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Croatia Airlines' new Airbus A220 has an unbookable seat due to safety rules

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Croatia Airlines' new Airbus A220 has an unbookable seat due to safety rules
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Croatia Airlines, the country's national airline and a member of the Star Alliance, is undergoing a fleet transformation by replacing its current aircraft with the Airbus A220-300. The transition aims to enhance efficiency and reduce fuel consumption by 25% compared to older models. However, passengers have noticed an unusual feature in these new planes: seat 31E in the last row is unbookable.

The Airbus A220-300 can accommodate between 120 and 160 passengers depending on configuration. Croatia Airlines has configured their aircraft with 149 seats due to occupancy limits related to safety regulations. This limit is dictated by the presence of only one overwing exit per side of the aircraft. If there were more than 149 passengers, additional exits would be required.

Sven Wöste, a recent traveler on Croatia Airlines' A220-300, observed that seat 31E was marked with "Do not occupy this seat" and lacked a seatbelt. AvioRadar had previously noted this restriction and confirmed with Airbus that it was due to occupancy limits.

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Airlines configure their fleets differently based on seating density preferences. For instance, airBaltic has set up its A220-300s with 148 seats by removing some at the front. Other airlines like Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, and Qantas also adapt their configurations to balance premium and economy seating while adhering to passenger limits.

Croatia Airlines decided in October 2022 to downsize its fleet by retiring older models such as the Airbus A319-100, A320-200, and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400 as they introduce new A220s. The first delivery occurred on July 30, 2024, named Zagreb after Croatia's capital city.

The airline operates year-round flights from Zagreb Airport to several European destinations while offering seasonal services during peak summer months from bases in Dubrovnik and Split.

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