Croatia Airlines: Croatia Airlines retires second Dash, readies for third A220

Croatia Airlines has phased out its second 72-seat Dash 8 turboprop aircraft, as the airline transitions to a single-type Airbus A220 fleet. The carrier has retired the seventeen-year-old turboprop registered 9A-CQA (Slavonija), which was returned to its owner in Canada over the weekend. It follows the retirement of another Dash 8 earlier this year, registered 9A-CQB. As a result, the company will operate four units of the aircraft type this summer. Croatia Airlines' existing turboprop fleet is under an operational lease. In 2024, the Dash 8s were used on 57.8% of the company's scheduled flights. The average age of Croatia Airlines' turboprop fleet is just over fifteen years. The phase-out of the second Dash 8 aircraft will result in the airline reducing frequencies on select services after the Easter holidays.Croatia Airlines plans to select a wet-lease capacity provider for turboprop planes by the end of the year, with the aircraft expected to enter service on behalf of the Croatian carrier in 2026. The airline previously confirmed it would wet-lease turboprops for regional routes to replace its existing Dash 8s. "What we plan to do next is find a partner for 2026 that will operate on our behalf on shorter routes through a wet-lease arrangement. That will involve the partner airline's crew and aircraft. Austrian Airlines currently has the same agreement with Braathens. These aircraft will be used on shorter routes such as Sarajevo, Vienna, and Osijek", Croatia Airlines' CEO, Jasmin Bajić, previously said.The Croatian carrier will take delivery of another eleven A220-300s by 2027, with the capacity to seat 149 passengers, and two A220-100s with 127 seats, the latter effectively becoming the smallest aircraft in its fleet. Its third A220-300, named "Dubrovnik", is now expected to be delivered before the peak summer travel period, while the first A220-100 is anticipated before the start of the winter season in late October. In total, five A220 jets are due to be delivered this year. "This will not only enable our growth but also make us more competitive and sustainable, which fits our business plans perfectly", Mr Bajić noted.EX-YU Aviation News