Croatia Airlines to place order for six A220 aircraft

Croatia Airlines has announced it will order six Airbus A220 aircraft after reaching an agreement with the European plane manufacturer. Deliveries will be made over the next four years through to 2026, with the carrier to operate a single-type fleet. Although the airline has not specified which variant of the two A220s it will order, EX-YU Aviation News learns it will likely involve three each of the A220-100 and -300 with options for an additional six jets. The two will be configured to seat up to 127 and 148 passengers respectively. Croatia Airlines’ current fleet consists of five A319s, two A320s and six Dash 8 turboprops, which are all to be replaced.

Details over the value of the deal or how it will be financed have not been released, however, the carrier said a historical order for A319s, which was later converted into an order for the A320neos, that were due for delivery this year and in 2023, have been substituted for the A220s. Croatia Airlines is believed to have deposited over eight million euros for the previous order. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the flag carrier said its post-Covid-19 strategy, which was approved in August last year with the aim of increasing the company’s efficiency, business operations and improving its competitiveness on the market, obligated it to replace and renew its fleet in the next few years, resulting in the agreement with Airbus.

Airbus was a clear front-runner in securing an order from Croatia Airlines since it pitched the A220’s capabilities in Zagreb in September last year. At the time, the carrier’s Chief Commercial Officer, Slaven Žabo, said, “This is an aircraft that has been designed today for the next thirty years, which is something we need. These are narrow-body jets that delight with their comfort, and I think they would perfectly fit within Croatia Airlines fleet”. Airbus’ Head of Single-Aisle Market Development, Claude Debaquenne, noted that the A220 would allow Croatia Airlines to launch a number of new routes, with its range enabling the carrier to cover all of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

The A220 family is considered to be the most efficient small single-aisle aircraft. It has a range of up to 6.390 kilometres, as well as widest seats, largest windows and 20% more overhead stowage space per passenger than other narrow-body aircraft. Its windows are bigger than that on the Boeing 777. Currently there are fourteen operators committed to the type, including airBaltic, Swiss, Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air Tanzania, Egypt Air, Air Canada, jetBlue, Iraqi Airways and Air Austral. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1500G latest generation engines (geared turbofans), belonging to the same engine family as those powering the A320neo family.

EX-YU Aviation News

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