Air Niugini, Papua New Guinea’s national carrier, has firmed its order with Airbus for six A220-100s as part of its new fleet modernisation programme.
The carrier will also acquire three A220-300s and a further two A220-100s from third-party lessors, rounding out the total to 11 aircraft.
The A220s will be operated by Air Niugini across its domestic and regional network, enabling the operator to deliver more capacity and boost reliability. The range of the A220 will also allow the carrier to widen its route network and fly to new destinations across the Asia-Pacific region.
The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney’s PW1500G GTF engines.
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.”
Air Niugini also announced that it has selected a flight planning support system from Airbus subsidiary NAVBLUE for its fleet. The solution will help the airline optimise on fuel, time and cost to meet operational needs.
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.”
Image source: Airbus
