The A220-300 Is The First Type To Feature TAAG Angola's New Branding

TAAG Angola Airlines has started to take delivery of its planned fleet of Airbus A220-300s.

An integral part of the company’s growth plan, the first aircraft arrived September 30 at Luanda’s 4 de Fevereiro International Airport.

The aircraft has been delivered on a lease agreement with lessor Air Lease Corporation as part of TAAG´s order book, with the small narrowbody jet scheduled to operate high-demand domestic routes and intra-Africa connections.

TAAG Angola is taking batches of A220-300s from several lessors as it transitions to a more versatile fleet under the company's 2024-2029 expansion plan.

“Overall, we now have 14 A220-300 in the order book via multiple lessors,” a TAAG Angola spokesman said. “Delivery dates are dynamic, but the expectation is to incorporate the aircraft until 2027 progressively.”  TAAG had initially expected the first aircraft to arrive in spring of this year.

TAAG’s A220s will have a 137-passenger, two-class configuration (12 business class, 125 economy). They will initially operate alongside the airline’s current short-haul equipment, Boeing 737-700s. The new aircraft bring a small but useful capacity boost, compared to the 737s’ 120-seat layout.

The crossover jets are expected to deliver 20% lower costs than the 737-700s they will replace.

The aim is to make use of the small narrowbody jets’ lower costs both to open new routes and to increase frequencies on existing ones.

The A220s are also the first to feature TAAG Angola’s new branding, highlighting the palanca, a black antelope that is one of the country’s national symbols.