Croatia Airlines, the national carrier of the Republic of Croatia, has finalised engine and aftermarket agreements with Pratt & Whitney.

The agreements cover the GTF engines that will power Croatia Airlines’ fleet of 15 Airbus A220-100 and A220-300 aircraft.

These include six purchased and nine leased aircraft, six of which will come from Air Lease Corporation (ALC). The first aircraft is currently scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2024.

Pratt & Whitney state they will provide engine maintenance for Croatia’s fleet with an EngineWise® Maintenance long-term agreement.

Jasmin Bajić, chief executive and president of the management board of Croatia Airlines, said: “This is an exciting time for Croatia Airlines as we modernise our fleet with these GTF-powered A220 aircraft.

“By replacing prior-generation aircraft with the most efficient and sustainable engines and aircraft available today, we’ll be able to shrink our environmental footprint and keep fares competitive.”

Based in Zagreb, Croatia Airlines’ first planes were powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, including Boeing 737-200 and McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft with JT8D engines, and ATR 42 aircraft powered by PW100 engines.

Rick Deurloo, president of commercial engines at Pratt & Whitney, said: “Pratt & Whitney and Croatia Airlines have a longstanding relationship, dating back to the airline’s first passenger operations.

“With this GTF-powered A220 fleet backed by EngineWise services, Croatia Airlines will benefit from industry-leading technology and world-class service and support, with a growing GTF MRO network, including facilities like Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance, EME Aero and Lufthansa Technik Aero Alzey in the heart of Europe.”