Croatia Airlines is gearing up for fleet renewal and introduction of its fifteen Airbus A220 aircraft.
Seeking to operate a monogamous Airbus fleet in the long term, Croatia’s flag carrier has confirmed the delivery of its inaugural A220 in June 2024 with the second aircraft expected to join the fleet in November.
Fifteen planes in total will be leased, sourced from three different aircraft leasing companies. Among these, three will be leased through an agreement with Azzora, while six will come from Griffin Global Asset Management, and the remaining six will be provided by Air Lease Corporation.
Throughout the first quarter of 2024, the carrier has been actively engaged in thorough preparations. This has involved the recruitment of extra flight crew members alongside aircraft engineers, operational personnel, and maintenance staff to bolster its team. The carrier has also already made an advance payment for a spare Pratt & Whitney GTF engine to power its upcoming fleet, ensuring readiness for any potential operational needs.
Aside from this, Croatia Airlines has already unveiled its plans to outfit its newcomers to the fleet with Wi-Fi capabilities through the installation of Panasonic Avionics’ Ku-band satellite connectivity.
According to the airline’s CEO Jasmin Bajić, the decision to adopt a homogeneous fleet of a single aircraft type was made to realize substantial savings in both operational and maintenance costs for the refurbished fleet.
The database on planespotters.com indicates that the present fleet of the carrier comprises 12 aircraft, with an average age of 18.6 years. It includes four Airbus A319-100s, two A320-200s, and six De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 turboprops.
