With the aim of creating an even better and more competitive airline offer for the Republic of Croatia, and in accordance with Croatia Airlines’ Post-Covid strategy confirmed in August last year and recent announcements, representatives of the Croatian national airline Croatia Airlines and representatives of Airbus, a leading company in the design, production, and delivery of aviation products, services and solutions to customers all over the world, signed contract for the purchase of the most modern Airbus A220 aircraft yesterday evening in Zagreb.
Based on this contract, by 2026, all existing Croatia Airlines planes will be replaced by a new unified single-type fleet, and the company will completely switch to jet-powered aircraft. This will ensure significantly higher quality and more pleasant flights for the passengers, as well as far more economical and sustainable operations.
The signing of the Agreement was attended by Jasmin Bajić, CEO of Croatia Airlines, and Ville Arhippainen, Airbus’ Vice President of Sales for Western and Southern Europe.
With this Agreement, the long-term cooperation and partnership between Croatia Airlines and Airbus continue, to mutual satisfaction.
During the signing of the Agreement, Jasmin Bajić, President of the Management Board of Croatia Airlines, pointed out:
-Taking into account demands of our passengers, trends in the highly competitive Croatian and global aviation market, fuel prices and CO2 emissions, as well as the goals of the EU’s “green” policies and important fact of the “year of production” of the existing fleet, the decision to replace the Croatia Airlines fleet at this moment is imperative and fully compliant with the adopted Post-Covid strategy. I am happy that we are entering a new business development cycle with a partner whom we know well and who, based on long-term cooperation, offered us conditions that we are currently able to accept. The renewal of the fleet represents continuation of our cooperation with Airbus, that is, the existing contract by which we will completely replace Croatia Airlines’ old aircraft with new ones by 2026. With new and higher-quality aircraft in the market segment of 100 to 150 seats, we will ensure a better response to the specific needs of our passengers, which, I am convinced, will ensure an even more efficient business model, thanks to which we will also open additional spaces in our business, ensuring our passengers as well as our employees the needed benefits.
Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International Business at Airbus said:
– We are very glad that Croatia Airlines is the new user of the A220. The A220 is ideal for Croatian aviation needs due to its operational flexibility and efficiency, which will help the company achieve its ambitions of regional and international connectivity and provide superior services in the aspects of passenger comfort, travel economy and flight occupancy.
Let us remind you that renewal of the fleet for Croatia Airlines represents a long-term process of transition of the entire business, so all employees of the national airline are facing a period in which it will be necessary to adapt all business processes to the new aircraft, which will further optimize the operations of the national airline, ensure better occupancy of the passenger cabin, better crew utilization, while Croatia Airlines will become an even more environmentally friendly airline and will significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, which, in accordance with the latest events on the oil and oil derivatives market, today represent an increasingly large item in airline expenses.
