Croatia Airlines has concluded a wet-lease agreement for an Airbus A319 aircraft with the Croatian-registered Fly Air41 Airways, a subsidiary of Germany’s SundAir. It comes as a result of protracted maintenance on three of its own aircraft, most of which have now been out of service for over two months. This has resulted in the Croatian carrier cancelling select flights over past two weeks, as services ramp up with the onset of the summer season. The incoming A319 jet is expected to enter into service on behalf of Croatia Airlines towards the end of next week. The airline resumes a number of its seasonal summer flights during the first week of May.
Croatia Airlines is already wet-leasing a Trade Air A320 aircraft for the summer. The jet is currently operating the majority of its flights out of Zagreb but will be based in Split during the peak of the summer season. The three Croatia Airlines aircraft that have been out of service due to maintenance delays include an A319 registered 9A-CTL, an A320 registered 9A-CTK, and a Dash 8 Q400 registered 9A-CQC, although the latter has been grounded for just over a month. A wet-lease is a leasing arrangement whereby the lessor provides an aircraft, complete crew, maintenance and insurance to another airline.
Croatia’s flag carrier is set to commence its fleet renewal program in two months with the arrival of the first of fifteen A220 aircraft. Croatia Airlines’ CEO, Jasmin Bajić, recently said, “The first of fifteen new A220 aircraft will join Croatia Airlines’ fleet in June 2024, followed by the second by the end of 2024. After the planned delivery in 2024, we expect the arrival of the next six aircraft in 2025, four more in 2026, and the last three in 2027. All aircraft will be financed through an operating lease”. The Croatian carrier will become a single-type operator of the A220 jets. Last year it sold the remaining five A320-family aircraft that were in its ownership but inked a sale-and-leaseback agreement until the new A220 aircraft arrive.
Weren't they supposed to wet lease 2 A320 this summer?
ReplyDeleteNo, 1 A320 from Trade Air
Delete"The Croatian carrier is also eyeing a second A320 wet-lease for the 2024 summer season."
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/12/croatia-airlines-to-wet-lease-aircraft.html?m=1
This is obviously unrelated. They did know in December that 3 of their planes would break down.
Delete* did not
DeleteIt's the fact that even if all of their aircraft were in flying state, they would be down one aircraft
DeleteCroatia is nominally a Star Alliance member. It's unbelievable that Star Alliance passengers are flown in airplanes of dubious airlines.
DeleteThose airlines are not IATA members
DeleteSo what?
DeleteFly41 is IATA member
DeleteThey have cancelled quite a few flights in the last few weeks.
ReplyDeleteNot true. There was a handful only.
DeleteAnd the difference btw handful and quite a few is...
DeleteDoes Fly 41 have Croatian crew?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteGood thing Croatia ACMI airlines can step in
ReplyDeleteNow they should lease one ETF B737-800 and they have taken planes from all of Croatia's ACMIs :D
DeleteThat would've been quite funny yeah. At least they're putting Croatian in the airline name
DeleteBecause they are Croatian.
DeleteFirst and foremost because they had availability and spare aircraft on hand.
DeleteThe A220s can't come soon enough
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteBravo Hrvatska, Bravo OU!
ReplyDeleteBut don't they do maintenance inhouse?
ReplyDeleteYes, but if you haven't heard there are huge supply chain issues.
DeleteThere is not enough staff
Delete^ in maintenance?
DeleteThat's why they have been cancelling Mostar. Missing a Q400
ReplyDeleteOMO on Apr 04 was canceled due to staff and not aircraft shortage. There were 3 Q400 seating in ZAG that night.
DeleteSo they have staff shortage too?
DeleteI don’t know how is in general. That night this was OU official statement. The flight was cancelled less than 4 hours before schedule departure.
DeleteThey haven't been cancelling Mostar. Mostar was cancelled just once in all of 2024.
DeleteTwice actually.
DeleteOk twice but original commentator was exaggerating.
DeletePUY and ZAD were canceled twice
DeleteIt's crazy that their first A220 arrives in just over a month and they still haven't said when exactly it is arriving, ravealed the product, scheduled it on any flight....
ReplyDeleteThat's because it won't.
DeleteHahaha exactly
DeleteNot good to have 3 planes AOG in summer.
ReplyDeleteYes, that turned out to be very badly planned and thought out.
DeleteI'm positive that the arrival of A220 is going to be delayed.
ReplyDeleteWe are 2 months away from the delivery and we are yet to see the aircraft come out of production line (if brand new), or being assigned (if used). Usually you at least see the tail in the color of the carrier, but this time nothing has come out as of now. Not to mention the airline not promoting the new interior, WIFI or the aircraft AT ALL. Maybe they'll get them in the later part of the summer but I can't see it happening anytime soon.
Agree. Although don't hold high hopes for Croatia Airlines PR even when the planes arrive. Their biggest 'achievement' was to take two models 5 years ago, put them in non-Croatia Airlines uniforms and use them on all promo materials for the past five years,
DeleteIt’s really a pity. Some other airlines used this as a company and upgraded product promotion in social media, e.g. Cyprus Airways last year. And it costs practically nothing.
DeleteEven just a hype with redesigned logo could fill their social media for a month :)
DeleteRafale couldn't have either, yet, here they are!
DeleteYesterday our flight to Munich was delayed because they didn't have aircraft available... That's what they told us at least.
ReplyDeleteThat is true, and they sent an A319 instead.
DeleteWhat was originally scheduled? Q400?
DeleteAnd peak summer hasn't even started yet.
ReplyDeleteThat is why they are wet leasing an aircraft. To avoid disruption during peak summer.
DeleteDon't they have a backup aircraft?
ReplyDeleteHow can one back up make up for 3?
DeleteThey had one which is now fully operational.
DeleteHope they can overcome the issues.
ReplyDeleteWhy wet lease when they have the crew that would fly a grounded 319?
ReplyDeleteFinding A320 family aircraft for dry lease in April 2024 is literally impossible.
Delete^ exactly. People don't get how bad the situation is on the market.
DeleteWell that A319 they retired late last year would come in handy now
ReplyDeleteSo now they pay wet lease plus their own plans they sold plus A220 payments...
ReplyDeleteIndeed
DeleteI'm very interested to see their financial report for Q1.
DeleteIt should be published next time.
DeleteGood to see at least that they are helping local Croatian carriers
ReplyDelete+1 makes most sense
DeleteThat's certainly one way to spin it
DeleteIt's not a spin, it is a fact
DeleteIt's a spin. Huge spin.
Deletewell depends how you view Fly Air41 Airways, most likely they have Croatian staff, but it is owned by the Germans so the profits go back to Berlin.
DeleteReally Missing @Pozdrav at times likes this
Pozdrav went to Analitičars website.
DeleteSuits him
Deletetime for more ACMI airlines in the region. They are boviously needed.
ReplyDeleteAirlines don't choose ACMi carriers based on country. Price is usually king.
DeleteWhen does the financial lease for the Dash 8s end?
ReplyDeleteTwo at the end of this year, the rest until the end of next year.
DeleteUnless they get extended of course
DeleteThanks
DeleteWell it's good that they are taking proactive measures to minimize disruptions
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAny idea when those aircraft will return to service?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't look like anytime soon if they are wet leasing a plane to replace them.
DeleteAt least something is happening at Croatia Airlines.
ReplyDeletelol
DeleteDo they offer business class on the wet lease planes?
ReplyDeleteYes
Deletebecause OU business class catering consists of a box with crackers. No ovens and other equipment needed in the galley..
Deletehahaha, hilarious!
DeleteAny idea how long this aircraft will be with OU?
ReplyDeleteContract is currently until July.
DeleteSorry, meant June.
DeleteThank you
DeleteI guess until A220 arrives
DeleteWe'll wait for that one
DeleteAll ex-yu flag carrier now wet-leasing big time.
ReplyDeleteThe era of the wet leases
DeletePassengers can expected mixed cabin, service, staff and livery at all three flag carriers. If you complain about varied experience at one airline, same complaint applies to the other two.
DeleteTrue
DeleteActually no need for worry. HDZ won, so CTN lives for sure next 4 years
ReplyDeleteHDZ won but they don't have the majority which means that the parlament has still not been elected
DeleteWas Kucko SDP candidate for CEO?
DeleteKucko was Milanović's childhood friend. He was a baggage handler for OU and when Milanovic became primminister, he appointed him as CEO.
DeleteCrazy story but very true!
Nuts
DeleteWasn't he representative of Croatia Airlines for Benelux region before he became CEO?
DeleteYes, one of his employees there accused him of mobbing.
DeleteGood they at least acted quickly.
ReplyDeleteDo you know what Design Service Goal is on A320? Aircraft “grounded” are reaching it, and their extension was not planned initially. And that is bad company management, for which Mišetić before and now Bajić and government who put him as a CEO is responsible. CTI which left the fleet had only a handful of cycles until the limit.CTN lacks long term planning of fleet. Not worse than ASL, but they are criminaly bad at it. And I write it as a former employee.
ReplyDelete