Air Niugini expands Airbus A220 order by two more aircraft
Air Niugini, the flag carrier of Papua New Guinea, has ordered two more A220-100 jets from Airbus. The new order is in addition to a deal signed in 2023 for six of the same type.
The carrier also has a leasing agreement for three larger-capacity A220-300s with Azorra.
Air Niugini’s first A220-100 has just entered final assembly at its Mirabel facility in Canada, but Airbus did not say when it will be delivered.
“The A220 is set to form the backbone of our domestic and regional fleet and will support economic development in Papua New Guinea. As we continue to forecast strong growth we have made the decision to increase our orders for this fuel efficient type, bringing a whole new level of efficiency and comfort to our operations,” said Gary Seddon, Chief Executive Officer of Air Niugini.
Fokker 100 over 35 years old
The A220 was selected by Air Niugini after a long competition with the Embraer E2. The airline currently operates a diverse fleet of aircraft that includes one Boeing 767-300, three 737NG, five Dash 8 and nine Fokker 70 and 100.
Two 737-800s are its newest aircraft, but are more than 10 years in service. One of the Fokker 1000s, registration P2-ANE, is more than 35 years old.
One of the factors that led Air Niugini to choose the A220 was its long range of 8 hours, which will allow it to establish routes to destinations such as New Zealand and Japan from its base in Port Moresby.
As of April 2025, Airbus had over 900 orders from more than 30 customers for the A220, of which over 410 have been delivered. There are currently 24 operators of the aircraft, which was originally developed by Bombardier as the C Series.
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