Croatia Airlines has announced it will order six Airbus A220 aircraft after reaching an agreement with the European plane manufacturer. Deliveries will be made over the next four years through to 2026, with the carrier to operate a single-type fleet. Although the airline has not specified which variant of the two A220s it will order, EX-YU Aviation News learns it may involve three each of the A220-100 and -300 with options for an additional six jets. The two will be configured to seat up to 127 and 148 passengers respectively. Croatia Airlines’ current fleet consists of five A319s, two A320s and six Dash 8 turboprops, which are all to be replaced.
Details over the value of the deal or how it will be financed have not been released, however, the carrier said a historical order for A319s, which was later converted into an order for the A320neos, that were due for delivery this year and in 2023, have been substituted for the A220s. Croatia Airlines is believed to have deposited over eight million euros for the previous order. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the flag carrier said its post-Covid-19 strategy, which was approved in August last year with the aim of increasing the company’s efficiency, business operations and improving its competitiveness on the market, obligated it to replace and renew its fleet in the next few years, resulting in the agreement with Airbus.
Airbus was a clear front-runner in securing an order from Croatia Airlines since it pitched the A220’s capabilities in Zagreb in September last year. At the time, the carrier’s Chief Commercial Officer, Slaven Žabo, said, “This is an aircraft that has been designed today for the next thirty years, which is something we need. These are narrow-body jets that delight with their comfort, and I think they would perfectly fit within Croatia Airlines fleet”. Airbus’ Head of Single-Aisle Market Development, Claude Debaquenne, noted that the A220 would allow Croatia Airlines to launch a number of new routes, with its range enabling the carrier to cover all of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
The A220 family is considered to be the most efficient small single-aisle aircraft. It has a range of up to 6.390 kilometres, as well as the widest seats, largest windows and 20% more overhead stowage space per passenger than other narrow-body aircraft. Its windows are bigger than that on the Boeing 777. Currently there are fourteen operators committed to the type, including airBaltic, Swiss, Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air Tanzania, Egypt Air, Air Canada, jetBlue, Iraqi Airways and Air Austral. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1500G latest generation engines (geared turbofans), belonging to the same engine family as those powering the A320neo family.
.gif)
Haha, as if they're gonna launch any of these places :D
ReplyDeleteThey wouldn’t publish it if they wouldn’t do it. smh
DeleteWell that is just an illustration of the range of the aircraft published by Airbus. Nothing with it has to do with any destination of OU.
DeleteAs long as the flight range covers Frankfurt and Munich, they are good to go.
Delete@anon 10:12 ahahha very true
DeleteTrue aviation enthusiasts would greet this news and not mock it as if they originate from the most prosperous country in the world.
DeleteIts a joke, calm down. We're all very happy to hear the recent news
DeleteUnfortunatelly, it's not a joke. And he is upset precisely because it's not a joke. OU main issue is not the fleet. It's what they do with the fleet. And they feed LH at MUC and FRA. And obviously they are continuing doing it with the most expensive aircraft on the market. So, no, I am not happy to hear the recent news because this was probably the last and ultimate chance to change OU pathetic feeder and humiliated servant role, payed by croatian tax payers, in order for LH to have even bigger profits
DeleteWow, incredible! Did not see that coming.
ReplyDeleteWhat's exactly its advantage over the A319 it currently has?
ReplyDeleteThat's what I was thinking.. I guess the only visible advantage would be fuel savings, apart from the decorative touches.
DeleteFuel saving of nearly 30%. If that is no advantage I don´t know..
DeleteOPEX is one thing, CAPEX is another one. Considering that the company does not have cash in its accounts to pay for these shiny toys, it'll be most probably leaseback. In this case the company will save from the fuel cost and pay higher lease fee. Do you think anyone in Croatia Airlines has calculated that? (keep in mind that they don't even know what their schedule would be next year)
DeleteI bet Air Serbia has done its homework better, therefore opting for renewing its fleet with younger but still used equipment.
I bet every airline in the world is rethinking its fleet renewal plans and instead of NEOs will opt for used CEOs!
DeleteNew aircraft are great if you can afford them. Neither OU nor JU can.
DeleteCongratulations
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Plenkovic and entire Party Central Comitee!
Delete@piR. Smiri se, stvarno si dosadio sa tvojim identical dnevnim komentarima
DeleteJa sam potpuno miran. I govorit cu istinu dok god to bude potrebno i dok zlocinci ne budu osudjeni za svoja zlodjela. A to sto Vama to smeta, iskljucivo je Vas problem. Skoro isto veliki kao i neodgojenost i nekultura koju pokazujete "tikanjem" nepoznate osobe s cijim se stavovima ne slazete
DeleteBoring, predictable and annoying posts by Rijeka…
DeleteAlmost as boring, as predictable and as annoying as Kradeze's theft and hypocrisy
DeleteDon't get to upset man, I'm on your side, but this world is so skewed and unjust, that this small order for Croatia AL is really insignificant.
DeleteLP
Pozdrav has way too much time on his hands.
DeleteHaving enough time to do what you like, with least possible stress, is a guarantee of long, healthy and happy life 😃
DeleteExpected
ReplyDeleteSo they plan to retire their Dash fleet since in the article it was mentioned they will have a single-type fleet? Don't you think they will lack a smaller plane in that case?
ReplyDeleteI definitely see this as a problem
Deleteair baltic also retired the Q400 and now have an all A220 fleet.
DeleteBut imagine in winter, routes like Zagreb-Zadar-Pula with A220.
DeleteThose routes are pso anyway ;)
DeleteA220 is a wrong and for sure a policital decision. Too expensive and it has no smaller plane option, like the E175, if they would opted for the E195/175 combination.
DeleteWhy is this just a political decision? Airbus has already received a deposit. Also compare the order numbers for A220 and E-2. It's clear which plane is more popular.
DeleteThe deposit is the same amount as the price difference for one aircraft only, so please stop about this deposit thing. About orders: E2 has so far has more than 200 orders, and many happy customers already (in Europe KLM for example). The huge increase in orders for A220 only came after Airbus took over the Bombardier program, and therefore also all the Airbus countries (and Canada as Bombardiers homecountry) are pushing this program a lot now.
DeleteThere have been many articles about this comparison already, and it was clear that the e-2 is a better aircraft in the end.
https://simpleflying.com/airbus-a220-vs-embraer-195/
200 orders versus 700 orders, these are the facts. and the difference will continue to grow over the years. Nobody ordered the E2-175 at all. There's a reason the Brazilians wanted to merge with Boeing. Difficult to survive alone in the long run
DeleteProbably they will replace the Dashes with the A220 100 after the leasing for the Dashes ends. This order is anyway for 6 A220 300.
Delete30 million difference in price per aircraft. Thats the fact. Meaning for every 2 A220, you can buy 3 E195.
Delete@10.56
DeleteOU clearly stated the two configurations these planes will have indicating that it is a mix of A220-100 and A220-300 not just A220-300s.
Anonymous 10:31.
DeleteBetter aircraft is a relative term, Simpleflying articles are useless. E195E2 is a compromised design from a company with no future. Great choice from the OU team to go with Airbus.
Guys, no point to discuss anything. This deal will never materialise, they had to do something to secure the deposit and that is all.
DeleteAll procurements of this magnitude are always a political decision. Look at the ownership structure of OU, how can this not be a political decision?? The very decision to revive YU and every single subsequent decision were political, why on earth cant you see that??
DeleteYeah, I agree. The only thing being important is political decision in public favour, which generates growth and development, or political decision in favour of individual and particular interests only, as a consequence of state of mind stuck in the past, and widely spread corruption on the highest levels
DeleteI don't understand a few things. They are basically going to halve their fleet? Also will they suspend some routes considering the A220 cannot be properly utilized on slim routes in winter that are operated by Dash 8s which are half the size.
ReplyDeleteI have the same questions. Is OU going to operate only 6 planes? If so it is huge step backwards.
DeleteAlso if they remove all Q400 planes they are going to have terrible LF with A220 only.
Target is 15 planes. 6 owned, others leased
DeleteSource?
DeleteTarget is to survive.
DeleteTarget is very comfortable and very big Brussels armchair
Deletewow
ReplyDeleteNew planes need a new network. With new fleet and a new network Croatia Airlines could become easy takeover target for someone like Lufthansa Group.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteOr Aegean
DeleteThese planes are perfect for OU but I would not retire the Q400s.
ReplyDeleteVery prestigious choice, not many airlines in the region have or own the A220.
ReplyDeleteIn the region I don't think there are any A220 operators.
DeleteBulgaria Air will get one A220
Deleteaibfamily.flights/A220/55226
Will look nice in Croatia Airlines colors :)
ReplyDeleteActually they put old livery with blue color on the bottom, new livery is white only
DeleteIt will not look nice as it will never happen.
DeleteGreat choice! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteSo it seems this was Embraer's last ditch attempt to get an order - https://www.exyuaviation.com/2022/09/embraers-offer-to-croatia-airlines-too.html
ReplyDeleteTrue dat!
DeleteR.I.P. E2
DeletePerfect fit for OU! Assuming they survive till then, of course…
ReplyDeleteI think they will definitely survive until at least until 2026, they wouldn't order the planes before filing for bankruptcy. After this move I even more don't see them going anywhere in the near, even longer term future.
DeleteAs soon as they receive the new planes. One of the big boys will acquire them. Lufthansa or Aegean
DeleteStill don't get how they are going to finance it will be a great thing for OU, and hopefully a phase of real development.
ReplyDeleteI wonder the same. The do not have a money for curent business activities.
DeleteThey will definitely get EU funds based on the angle that they are getting new planes to fit into the green policies of the EU.
DeleteThere is absolutely no way that you can use the EU's green funds to order PLANES. RyanAir et al. would report them in an instant.
DeleteGreen funds cant be used to acquire AC. Slovenia was already denied. Maybe some other funds yes,
DeleteBut for sure
Not the green transformation.
Obvious political decision.
ReplyDeleteHow exactly is it political?
DeleteThis way:
DeleteThe airline suffering from super-high seasonality is placing an order for aircrafts they cant fill neither during season peaks.
Embraer offer of combined E175/195 has been refused, even though being tailored not to be refused (admitting: dont have a clue about pricings, but in general A220 is regularly more pricy).
CA is in hands of Government of EU country.
Airbus is EU based, Embraer is not.
The country in question has proven continous ability to pay for support.
Enough?
My 2 cents...
I mean, it is political since it is a government company, basically everything is political, it’s definitely easier to stick with EU for eu diplomacy reasons at least, of course; that’s why a government run company is complying to fit EU, which is the biggest trading and tourist partner rather than some other
DeleteThe Airbus a220 is not manufactured or built in Europe. It would be more political to order A319neo
DeleteThe question us not whether this is a political decision or not, that much is clear. The question is why is the fact that this is a political decision so bad? What does Croatia have to gain from doing business with Brasil, other than a better price? Nothing. And from doing business with our EU partners? Everything!
DeleteTako je
DeleteIn my opinion this is a win or bust moment for OU. They definitely need new planes and the A220 is a very nice bird. If they play it right, launch new profitable routes then it could work, although I think a change in management would be required. But it could also be a bust moment. These aircraft could be a huge financial burden if they are unable to generate a profit.
ReplyDeleteThey will use it to continue feeding Cartel. Make your own conclusion would it be win or bust.
DeleteOU is not a new company with no prior financial record so that we do not anything. They do generate income but not profit with the current fleet. The idea is to cut expenditures and make room for profit with the new fleet. This will not happen for the management is inapt and the number of employees is double the number they should have. The only reason OU is doing this is because Plenković will look good in the photos of him and the planes just before the next election. Same goes for the Rafale deal.
DeleteI think it's a great jet and it would be nice to see them flying in this region more.
ReplyDeleteCroatia airlines definitely started making better moves in the last year
ReplyDeleteRunning away from Croatian capital for example :)
DeleteDefinitely, they actually started new routes from Split and Pula, at least something…
DeleteWOW!
DeleteA220's would work miracles in OSI-MUC, RJK-MUC or in any route from SPU for 3 months :)
DeleteUnfortunately, I dont think so. Its way too big for both RJK and OSI. These routes really needed the Embraer 170/175
DeleteThe cooperation Croatia Airlines has with Airbus and the deposit they have with them made this the only plausible choice.
ReplyDeleteI agree. They have been an Airbus customer for decades and bought planes directly from them so it makes sense.
DeleteI personally enjoyed flying the A220 with Swiss and agree it makes sense for Croatia Airlines to order it.
ReplyDeleteNow all they need is a management replacement.
ReplyDeleteWrong. They needed management replacement before, in order not to make this mistake. But ike this, Plenkovic chair in Brussels is done deal. That's why it's 220, not Embraer, that's why they don't have professional and competent management
DeleteThis is a very cheap chair. 6 planes that aren't even built in Europe and support American jobs. By the way, when will he get the position in the EU and which ones? You seem to have inside information, PiR
DeleteDon't call Canadians American!
Delete@An.12.05
Delete6 for the beginning, with further options. We all know for some time already it's 15. Oh, and what was the amount for the Raffalles, in billions, please remind me as I have forgotten. And please, stop advocating fully convicted criminal organization led by Brussels aparatchik, as they are ruining our lives, our future and our flag carrier, for 3 decades already
1 billion, not billions.
DeleteThat may all be so. But doesn't answer my question. I wish there were more facts than opinions here. After all, it's an aviation blog.
DeleteJust because I don't share your opinion 100% makes me a supporter of the government or Croatia airlines. On the contrary. A little more discussion culture would do really well here.
Future Plenkovic position in Brussels does not belong to aviation blog, so you are contradicting yourself. And I have heard hundreds of times Kradeze people asking for more "culture of dialogue" in order to shift focus from substance to formality. Not saying it's the case with you @An.13.21, just resemblance 😃
Delete@PIR:logical that Croatia buys French military fighter jets. Or would you have ordered the much expensive American, just before Croatia is dependent on France, to introduce the euro and enter the Schengen area? Kako bi Vi odlučili?
DeleteCroatia was supposed to join EU much sooner than it did, and to be in both Schengen and Eurozone more than decade ago. OU was supposed to fly its own long-haul, and be mid-size airline, and ZAG to be the gate to and the hub for SE Europe. But we had Kradeze making decisions, stealing left and right around, and pushing us back to 1950's mentally, as that's the time their mindset is stuck. That's how I will answer to your question.
DeleteThat may all be so. But doesn't answer my question.
DeleteBy discussion culture I mean an explanation why the a220 is not so good for croatia. Which aircraft would be better, for which strategy, for which routes? Then arguments for it, price, costs, economy, LF, maintenance, range, discounts, etc. But maybe I'm just expecting too much, thought more knowledge would be available here. Or it's simply more fun to engage in polemics, after all we're in the Balkans
DeleteThen you should write to Croatia Airlines and ask them. I'm sure they have answers to all of your questions. LOL! And btw, I've written at least dozen times what you are asking again. So, no, it's not about discussion culture, it's precisely about Balkans polemics
DeleteOk, nisam ništa drugo ni očekivao.
DeleteA polite question for the moderator of this site: why are comments by Rijeka tolerated on this site?
DeleteTo say they are boring and infantile would be an understatement; they are mostly dismissive and offensive towards fellow posters.
Thank you.
@Anonymous 14:54
DeleteWhat you listed is exactly the reason why I think that OU should not be going for A220 now! It is not about A220 Vs. E195/175, or any other aircraft, for that matter. It is all about the questions that you have asked - which strategy, which routes, what LF, what costs...?! The management of OU has not substantiated their decision with a single explanation. They just say - It is the best match for us. Best match for what? Have you defined the requirements at all? Therefore, all this fuss about A220 not being an adequate solution is not that A220 is not a good fit, but no one knows what they should be fitting in the first place. Unfortunately, based on previous experience with OU management, I have my doubts that they actually know what they are buying this plane for. For the sake of this argument, here are some things that bother me:
- How is OU planning on paying for these aircraft that are undoubtedly very expensive?
- Based on what did they make the decision to have a fleet with only one aircraft model? After all, this is not a common strategy and Air Baltic is not a good example because their use case does not match the OU use case.
- What will happen to the lines with flights that they are not able to fill using A220 (40-70 passengers per flight)? I assume they would find a solution for the lines that require more seating capacity by increasing frequencies, but are they just going to give up on Sarajevo, domestic flights in winter, etc? Or they expect to be subsides through some future PSO, because their fleet is inadequate?
- Why was A220 chosen over E175/195? We know it is not the price and we know that it is not really the deposit - Embraer offered to reduce the price for the value of the deposit. Would be great to know the actual reasoning behind the decision.
- Why are they thinking about fleet renewal at this point, in the first place, when there are so many other critical things that they should be working on first? How can they make an informed decision on fleet renewal when there are so many other things that will for sure change if they address the issues at hand?
That's my take on it. I don't live in Croatia and have never flown OU, so I have absolutely no vested interest either way. I just don't like it when I see such an obvious example of mismanagement, when this company could actually be a really nice and stable little national airline.
The best proof how right I am is @An.15.57, (and few before), whose mindset is stuck in 1950's and who would introduce censorships for everyone not applauding to the government, "state", and their entities, but speaking loudly about their crime and corruption instead.
Delete@Anon 16:03. Fully agree. Great questions to the board of directors and supervisory board (Croatian government).
DeleteAt 15:57 Anonymous...
DeleteThis is a typical approach of the woke left, as soon as you hear something you do not like - cancel him/her (or other 578 arbitrary pronouns). Your weakness, both intellectual and physical is paving the way for totalitarianism and facshism. The freedom to say what you mean is a constitutional right, it was fought for in blood throughout history.
Finally some decent news from OU. It is good to see that OU will be aiming to create growth.
ReplyDeleteThey are aiming to create growth my a.s. They are aiming to continue feeding LH with the most expensive aircraft on the market. If they thought about growth, they would have opted for Embraer, 3 for 2, as someone before me already said. You can create growth with more aircraft, not less. And this decision is not OU decision. It came from the Central Comitee of Kradeze
Deletepozdrav iz Rijeke11:15
DeleteYou obviously do not understand what owning and operating aircraft means in terms of cash flow. Why isn’t OU buying 50 Cessna caravans instead of 6 A220s. What a useless arguments, get your aviation game straight and stop polluting this thread.
Yeah, I am polluting this thread, and experts and professionals from OU are ones who can organize worldwide courses on cash flow, based on their financial performance and results
DeleteThe only thing I'd like for them is a more modern logo, I love the colors but the logo could be a bit nicer in my opinion, just a different font.
ReplyDeleteTrue that. They should also go for a new livery. Maybe with the Croatia logo across the whole hull, not just in the top corner of the aircraft. Something like what United did a couple years back.
DeleteLove this plane
ReplyDeleteWhats the age of each aircraft in their fleet?
ReplyDeleteWhat? To lazy to check?
DeleteSo they will go for fairly flexible fleet to a standardized 130pax fleet with routes like bra-zagreb
ReplyDeleteThey will go from 12 to 6 fleet size
And they will do all that for 30% fuel savings which by my calculations would mean that to break even they would have to fly for about 15 yers lol
Bravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeleteI can’t wait to see Pozdrav’s reaction, lol
DeleteMy reaction : deeply sad about the wrong decision which will result in OU remaining humiliated servant and pathetic feeder. On the other hand, satisfied because I was expecting it and because it proves everything I am saying about OU is sad truth
DeleteI don't think the planes are coming. A lot of time until 2026, who knows if Croatia Airlines will still exist then. And with what money should that be paid? but what i don't understand is why is the e2 better than a220? I'm not reading any real arguments here, other than generality like is cheaper. That's a bit too little for readers of an avion blog
DeleteIt's not that simple. It's not just 220 against Embraer. It's about wrong, better say non-existent strategy, lack of vision, lack of initiative, political influence, puppet management, corruption, you name it. In my opinion, A320 neo should have been converted into A321 XLR order. Nobody can't deny millions of tourists from distant markets and huge Croatian, and Balkans diaspora outside of Europe. In order to feed its own long haul, they need to grow significantly domestic and regional network, with much more frequencies, and for that they need many more aircraft. And with Embraer, they can get 50 percent aircraft more, with bigger range in seat capacity which would enable better LF and better utilization. Of course it's not happening because the reason for the OU existence is not growing the company and making it significant player, for which all preconditions exist, but to have sanctuary for Party Uhljebs, and financial and other non-material benefits for very few selected individuals.
DeleteSorry, but A220-300 has more range and more seat (vs E195)
Deletepozdrav iz Rijeke13:04, OU made the right decision with the A220. It will be very transformative for the airline and will revolutionize their business with more routes not feasible with other aircraft types (Economics, range, etc...). OU needs to first cement its future growth with a decent A220 fleet volume/European connectivity in order to make the long haul move. Should Croatia have ambitions to have a Croat Flag on a real Long Haul Aircraft (not a band-aid like the XLR), Airbus will be there with the A330neo (maybe even cheap second hand A330ceo) to offer direct links for Croat diaspora flying mainly to/from North America (JFK, LAX, ORD, YYZ, etc...) and develop the tourism industry beyond cheap European backpackers (leave them to Ryanair, etc...).
Delete@13.26
DeletePlease read more carefully. I was not speaking of aircraft range, the distance it can reach, but range in seating capacity, which is wider and better with Embraer, and enables better LF and better utilization. True 220 has bigger range, can reach more destinations but OU does not need it, and that's another reason why not 220 but Embraer
@13.34
Everything you are saying about 220 could have been done with 319/320. Range and economics were potentially even better with current fleet, especially taking Q400 into the maths. They missed to do anything for 3 decades. And you are telling something will magically change with 220? With old management, old mindset, old low work productivity, old excessive administrative working force, old feeder model, Croatia old lack of strategy, old corruption, old nepotism.... ? I mean I really appreciate your optimism, but all I can say about it is LOL
"but range in seating capacity" what does that mean? Do you mean the operational costs per seat
DeleteSeat width, I believe.
DeleteRange can be translated as domet, dolet, and as well as "raspon". Raspon, range, in seat capacity on diferrent variants/series/type subdivisions in Embraer is bigger than on A220, and as such gives more "manouvering space" in planning and actual utilization. Also, being generally little bit smaller, guarantees better LF and likely better income comparing to 220, taking into account its purpose being primarily feeding, its own or other's networks.
Delete@pozdrav iz Rijeke13:51 "Everything you are saying about 220 could have been done with 319/320. Range and economics were potentially even better with current fleet, especially taking Q400 into the maths"
DeleteHow can somebody be this ignorant to claim such outrageous nonsense. Why has Air France/ bought the A220s? Why is it catching like wild fire in North America? Q400 spends more time AOG than flying.
Hello, how many times I have to write 220 is not the issue - the issue is 220 continuing to be used for feeding LH only. Don't call people ignorant based on taking out one out of 50 pieces of the puzzle
DeleteI hope they will put them first on BRU route. 2 + hours on Q400 is fairly unbearable.
ReplyDeleteThey will be on all routes eventually. It's becoming a single-type airline.
DeleteSorry I misread your comment. Didn't see you said "first".
DeleteThe optimal fleet for OU at the moment is:
Delete6x A220-300
2x A220-100
3x A319 (keep the current younger ones, sell the older ones)
6x E190 (make an ultra cheap deal with Embraer as they're desperate for money)
3x E170 (for domestic routes during winter and some flights in ex yu such as Zagreb-Mostar or Zagreb-Nis)
Of course, they should consider leasing the A321XLR for flights such as New York-EWR, Dulles, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Montreal, but I feel like this would be too big of a stretch for them with the current management and reputation.
I also believe they should pursue a hub and spoke model with Zagreb. This means:
14x Skopje (A319)
14x Sarajevo (A319)
12x Pristina (A220)
14x Belgrade (A220)
7x Tirana (A220)
28x Split (A319)
28x Dubrovnik (A319)
7X Mostar (E170)
7x Tuzla (E170)
7x Pula (E170)
7x Zadar (E195)
7x Nis (E170)
And connect them to most big cities in Europe. Try going for every major city in Europe. Some of the bigger cities that need to be launched from Zagreb are:
Stockholm
Oslo
Helsinki
Riga
Prague
Berlin
Bucharest
Istanbul
Nice
Dublin
Madrid
Sofia
Zagreb on its own doesn't have the population and demand to fuel most new routes.
This is why transfers are crucial. As well as a new train service from Ljubljana to Zagreb with a train station at Zagreb Airport.
As for the coast, I believe it's hard for Croatia Airlines to maintain multiple hubs. If we take a look at Aegean, they use Athens as a hub and later shuttle those transfer passengers to multiple islands across the country. Croatia should implement a similar strategy. Construct new airports on Hvar and Korcula. Upgrade the current ones at Brac and Losinj. These airports would receive multiple daily flights from Zagreb with smaller aircraft.
All things that I wrote above are not possible unless OU finds something it can stand out with. With this being either a better product (IFE, better cabin) or affordable pricing (possible with newer aircraft as they're operational costs are lower).
For anything you wrote they don't need modern and expensive aircraft and, more importantly, they don't need single model in the fleet. Your concept is not the one BCG proposed and OU accepted.
DeleteThe single aircraft fleet is not the best solution. With slots being expensive at many European airports, it doesn't make sense to fly the same kind of aircraft to both London Heathrow and Skopje. They should opt for 2 types of aircraft or maybe even 3. A220 and A320 being the core of the fleet and Embraer for all the regional and low demand flights.
DeleteThis will end the same way as was the case with JU's A320neo.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine, Turkish and Aegean decimating their fleets and replacing them with a plane that can reach Tokyo with 30% less fuel burn and with only 150 seats, and by doing that, fighting fierce competition connecting their coastal airports with the rest of Europe with A320/321 type of fleet?
ReplyDeleteWhen will the official order be placed?
ReplyDeleteSingle type aircraft has many positives: all the engineers and technicians, pilots and crew have only one type of plane to work on so they spend less time and money studying and managing more types of aircraft. Basically, everything is standardized and easier for everyone to use, because if you learn it once; you know how to do it on every plane.
ReplyDeleteSure, but what to do with 30-40 pax on most OU flights in winter with fleet consisted just of A220?
Delete@12:32 don’t spread b**s**
DeleteHe is not spreading BS. Look at their LF, you don't need better proof. Few days ago, and it's still summer timetable, I came to ZAG from VIE. We were less than 30 on the flight, while OS flying at the same time was over 100 pax. These kind of problems are what OU should be looking to solve, not how to buy bigger and the most expensive aircraft which will continue flying empty and /or feeding Cartel
DeleteExactly. Fleet is not the most important issue for OU and definitelly not the reason for their low LF and stagnation, to put it mildly.
DeleteFantastic news. Good luck OU!
ReplyDeleteWow they can commence Lagos flights now.
ReplyDeleteWe need a "Like" button here :) :)
DeleteFinally LAGOS!
DeleteBravo Hrvatska!
ReplyDeletePozdrav after opening exyuaviation today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBc6y4XG28s
ReplyDeleteHahahaha, very funny. And totally wrong. I am just speaking about the sad truth of rotten and corrupt OU. No youtube clips as this one can't change that sad truth. And I am perfectly aware Kradeze voters want to presents me like this because I am speaking that sad truth. I am just surprised @ex-yu aviation let them do so, without giving me chance to reply, which just happened, erasing my answer
DeleteYass OU slay, now you will be able to fly to Lagos and Nairobi!!!
ReplyDeleteCroatia Airlines will become A220 version of Air Dolomiti, feeding Munich and Frankfurt airports with passengers from Croatia and Slovenia and possibly some other countries in the region.
ReplyDeleteI might have already become somewhat of an Air Dolomiti.
DeleteI see some people saying that this is a political decision, so you're saying no other airline in the region has done something for political gain, for political or trading partners, or such motives?
ReplyDeleteyes, yes...but as pozdrav and many others correctly pointed out - one first needs to have strategy, way of doing business if you want, and THEN buy/lease whatever aircraft type and numbers fit best into that strategy. Sole type for carrier like Croatia is CLEAR indication, that their ambition is not to become bigger and more successful, but only to be feeder for Lufthansa. Basicaliy Croatian Dolomiti. Lufthansa is doing same to all of their "partners" (Swiss, Austrian, Dolomiti, Brussels, used to do that to Adria as well...).
ReplyDeleteYou know what winning state of mind would be? To think of other ways of bringing people to different parts of Croatia, like with boats, buses, they should have their own charter branch, hydro aviation branch....and do you know when this was already availible? In ex Yu - JAT had very diversified business model and it was functioning well to certain point in time.
@notLufthansa15:57
DeleteAll these airlines you mention are 100% wholly own subsidiaries of LH, sot it makes sense they are used for feeding. Adria is defunct for mismanagement, hopefully OU will use this re-fleeting opportunity to morph the business into something the Croatian public needs and deserves.
Finally an option to fly to Lagos
ReplyDeleteOU needs a management change....!! Not a fleet change.. Complete waste of rations *!!
ReplyDeleteThis plane would be ideal to launch Ljubljana-Skopje.
ReplyDeleteThe OU order is a political decision for the EU corporate ship that has already hit the iceberg (high energy prices). It is comical looking at the EU politicians speaking nosense for the last few years.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I dont think this order has any meaningful value for OU or Airbus. It iis almost like pantomime game between Croatian & Brussel political elite.
Ok, that's your opinion. Some countries are counting on EU on trade and diplomacy, while other countries do business with some other country. But in the end, it's all political. No country is perfect, but each country chooses their allies and sees who is the best fit for their values.
DeleteHow can you count on EU on trade when the EU is shooting themselves in the foot by doing sanction charade. You are sanctioning a country that has input for your competitive industry ?
DeleteJust today Opec+ reduced production for 2mb per day , what that means is guaranteed floor for $100 per barrel for the foreseeable future.
I am not saying that other airlines will do any better then OU. What I am saying that this order is like Potemkin Village story.
I don't know why nobody ever mentioned this very important topic of having a plane based in LJU:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2020/06/croatia-airlines-in-talks-over.html
Slovenia does not have a national carrier since 2019 and things have went downhill for THREE years now. LJU is tolerating the LH dominance and simply not working in changing it.
Why not give OU the chance to base a plane or 2 and cover new markets and horizons??
Also, for OU it will be very very easy as it is already an EU airline and can enjoy passporting rights in Slovenia and also why not consider launching domestic Slovenian flights.
Domestic Slovenia flights???????????
ReplyDeleteYes, why not? Maribor-Portorož is not a small distance.
DeleteOmg. I want this to happen just to see Rijeka comment. Imagine OU making Ljubljana Portoroz flight with a220
DeleteOh bless you, what plane will they use that can land in POW?
ReplyDeleteThey should base one plane in SKP !
ReplyDeleteZemljak (pozdrav iz Rijeke) you are quite popular here on exyuaviation website and btw you have really good arguments too on this topic including some insider information regarding Croatia Airlines but i still did not figure out your version of OU reading your comments so knowing what you know regardless of debt,budget and so on what would be your ideal definition of Croatia Airlines.You mentioned in your comments you will pick Embraer planes instead of Airbus A-220 but i am curious to find out your final configuratiin of Croatia Airlines.Can you please elaborate more on your vision of Croatia Airlines?
ReplyDeleteFirst, sorry about the delay. Second, thanks for understanding my posts. And third, going into details would take too much time and space, but briefly, the answer to your question would be as follows :
Delete-Q400 remaining in fleet, operating domestic secondary PSO (currently operated by TDR, Slavonia - Adriatic, and North Adriatic-South Adriatic) with double daily frequencies, morning and evening (otherwise useless), and midday terms used to feed ZAG hub or regional flights) Planes based in OSI, PUY, RJK, SPU, DBV
-A319/320 remaining in fleet, operating summer charter and scheduled coastal flights (tried in SPU this year, but to much much bigger extent). Planes based in PUY, SPU and DBV. Morning terms used to feed ZAG hub). Part of those to ACMI lease in winter, until seasonality reduced
-A320 neo order (4 units) converted to A321XLR, to be based in ZAG, and start daily NYC (EWR if remaining *, or JFK if switching to One World, which I would do), and ORD, IAD, YUL, YYZ, BOM, DEL, PEK). Codeshares with partner airlines for wide coverage of North America. Planes based in ZAG
-Immediate lease of 2 A 330 for NYC, ORD and PEK flights, until 321XLR arrives. When 321XLR takes over 3 mentioned, switching 330 to YVR, LAX, GIG, BKK. Codesharing in BKK to Australia, NZ, SE Asia, Taiwan, HK, Philippines, Vietnam. Planes based in ZAG.
-15 Embraers (instead 10 220) to be based in ZAG, and deployed to domestic, ex-yu, Balkans and near East destinations, much much much more than current, with propper waves to conveniently connect to long haul operated by 321XLR/330, and western Europe flights operated by Embraers
@pozdrav iz Rijeke02:02
DeleteYou talk about inefficiencies in OU workforce and lack of strategic management? Here's what you'do if you were heading OU:
- Keep Q400 = leaving a loose end, this type is discontinued and not to mention highly unreliable
- Keep A319/A320 = What about its aging maintenance cost and degrading fuel performance?
- Order XLR = See you in 2030, the time when Airbus may be able to deliver XLRs to OU.
- Lease 2 A330ceo = I must say, I agree with you in this one :)
- 15 Ejets instead of 10 A220= Who says OU will operate 10 A220s? I understood OU is buying 6 from Airbus and leasing 9 for a fleet of 15 aircraft. A220 is so much better than Ejet in so many ways.
In short, your fleet strategy is a recipe for disaster, 6 different fleet types for an airline under 30 aircraft for a country of 30M people.
A fleet of 15-20 A220s + 3-5 A330s is the ideal combination for Croatia.
Croatia has around 4M people not 30M, you must be mistaken
DeleteLol yes, typo.
Delete@An.15.13
DeleteI was not talking about current fleet staying in OU forever. It is supposed to be for the next 4-5 years, during "transition" time. All these planes must stay in the fleet in order for OU to GROW. Not growing is recipe for disaster, and nothing can't be done overnight. So they need to keep what they have while acquiring new types for new destinations and new model. Later on, both Q400 and A319/320 could be replaced with Embraers. Or even 220's,with new business model. Still I would prefer Embraer where you can get 50 percent more units for the same amount of money, plus seat capacity fits better for feeder fleet. And concerning A321XLR, I agree with you about 2030 as arrival date, if bought directly from the manufacturer. But there are lease companies and lease options which can make it 2025. Anyhow what I suggest is definitely less recipe for disaster than getting 220 and use it to feed LH, remaining small and insignificant
It is a Win win for OU and the EU
ReplyDelete1. Croatia will be integrated to the EU from Jan 1 2023 so becomes an advantage when it comes pricing.
2. EU will provide some subsidies to the carrier and government to keep them happy and on side due to the current climate in the Ukraine and next door.
3. Demand beyond MUC and FRA exists. Prime example traffic from Spain, Ireland, Scandinavia and become a feeder to alternative Star hubs such like VIE, ZRH,CPH/OSL, IST and truly Addis / ET (which is a cheaper option to travel in STAR if you are coming from ZA, Asia, AUS).
4.Currently, there are gaps on feeds from the Middle East that could help OU ie. DOH-SPU during the summer season; potential ventures with Qatar via DOH and EK via DXB. OU knows that can not survive only on MUC and FRA traffic.
4. During the summer months those Q400 are ‘chock-a-block’ and already obsolete from a regional standpoint. They can be used on regional routes strengthening OU presence.
With record breaking pax numbers across Cro airports this summer . The A220 will fit just fine .
1. Croatia is in EU for 10 years already
Delete2. EU is well known to providing money to carriers to keep them happy LOL
3.Demand beyond MUC and FRA exists and that's why OU should have had its own developed network, long haul included, long, long ago. I don't believe you suggest feeder and servant role to be extended to feed Ethiopian
4.If OU cared about not surviving on MUC and FRA traffic only, they should have done something before, A220 is completely irrelevant for that story
5. Please stop advocating incompetent and corrupt puppet management of OU which is only executing political decision to go for 220
The A220 is a perfect fit for OU and when the historic Q400s retire they can be replaced with slightly smaller but more modern and efficient ATRs - JU has certainly got that right
ReplyDeleteSo bigger and paid off 320 replacing with smaller and ultra expensive 220, and bigger Q400 replacing with smaller ATR, when you have 15 % of the market share, and making losses beyond imagination is good. Bravo majstore, upravo si nadmasio sve dosadasnje uratke!
Delete