business efficiency, reduce costs, and further strengthen the airline’s competitive ability.
The decision was made after Croatia Airlines paid close attention to trends in fuel prices and CO2 emission trends in the aviation market, as well as falling in line with the European Union’s green policies and passenger requirements.
This single-type fleet conversation started back in 2008 when Croatia Airlines placed an order for a few brand-new Airbus A319 aircraft.
7 years later in 2015, that order was converted to an Airbus A320neo order. The viability of this order was short-lived, as Croatia Airlines expressed a reluctance to take delivery of these aircraft due to the latter’s capacity being far too capacious for the market in which Croatia Airlines operates.
Croatia Airlines and Airbus have been negotiating to bring the A320neo order to an end since before COVID-19. The conclusion to this long debate comes in the form of Croatia Airlines not losing its investment and Airbus receiving the order for A220s, with a capacity of 127 or 148 seats.
Croatia Airlines also recently announced it will be expanding its coastal network in 2023. During the 2023 summer season, the carrier will launch new routes from Split to Amsterdam, Bucharest, Dublin, Milan, and Stockholm.
