Air Niugini has signed a firm order with Airbus for six A220-100s under its fleet modernisation programme.
In addition, the national carrier of Papua New Guinea will acquire three A220-300s and another two A220-100s from third party lessors.
The A220 will be operated by Air Niugini across its domestic and regional network. The new fleet will deliver more capacity and greater reliability across the domestic network and enable the carrier to fly from capital Port Moresby to new destinations across the Asia-Pacific region.
Air Niugini order
Gary Seddon, acting chief executive officer of Air Niugini, said: “This is a milestone in the history of our national airline that will support the growth of trade and tourism in Papua New Guinea.
|”The new aircraft will offer the highest levels of comfort for our passengers, while also ensuring a significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions when compared to the aircraft they will replace.”
Minister Duma said: “This is a momentous occasion for Air Niugini. Coinciding with the airline’s 50th Anniversary, Air Niugini secures six new regional jets that will revolutionise travel for the citizens of Papua New Guinea. I am looking forward to welcoming the ‘People’s Balus’ (the people’s plane) to our skies”.
Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer and head of international, said: “Air Niugini has seen how much more the A220 brings to their airline than the competing product in this space, so much more efficiency, range, comfort and growth potential.
“We thank Air Niugini for its confidence in Airbus and are committed to offering our full support to the airline as it transitions to its new fleet.”
Flight planning support
The carrier also announced that it has selected a flight planning support system from Airbus subsidiary NAVBLUE for its fleet. Called N-Flight Planning (N-FP), the solution will help the airline optimise on fuel, time and cost to meet operational needs, while ensuring overall safety and compliance.
The A220 is the most modern airliner in its size category, carrying between 100 to 150 passengers on flights of up to 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km).
Depending on cabin configuration, the A220-100 serves the 100-135 seat market, while the larger A220-300 is tailored for the 120-150 seat market. The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTF engines.
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