Adria prepares for "biggest fleet in history"

Adria Airways is preparing for the addition of six fifty-seat Saab 2000 turboprops from next week, which will result in the "largest number of aircraft in the history of the Slovenian airline", the carrier said. Adria has painted the first of six aircraft, which will carry the registration S5-AFG. As of September 1, the airline's fleet will consist of 21 planes - three Airbus A319s, three Bombardier CRJ700s and nine CRJ900s. "Additionally we are wet-leasing aircraft with crew from major airlines to further optimise our operations and avoid possible travel irregularities", the carrier said. The airline is currently wet-leasing a Fokker 100 jet from Romania's Carpatair. An Embraer 145 jet, leased from BMI Regional since July, has been returned to its owner. On the other hand, Adria has leased out one of its own CRJ700 aircraft to Luxair and a CRJ900 to Austrian Airlines this summer.

The Saab turboprops will provide much needed relief for the airline which has faced a slew of operational issues this summer as a result of network growth and a lack of staff, resulting in numerous flight cancellations and delays. Adria issued a public apology last week following mounting criticism from passengers across social media and a warning from the Slovenian government. "At this point, we would like to sincerely apologise for this situation", the carrier said. It added, "Many airlines are facing exactly the same problems as Adria Airways and each of them is trying to solve their problems and existing challenges the best they can. We are intensively working on solutions and reducing the number of irregularities, but, unfortunately, due to the fact that the aviation sector is highly regulated, it is difficult to overcome these issues in a very short time. Current challenges are one step away from improved service, better products, better connectivity and even more convenient journeys". The carrier concluded with, "Do not lose your trust in us. We promise to be an even stronger partner on your journeys in the future".

The first Saab 2000 is set to make its debut on Adria Airways' behalf on September 1 on flights to Brač and Warsaw. Commenting on the addition of the six turboprops, the airline's CEO, Holger Kowarsch, said, "I am extremely proud that we have achieved a very important milestone in the history of Adria Airways. Our goal is to keep growing and strengthening, and we believe that we are able to further transform the company into a stable, strong and important carrier in the region, by developing it for a prosperous future". Previously, Mr Kowarsch noted, "The market is showing a strong interest in Saab 2000s. Part of this fleet will operate in our network, while other aircraft will be available for charter and our ACMI business, which is growing in Europe". One of the Saabs will be stationed at Adria's newest base in Paderbron, Germany.

Meanwhile, in preparation for the addition of the six aircraft, Ryan Aviation Recruitment is assisting Adria in hiring fifteen captains and ten first officers for the type. According to the job posting, the pilots will be based in Ljubljana, Paderborn, Pristina, Vienna and Saarbrucken (Germany). Further terms and conditions, as well as the application forms, can be found here.