Air Niugini, the national carrier of Papua New Guinea, has signed a firm order with Airbus for six latest generation single aisle A220-100s and three A220-300s under its fleet modernization program. In addition, the carrier will acquire another two A220-100s from third-party lessors.
The order was announced at a special event in Port Moresby on November 1, 2023 by Gary Seddon, Acting Chief Executive Officer Air Niugini and Anand Stanley, President Airbus Asia-Pacific, in the presence of the Hon. James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Hon. William Duma, Minister for State Enterprises.
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). It offers 25 percent lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous generation aircraft, and has the largest cabin, seats and windows in its class.
The new aircraft will be operated by Air Niugini across its domestic and regional network, and will enable the carrier to fly from capital Port Moresby to new destinations across the Asia-Pacific region.
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.”
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.”
The first of Air Niugini’s new A220 aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in 2025.
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