Croatian charter and ACMI carrier ETF Airways will soon expand its fleet with a new ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft. The company announced the upcoming arrival of the aircraft through its LinkedIn profile, stating that the aircraft is ready for delivery and will soon depart from Vietnam to Zagreb, where it will join the existing fleet.
With the arrival of this aircraft, the ETF Airways fleet will grow by one more aircraft, marking another step in the gradual expansion of operations of the relatively young Croatian airline. ETF Airways was founded in 2020 and launched flight operations in 2021, focusing primarily on charter and ACMI flights for other airlines and tour operators.
As previously reported by AvioRadar, the aircraft is an ATR 72-600 manufactured in 2017 and acquired through a leasing agreement. The aircraft is expected to join the fleet in early March 2026 and is planned to be used primarily for ACMI operations.
ETF Airways CEO Stjepan Bedić previously explained that the company sees strong demand in this specific market segment.
“We are currently receiving many requests for ACMI leases of turboprop aircraft. We believe this is a good niche considering current market demand, especially since competition in the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 leasing segment is very strong. Our long-term plan is to bring another aircraft of this type into the fleet by 2027,” Bedić emphasized.
The introduction of the ATR 72-600 also represents a strategic step for ETF Airways, which has so far operated Boeing 737- 800 aircraft exclusively. Turboprop aircraft allow operations on shorter and lower-demand routes, opening opportunities for entering new segments of regional charter and ACMI operations.
The arrival of the ATR also aligns with the company’s broader development plans announced earlier in Zadar, where ETF Airways revealed its intention to expand operations and establish additional companies within the group, including ETF Technics and ETF Travel. The new aircraft therefore represents another step in strengthening operational capacity and further developing the airline’s presence in the regional aviation market.
