Croatia Airlines has signed on the dotted line for a new Airbus order, with a firm order for six A220s to join nine more A220s that the airline plans to lease.

Since the Bombardier C-Series was rebranded as the Airbus A220, demand for the narrowbody has never been more robust, with several airlines signing new A220 orders this year alone. While Croatia Airlines' interest in the type is nothing new, it will now also join the A220 owners club with a new intent to buy the jet as well as its previously announced leases.

What's new?

Announcing its Airbus A220 order, Croatia Airlines said that the new jets would replace the previous generation aircraft it is currently flying. Given the higher fuel efficiency of the Airbus A220, the new aircraft will allow Croatia Airlines to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions while reducing operating costs through lower fuel bills. Airbus didn't disclose which variant of the A220 Croatia Airlines had ordered, though a rendering of the jet shows an A220-300.

Commenting on the order, Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer remarked,

"We are thrilled to add Croatia Airlines as a new A220 customer. The A220 is ideally suited to Croatia's aviation needs, providing operational flexibility and efficiency allowing its airline to pursue its ambition for both regional and international connectivity without compromising on any aspect."

The Croatia Airlines fleet today

The Airbus A220 order is intended to replace previous generation aircraft in the Croatia Airlines fleet. With 15 A220s now in the pipeline, it may look as though the carrier could be well on its way to becoming an all-A220 carrier, like airBaltic of Latvia.

According to ch-aviation.com, the Croatia Airlines fleet today has an average age of 18.5 years. It consists of,

• 5x Airbus A319 (4 active) - Average age: 21.2 years
• 2x Airbus A320 (2 active) - Average age: 20.7 years
• 6x De Havilland Dash 8 Q400 (5 active) - Average age: 13.7 years

A small plane that's growing in popularity

As mentioned, the Airbus A220 is really beginning to cement its position in the commercial aviation industry. According to Airbus, there are now more than 230 A220s in service across four of the world's continents. Sixteen airlines have now taken delivery of these aircraft, and they fly the type on more than 800 routes to 325 destinations.

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Delta Air Lines is currently the largest A220 operator with a fleet of 45 A220-100s and 12 -300s for a total of 57 aircraft. Meanwhile, airBaltic has the largest fleet of A220-300s with 36 of the larger variant.

What do you make of Croatia Airlines' Airbus A220 order? Let us know what you think and why in the comments down below by clicking the blue "Comment" button!

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  Croatia Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  OU/CTN

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Zagreb Airport

  Year Founded:

  1989

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Jasmin Bajić

  Country:

  Croatia

  Region:

  Europe