TAAG Angola Airlines
and aircraft lessor AerCap
have signed a sale-and-leaseback agreement for one Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The widebody is scheduled to arrive at TAAG early next year, helping the carrier to expand its network across Africa, Asia and Europe.
TAAG Angola and AerCap sign 787 agreement
The Angolan flag carrier is set to welcome its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in February 2025 as part of the sale-and-leaseback deal, representing a landmark moment in the carrier’s fleet modernization efforts. Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap, commented,
“We are pleased to welcome TAAG Angola Airlines as a new customer to AerCap and particularly pleased to be the first lessor to introduce the 787 to the airline. As part of their fleet modernization program, the 787 will enable TAAG to expand their network across Africa, Europe, and Asia with one of the most fuel-efficient widebody aircraft on the market and support them in meeting customer demand.”
Photo: Boeing
In October 2023, TAAG announced plans to add four 787 Dreamliners to its fleet as part of its ongoing modernization program. It initially hoped to operate the first plane by the third quarter of 2024, but this will now be pushed back to early next year. The announcement from last year said the additions would be procured on a sale-and-leaseback arrangement, with AerCap becoming the first lessor to supply one of Boeing’s widebodies.
787-9 and 787-10
This is the first transaction between TAAG Angola and AerCap, the latter ranking as the world’s largest aviation leasing firm. TAAG will eventually operate both the 787-9 and 787-10 – its second 787-9 is expected sometime next summer, while the delivery schedule for two 787-10s has yet to be confirmed.
Related
The Angolan airline recently welcomed its first Airbus A220-300 in September as part of a deal with Air Lease Corp (ALC), and expects two more airframes to arrive next summer.
Lufthansa Technik agreement
TAAG’s 787 Dreamliners will be supported by German MRO firm Lufthansa Technik, a wholly-owned subsidiary of German flag carrier 
Lufthansa
. The Angolan carrier announced its Total Component Support (TCS) agreement with Lufthansa Technik earlier this month, representing one of the largest Dreamliner support contracts in sub-Saharan Africa in a deal that will cover the next 12 years.
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
Nelson de Oliveira, CEO of TAAG, said,
“With two types of modern aircraft joining our fleet at almost the same time, we are pleased to be able to count on the recognized engineering expertise and vast technical capacity that Lufthansa Technik’s specialists offer.”
The German MRO firm will also support TAAG as part of its Aircraft Production Inspection Program (APIP), overseeing the production process at the manufacturing site before acceptance. This will cover both its 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A220 aircraft.
About the TAAG Angola fleet
TAAG Angola’s long-haul fleet is comprised of eight Boeing 777s, split into five 777-300ERs and three 777-200s. It is also an operator of the Boeing 737, with seven 737-700s and two 737 freighters in its fleet.
Photo: Vidit Luthra | Shutterstock
The carrier also acquired six De Havilland Dash 8 turboprops during the pandemic years, helping it to restart its regional network following the suspension of services in 2020.
|
Aircraft Type |
Total |
|---|---|
|
Airbus A220 |
1 |
|
Boeing 737 |
9 |
|
Boeing 777 |
8 |
|
De Havilland Dash 8 |
6 |
TAAG has committed to a total of 15 A220s, six of which will come from ALC – these modern aircraft will serve to replace the airline’s 737-700 passenger fleet, which ch-aviation data shows have an average age exceeding 17 years old. The carrier is also reportedly in negotiations with other lessors to bring in additional A220s.
Photo: Airbus
Having primarily operated Boeing aircraft throughout its history, the A220s are not TAAG’s first Airbus models, as the airline leased in two A330s for a brief period last year. TAAG Angola currently serves a network of over 20 domestic and international destinations.
