Croatia Airlines eyes single-type fleet
Croatia Airlines is considering operating a single-type fleet as part of its post-Covid strategy which would include the replacement of both its Airbus and Dash 8 Q400 aircraft. Both Airbus, with its A220 jet, and Embraer, with its E2 family, are courting an order from the Croatian carrier. The Brazilian plane manufacturer believes it has the solution to replace both Croatia Airlines’ smaller Q400 turboprops, which have the capacity to seat 76 passengers, as well as the larger Airbuses which carry between 144 and 176 travellers. Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, Embraer’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing, Cesar Pereira, said, “Croatia Airlines is considering a complete fleet renewal, including also their Q400 fleet, targeting a single type of fleet like the E2 family. This would allow Croatia Airlines to significantly boost operational efficiency and lower costs, by reducing complexities that airlines typically have if they operate more than one type. This includes areas such as crew training, scheduling, maintenance, and operations. The overall result of flying a single-type fleet is lower costs and improving the airline’s financial performance”.
Commenting in more detail on why the Croatian carrier should opt for the Embraer jets and how it would fit into the airline's post-pandemic recovery, Mr Pereira noted, “The E2 family is the most competitive regional aviation aircraft. They are the most economic, quiet, and sustainable jet family in the segment and builds on the heritage of the worldwide best-selling E1 generation, operating with the leading airlines on all continents. For the E2 family, we are incorporating major enhancements, such as a new engine, a highly efficient wing and a new full fly-by-wire system all tailored to reduce fuel burn and as such improve airline profitability, whilst delivering greatly to achieve future sustainability targets our industry has set”. He added, “The E2 family is comprised of three family members, from ninety to 146 seats, which will offer Croatia Airlines great flexibility to operate the ideal capacity on their future network. There will be a long recovery period ahead until we reach the passenger levels of 2019 and airlines will “right-size” their fleets to the new tomorrow. The recent fourth pandemic wave shows that airlines will have to stay flexible more than ever, and the flexibility of the E2 family provides a natural hedge versus external factors and counters the strong seasonality of the Southeast European market. Lastly, Embraer is in advanced stages of launching a next generation turboprop aircraft, built on the design and comfort of the E2. Once launched this aircraft could be a formidable contender for Croatia Airlines on thinner and shorter markets, where the Q400 is operating today. The E175-E2 and next-gen TP are additional safety nets for airlines in case the market recovery is longer than expected. It’s all about flexibility”.
Croatia Airlines is now awaiting for its owner - the Croatian government - to approve its post-Covid strategy, which has been developed in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, in order to implement the proposed changes over the coming years. The strategy, which has not been made public, is believed to include the acquisition of up to fifteen aircraft. The carrier has dubbed its upcoming transformation as a “strategy for success”, which has been driven by the ongoing pandemic. “The pandemic has seen a sudden and drastic impact on the entire aviation industry affecting passengers, airlines and of course also the aircraft manufacturers”, Mr Pereira said. “What has helped Embraer going through the crisis and now emerging stronger is the focus on efficiency gains projects and the diversified portfolio of quality, and high-tech products and services we can offer our different customer segments”, he added.
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