Croatia’s flag carrier, Croatia Airlines, is one of the largest airlines in the country and is a member of the Star Alliance. Its fleet comprises a mix of De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400, A319, A320, and A220 aircraft. However, following plans to reduce their overall fleet size and replace all current aircraft with the Airbus A220-300, eagle-eyed passengers have noted something peculiar about the last row of the new aircraft.
You can’t sit in seat 31E
According to Airbus, depending on the chosen configuration, the A220-300 variant can seat between 120 and 160 passengers. Its impressive range and efficiency have made the aircraft a game changer in aviation, and airlines have utilized these modern aircraft to open up new routes. An example of the A220’s success is AirBaltic, which has transitioned its fleet to the A220 and become a symbol of aviation in the Baltic States.
For Croatia Airlines, these aircraft’s economics make sense and can operate with 25% less fuel burn when compared with older aircraft. With a maximum cruising speed of 520 miles per hour, the Croatian carrier looks to leverage the flexibility of these aircraft to claim back market share that it has lost to the growing number of low-cost carriers that now serve the Adriatic country.
Onboard Croatia Airlines A220-300, you could be forgiven for thinking that this aircraft has 31 rows, with five seats in each (155 seats in total). However, on closer inspection, you will be surprised that not only does the aircraft not have row 13 (due to this being a superstitious number in many cultures), but also, in the last row, 31E is not permitted to be used.
Source: Croatia Airlines
A recent traveler onboard, Sven Wöste, shared his confusion on Facebook when he was seated in the adjoining seat. 31E is signposted with ‘Do not occupy this seat,’ and the seat also had no seatbelt. But why?
While many considered that it was not permitted to be used simply because there was no seatbelt (something that could be easily fixed), the reason is far more complicated. AvioRadar, already spotted the mysterious restriction for seat 31E back in August and reached out to the aircraft manufacturer Airbus to understand the reasoning behind the seat, and this was due to the occupancy limit on the aircraft.
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Only one overwing exit onboard
The Airbus A220-300 is designed with just one overwing exit to each aircraft side. This limits the total occupancy of the aircraft to 149 passengers plus crew. Should there have been 150 passengers, the aircraft would need additional overwing exits. This is the current layout of the aircraft:
Rows 1-30 (excluding row 13, which does not exist): Five seats per row Row 31: Four seats Total seats: 149
Photo: Croatia Airlines
While this may baffle you as to why they would design an aircraft that couldn’t have all rows occupied, it all comes down to how each airline may decide to configure their aircraft. The seating density depends on the number of seats you wish to have onboard. As a comparison, airBaltic has configured its Airbus A220-300 with a total of 148 seats. To get around this unique seating limit, they removed several seats at the front of the aircraft to meet the capacity limit. You can see the missing seats in the video below:
Looking at other major carriers and how they get around this capacity restriction is outlined below:
Delta Air Lines
Configured with 12 first, 30 comfort +, and 88 main cabin seats: A total of 130 seats
JetBlue
Configured with 30 premium economy and 110 economy class seats: A total of 140 seats
Qantas
Configured with ten business and 127 economy class seats: A total of 137 seats
As you may have picked up, airlines, by including premium seating at the front of the aircraft, have diluted the number of economy seats in the rear, ensuring that they do not exceed the total passenger limit while catering to premium-paying passengers.
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The A220 is celebrated for its comfortable design, fuel efficiency, and reduced CO2 emissions, making it a favorite among airlines and passengers.
A new fleet of Airbus A220 aircraft
Croatia Airlines’ decision to reduce its fleet size occurred in October 2022. The decision was made to retire all older aircraft, such as the Airbus A319-100 (four), Airbus A320-200 (three), and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400 (six), as the new A220s arrive. In September 2023, the Croatian carrier sold and leased back its entire Airbus fleet with World Star Aviation, and the first A220 delivery took place on July 30, 2024.
Its first A220 was named Zagreb, a nod to the nation’s capital city and the airline’s hub at Zagreb Franjo Tuđman Airport (ZAG). So far, the airline has received just one of the A220-330 out of a total order of 13, all of which will seat up to 149 passengers. The airline also has two Airbus A220-100 variants on order, which will seat just 127 passengers.
Travel to Croatia sees demand peak over the summer season, and Croatia Airlines goes head-to-head with many seasonal operators in the country. From its home at Zagreb Airport, the airline maintains year-round operations to Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik, Frankfurt, London–Heathrow, Mostar, Munich, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Pula, Rome–Fiumicino, Sarajevo, Skopje, Split, Vienna, Zadar, and Zurich, while seasonal services operated across the summer months to Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Brač, Stockholm–Arlanda, Tel Aviv, and Tirana. The airline also has operating bases at Dubrovnik and Split, located on the Adriatic Sea, which has several year-round and seasonal services to major European centers.