Croatia Airlines plans to lease an Airbus A319 and Dash Q400 aircraft in the coming months, while it is also likely to renew a wetlease for a single Bombardier CRJ1000 jet. According to the “Tango Six” portal, the A319 and Q400 will be delivered to Zagreb on March 29 and May 1, respectively. The two aircraft will be dryleased, meaning they will be operated by the carrier’s own crew on a long-term basis. The airline is also expected to finalise a short-term wetlease of a CRJ1000 jet, which would form part of the fleet only during the summer months. As in previous cases, it would be operated by foreign crew. Over the past few years, Croatia Airlines has wetleased two CRJ1000s from Air Nostrum, which has expressed interest in acquiring shares in the Croatian carrier.
The fleet expansion will enable Croatia Airlines to add new routes and strengthen frequencies on a select number of routes. The airline is expected to introduce flights from Zagreb to Podgorica, Sofia and Tirana this summer. It is in discussions with Montenegro Airlines over cooperating on services between Podgorica and the Croatian capital. The General Manager of operator Airports of Montenegro, Danilo Orlandić, confirmed this week that flights to Zagreb would commence this summer. Croatia Airlines has so far also scheduled an additional weekly frequency on flights from Zagreb to Amsterdam and has boosted capacity to selected cities. The carrier is also expected to increase its number of charter operations, which will include flights from Ljubljana to Greece, among others.
The future structure of the country’s Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights will also have an impact on Croatia Airlines’ network. A new four-year contract for the upkeep of subsidised domestic flights will come into force this year, with the Croatian government looking to increase funding in order to include more services. Croatia Airlines told EX-YU Aviation News last month of its intention to expand both its fleet and route network during the year. The carrier said it was in the process of drafting such plans after which it would make a definitive decision. The developments come in the lead-up to the final stage of Croatia Airlines’ privatisation process, which is expected to be finalised by June.
Finally they have woken up!
ReplyDeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteWhy "Bravo Hrvatska"? They are choosing to lease two more planes; its not like reached a passenger or profit milestone.
DeleteWhy the hate?
Deleteit is a move to the right direction.
which exyu airline reached a profit mileston? ha
DeleteTrade Air and MAT - Macedonian if not the crisis.
DeleteWith 2 extra aircraft they could open more than 3 routes, no?
ReplyDeleteDepends. With 1 Q400 they will probably open these new routes while with the A319 they could focus on increasing frequencies and doing more charters.
DeleteTGD, TIA and SOF can (and probably will) all be served by Q400.
ReplyDeleteTIA could be on the A319.
DeleteSeems like the government aid is paying off.
ReplyDeleteGood
ReplyDeleteGood comment.
DeleteGood reply.
DeleteGood insight.
DeleteBullshit. Company in debts over the head. Pilots and cabin crew had and plan to have syndicate strike.. goverment doesnt really know the issues that are leading national carrier to problems... the only thing that saves the day (every day) that we (croats) are so unbelievably proud of everything ours that I think even the ground crew and maintenance (that are really more important than pilots and cabin crew) would do everything for free just not to lose birds with our flag on..
DeleteWhat will they do with the extra planes during winter?
ReplyDeleteThey could base one plane in Ljubljana :D
DeleteHopefully they will turn some seasonal routes to year round.
DeleteYes I hope finally Prague, Milan and Stockholm become year round.
DeleteDublin too.
DeleteBut doesn't OU have a surplus of planes in the winter time anyway? They could do all of this with the current fleet?
DeleteWe could see some frequency increases on existing routes.
Delete@9.49 In winter many planes go on maintenance so there is a reason they can't expand in winter. Hopefully with more aircraft they will now manage to add some routes and expand frequencies.
DeleteGood to see that all three remaining ex-Yu national airlines have woken up and are expanding.
ReplyDeleteAdria's bankruptcy gave them all a kick to get moving.
DeleteSo how big will the fleet be this summer?
ReplyDelete14 + 1
Delete2 A319
2 A320
7 Q400
1 CRJ1000
7+2+2+1 is 12, not 14.
DeleteSorry I accidentally wrote 2 for A319, it's 5 (with the leased plane).
DeleteAnd there are still those neos due for arrival.
DeleteThe neos are, I think, meant to replace the existing aircraft, not to expand the fleet.
DeleteGood move by CTN
ReplyDeleteSo, 3 leased planes during summer months?
ReplyDeleteNo. Read again. Two are being leased on long term basis. They will stay after summer too. 1 will be the usual wet lease for the summer.
DeleteFinally some decent news from OU.
ReplyDeleteAll good, but new routes are still not bookable. Successful companies load new routes many many months before they start to operate them. That's called planning.
ReplyDeleteThey usually announce new routes in March.
DeleteAnnouncement - next week!
DeleteDo you know when? :)
DeleteLooking forward to new announcements! Finally!
DeleteAs long as the Government pays they can play around
ReplyDeleteYou can say that for all the ex-Yu airlines.
DeleteBut not all of them are in EU where it is forbidden
DeleteState aid is not forbidden in the EU. Read the rule book.
DeleteIt's allowed once a decade, do you really think OU can survive without it until 2030? Highly doubt it.
DeleteHopefully Aegean will buy them this year.
DeleteYes it is forbidden as OU got more than 100 mil EUR before Croatia joined EU.
DeleteAsk Malev and Cyprus Airways if it allowed or not.
Uhh actually you can't ask them...I wonder why.
Maybe because they thought it is not forbidden
State aid in aviation is in principle forbidden not only in EU, but in all countries of European Common Aviation Area, which for Balkans means not only EU, but also Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania.
DeletePls read the agreement (including annex III) to the agreement establishing ECAA between those countries.
It is not like Croatia may not give state aid to OU but Serbia can give state aid to JU or Montenegro can give state aid to JM. None of them can (subject to limited exceptions).
Alitalia says you're wrong.
DeleteAre you talking about law or practise? You seem to dislike learning new facts.
DeleteAs to law everybody is the same but in practise as always there are those stronger who make break the rules and also those who may break the rules because they are so weak nobody really cares about subsidies they give.
EK has no right to dictate to any non-EU airline to pay back the money received from its Government as that country is no EU member despite it signed ECAA.
DeleteAnd not at one non-EU airline did not go belly up because they received money from their Governments.
The money Monetenegro Airlines received from their Government is not even on the EC desk.
From the other side we have Malev (Hungary), Estonian air (Estonia) and Cyprus Airways ( Cyprus) who had to close their operations (all airlines from EU member countries) due to financial help they received from their Governments and had to pay it back.
All ex-Yu subsidies fall into the second group: nobody really cares (at least for now). Or even more: as long as they just deliver pax to hubs of the mighty, they can take as many subsidies as they only want.
DeleteThe purpose of ECAA was to open the market for LH group and that was achieved. Nobody in EU cares about more for now. Obviously there had to be a clause about lack of state subsidies in the ECAA agrement, because this is absolute standard in every open skies agreement. But in reality this clause is important if you sign open skies agreement with Emirates or Japan (so countries that could blow your airline off the market, if they really started large scale subsidising of their airlines, which is not the case for ex-Yu).
As long as LH group flies with A320/321 and the ex-Yu airlines fly with ATR (even if frequences are comparable), nobody cares. If things start to change, things start to change.
Just ask yourself, why so many of these subsidies to local airlines are disguised as marketing contracts or PSOs (sometimes at very advantageous terms to a local airline, so not really a great financial deal to the government, if it was all just about providing a service to a local community) etc. instead of direct pouring of money.
EU country can invest in national airlines once in 10 years. Malev, Cyprus, Estonian try to do it earlier than that. And they have to give money back.
DeleteCountries can give some bridge loan but that money company must give back to budget with inetrest.
Purger,
DeleteCan you please provide link showing when this rule (once in 10 years investment) was established?
You have my 2 articles about it with all documents quoted.
DeletePurger,
DeleteThe fact that you wrote something in your article does not automatically mean it is correct.
And this site is not the one where you write your articles.
So, if you have any link or proof for you claims please post it here.
Thank you.
Purger, this is not something that every airline has to do. Check Alitalia. They got more then one loan in the last 4 years.
DeleteAlitalia gets 2 loans since July 2017. But those 2 were bridge loans, and they have to give money back and to pay interest.
DeleteOf course that does not have to be true what I wrote. But, someone ask for documents and I said I quote all document and EU rules in my articles.
It is good to see that OU will be aiming to create growth.
ReplyDeleteGood decision. All the exyu airlines should be flying more regional jets.
ReplyDeleteConsidering how conservative Croatia Airlines is, this is great news.
ReplyDeleteNot sure why it's taking them so long. The timetable for SOF and TGD should be similar to the OTP one, which is excellent for transfer flights and prices starting from 1400 HRK or 187€, which is not bad at all:
ReplyDeleteБухарест - Дубровник, Пятница 15 Май
Авиарейс 0 Из Анри Коанда в Franjo Tudman Дата отправления:Пятница 15 Май 2020 12:10 Дата прилета:Пятница 15 Май 2020 13:05 Продолжительность:01:55 Авиакомпания::Croatia Airlines OU(317) Оборудование:De Havilland DHC-8 400 Series
OTP
ZAG
12:1013:05
01h55m
Croatia Airlines (OU317)
De Havilland DHC-8 400 Series
Длительность остановки01h40mАвиарейс 1 Из Franjo Tudman в Дубровник Дата отправления:Пятница 15 Май 2020 14:45 Дата прилета:Пятница 15 Май 2020 15:40 Продолжительность:00:55 Авиакомпания::Croatia Airlines OU(662) Оборудование:Airbus Industrie A319
ZAG
DBV
14:4515:40
00h55m
Croatia Airlines (OU662)
Airbus Industrie A319
Тип тарифа FlyEasyЭконом
1 x ручная кладь
0 x регистрируемый багаж
нет возврата оплаты
плата за изменение
Дубровник - Бухарест, Среда 20 Май
Авиарейс 0 Из Дубровник в Franjo Tudman Дата отправления:Среда 20 Май 2020 06:15 Дата прилета:Среда 20 Май 2020 07:10 Продолжительность:00:55 Авиакомпания::Croatia Airlines OU(661) Оборудование:Airbus Industrie A320-100/200
DBV
ZAG
06:1507:10
00h55m
Croatia Airlines (OU661)
Airbus Industrie A320-100/200
Длительность остановки01h30mАвиарейс 1 Из Franjo Tudman в Анри Коанда Дата отправления:Среда 20 Май 2020 08:40 Дата прилета:Среда 20 Май 2020 11:30 Продолжительность:01:50 Авиакомпания::Croatia Airlines OU(316) Оборудование:De Havilland DHC-8 400 Series
ZAG
OTP
08:4011:30
01h50m
Croatia Airlines (OU316)
De Havilland DHC-8 400 Series
Even though this is a step in the right direction, it's too little too late. Even if they add these regional flights they will have to have at least 4 weekly flights in a split schedule since they lack decent frequencies to non-Star Alliance hubs. Take Paris as an example, they have one daily departure at the same time meaning they will have to have two different departures in order to make it work. TGD will be especially brutal with YM code-sharing with both JU and OS which offer more frequencies in MNE and at their respective hubs. I mean who will OU fly from Podgorica? MUC, FRA, VIE, ZRH? Only those have a decent amount of weekly flights.
ReplyDeleteFor me this is just rearranging chairs on the Titanic.
There is a rumour that this regional expansion is related to a Star Alliance carrier planning to start transatlantic flights to Zagreb. And these OU flights should feed it.
Delete@anon 09:32
DeleteExactly the same I was talking on another forum but I suppose patriotic blindness is simply too strong.
SOF might work from ZAG but TIA and especially TGD are the airports where OU can't compete with the airlines that already cemented their position there.
How can OU with 3 pw compete in TGD with 40+ weekly connections between TGD and BEG?
OU can survive in markets where it can attract passengers to connect onto their coastal network, something they can't rely on in Tirana. Also, OU doesn't even fly to places like Berlin or Dusseldorf so how can they expect to be competitive in these markets.
DeleteOU has a weak regional network and a weak European network, it's a deadly combination. There is a reason why JU increased all European flights to at least daily in 2013.
The Ljubljana charters are a great decision. They obviously will profit despite not immediately reacting to Adria's bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteEasy and good money!
Delete+1
DeleteHow often will OU fly to TGD and TIA? What will be the frequency? 3 pw?
ReplyDeleteMost probably
DeleteDon't get comments how OU is *finally* opening new routes. Except for last year, they were opening several new routes each year.
ReplyDeleteWhile this is somewhat true, some routes were discontinued and frequencies on some dropped to make way for new routes. So it was not real growth.
DeleteSo not true. They opened 10 new routes in 3 years and cancel just 2 of them. It was possible by leasing one CRJ1000, and next year 2 CRJ1000s.
DeleteInterestingly all destinations are to the east.
ReplyDeleteThey finally discovered there is territory to the east of Zagreb.
DeleteThat was the biggest hole in their network map.
DeleteThey have covered pretty much all Western and North European destinations who have demand from ZAG.
Could they open a one daily Istanbul flight in cooperation with Turkish Airlines? They could fly it in the afternoon between TK's flights.
ReplyDeleteWould there be enough demand for a third daily flight, especially in winter?
DeleteDoes somebody know (maybe older guys) why the Croatia IATA registration for planes is "9A"? Was it not possible to use a similar one representing Croatia such as "HR"?
ReplyDelete9A was available. Registrations based on country abbreviations are not really available anymore. HR is Honduras.
DeleteThanks! Interesting.
DeleteCroatia had RC for a while (there are some old photos of their 737-200 with RC rego) but I think by 1994 it was changed to 9A.
Deletehttps://www.airliners.net/photo/Croatia-Airlines/Boeing-737-230-Adv/55445?qsp=eJwtjDEOwjAQBP9yNQ2KwFE6%2BAAUfOB0XhFLJrHuriCK8vfYgW53RzsryTw5vv5aCmggA6uMdKLCyh%2BjYSVOmtPU4Dn0IVRms/p9qUNkx00ExRH/%2B0MjtCGYHJp3e176lqHPX%2B2utcZkJfOhgXPKtG07ApEtlQ%3D%3D
I remember a story going around a few years back that all the relevant C or H codes were even taken or too close to other nations.
DeleteBravo OU! However I just hope the extra capacity doesn't lead to wider losses!
ReplyDeleteWe should be happy that everyone is growing. Good work.
ReplyDeleteInteresting choice
ReplyDeleteWell it makes perfect sense. Two aircraft types the airline already has.
DeleteThey should have 1 A319 or A320 dedicated just for charters.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised by this sudden expansion prior to privatization. The line the company has pushed until now is that they will expand when they get privatized.
ReplyDeleteTheir actual line was that they will expand when they have the money to do that, which they believed would be when they get privatized. But then the state came in and saved the day.
DeleteThis is a smart move
ReplyDeleteNew planes are definitely welcome, looking forward to see how OU performs this summer.
ReplyDeleteNesto mi nije jasno?ErSrbija planira 9 novih ruta,10% povecanje cartera i pojacane rotacije za mnoge postojece linije (za sada +29) sa dodatkom 2 aviona u floti. A ovi za 3 nove rute dodaju isti broj aviona?
ReplyDeleteJU planes do significantly more rotations than OU which are idle during the night, while JU has several planes in the air.
DeleteJU fleet utilisation is way higher in general especially for ATRs. For example most of OU fleet comes back at 20 or 21 and sit at the airport until 08.00.
DeleteJU at 20.00 is having its planes take off to BEG and then rotate to a night flight.
OU needs some RJs besides the Dash-8.They should get a E-190 or E-195.
ReplyDeleteSo these planes will get Croatia Airlines livery?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteRead the report again. They are LONG term leases, like the rest of the fleet.
DeleteOf course they will be painted in OU livery.
Even on the wet leased planes last year they put a Croatia Airlines logo on it.
DeleteAlthough tail obviously stayed white.
DeletePositive news but does anyone know why the PSO is so late? I fly Rjk-dbv and PUY-spu all the time. Trade Air but operated by czech co. Brilliant service and saves such long drives. Trade air bookable sched goes onlytomarch and they know nothing. I realisethis flight connect osijek ..before anyobe starts re PSOs...
ReplyDeleteWill they consider restarting PRN flights. There is a huge diaspora in Zagreb from Prizren, there are 4 or 5 dayli buss conections from Pristina to Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteOn top of this recently i see that lots of people are getting work permits in Croatia from Kosovo.
The more I read about it, the more it looks like OU is trying to copy TGD, SOF and TIA transfer ideas from JU.
ReplyDelete