LONDON – TAAG (TAAG Linhas Aéreas de Angola E.P.,) the flag carrier of Angola received its new aircraft on July 2. The new aircraft is the last of six aircraft that has been ordered to fulfil its role in providing regional and domestic services in the country.
The aircraft is the Dash 8 400 model, produced by De Havilland of Canada Limited, based in Canada. TAAG bets on this Canadian-made regional propeller aircraft to complement its intra-African and international fleet.
This would mean strengthening the airline’s business model of the hub and spoke model out of its base in Luanda.
The aircraft is excellent for use within Angola, as it is renowned for its reliability and efficiency in operations when compared to other regional workhorses such as the Boeing 737. The Q400 can actually fly on routes that are utilised by the 737, including to destinations short to medium-haul such as Windhoek (Namibia), Maputo (Mozambique) or Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo).
The Dash Q400 is a good fit for the airline. The Canadian propeller regional airliner has a capacity of 74 seats in a standard 2 class configuration of 10 in Business Class and 64 in Economy Class.
The photo shown above depicts the arrival of the last of the 6 Q400s. The aircraft has been formally named ‘DANDE’ and carries her new registration of D2-TFF. The aircraft was flown by Captain Olívio Patrício (Captain) and co-piloted by Paulo Correia.
TAAG’s Fleet Composition
The Angolan flag carrier has 21 aircraft in its family portfolio. They have six brand new Dash Q400, seven Boeing 737-700 aircraft, three Boeing 777-200ER aircraft and five flagships Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
The Q400 is the latest aircraft type to be added to the fleet composition, meaning that the airline is becoming more adaptable to the market. This includes the airline’s flexibility in operating both long-haul, medium-haul and short-haul markets.
In the sense of route development, this benefits TAAG as a carrier in Africa to bring the country closer to the global market, as this will attract international customers from worldwide to Angola and other cities in Africa within the short and medium-haul market.
With the nature of the Q400 being modern and fuel-efficient, this will also lower the airline’s operating costs.
About the Airline
The airline is 100% owned by the Angolan state, and it was founded in 1938 – one of the oldest on the continent. The airline has been serving the people of Angola for more than 80 years and played a major role in transporting Angolans and foreigners to and from the country. The airline is the country’s largest and leading airline operating 14 domestic and 12 international destinations.
