It has been just under 2 years sicne Croatia Airlines announced it had ordered six Airbus A220 jets. Although it might not sound all that impressive, it is a mighty important order for the tiny European carrier. These new planes will allow the airline to massively renovate its fleet, expand operations and maximise operating margins.
The First Ever Croatia Airlines Airbus A220 Has Arrived
As mentioned above, this is a massively important order for the flag carrier of Croatia. The arrival of the first Airbus A220-300 marks the beginning of an all-important fleet renovation which will help the airline increase operating margins and turn profits more consistently. All thanks to the huge savings in fuel burn the A220 ensures over prior generation aircraft types. The A220 allows to save up to 25% in fuel consumption thanks to its hi-tech design and efficient engines.
The first A220 to join the airline’s fleet is 9A-CAE. The tiny plane, as all Europe-bound A220s, arrived after facing the transatlantic crossing from the assembly plant in Montreal, Canada. On its way over to its new home in Zagreb it made a technical stop in Copenhagen airport in Denmark. The aircraft’s first flight was on August 2nd 2024 flying on the domestic route from Zagreb to Dubrovnik. Other 5 aircraft of this type are expected in Croatia over the coming months, while another 9 will arrive later.
As for the cabin configuration, well, nothing exciting in this department. The airline has chosen to fit a standard European all economy class cabin featuring 150 seats in a 2-3 layout. Business class will just be the economy seat with the middle row blocked.
A New Livery For The New Planes – More Like a Refreshed Look
Something else to look forward to is the new livery Croatia Airlines has and will apply to these new Airbus A220s. In line with what has become common place among airlines, the plane is painted in an all-white livery with some blue and red recalling the croatian flag. Honestly, I think they could have done something nicer with the livery, something that would stand out, but that’s my point of view.
It remains overall similar to what the prior version was. Not a livery that will raise eyebrows or turn heads. at any airport. More of a refresh on the lines of what Emirates did, where the main changes are minor tweaks to the prior look and feel.
Croatia Airlines’ A220 Order and Its Fleet Evolution
Croatia Airlines in November 2023 placed an order for a total 15 Airbus A220. 6 added directly to the Airbus backlog, 9 would come from leasing company Air Leasing Corporation. Getting some aircraft from leasing companies is a solution that allows Croatia Airlines in this case to speed up its fleet renovation. Getting hold of new planes is becoming more and more a challenge as manufacturer backlogs just keep getting longer and longer.
Particularly for smaller carriers convincing a large manufacturer such as Airbus, or even Boeing, to give you priority or move forward some deliveries happens once in a blue moon. Therefore leasing companies that have orders in place with the manufacturers can offer an alternative to get a hold of planes faster without a huge upfront cost that buying would bring along.
The carrier has now received its first A220 and is therefore still expecting 14 new planes. The new A220 fleet additions will revolutionize operations for the Croatian carrier. The airline will save massive quantities of fuel and therefore cash. Also the A220 is among passengers’ favorite plane to fly on thanks to its quiet cabins and remarkably larger windows.
It remains to be seen which aircraft the airline will be retiring in the process of upgrading its fleet. I would personally think it would still need its fleet of turboprop Dash 8 to serve smaller island airports. The most plausible aircraft to be on the way out, in my opinion, is the A319. A plane that falls in a very similar size range as the A220. As of February 2025, with Croatia Airlines having received even a second A220, the airline’s fleet is comprised of:
- 5 DHC-8 Q400
- 4 Airbus A319
- 2 Airbus A320
- 2 Airbus A220
Interestingly, all aircraft can operate interchangeably any of the airline’s routes. Croatia Airlines operates a very limited and focused number of routes to key strategic destinations to intercept leisure oriented passengers looking to enjoy a holiday in Croatia