Croatia Airlines plans to retire five aircraft this year as part of its fleet modernization program and transition to single-model Airbus A220 operations. The airline recently phased out a Dash 8 Q400 turboprop aircraft, while one Airbus A320 and four A319s will be removed in 2026. The A320 will be withdrawn from the fleet on February 15, marking the end of Croatia Airlines' A320 operations. The remaining aircraft expected to be withdrawn this year are aircraft with registration numbers 9A-CTG, 9A-CTH, 9A-CTL and 9A-CTN. By the end of the year, the airline expects to still be operating three Dash 8s and one A319 as part of its remaining legacy fleet.
According to previous reports, Croatia Airlines is expected to receive seven A220 aircraft this year, bringing its total fleet to 14 aircraft. The last aircraft are scheduled to arrive in 2027, when the remaining Dash 8a and last A319s are expected to be retired. The airline has confirmed that the Dash 8s will be replaced with wet-leased turboprop aircraft, which will be operated by another airline on behalf of Croatia Airlines. The deployment of the upcoming A220 aircraft is expected to lead to a significant increase in capacity in the summer of 2026. Croatia Airlines plans to offer more than 2,396,000 seats, an increase of 9% compared to 2025.
Croatia Airlines will launch new seasonal flights this year from Split to Nantes and from Dubrovnik to Stuttgart. However, the airline will also stop seasonal flights from Split to Amsterdam and Bucharest. Although no new routes are planned from Zagreb, the airline will add 144,000 seats in the Croatian capital, mainly by starting seasonal operations earlier. Croatia Airlines plans to increase Split capacity by 10%. Dubrovnik production capacity is expected to increase by 1% compared to last year.
