Two new Airbus A220-300 aircraft bound for Croatia Airlines completed test flights in Montreal on Friday and Saturday ahead of their scheduled delivery later this month. The aircraft bearing manufacturer serial number 55363, to be registered as 9A-CAN, carried out a three-and-a-half-hour test flight on Friday. Meanwhile, serial number 55357, set to become 9A-CAM, undertook an almost three-hour test flight yesterday. With their arrival, Croatia Airlines’ A220 fleet will increase to five aircraft, as the carrier continues its transition to a single-type fleet by 2027. In total, the airline plans to take up five A220s this year, with one already delivered.
According to Croatia Airlines’ preliminary schedule, four A220 aircraft are expected to operate simultaneously on the morning of June 30, with flights from Zagreb to Stockholm, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris. For the first time, all five A220s are scheduled to be deployed at the same time on the morning of July 2. However, these plans remain subject to change. The carrier previously indicated it was in discussions with Airbus about potentially showcasing one of its A220s at the Paris Air Show, taking place from June 16 to 19. However, all three aircraft are scheduled for regular operations throughout the week, except on June 19, when only two A220s are currently planned for service.
Croatia Airlines has tentatively scheduled the end of operations with its A320 fleet. The carrier has confirmed that one of the two A320s will be retired this year. Based on the airline’s filed schedule, the second A320 is now set to retire on the evening of February 8, 2026. The last service currently scheduled with the aircraft type is between Frankfurt and Zagreb. However, this is highly likely to change over the coming months. “The transition period for the aircraft fleet replacement is very challenging. Our fleet replacement plan includes the flexibility to retire existing aircraft in multiple scenarios. The same approach applies to pilot training planning as well”, the carrier said in a statement.
Bravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteOf course. UK, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Scandinavian countries, Germany, Austria, Spain, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Malta.... they are all stupid to have and keep A320 in their fleets, only Hrvatska is clever and Bravo to go single type. No comment.
DeleteAnd if Croatia keeps A320? Will it become magically profitable?
DeleteWith this management, with this way of work, with this main role as feeder, with this undeveloped network, with this almost nonexistent marketing, with this level of political influence, with this crime and corruption and with this mindset: big and solid as a rock NO
DeleteExcellent news
ReplyDeleteLH likes this!
DeleteFive A220s in service by July is a solid achievement considering all the global delivery delays lately.
ReplyDeleteNew aircraft won’t fix the route network strategy. The problem isn’t the planes, it’s the lack of ambition
ReplyDeletelack of ambition + lack of skilled personnel + Lufthansa group loyalty. Croatia does have the most difficult task when it comes to strategy and planning. they have too many airports all with decent demand and high seasonality. needs far more skill than serbia with 1 airport. montenegro with 2 or 1 depends how you want to count it or slovenia with 1 airport.
DeleteOU management and skill do not go hand in hand.
DeleteWhy is loyalty to Lufthansa a bad thing? Many smaller airlines have extensive partnerships with bigger airlines and are successful in it.
DeleteBecause Croatia Airlines has one of the lowest load factors in Europe and massive losses. So being s feeder to Lufthansa isn't working. And it has already received millions to restructure and it is still posting millions in losses and even worse lpads.
DeleteThat has nothing to do with Lufthansa but with management. It's not Lufthansas fault that they are flying PSO routes with 20% LF.
DeletePSO routes have nothing to do with it and there is no need to deflect blame for the terrible management. And that's not just CEO, who is more concerned with selling his books than running the airline, but also financial and commercial director. LF is down 15% on several years ago and it has nothing to do with PSO. Croatia Airlines gets paid to fly full flights from Zagreb to Split and Dubrovnik. Look at loads to Sarajevo at just 50% about to get worse with A220 deployment. It has been turning losses in part because of its agreement with Lufthansa where on each sold coupon it gets significabtly less money than Lufthansa even on P2P where Lufthansa has almost no role. But what to expect when one of the airline's former CEOs simultaneously served on the board of Lufthansa Cityline while being CEO of OU. Plus there are always people like you who will defend years of losses, broken network with 13 destinations in winter, broken transfer network and low loads.
DeletePA-CAN..... but it's too soon.
Delete9A-CAN..... but it's too soon.
Deletefinally some momentum for Croatia Airlines
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteOnly on the fleet front for now.
DeleteAnyone know after which cities they will be named?
ReplyDeleteI meant to say after which cities they will be named after.
DeleteNext one is Rijeka
Deleteprobably Rijeka & Osijek.
DeleteWishing 9A-CAN and 9A-CAM many safe landings.
ReplyDeleteIt’s nice to see deliveries happening, but I still worry about utilization with Croatia Airlines’ limited network.
ReplyDeleteHow many flights do they do per day?
DeleteUsually 2 and sometimes 3 return trips
DeleteI'm starting to like the new OU livery. Although I still don't get the "A220_City name" on the fuselage.
ReplyDeleteLet's see if any will be based in LJU like some are speculating.
ReplyDeleteHighly doubt it
DeleteIt will be an end of an era when the A320s leave.
ReplyDeleteStrange sentence..... airline plans to take up to 5 this year, with one already delivered.
ReplyDeleteWith this add 2. They will hve 5, but last time I read, that by end 2025, 7 in total will be dlvrd. Whats now correct?
Why is it strange? This year 5 are supposed to be delivered. One has already come, another two are now coming and another 2 will arrive at the end of the year. With two that were delivered last year it is total of seven.
DeleteAfter these A220-100 is coming in September -october.
Delete3 are already in service. 2 more now. So 5 now plus 2 = 7
DeleteBut text says differently
It does not say differently. You just don't seem to understand what it says. Read again if it is too complex for you.
DeleteSo what will they do with 5-7 of them in the winter? If the a320 will still be flying according to the schedule?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they will introduce some new routes.
DeleteIt would be better if the OU management dealt with this rather than us. We should assume that they already have an idea of how to use those planes.
DeleteThe fact that they present that these planes will resolve all their issues, from low load factor to big losses tells me that they don't have an idea what to do.
DeleteIn reality they should partner up with tour operators over the whole eu and offer winter flights to hotter climates from airports like Ljubljana, Graz, Prague etc
DeleteAny chance one of these two incoming birds will go to Paris for the Air Show?
ReplyDeleteDid you even read the article?
DeleteHas OU shown interest in new, high density A220-300 with 160 passenger capacity? Those could replace A320s.
ReplyDeleteWhy? They have a dismal 65% LF, why do they need to fly even more empty seats?
Delete