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DALLAS — Algerian national flag carrier Air Algérie (AH) has announced a new large order from Airbus as part of its fleet renewal process.
The order consists of the purchase of seven of the new-gen widebody Airbus A330neo and A350 families, set to replace the oldest Airbus A330-200s in current operation with the carrier.
The fleet renewal of Air Algérie was approved by the national government back in April 2023 and involved the acquisition of 25 new aircraft divided between Boeing and Airbus jets. For the moment, it was known that AH signed a firm order for eight units of the brand new Boeing 737 MAX family, specifically the longer 737-9, capable of carrying up to 220 passengers.
The order of these 7 additional widebody units, divided into five Airbus A330-900s and two A350-1000s, ends the initial phase of fully purchasing new aircraft by Air Algérie, and the carrier only expects to contract ten additional airplanes in the form of dry-lease agreements to complete the renewal of its fleet, which today has an average age of 15 years old.
Airbus A330neo Updated Orders
Air Algérie will become if no other airline wins the race, the first African operator of the Airbus A350-1000. This aircraft is the largest version of the modern A350 Family and is as well the longest Airbus aircraft in production, with 242 feet long and capable of carrying up to 480 passengers in the densest configuration.
Despite this, the other ordered airplane, the A330neo, has been already acknowledged by the African and Middle Eastern industry, as already four different operators have been taking deliveries from the type since April 2019: Air Mauritius (MK), Air Senegal (HC), Kuwait Airways (KU) and Uganda Airlines (UR).
In general, the Airbus A330neo has performed much worse than its older brother, receiving just 288 orders from airlines since its launch in 2014. The larger operator of this aircraft is Delta Air Lines (DL), with 22 active units awaiting 14 more to be delivered in the coming years.
About Air Algérie
Air Algérie is the national flag carrier of the northern African country of Algeria. Its main hub is located in the capital city, Algiers (ALG), but it also serves many flights from its secondary base in Oran (ORN). The airline focuses mainly on connecting Algerian travelers with a big variety of cities in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
In terms of the route network, AH plays a key role in establishing an air bridge between the city of Paris (CDG/ORY) and many airports in Algeria, serving a total of 21 routes between the two countries.
The other two main focus countries for the African carrier are located in the Middle East, with cities like Jeddah (JED), Medina (MED), and Istanbul (IST) receiving twelve flights in total.
The fleet renewal for Air Algérie is a very logical move, as its current fleet of 55 aircraft has an average age of 15.3 years, with the oldest unit, an ATR 72 registered as 7T-VUI, being 22.8 years old. To cover its wide network, AH flies 15 ATR 72s, 8 Airbus A330-200s, and 32 Boeing 737 family jets, including five of the shortest Boeing 737-600 series, with just 102 feet of length.
Featured image: Airbus
https://airwaysmag.com/air-algerie-25-aircraft-acquisition/
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