Croatia Airlines continues with the renewal of its fleet. The second Dash 8 Q400 aircraft, registration 9A-CQA and named “Slavonija”, has left the national carrier’s fleet. Its last passenger flight was on 2 April on route OU640 from Brač to Zagreb, where it landed at 18:18.
On 5 April, the aircraft headed to Canada, where it will undergo a major service. After that, the aircraft’s owner – leasing company Drake Jet Leasing 9 – will decide on its future. Flight OU7912 began at around 09:00, and the trip to Canada will last three days, similar to the case of the first Dash 8 Q400 (9A-CQB “Lika”), which left the fleet in January this year.
9A-CQA, serial number 4205, joined Croatia Airlines’ fleet in 2008 as the first Dash 8 Q400, replacing the previous ATR 42 aircraft. Like the other Q400s in the fleet, it was named after a Croatian region – in this case Slavonia. During its almost 17 years of service, “Slavonija” has flown thousands of flights, contributing to the development of the carrier’s regional connectivity.
“Slavonija’s” departure is part of a broader fleet renewal plan for Croatia Airlines. The carrier is gradually replacing the Dash 8 Q400 and Airbus A319/A320 with new, more fuel-efficient Airbus A220 aircraft. Two A220s have been delivered so far, and a third is due to join the fleet soon. Five more new aircraft of this type are expected by the end of the year, including the first smaller one, the A220-100.
Although Croatia Airlines currently has four remaining Dash 8 Q400 aircraft in its fleet, the departure of “Slavonia” symbolically closes a chapter in the history of Croatia Airlines, in which Dash 8 Q400 aircraft were key to the flight network. With the new Airbus A220 fleet, the carrier is entering a phase of modernization and increased competitiveness, with the aim of providing better services to passengers.
