Air Niugini, the flag carrier of Papa New Guinea, has placed a firm order for two A220-100s, following on from an initial order of six aircraft in 2023. Alongside this new contract, the airline has signed lease agreements for three A220-300s from Azorra, a US-based lessor.
“The A220 is set to form the backbone of our domestic and regional fleet and will support economic development in Papua New Guinea,” said Gary Seddon, Chief Executive Officer of Air Niugini. “As we continue to forecast strong growth we have made the decision to increase our orders for this fuel efficient type, bringing a whole new level of efficiency and comfort for our operations.”
The airline continues to opt for A220s due to their passenger capacities of 100-135 seats for the A220-100 and 120-160 seats for the A220-300, in addition to the reduced fuel consumption and carbon emissions of the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.
“This is Air Niugini’s second order for the A220,” commented Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, EVP Sales of Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft business. “We are committed to working closely with the airline as we support its fleet renewal programme. The A220 is quite simply the most efficient aircraft in its size category, with a wider and spacious cabin and the range to fly non-stop to any destination on the carrier’s network.”
Image: Airbus
