In mid-2022, Air Niugini placed a large aircraft order (at least in the context of the carrier’s overall fleet size). There’s now an exciting update, as the airline has taken delivery of its first of these jets. I know Air Niugini might seem random to many people, but this remains one of the small airlines that I find to be most intriguing.
Air Niugini is acquiring 11 Airbus A220s
Air Niugini has a total of 11 Airbus A220s on order, including both the A220-100 and A220-300 variants. The airline is acquiring eight A220-100s directly from Airbus, and three Airbus A220-300s through third party leaser Azorra.
The airline has just taken delivery of the first of these jets, which is an A220-300 with the registration code P2-PGA. The plane will be flown to Papua New Guinea with a few stops along the way — it will fly from Montreal-Mirabel (YMX) to Vancouver (YVR) to Honolulu (HNL) to Nadi (NAN) to Port Moresby (POM).
The plane even has a special livery, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the independence of Papua New Guinea. I must say, it’s a mighty nice livery!
The A220-300 is configured with eight business class seats and 130 economy class seats. The plan is for A220s to replace Air Niugini’s Fokker fleet, which consists of six Fokker 70s and seven Fokker 100s.
Back when the A220 order was announced, here’s how Papua New Guinea’s Minister for State Enterprises, William Duma, described the strategy behind going with the A220:
“The Airbus A220 can operate both domestic and international routes with more capacity. It burns 27 percent less fuel than the current fleet for the same sectors and has greater comfort and operating efficiency. This remarkable aircraft stands as the epitome of modern airliners in its category, specifically tailored for 100-150 seat segment. It boasts an impressive range of up to 6,400 kilometres, together with spacious cabin, seats and windows, passengers can enjoy high level of comfort during the flight.”
The airline claims that these new A220s are “the peoples’ balus,” and that the airline is “moving from analogue to digital.” The A220 is indeed a great plane to fly, and is one of my favorite commercial aircraft. The A220 has incredible economics and range, and a great passenger experience, given the 2-3 configuration in economy, which means there’s only one middle seat per row.
This order complements Air Niugini’s order for two Boeing 787-8s, which are expected to be delivered starting in 2026. Those will replace the carrier’s two Boeing 767s.
Talk about a major fleet transformation!
Currently Air Niugini’s jet fleet consists of Boeing 767s that are an average of 30 years old, plus Fokkers that are an average of 32 years old. The airline also has three Boeing 737-800, that are an average of 15 years old.
It’s pretty incredible to think that in the coming years, the carrier’s average fleet age could go from close to 30 years to just a couple of years. This is a wild transformation.
Of course it’s exciting to see airlines modernize, though I’m sure I’m not the only avgeek who kind of loves the idea of flying a Boeing 767 connecting to a Fokker 70 over the idea of flying a Boeing 787 connecting to an Airbus A220.
Bottom line
Air Niugini is undergoing an impressive fleet modernization project. The airline is swapping Fokker 70s & 100s for Airbus A220s, and is swapping Boeing 767s for Boeing 787s. The airline has just taken delivery of its first A220, representing a new era for the airline. What a cool order, and I look forward to flying with the airline once the 787s are delivered.
What do you make of Air Niugini’s Airbus A220 order?
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