Croatia Airlines has taken delivery of two new Airbus A220-300 aircraft, bringing its next-generation fleet to 13 and signaling the imminent retirement of its legacy Airbus A319s.

The state-owned flag carrier announced the double delivery in an October 5, 2026, press release, marking a critical milestone in its 15-aircraft fleet renewal program. The aircraft arrived at Zagreb Airport (ZAG) from the Airbus facility in Mirabel, Canada, over consecutive days.

Double delivery accelerates fleet modernization

The two new Airbus A220-300s departed the Airbus manufacturing facility in Mirabel (YMX) on October 1 and October 2, 2026. According to flight routing details from AvioRadar, both aircraft transited through Copenhagen Airport (CPH) before touching down in Zagreb on October 2 and October 3, respectively.

Continuing the airline’s tradition of naming its aircraft after Croatian cities, the 12th fleet addition (registration 9A-CAW) is named “Karlovac,” while the 13th (registration 9A-CAX) is named “Sisak.” The newly delivered A220-300s are configured with a passenger seat capacity of 149. The carrier’s active A220 fleet now consists of 11 A220-300s and two smaller A220-100s, which seat 127 passengers, according to EX-YU Aviation News.

Phasing out legacy Airbus and turboprop operations

The arrival of the new airframes coincides with the final stages of Croatia Airlines’ transition to a single-type fleet. The airline is currently retiring its older Airbus A319s to make way for the A220s. EX-YU Aviation News reported that the final commercial flights for the A319 are tentatively scheduled for October 11, 2026, with one final rotation from Zagreb to Split, Rome, Split, and back to Zagreb planned for October 23, 2026.

This transition follows the retirement of the carrier’s last Airbus A320 earlier in the year. The final A320, registered as 9A-CTO, was withdrawn from service on January 26, 2026, concluding nearly three decades of operations for the type at the airline.

The fleet modernization program also extends to the carrier’s regional operations. The airline expects to withdraw its remaining De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprops by March 2027.

Completing the 15-aircraft order

Croatia Airlines is undertaking the largest fleet renewal project in its history, utilizing the Airbus A220 to modernize its operations. Designed specifically for the 100-150 seat market, the A220 provides the carrier with significant improvements in fuel efficiency and noise reduction compared to its previous-generation aircraft.

The airline expects to take delivery of its 14th Airbus A220 by the end of 2026. The 15th and final aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2027, which will complete the fleet renewal program. According to EX-YU Aviation News, the final two aircraft are expected to be named “Varaždin” and “Vinkovci.”

Aviation Capital Group LLC (ACG) has completed a six-aircraft lease transaction with Compagnie Nationale Royal Air Maroc, delivering the final Boeing 737-8 to the Moroccan flag carrier on October 5, 2026.

The handover concludes an orderbook commitment initiated in March 2026, with all six CFM LEAP-1B-powered narrowbodies delivered within a six-month window. Announced in a press release by the Newport Beach, California-based lessor, the transaction provides immediate capacity for Royal Air Maroc as the airline executes a government-backed fleet expansion strategy ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Executing the six-aircraft commitment

The delivery sequence began on March 31, 2026, when ACG announced the handover of the first Boeing 737-8 to Royal Air Maroc. Meeting the delivery schedule required coordination between the lessor, the airline, and The Boeing Company to ensure all six airframes entered service efficiently.

Carter A. White, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of ACG, highlighted the operational coordination required to meet the timeline.

“With this latest delivery, ACG marks the addition of the sixth 737-8 to Royal Air Maroc’s fleet in six months, a fantastic achievement by everyone involved,” White said in a statement. “We are proud to support the airline’s ongoing fleet renewal and expansion plans and wish the Royal Air Maroc team every success with these new aircraft.”

The transaction adds to the portfolio of ACG, a global full-service aircraft asset manager founded in 1989 and operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Century Corporation. As of June 30, 2026, the lessor managed, owned, or had commitments for approximately 500 aircraft. These assets are distributed across roughly 85 airlines in about 50 countries.

Royal Air Maroc’s Vision 2037 expansion

The six leased Boeing 737-8 aircraft serve as a capacity bridge for Royal Air Maroc as it pursues a long-term growth mandate under the leadership of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Abdelhamid Addou. Based at Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca, the national carrier is operating under a government-backed development program dubbed “Vision 2037,” which was signed in July 2023. The airline is tasked with quadrupling its fleet size to support Morocco’s tourism targets. The country aims to attract 26 million visitors by 2030, the year it will co-host the FIFA World Cup.

According to reporting by Le360, Royal Air Maroc operated approximately 50 aircraft in 2021. The airline reached a fleet size of 70 aircraft in late September 2026 following the delivery of another Boeing 737 MAX 8, registered as CN-RHS. The carrier targets a total fleet of 74 aircraft by the end of 2026 and 88 aircraft by 2027, with an ultimate goal of 200 aircraft by 2037.

To secure the necessary airframes for the 2037 target, Royal Air Maroc launched a tender in April 2024 to acquire up to 200 aircraft directly from major manufacturers. While the airline evaluates those long-term procurement options, leasing agreements provide the short- and medium-term lift required to maintain network growth.

The capacity additions are already supporting new route development. Aviation Week reported that Royal Air Maroc has actively expanded its network throughout 2026. This expansion included the launch of a direct route from Casablanca to Los Angeles in June 2026 utilizing Boeing 787 aircraft, alongside planned frequency increases to destinations across Europe and Africa.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has determined that a flight management system software anomaly on certain Boeing 737 MAX aircraft does not constitute a safety-of-flight risk, clearing a critical regulatory hurdle for the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10. The decision, reached on October 2, 2026, by the agency’s Corrective Action Review Board (CARB) in Seattle, Washington, resolves a review that had temporarily paused the MAX 10 certification process earlier in the week.

According to Reuters, the ruling also alleviates operational compliance concerns for airlines flying the recently certified Boeing 737 MAX 7, which utilizes the same software version. The FAA paused the certification process for the MAX 10 during the week of September 28, 2026, to allow the CARB to complete a thorough analysis of the software behavior.

Flight management system anomaly details

The software glitch affects the flight management system (FMS) software versions U14 and U14.1, which are supplied to Boeing by GE Aerospace. According to technical details reported by Bloomberg via the Japan Times, the anomaly can cause the vertical navigation (VNAV) mode to disengage during a go-around or missed approach if the flight crew modifies the preprogrammed route. This disengagement forces the autopilot into a simpler level of automation for pitch control, subsequently increasing crew workload during a critical phase of flight.

Pilots at WestJet Airlines Ltd. first identified the software anomaly in 2024 during an entry-into-service validation flight and subsequently reported the behavior to Boeing. Despite the technical fault, the issue has not manifested during standard commercial flights. In an internal staff memo reviewed by Reuters, WestJet noted that the airline “has received no reports of this condition occurring during normal line operations.”

The FAA ultimately concluded that the software behavior does not cross the threshold into a safety-of-flight issue. In a statement provided to Aviation Week, the regulator explained that the CARB reached its determination because flight crews maintain full control of the aircraft, and the system indications presented to the pilots remain “clear and unambiguous.”

Operator impact and fleet status

The FAA certified the Boeing 737 MAX 7 in August 2026 with the affected FMS software installed. Following that certification, Boeing formally notified operators of the potential VNAV disengagement issue. The CARB’s October 2, 2026, determination ensures that the MAX 7 can continue operations without immediate regulatory intervention or grounding orders.

However, the presence of the software has influenced fleet planning for major US carriers. According to reporting by Bloomberg News via TradingView, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines have all confirmed that their active fleets do not utilize the faulty software versions. Furthermore, United Airlines has stated it is not accepting new aircraft equipped with the affected FMS software.

To manage the issue across the broader industry, the FAA is expected to issue a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) in October 2026. The bulletin will formally notify US carriers and foreign aviation regulators regarding the technical specifics of the anomaly and the recommended operational procedures.

The Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification path

The Boeing 737 MAX 10 is the largest variant of the manufacturer’s best-selling narrowbody commercial aircraft family. The programme has faced years of certification delays, making the recent regulatory pause a point of significant concern for the aerospace manufacturer. The MAX 10 is critical to Boeing’s long-term production plans and future cash generation.

Boeing currently holds more than 1,500 orders for the MAX 10 variant. With the CARB determination removing the immediate regulatory roadblock, the FAA can resume the certification process. Concurrently, Boeing is developing a permanent software update to address the FMS anomaly, though a specific timeline for the deployment of that patch has not been officially released.

AirPro News analysis

We note that while the FAA’s Corrective Action Review Board has removed the immediate regulatory roadblock for the Boeing 737 MAX 10, a commercial disconnect remains. The regulatory determination that the software is safe for flight does not automatically translate to operator acceptance, as evidenced by United Airlines declining deliveries of aircraft equipped with the current software version. Until Boeing finalizes and deploys its permanent software patch, the manufacturer may face a backlog of completed airframes that airlines are unwilling to induct into their active fleets, potentially delaying the financial benefits of the MAX 10’s eventual certification.