Croatia Airlines has signed an order with Airbus to introduce the Airbus A220 into its fleet.
The airline has signed a firm order for six A220-300 aircraft. They also plan to lease an additional nine A220s, taking its total commitment for the type to 15.
The A220s will replace previous generation aircraft in the company’s fleet, reducing operating costs as well as improving environmental efficiency and competitiveness for the airline, with the airline selecting the larger variant of the A220, able to serve up to 150 passengers aboard.
Airbus and Croatia Airlines have had a long-standing partnership starting 25 years ago when the airline first became an Airbus operator. Currently, the Croatian carrier operates an Airbus fleet of seven single-aisle aircraft from the A320 Family (five A319s and two A320s).
In Quotes
Jasmin Bajić, CEO and President of the Management Board of Croatia Airlines said:
“Today’s signing of a contract for the purchase of state-of-the-art Airbus aircraft is a very special moment for all of us at Croatia Airlines. It marks the beginning of a new period of aviation, a new period in the life of Croatia Airlines, a new period for our passengers, and a new period for Croatia’s tourism and economy as a whole,”
Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International added:
“We are thrilled to add Croatia Airlines as a new A220 customer. The A220 is ideally suited to Croatia’s aviation needs, providing operational flexibility and efficiency allowing its airline to pursue its ambition for both regional and international connectivity without compromising on any aspect, be it passenger comfort or trip and seat cost economics,”
Growing the A220s footprint
From the days when this was the Bombardier C Series, the A220 family’s growth has been massive under Airbus, with over 230 of the type delivered so far and a total of 780 on the order books. It fits in the Airbus portfolio, taking the place of the A319 and smaller aircraft, being able to serve the 100 to 150 market – a key segment when developing routes and ensuring the correct sized aircraft is sent to destinations.
And that’s shown here, where the airline converted its order from an A320neo order down to an A220 instead.
For Croatia Airlines, which operates a mixture of A319, A320 and Dash-8, it’ll be interesting where they sit in the airlines’ future – given the A220 can match the current seating of the A319 without any difficulty.
It’ll be interesting to see how they are deployed.
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