Croatia Airlines plans to wet-lease aircraft next year as a temporary measure. It comes as the carrier begins retiring older jets and prepares to take deliveries of its new Airbus A220s, which will eventually become the only type of aircraft in its fleet. After retiring one A319 last month, another jet of the same type is expected to be phased out from the fleet during the first half of next year. The delivery of the first A220 is currently planned for June 2024 and another unit later during the year, although this is subject to change, as initial delivery dates, planned for early 2024, have so far been pushed back.
Croatia Airlines will compensate the retirement of some of its A320-family fleet by wet-leasing aircraft. The carrier is in the final stages of negotiations with Croatia’s ACMI specialist (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) Trade Air for the wet-lease of an A320 aircraft. If the talks are successfully concluded, as expected, the jet will begin operating on Croatia Airlines’ behalf from February 2024. The jet will initially be based in Zagreb, before being moved to Split to cater for the airline’s summer schedule out of the coastal city. The Croatian carrier is also eyeing a second A320 wet-lease for the 2024 summer season.
Croatia Airlines currently boasts a fleet of twelve aircraft, including two A320s, four A319s and six Dash 8 Q400s. Croatia Airlines has said it plans to grow its number of flights and capacity next year, although they are unlikely to reach 2019 pre-pandemic levels. During the 2024 summer season, the carrier plans to increase flights by 6% and capacity by 7% on this year. Croatia Airlines will resume a number of its seasonal routes earlier, in late March rather than late April, and end them further back during the summer season, in late October, rather than September.
I assume these wet eases will be longer term
ReplyDeleteHow old are the Trade Air A320s?
ReplyDeleteFrom 18 to 25 years old.
Delete^ thanks
DeleteDisappointing they plan only minimal growth next summer.
ReplyDeleteAnd that growth is because they will resume the seasonal routes earlier and end them later then last year.
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteHow yes no.
DeleteMay I ask for what?
DeleteBravo OU!
DeleteMaybe he’s just being sarcastic.
DeleteNema veze , šta god da se desi država će pogurati 😎 Kakav uhljebistan od kompanije ...
ReplyDeleteAs long as the state finances them, they won't do a single thing. What a shame!
ReplyDeleteExactly. But even some airlines that are funded by the state try to improve their bottom line
DeleteI know, but OU doesn't. I just don't get it, they have no planse whatsoever.
DeleteBecause no one is held accountable.
DeleteSo now that pay wet lease plus their own plans they sold plus A220 payments...
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteWill they wet or will these be dry lease?
ReplyDeleteReason I am asking this is because I noticed OU advertising for A320 pilots the other day.
Also noticed Trade Air is already operating a number of sercices for OU.
Wet lease
DeleteThey are hiring A320 pilots because they will be part of the fleet for a few more years, while some existing A320 pilots will move onto the A220 and have to go for retraining, some are leaving the company, while some will be retiring.
DeleteThey want to be like AirBaltic so they are wet leasing like them lol
ReplyDeleteAnd what's so funny about it? Many parts of Europe are cold in winter and less people travel so the planes are leased elsewhere during that period. Worst thing is to leave your plane on the ground for a longer period.
DeleteThis will be the first wet lease for OU since the Air Nostrum one for CRJ1000 back in 2019.
ReplyDeleteLies, they are wet leasing aircrafts a lot, but only to operate a few operations - which is way more expensive than pre-agreed wet lease.
DeleteThis will however be their fist long term wet lease in a few years
Ok, I meant first longer term wet lease. Other wet leases probably didn't last over a week.
DeleteGood to see at least that they are helping a local Croatian carrier.
ReplyDelete+1 makes most sense
DeleteThey are helping themselves. Meaning those who negotiate the deal
DeleteAny idea from whom they will wet lease the second plane.
ReplyDeleteI have heard rumors that the arrival of the first A220 won't happen in June and will be pushed back. I hope it's wrong. Anyone know something about that?
ReplyDeleteWhere did you hear that?
DeleteIs there anyone who thinks A220 will even arrive?! :-)))
DeleteAnyone who thinks the Rafale will arrive? Oh, wait a minute...
DeleteIts election year so if there are delays they are probably out of OU's hands.
DeleteI'm just amazed that OU won't reach pre Covid flight ops in 2024!!
ReplyDeleteBeing a part of EU, for how long can Croatia support Croatia Airlines? At certain point in time, Malev, Adria, etc have all gone to history. What is the timeline with Croatia Airlines?
ReplyDeleteThere could be a time when the EU commission demands OU to pay back all the subsidiaries they received which did not conform to EU competition laws. (This is what happened with Malev) Adria was a little different as they were just taken over by a group which had no idea.
DeleteWhat is in OU's favor is that many major European airlines have been given similar government support during Covid so they might still have some time left. I just don't think they could continue to get away with it but they probably have a few more years before eyebrows are raised.
I'm just wondering if Pozdrav is on vacation. He usually jumps all over posts like this.
ReplyDeleteAwaiting the new A220 and the biggest expansion from 2024 with flights to the USA, Canada and Australia.
DeletePozdrav is not on vacation. Just scared to death he would be sued by OU legal department, what some Kradeze supporters and/or Minken Vrankvurt airline uhljebs were announcing here recently. Hahahahahahahaha
DeleteA220 flights to Canada and Australia, OMG, please tell me you are kidding.... Vrankvurt and Minken, that's gonna be the expansion, in line with regional jet range. But ok, if not joke and sarcasm, I understand Sunday extra mayo sandwich must be earned 😆
DeleteIrony is not that difficult to recognize
DeleteKradeze bots and OU uhljebs who write thinks like that on daily basis make it much more difficult to recognize. And some smiley or LOL at the end would make it much easier, just as a hint
Deletewrite things, autocorrect
DeleteReality kicks in, isn't it. I suspect they'll be gone well before the fifth A220 is delivered.
ReplyDeleteGodspeed.
Dream on
DeleteSome people are dreaming of luxury and prestige of new A220 fleet that will capture high-paying passengers.
DeleteAir Serbia had luxurious, dedicated business class seats on A320 family from 2013-2018 and look what happened.
Business class seats are not the same as new gen jets.
DeleteNo one said they are. It illustrates fixation on A220 as a heaven-sent miracle to turn OU's fortunes around. Effects of A220 on OU bottom line will be not much different from the effects business class seats had on Air Serbia bottom line.
DeleteOk, so the plan is to get rid of own fleet for peanuts, wet lease same type fleet for probably much larger peanuts, going to do the transition to new fleet when the seasonal pressure for seats is greatest, for sure going to need expensive ad hoc wet lease due to problems during transition (not ever in history any introduction of new aircraft, let alone whole fleet has gone smooth), theyhave zero assets to sell in emergency, zero cash reserve, all they have is bravo OU and bravo Hrvatska sandwitch+Pingo bots, high hopes and low know-how. What could probably go wrong?
ReplyDeleteLOL
DeleteI think it's time for more ACMI airlines in the region. ETF Airways, Amelia, Sundair/Fly Air41 are a step in this direction. For example an ACMI carrier based in BEG would be a perfect fit for JU and companies from the region - Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia.
ReplyDeleteETF's new airline - Fly Li Mayotte will start in 2024 from Reunion with several Saabs from Lipican Aer Slovenia.
DeleteSlovenia and Croatia have airlines, the main thing here is the missing ACMI airline in Serbia.
DeleteWhat happened to new businesses Aci Air, Pragusa One, Smile Air? It will be nice to have a new ECA!
DeleteAlso for Serbia Air Pink are new boys for this show.
Air Pink has been in existence for almost 20 years. They have 21 aircraft
DeleteYes! But I have that they want to add E135 in mind.
DeleteSlovenia have new airline.
DeleteBJ Aviation opens subsidiary and office in Ljubljana. This is the new name of Jet Stream Hungary. They have over 10 bussines jets.
....Camex on the other hand moved the 737 from MBX to ZAG according to skyliner-aviation.de.
DeleteCamex has their 737 in MBX, there was an AOC proving flight on MBX-ZAG-MBX route
Deleteits very worrying the plan they have. I hope it does work out for them.
ReplyDeleteI just started to think about what will OU do with all the staff and crew that were working on those aircraft that will be retired. because the planes from trade air will be wet leases and the A220 will enter the fleet in June.
Is DBV-PRG returning in 2024?
ReplyDeleteYes, as a segment of DBV-PRG-ICN. Also, other way round PRG-DBV-JNB is planned 😆
DeletePragusa Budinski where are you?
ReplyDelete