Trade Air grows A320 fleet to five aircraft while pursuing disciplined expansion through ACMI and charter contracts
Why It MattersRising fuel costs, low-cost carrier expansion and cautious fleet growth are reshaping competitive pressure across Europe's ACMI and charter segments.
Croatian carrier Trade Air has expanded its Airbus A320 fleet from two aircraft in 2020 to five by 2025, taking advantage of post-pandemic conditions when lessors were offering aircraft on favourable terms, according to Managing Director Marko Cvijin. Founded in 1994 and based in Velika Gorica, the airline runs a dual business model covering ACMI services, passenger charters, cargo flights, dangerous goods transport, and scheduled domestic routes under Croatia's Public Service Obligation programme, using a Saab 340 based in Osijek for domestic PSO connectivity.
When Slovenian carrier Adria Airways collapsed, Trade Air set up a base at Ljubljana Airport, capturing charter market share and linking Slovenia with Greece, Turkey, and Egypt. The airline's newest A320 joined the fleet in 2025, and management is now focused on replacing its oldest unit to lower the fleet's average age.
Cvijin said rising fuel costs are currently weighing on the market, with ACMI operations typically the first segment to slow, describing conditions as "moving in a negative direction" but expecting the trend to be temporary. On strategy, he stressed caution over growth for its own sake, saying, "As a small company, we can't just buy an aircraft and hope business follows. I'd rather hold back than make a costly mistake," with priorities centred on securing long-term ACMI and charter contracts, maintaining utilisation before adding capacity, and planning ahead rather than reacting to market swings.
Trade Air also flagged the growing presence of low-cost carriers as a structural pressure on the traditional charter market, with Cvijin saying overall charter capacity may gradually decline as low-cost airlines continue to expand.
