Luanda, Sept. 30, 2024 (Lusa) - Angolan airline TAAG on Monday received the first of 15 A220-300 aircraft, the result of a partnership with Airbus praised by the government, as part of the process of renewing the company's fleet and strengthening its operational capacity.
The aircraft, which has a capacity of 137 passengers and has been leased by Air Lease Corporation to provide domestic and intra-Africa connections, was received today at Luanda's 4 de Fevereiro International Airport in a festive atmosphere.
According to the management of TAAG - Transportadora área de Angola - the Airbus A220-300 is a modern and extremely efficient aircraft, with fuel consumption savings of around 25%, low noise pollution and reduced emissions of gases harmful to the environment.
The reinforcement of TAAG's fleet "is evidence of the company's path of modernisation and growth, which will now have a more versatile fleet and greater availability of aircraft to meet the growing demand from passengers and customers," the administration said in a statement.
For Angola's Minister of Transport, Ricardo de Abreu, who presided over the ceremony to present the aircraft, the occasion is the realisation of a partnership in the field that "will take the company further" and that "brings with it the good winds of a fruitful marriage with Airbus".
"A partnership that I would like to take this opportunity to thank once again on behalf of myself and Angola, because working with the best forces us to raise our performance and service levels across the board in this complex and admirable sector of activity," he emphasised.
He expressed "real satisfaction and enthusiasm" at receiving and being able to present the A220-300 aircraft, pointing out that this is the first of fifteen that Angola has ordered from this aeronautical giant and that in due course they will arrive to further strengthen our operational capacity across the board.
He said that this aircraft arrives in the country at a time when TAAG is solidifying an internal climate of cohesion and commitment to the purpose it serves, at a time when the civil aviation sector is challenged to grow in different directions and to contribute to the country playing an increasingly catalysing role in the development of the African continent.
"At a time when we are approaching the transition of international and domestic flights to António Agostinho Neto International Airport, in other words, we welcome him at the best of times and we are sure that his contribution will be relevant in the coming period," he said.
Ricardo de Abreu guaranteed that the sector he heads will continue to focus on consolidating all the reforms undertaken and the mobility plans underway, as well as contributing to the growth and diversification of the Angolan economy.
TAAG's management also said that the A220-300 aircraft "will provide opportunities for career progression for Angolan aviation personnel" and that it has the particularity of being the first to incorporate the company's new visual identity, retaining all of its Angolan decoration, with the visibility of the Palanca (the sable antelope, a national symbol) on the aircraft and wings being reinforced.
The Angolan state airline now has 22 passenger aircraft, eight Boeing 777s, seven Boeing 737-700s, six Dash-8 Q400s and now an Airbus A220-300.
DYAS/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
