TAAG Angola Airlines announced at the 2023 Paris Air Show on Wednesday that it had firmed up orders for nine Airbus A220-300 single-aisle airliners, to be obtained via lease companies. This order forms part of the airline’s growth and multi-brand fleet strategies, and takes TAAG’s total order book for A220-300s to 15.

These aircraft will all be obtained under long-term dry lease contracts. That means that they will be flown by TAAG flight crew, staffed with TAAG cabin crew and maintained in Angola. This is in line with the airline’s commitment to local empowerment. The contracts include proper training for the carrier’s staff.

The 15 airliners will be supplied via four leasing companies, namely the Aviation Capital Group (ACG), the Air Lease Corporation (ALC), Azorra, and Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC). The deal with ACG is for four A220s and was signed on June 19; that with Azorra is for three of the type, and was concluded on June 20; and the contract with NAC is for two aircraft, and was signed on June 21. All three contracts were signed at the Paris Air Show. They complement a contract for six A220s signed with ALC at last year’s Farnborough International Air Show.

“The lease agreement format provides the most agile and financially sustainable model, aligning with the company’s current context,” explains TAAG in its press release. “Furthermore, the addition of the A220 aircraft demonstrates TAAG’s ambition for modernisation and growth as the company builds a versatile fleet capable of meeting market demand under the airline’s expansion plan, including new routes and increased frequencies.”

The airline highlights that the A220 family benefits from advanced aerodynamics. Further, it is powered by specifically-designed turbofan engines, which reduce fuel burn per seat by 25%, and so also reduce its carbon emissions. In addition, these engines cut the airliner’s noise footprint by 50%. TAAG expects that the A220 will reduce its global operational costs by some 20%.

The A220 family is the smallest airliner family in Airbus’ range of commercial aircraft. In TAAG service, the A220-300 will be configured to carry 142 passengers, subdivided into 12 business class and 130 economy class. “The aircraft boasts smart, tech-advanced features suitable for modern-day gadgets, ensuring passengers experience an innovative cabin and superior comfort,” affirmed the airline.