The Airbus A220 demonstration ceremony (capable of accommodating 148 people - 130 economic and 18 executive), according to Jornal de Angola, was presided over by Emílio Londa, Secretary of State for Civil and Maritime Aviation, on behalf of the Minister of Transport, Ricardo D'Abreu.
This aircraft is the first of six that will reduce operating costs by around 25 percent, operating at a regional and intercontinental level, according to Eduardo Fairen, chairman of the airline's Executive Board.
The next aircraft, said the official, quoted by Angop, will arrive in August next year, when the new regional fleet begins to operate.
In this period, Airbus is qualifying the pilots of the flag airline who will exclusively fly the planes, writes Angop.
The official also said that this order will end in 2024 with the arrival of the last two aircraft that were purchased under commercial leasing.
"This is a historic moment that gives prestige to Angola, Angolan aviation and reinforces the credibility of the flag carrier", he concluded, quoted by Angop.
In turn, Emílio Londa considered that TAAG needs to prepare for the challenges, namely the optimization of its fleet to respond to domestic, regional and intercontinental demand, within the scope of the country's strategy to transform the capital into a 'hub'.
According to the Secretary of State, quoted by Angop, the airline needs to support the strategy of building a "regional hub", supported by the new Luanda airport.
The African air transport market will ask TAAG for another dimension, capillarity and high capacity of its human capital, he said, adding that here the Executive has carried out some structural reforms that intend to place Angola as a safe destination for the air category, to increase the attractiveness of the southern region and transform the country "into a true competitive hub", writes Angop.
According to the official, quoted by Angop, this would soon enable the dominance of civil aviation to increase its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product and better support the diversification of the economy.
"It is a priority for the Angolan government to attract international players with proven experience, including investors, financiers, suppliers, customers and partners, which is why it is essential to ensure regular connections, bring the economies closer together by promoting business and the movement of people and goods", he said, quoted by Angop.
