Azorra delivers first new Airbus A220-300 to Croatia Airlines

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

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Azorra is today handing over the first of three Airbus A220-300s to Croatia Airlines, the national airline of the Republic of Croatia, marking a new partnership for the lessor and the next step in the airline’s fleet renewal program.   

Delivered from Azorra’s firm​ order​book with Airbus, the aircraft is performing its ferry flight to ​Croatia today after being assembled at ​the ​​Airbus​ ​​facility ​in Mirabel, Canada. The delivery supports Croatia Airlines as it seeks to replace its existing fleet with 15 Airbus A220s by 2027.

John Evans, CEO and Founder, Azorra, says: “We are thrilled to deliver the first of three new Airbus A220-300s to our friends at Croatia Airlines, an achievement made possible by our strong collaboration with Airbus. This delivery marks the beginning of an exciting new relationship for Azorra, as we work with the airline to enhance operational efficiency and elevate the passenger experience for their customers. We’re proud to support Croatia Airlines’ fleet renewal strategy and are committed to deepening our partnership as they transition to a modern, single-fleet type.”

Born from a clean sheet design, the Airbus A220 was ​​purpose-built for efficiency and performance in the 100-160 seat market.  The new technology aircraft offers passengers the widest economy seats in class, large panoramic windows and low noise levels, with a 50% lower noise footprint compared to previous generation aircraft.

​​Jasmin Bajić, President and CEO, Croatia Airlines, says: “We are delighted to welcome our third new Airbus A220 aircraft, which will bear the name of the heroic Croatian city of Vukovar. We are pleased that today marks another step forward in the biggest project in our company’s history – the renewal of our entire fleet by 2027 – which began last year with the introduction of the first two Airbus A220 aircraft.

“The arrival of each new aircraft – and we are expecting a total of five this year – enables us to expand our network of destinations, and optimise the flight timetable. We are especially pleased that this season we have introduced five new international routes, further contributing to the development of Croatia’s tourism and the national economy as a whole. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners at Azorra, the lessor of the Vukovar aircraft, and the manufacturer Airbus for their excellent collaboration. I believe we share in the collective satisfaction of today’s milestone.”

Croatia Airlines took delivery of its first two Airbus A220-300s in 2024. Azorra is delivering the airline’s third Airbus A220-300 and has a lease agreement to deliver two further Airbus A220-300s by 2026.

As of today, Azorra has delivered six A220-300s from its firm orderbook with Airbus, to airline customers around the world. 

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ABOUT AZORRA

Azorra is a relationship-driven aircraft lessor that provides leasing, financing, fleet transition and asset management solutions to aircraft investors, financiers and airline operators worldwide. Azorra’s multi-cultural team reflects the global markets that we serve and includes core competencies in aviation law, aircraft finance, maintenance, marketing, sales, trading and leasing.     

Our team is led by seasoned veterans having a shared history of success and is complemented with young professionals who bring fresh perspective, ideas and enthusiasm. Azorra currently owns and manages a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, with total commitments of more than 160 aircraft including orders for new Airbus A220-100/300 aircraft and Embraer E190/195-E2 aircraft. The company is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and has offices in Dublin, Ireland.    

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ABOUT CROATIA AIRLINES

Croatia Airlines, the Croatian flag carrier, was registered under the name of Zagreb Airlines d.d. in 1989. Since July 1990, the company has been operating under its present name. The major hub is in Zagreb.

Croatia Airlines is a full-service carrier that provides domestic and international air passenger and cargo transport services. The company connects Croatian cities with the most important European centres and, through them, the entire world. It also provides aircraft maintenance and professional training of aviation personnel.

The company is a full member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Star Alliance and the European Regions Airline Association (ERA). In its 36 years of operations the company has been recognized by its passengers for flight safety, quality of services and professional staff.

Croatia Airlines has a fleet comprising 13 aircraft: four Airbus A319s, two Airbus A320s, three Airbus A220s and four Dash Q400s.