Croatia Airlines schedules A319 retirement within weeks
Croatia Airlines has tentatively scheduled the retirement of its remaining Airbus A319 aircraft for next month as it accelerates its transition towards an all-A220 in-house fleet. Based on the carrier’s current schedule filing, the type is due to operate its final commercial service on October 11. The A319’s last day of operations is presently scheduled to involve flights from Zagreb to Dubrovnik, continuing to Rome, before returning to Dubrovnik and finally Zagreb. However, the allocation remains tentative and is highly likely to change as the airline adjusts its fleet deployment. Nevertheless, the filing provides an indication that Croatia Airlines plans to end A319 operations imminently. The carrier currently has four active A319s, registered 9A-CTG, 9A-CTH, 9A-CTL and 9A-CTN. The type has formed part of Croatia Airlines’ fleet since 1998 and has been deployed extensively across its domestic and European network. The aircraft are configured with 144 seats. Their withdrawal will follow the retirement of Croatia Airlines’ final Airbus A320 earlier this year. The last aircraft of the type, registered 9A-CTO, operated its final commercial service between Zagreb and Amsterdam on January 26, bringing an end to almost three decades of A320 operations at the airline. The accelerated phase-out of the A319s comes as Croatia Airlines continues the largest fleet renewal programme in its history. The carrier currently operates eleven A220s, comprising nine A220-300s and two smaller A220-100s. It expects to take delivery of a further three A220 aircraft by the end of this year, subject to the manufacturer’s delivery schedule. The fifteenth and final jet from the current order is due to arrive in 2027. Croatia Airlines will continue operating its remaining three Dash 8 Q400 turboprops during the 2026/27 winter season. They are expected to be retired at the end of the scheduling period in late March 2027. The airline will then operate an all-A220 in-house fleet, supplemented by wet-leased ATR72 turboprops. Its ATR operations are expected to expand next summer , with a second aircraft planned and the number of flights operated by the type set to increase significantly. EX-YU Aviation News
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