Two new Airbus A220-300 aircraft bound for Croatia Airlines completed test flights in Montreal on Friday and Saturday ahead of their scheduled delivery later this month. The aircraft bearing manufacturer serial number 55363, to be registered as 9A-CAN, carried out a three-and-a-half-hour test flight on Friday. Meanwhile, serial number 55357, set to become 9A-CAM, undertook an almost three-hour test flight yesterday. With their arrival, Croatia Airlines’ A220 fleet will increase to five aircraft, as the carrier continues its transition to a single-type fleet by 2027. In total, the airline plans to take up five A220s this year, with one already delivered.
According to Croatia Airlines’ preliminary schedule, four A220 aircraft are expected to operate simultaneously on the morning of June 30, with flights from Zagreb to Stockholm, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris. For the first time, all five A220s are scheduled to be deployed at the same time on the morning of July 2. However, these plans remain subject to change. The carrier previously indicated it was in discussions with Airbus about potentially showcasing one of its A220s at the Paris Air Show, taking place from June 16 to 19. However, all three aircraft are scheduled for regular operations throughout the week, except on June 19, when only two A220s are currently planned for service.
Croatia Airlines has tentatively scheduled the end of operations with its A320 fleet. The carrier has confirmed that one of the two A320s will be retired this year. Based on the airline’s filed schedule, the second A320 is now set to retire on the evening of February 8, 2026. The last service currently scheduled with the aircraft type is between Frankfurt and Zagreb. However, this is highly likely to change over the coming months. “The transition period for the aircraft fleet replacement is very challenging. Our fleet replacement plan includes the flexibility to retire existing aircraft in multiple scenarios. The same approach applies to pilot training planning as well”, the carrier said in a statement.
