Croatia Airlines plans to expand its wet-leased turboprop fleet during the 2027 summer season by adding a second ATR aircraft, which is expected to be sourced from Croatian carrier ETF Airways. The additional capacity will result in a significant increase in ATR operations next year, with Croatia Airlines already scheduling exactly double the number of flights with the type compared to the 2026 summer season.
The extent of the planned increase is visible in the existing 2027 summer timetable. In July of next year for example, Croatia Airlines has scheduled 544 ATR-operated flights, offering 38.080 seats, up 100% on July 2026. Zagreb accounts for the bulk of the flying next summer. The turboprop is currently most frequently scheduled on flights between Zagreb and Sarajevo, followed by services from the Croatian capital to Munich, Vienna and Zurich. The ATR will also be deployed from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, Mostar, Pula, Split and Zadar.
Furthermore, the aircraft will operate a number of services outside Zagreb. Based on the current schedule, the ATR will be used between Munich and both Osijek and Rijeka, as well as on the Pula - Zadar route. A limited number of Dubrovnik - Rome flights are also currently scheduled with the type. The deployment is likely to undergo further changes before the start of the 2027 summer season.
Croatia Airlines is expected to continue its cooperation with ETF Airways for the additional wet-leased aircraft. ETF, which has been developing its turboprop operations alongside its existing jet business, is itself expected to grow its ATR fleet. The arrangement gives Croatia Airlines access to lower-capacity aircraft suited to thinner regional markets at a time when its own fleet is being standardised around the Airbus A220. The Croatian carrier is expected to complete its transition to an all-A220 fleet before the start of the 2027 summer season.
Makes sense
ReplyDeleteDoes not. They should have unify ATR fleet and wetlease 2 A220
DeleteSo basically Croatia Airlines is becoming all A220 while at the same time realising it still needs turboprops.
ReplyDeleteBasically copying Austrian Airlines who got rid of turboprops and now getting rid of E195s, just to wet-lease them back.
DeleteCroatia Airlines did not decide on anything here. They were told what they're gonna get. The owner had decided. And the owner being a vassal was also told what was gonna happen.
Delete11.09
Delete+100000
As a result of corruption and partitocracy ruining wnd emptying the country
The ATR looks great in OU colors.
ReplyDeleteFits their size.
DeleteIn my humble opinion, Dreamliner would have looked much better in OU colours/colors. But people whose World ends in Graz, or in the best case in Vrankvurt, are more than happy with crumbs fallen from the Master's table and it's great for them
DeleteI'd rather the A350
DeleteWho's paying for this shambles. How many shiny new planes will they leave on the ground as they have nowhere to fly them.
ReplyDeleteAt least they are paying a domestic company and in some way developing domestic aviation in the country
Delete^ true
DeleteIf your happy paying for this then good for you, pity the rest of the taxpayers wasting money
Delete* you're
DeleteYou won't have to wait long to find out.... 4 to 5 at least this winter
DeleteOh my God 9:16. I have no words for this nonsense.
Delete09.03
DeleteStoka sitnog zuba paying. While capital's airport, soon to be behind Pristina,, proudly bears the name of the author of the expression while his former Chief of staff still acts as the boss and delivers promised which results in current, and highly lively future disaster called OU and its ZAG "hub"
This company is a joke!
ReplyDeleteThey want single single type fleet (A220), but they introduce ATR76 while they are sending back Q400.
The Q400 is a much safer Aircraft then the ATR. The problem with the Q400 is it requires more maintenance which is much more costly .
ReplyDeleteSo Croatia Airlines is now operating a much less safe aircraft?
DeleteThat's funny.
DeleteAnd that's why everyone is replacing ATRs with Q400s... oh wait.
DeleteWho would have thought the A220 would be too large for flights to Sarajevo....
ReplyDeleteFlight to Sarajevo are sold for 140€ one way. Don't think the size of the aircraft is a problem! If they would offer better price, people would fly, but 140€ for 50min flight is just insane!
DeleteExactly!!! With 220 or any another jet it is just 25-30 min to ZAG.
DeleteIt's worth it for an awesome plane like the A220! Plus OU is not just some dirty ULCC, it's costs are a lot higher.
DeleteHonestly not the worst idea, copy what JU does and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteThey would have to do a whole more than leasing a second ATR for that.
DeleteETF has found a pretty clever niche here. Wet leasing ATRs to OU could become a significant part of their business.
ReplyDeletethey are slowly transforming from a pure charter airline into something much more diversified.
DeleteI can see this partnership expanding further. OU gets flexibility and ETF gets a stable contract. Win-win.
DeleteInteresting that Munich will see so much ATR flying.
ReplyDeleteRijeka–Munich and Osijek–Munich are exactly the sort of routes the ATR is made for.
DeleteYou cannot replace every 76-seat aircraft with a 127-seat jet and expect the economics to work.
ReplyDeleteHave they already scheduled exit from service for the Dashes? I am presuming this new ATR is just taking over one of theirs rotas
ReplyDeleteYes
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2026/07/croatia-airlines-schedules-final-dash-8.html
OU should have kept a small turboprop fleet of its own rather than paying another airline to operate these flights.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI would not be surprised if they eventually have three or four ATRs operating for them during summer.
ReplyDeleteThat would be the optimum level for OU.
DeleteCroatia Airlines spent years talking about fleet simplification and now has to wet lease another aircraft type to make the network work 😂
ReplyDeleteFleet simplification does not mean every single flight has to be operated by an A220. Wet leasing smaller aircraft where required can still make financial sense.
DeleteThis is actually quite similar to what many larger airlines do. Keep the core fleet simple and outsource niche capacity.
DeleteI would sign every word you say if their financial results were better and better. But they are worse and worse. And numbers are huuuuge. So, please, try advocating the failure called OU with something else
DeleteI really hope they use the ATR to open some thinner routes instead of just replacing A220s on existing flights.
ReplyDeleteThey have a wonderful skill in turning routes thin.
DeleteCould this eventually make places like Maribor or Banja Luka viable again from Zagreb?
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteWhat on earth do mean? Who on god's earth would fly from Maribor or Banja Luka to Zagreb?
DeleteMaribor Zagreb much faster by road 😁
DeleteMaribor is closer to Zagreb than Rijeka is. @09:49 may i introduce you to a map..
DeleteReplacing ATRs with q400 was a strategic mistake.
ReplyDelete...and everybody knew that except OU mangement.
DeleteHow many new routes can they launch next year with all these planes they are getting?
ReplyDeleteI heard that Cluj, Lagos and Addis are on the cards.
DeleteAir Serbia showed that this is the perfect airplane for shorter routes in our region.
ReplyDeleteI actually think this is one of the more sensible decisions Croatia Airlines has made recently. The ATR is ideal for exactly these kinds of routes.
ReplyDeleteThe irony is that after getting rid of the Dash 8s they are effectively recreating the same capacity through wet leases.
ReplyDeleteclearly the first aircraft has worked well for them commercially.
ReplyDeletewith which type of plane will they perform flights to Brac as charter flights that fly to Bwk?
ReplyDeleteProbably with the ATRs, they are great for this kind of operations.
DeleteSome flights to Vienne, Linz, Rome or Milan could be launched and having the advantage of being within Star Alliance.
OU direct to Rome from Zagreb? hell will sooner freeze over lol
DeleteIf you cant fill up an a220 from ZAG to ZRH, then you better close down the business
DeleteWill Gruber be satisfied with the reduced capacity for their needs? Considering they operate from the beginning of May to the beginning of October, they stand to lose a significant number of seats that represent pure profit.
DeleteOn top of that, OU will almost certainly ask for more money, given that they are now using more expensive leased aircraft; this would mean paying higher rates while having fewer seats available per flight—so, either way, they lose out on profit.
Who said they will be using ATR72 from Brac? It's not mentioned in the article either.
DeleteYes, Croatia Airlines should first strengthen the route to Bwk in the summer for at least 4 weeks of flights
Delete, on the other hand, it should introduce winter flights with at least 2 weeks of flight....
as for the summer, it would be desirable if there were flights to Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna and Zurich... these are the lines that would be enough to start and none of them would create a loss
..
Yes, let's have at least 5 international routes from every city in Croatia. Its totally logical.
DeleteYes, let's have at least 5 international routes from every city in Croatia. Its totally logical.
Deletewell, they can use either atr or a 220 100... one of those two... if they use the a220 100, they will certainly not increase the number of flights to Zagreb,
Deleteif there is an atr, then we should definitely..
although it would be unfortunate if Bwk was better connected to Belgrade than to Zagreb..
Of course, it's great for Bwk that there is Air Serbia with so many flights as well as many short connections with great prices that you can buy through them.. for example, Paris Brac for 120 euros via Belgrade
I still think Croatia Airlines should have kept a small number of Dash 8s. They were perfect for the domestic and regional network.
ReplyDeleteKeeping Dash 8s would also have meant maintaining another fleet type, crews, spare parts, training etc. Wet leasing is probably much easier.
DeleteHopefully they do not put the ATR on too many Munich and Zurich flights. Those are important transfer routes and passengers prefer a jet.
ReplyDeleteThis could also allow OU to increase frequencies without adding too much capacity, which is probably exactly what Zagreb needs.
ReplyDeletethey need to fly all the lines where they will make a profit and have better plane loads...
ReplyDeletethe fact that they fly most of the lines to Zagreb and Split with half-empty planes doesn't help them, and you all close your eyes, because according to you, that's how it has to be...
all Croatian citizens pay for their loss, so it's okay for Ou to fly to all airports in Croatia, those lines that will surely bring profit, regardless of which airport it was.