During the course of the Paris Air Show 2023, TAAG Angola Airlines has signed order contracts with three lessors amounting to nine Airbus A220-300. Adding to the six that were ordered at the Farnborough International Airshow last year, Angola’s flag carrier now expects to incorporate a total of 15 units of the type.
The A220 is expected to replace the airline’s fleet of Boeing 737-700, the only mainline narrowbody it operates. The airline has a total of three 737s in passenger service, according to data by Planespotters.net. Another one, albeit convertible, is solely used as a freighter.
Effectively, the orders would mean that TAAG would increase its mainline narrowbody fleet fivefold, once the transition — expected to start in April 2024 — is finished.
With a fuel burn that is 25% lower per seat and the higher volumes, the airline expects to expand its operations and power its connectivity at lower costs, as previously covered by Aviacionline. By 2024, TAAG expects to move its operations to Luanda’s new International Airport, where it will be able to accommodate a larger hub.
«The country’s geostrategic position is a competitive advantage [for TAAG]», stated the company in a press release celebrating the Paris Air Show agreements, «as Luanda is running to be the next hub for south-south and north-south connections».
In the mainline segment, its 737-700 fleet is currently deployed in longer international flights within Africa and domestic operations with higher demand, particularly connecting its Luanda base to Cabinda, Angola’s northern exclave.
The airline also has a regional narrowbody fleet, which is composed by six De Havilland DHC-8-400. These are largely deployed in domestic segments and shorter international routes, such as the ones connecting Luanda to Kinshasa and Pointe-Noire.
While their 737-700 fleet is configured to carry twelve passengers in Business Class and 108 in Economy, the A220-300 will have twelve seats in Business and 130 in Economy.
