Croatia Airlines has confirmed it has entered negotiations with a number of plane manufacturers over the purchase of new 100-seat aircraft. The airline plans to expand its fleet next year, as well as add an additional four Airbus A320neo jets in 2021. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the carrier said, "Croatia Airlines is intensively considering all options for redesigning its fleet, primarily regarding the introduction of 100-seat aircraft, which will enable the company to bridge the capacity difference of the currently used Airbus A319/320 and Dash 8 – Q400 aircraft". It added, "Accordingly, the company's Management Board has initiated negotiations with all global producers of 100-seat aircraft, including the Canadian company Bombardier Aerospace, the producer of six Dash 8- Q400 aircraft, which are already a part of Croatia Airlines' fleet".
Earlier this month the carrier's CEO, Krešmir Kučko, said two jets would join the airline's fleet in 2017. Bombardier is believed to be the front-runner and the aircraft could potentially replace the aging A319s in the future. Initially, it was planned for two aircraft to be introduced this year, however, the airline ultimately arranged for a wet-lease of a Trade Air Fokker 100 until late October. In 2018 Croatia Airlines will also have to decide whether it will extend a financial lease agreement of its six Dash 8 turboprops or opt for another aircraft type altogether. The Japanese-produced Mitsubishi Regional Jet, which has the capacity to seat between seventy and ninety passengers, is seen as a possible alternative for the Dash 8s, with the plane manufacturer itself confirming that Croatia Airlines is one of its core customer targets in Europe.
The average age of Croatia Airlines' twelve-member fleet amounts to 11.7 years. Five of the aircraft are owned by the carrier itself (four A319s and one A320), while the rest are on lease. The airline's CEO previously said the company's fleet expansion will not be influenced by its ongoing privatisation process. "It is part our medium-term strategy and its realization does not depend on a strategic partner. However, it will impact on the pace of the acquisitions. Our aim is to renew our fleet as soon as possible. We have given this serious consideration", Mr Kučko said.
Pretty much over the next 5 years we will probably see a complete change in the fleet. CRJ 900s will replace A319s, A320neos replace the A320s and my guess is the Q400s will stay part of the fleet.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be a good idea to keep the A319s and then operate them on a seasonal basis. CTN needs a plane such as JU's 733 that can be utilized during the summer and when needed during the winter, but won't cost them anything to simply park when not needed.
DeleteA319s will remain for a long while, well in to 2020s. A320Neos will replace A319s around 2023/4. Q400s will remain to cover smaller domestic and low yielding routes. CS100s will be bought to add the fleet, however they won't join the fleet before 2018.
DeleteTalks with Bombardier have been going on for ages now, agreement is in hands. Q400s will remain on lease to own and CS100 will also be on lease to own, once the last A319 is retired, additional A320neos will be bought on lease to own and additional four CS100s will be bought. this is what I think it'll happen.
Just to add. Crotian Airlines is looking at longer term strategy and direct flights to New York, however not with wide body aircraft, A321 NEO extended range is seriously being considered now, it had range of 7400km and initially OU would connect Zagreb and Toronto and add New York twice weekly service around 2024-5. A321ER NEO has range of around 8500km and 206 pax capacity in two class configuration.
DeleteThey should buy CRJ1000 for short haul and CS300 to replace the A320. They will make boatloads of money as their yields will soar.....
DeleteThey should get rid of Dash 8 plane. Has been very unreliable. Tech problems every few weeks.
ReplyDeleteDidn't someone say they are considering C series?
ReplyDeleteProbably too expensvive.
DeleteI thought I read BREAKING NEWS on here from someone with exclusive info bla bla bla that Kucko signed for CRJ's in Montreal last week?
ReplyDeleteSo just another troll from ZAG then ha?
Not true. I wrote that I have information inside Croatia that they sign LoI (Letter of Intent). I hope you know the difference. If not I can enplane.
DeleteWhy haven't they announced this publicly?
DeletePurger what is your suggestion for the future fleet? Would like to here your opinion about it...
DeleteIn the article they singled out Bombarider which is indicative.
Deletemožda su uspeli da zamene nepoželjni Q400 sa CRJ900 samo fin. aranžaman bi u tom slučaju morao biti dosta nepovoljan po OU.
DeleteHa, jedan od tračeva je da bi 4 CRJ900 trebali zamjeniti 2 A319, neki tvrde čak i tri A319. No, postoji čak i priča da nije CRJ900 nego CSerija. Ali obzirom na izvore koji mi govore o CRJ 900, vjerujem da se radi o tom avionu.
DeleteŠto se tiće zamjene A319 sa CRJ, to je nešto što je Kučko naglašavao od prvog dana na javnim okupljanjima (i nije naišlo na odobravanje pilota). U svakom slučaju zamjena tri A319 sa četiri CRJ900 bi značilo nešto manje kapacitete ali mogućnost večeg broja frekvencija (i/ili linija), bolji LF, a samim time i veću proftiabilnost. Naravno popunjen A319 donosi daleko više novaca po sjedalu nego jadnoko popunjen CRJ po sjedalu. No, ako ne možeš popuniti bar 75% A319, onda je svakako bolje imati CRJ 900 sa 75% popunjenosti, nego A319 sa manje od 50%.
Još 2010. u Analizi sam predložio flotu:
6x A320
10x CRJ 900
6x Q400
dobra alternativa (ali ne i realna jer se CTN ne može izvaditi iz ralja ugovora za A320neo) bi bilo:
8x CS300
8x CS100
6x Q400
Zar nije malo puno Aviona za CTN to kad se zimi slabo posluje mada bi za leto bilo malo.
DeleteINN-NS
Mislim da nije puno, zimi neka lease-uju.
DeleteNema nista od ovoga oni idu polako u zaborav.
ReplyDeleteSamo se ti nadaj i ponavljaj to svake godine, OU je u lošem položaju, ali još se dobro drže!
DeleteOvo ce biti jos dodatnih putovanje o racun kompanije. Toliko prosto i jadno i bedno.
DeleteAt one point they will have to expand the fleet rather than just replace old aircraft.
ReplyDeleteKakav je to let iz BG za JFK danas u 10:10 (BA 100)?
ReplyDeleteNikakav
DeleteThey have been deciding on a 100-seater for 3 years. Why don't they just choose one? What have they been doing during restructuring?
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteProbably because each possible choice has its own "sponsor" in the government and/or the airline itself, and that sponsor will put a hell of a side cut in his own pocket when the deal is signed.
DeleteBasically we are talking about 2-3 gangs fighting for their loot. Each has its political backing and will fight for 30 more years if necessary.
Cause during the restructuring process OU wasn't allowed to buy new planes or expand. By EU orders !!!
DeleteBut that doesn't mean you can not negotiate during restructuration and sign contract at very first day after finishing restructuration.
DeleteI think introducing more Bombardiers would make sense. Keep fleet at 2 aircraft manufacturers and don't increase costs.
ReplyDeleteThey should have gotten two planes this year and introduce those four new routes from Zagreb on a year-round basis. OU has one more year before even more competition comes due to the new terminal in Zagreb. They will be late again and fall behind competition even more.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what people say I'm glad OU is finally waking up and things are moving in the right direction :)
ReplyDeleteThe right direction is going for smaller planes and reducing capacity to improve LF and profitability. So I agree taking in CRJ900s or similar would be a smart move.
DeleteThat's true but in doing so you are also limiting yourself to being a purely a regional airline.
DeleteWhat direction are you talking about ? This is just another announcement which results in what ? Just another announcement with no concrete outcomes .... We have heard all this before time and time again.
DeleteThis guy is the CEO of Announcements and not much else
But you know, if it is true that they plan to change A319 with CRJ900 than they will sell A319 and get real money and take CRJ900 in leasing. On that way company will be profitable for one more year and it will look perfect (we invest in new planes, more frequencies, regional jet which suit our network much better etc. etc....). Of course who cares about possibilities, about cost of leasing instead of your own metal which will come later...
DeleteWould be cool if the deal with Mitsubishi cld work out. Apparently they are very interested in getting Air Serbia on board too, since JU should announce regional fleet renewal next year.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they would be interested in selling to any airline.
DeleteSo we have Adria adding new jets, Croatia Airlines planning new aircraft and Air Serbia with A320neo order. Nice to see ex-Yu airlines developing.
ReplyDeleteOU needs turboprops, moving to an all-jet fleet wouldn't be good for them. If dash Q400s are really as bad as some suggest, they could get another type, but for now they need turboprop-jet mixed fleet.
ReplyDeleteMRJs look interesting, wonder what will come out of that, but I think best option for OU now are CRJs, hopefully at least two in 2017.
I.
I like their plans. I would LOVE if they actually happened for once.
ReplyDeleteI believe the term you are looking for is "Jatovanje". Used a lot a couple of years ago, seems to have been forgotten on this site now :D
Delete:-)
DeleteOh, so true, so true...
This makes no sense from a fleet efficiency standpoint. No stand-alone airline should have 3 different types of 4 aircraft. Since they committed to the a320neo, they should either order more or dump the order altogether. Dash 8s, 100 seater and the 320neo? Not even worth wasting the money and resources this entire selection process is inevitably going eat up. Aren't airlines are meant to be more efficient post restructuring??
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with you.
DeleteOT: Air Serbia removes "subject to government approval" designator from its JFK flights as it secures all necessary permissions from regulatory authorities.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.b92.net/biz/vesti/srbija.php?yyyy=2016&mm=05&dd=23&nav_id=1134796
It already happened last week. This is very bad news! For those who claimed JU would not get approval, of course.
DeleteToday is exactly one month to go before official JFK launch. A330 cabin refurb is underway in AUH with real pictures (not renders) coming up in a few days. New cabin interiors are much needed for marketing, from updated pics on the web site to the New Wings of Europe III ad video.
Super excited! :)
DeleteCan you quote just one person here who said that JU will not get approval? Only discussion was that approval was not issued jet!
DeleteThere is only one person who said it, his name is Anonymous!
DeleteThere have been many who have constantly questioned whether JFK flight will happen at all once they were announced, in many different shapes and forms. One of the scenarios mentioned was JU and/or BEG not getting necessary permissions. Truth be told, they were always Anonymous users, whose "opinions" were rejected by the vast majority of knowledgeable contributors.
DeleteStill, from time to time, there are similar comments. Now, the new mantra is "nobody starts long haul flights with only one plane". Well, how many would you have? Two? So, one can stay in reserve, waiting for the first one to go tech? That's one pretty expensive insurance policy. Or, if the second one was to fly revenue as well (and of course it should), then, how is exactly having two planes if one goes tech better? One long haul flight will have to get cancelled, you just get to pick which one is it.
Agreed, second plane does not mean backup for the first one. Unless both planes go to close destinations like ORD and JFK, when one goes tech the other one can pick up some passengers and the partner like AA can give them a lift to the other airport.
DeleteOr you can use second A330 on a route that can also be served by a narrowbody like BEG-AUH. That's very expensive, but in extreme case that A330 could be used as a backup for JFK while AUH route could be covered by other A319/320. Not cheap by any means.
What happened with plans to base an aircraft in Sarajevo? With Wizz coming there I think it is game over in that regards.
ReplyDeleteThey should have chosen Embraer from the very beginning. Much more reliable aircraft than Dash.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get that from?
DeleteOvo se zove kupovina vremena - čitaj nema ništa od toga. Još jedna dimna zavesa kao i priča oko intresovanja Turkish-a.
ReplyDeleteMislis na jatovanje? :-D
DeleteYea...right... with that CEO It's more likely we will see at the end some 20 years old AVRO-RJ-100 !
ReplyDeleteYea ... right ... withat CEO we will probably see at the end some 16 years old AVRO RJ-100 !
ReplyDeleteZanimljivo je da nema nikakve naznake sta tacno je poruceno mozda na kraju opet dodje do promene.
ReplyDeleteINN-NS
a mogli bi i ovi iz ASL-a da skoknu do Kanade i poruce koji CRJ900 ili CS100 za regionalni saobracaj.
DeleteLast anon-Realno
DeletePo meni bolja opcija je bila kad se HG resavao svojih E90 da se oni preuzmu ali nije bilo nista od toga steta.
DeleteINN-NS
ZRH-DBV operated with DHC(OU),is delayed by 5hrs.Not good.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis news says simply that their sales people are unable to do their job and fill the aircraft that they currently have - just like JU
ReplyDeleteSure, we all know that filling the entire fleet of a legacy carrier is a walk in the park. And it is an especially easy walk in this extremely seasonal region troubled with extreme poverty of its inhabitants. Luckily we have Anon 5:43 who - unlike sales teams in JU and OU - knows perfectly how to fill a fleet. Unfortunately he is not willing to share his knowledge with us nor he is willing to apply for Head of Sales in JU/OU.
Deleteif sales people are not there to sell seats and avoid flying empty aircraft, then what are they there to do ?
DeleteSeasonality just didn't occur out of nowhere.
So what have they been doing to try to solve and address it ?
All other European carriers have the same dynamic - nothing new with this, yet they manage.
Good luck, OU, hopefully with new management!
ReplyDeleteGuys you can take this one to the bank!! The new 100 seat aircraft will be Bombardier CS 100..just like everyone in the world Croatian was waiting to see sales of this aircraft..Now with Delta, Air Canada, Swiss starting next month and Air Baltic with CS 300 in the fall its a done deal!! Dash 8 will be here too, and we will see an all Bombardier fleet up to 130 seats, and Airbus for the larger capacity, but who wknows if the relation is strong CS 300 or even CS 500 a future contender..And I wlll bet all of you a steak dinner on this, being from Montreal home of Bombardier..
ReplyDeleteThat is highly possible, but then again I am sure Bombardier would not mind offering CRJ 900 for dirt cheap now since the CS100/300 program has stabilized after Delta and Air Canada orders.
DeleteI am convinced that Croatian will find a partner/buyer in the future!! Better to have a new technology C Series in the mix than an RJ thats got 30 year old technology!!To me that is what the future investopr wants to see !!
Delete@peter czinkanMay 23, 2016 at 8:17 PM
DeleteYes CS100 is a detcert, however it won't be all Bombardier fleet, it'll be mix Airbus and Bombardier.
OU needs to maintain A320 family in its fleet cause of maintenance centre at Zagreb, 4 hanger is expected to go up sometimes in 2017, and there are plans to expand one of the hangers before 2020.
OU can do D-checks on A320 family, C-checks on B737 family and Bombardier. Airbus is big business for OU, they need to keep Airbus in their fleet. A319 wasn't most productive aircraft, A320Neo should prove far better aircraft, especially in summer months. CS100s will be used year round, OU needs 8 CS100, 8 Q400 and 4 A320s by mid 2020.
I agree with the 8+8+4 mix..and all I said is possible that the 4 Airbussess could be CS 300 or CS 500 if that model becomes reality.The Zagreb maintenance center can work on any company's fleet, so that to me is not an issue. When it happens and it will happen that Croatian is sold or finds its strategic partner, every asset will be looked at, fleet, employees, real estate, maintenance ceters, reservation systems, sales offices etc...The new Zagreb terminal building will definitely be the most modern and advanced in all of Central Europe, its a good base to start from to look towards the future.
DeleteBla..bla..bla..what if it's MRJ, what if it's C-SERIES, what if it's CRJ, If they had the money they had already bought some planes! So NO MONEY,NO HONEY!
Deleteto anonymous @ 9.39 am..I am not afraid to put my real name so why don't you?? Probably you do not think that Croatia is a tourist destination either!!
Delete