Croatia Airlines to exercise rights for three A220s

Croatia Airlines will exercise rights to add another three Airbus A220 aircraft to its fleet for a total of fifteen. The carrier has finalised lease arrangements for a further three of its planned fifteen Airbus A220 aircraft, with negotiations for the final six units in their final stages. As previously reported, the Croatian airline inked a long-term lease for six jets with the Air Lease Corporation, including for two 127-seat A220-100s and four 149-seat A220-300s, with the delivery of the first two aircraft planned in mid-2024. The carrier has now inked a long-term lease for a further three A220 jets with Azorra, while it is in the final stages of talks with lessor Griffin for the delivery of the final six aircraft. Croatia Airlines has also signed a contract for the purchase of 33 Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for the aircraft. Pilot training for the new type has already begun.

All the A220s will be leased for a set period, after which the airline will have the option to replace them with newer aircraft, however, it will be unable to acquire them. Initially, the carrier was to take the first jet of the type in February and the second in April of 2024, with the aim for the aircraft to enter the fleet before the height of the summer season. However, this has been pushed back until June of next year. Following the arrival of the first two aircraft in 2024, another six will arrive in 2025, four in 2026 and the remaining three in 2027, when the carrier intends to become a single-type operator.

Croatia Airlines has said that following the aircraft’s delivery to Zagreb, they will be put into service swiftly as soon as administrative procedures are completed. “The new and higher-quality A220 aircraft, with a capacity to seat 148 and 127 seats depending on the type, will ensure a better response to the specific needs of passengers and a more efficient business model, thanks to which additional business opportunities will open up and enable the gradual expansion of the flight network, which will simultaneously ensure that passengers, the Republic of Croatia as the owner, as well as employees see an improvement", the company said.