A new plane dubbed as “People’s Balus” is set to soar PNG’s skies as the country prepares to celebrate its 50 years of independence this year.
Air Niugini’s first brand new A220 aircraft is almost ready.
The company in a media statement said it is now in final assembly at the Airbus factory in Canada.
“The aircraft will arrive in Port Moresby this September, just in time for Papua New Guinea’s 50th Independence Anniversary.
“This new jet is called the “People’s Balus”. It is part of a big upgrade for Air Niugini. The airline will get 11 new A220 planes. Three will be the larger A220-300 with 138 seats, and eight will be the A220-100 with 114 seats,” the statement said.
Air Niugini will be the 25th airline in the world to fly the A220. Already, over 400 of these jets are flying with other airlines.
The new A220s will first replace the old Fokker planes on local routes. Later, they will also replace the Boeing 737s. These aircraft can also fly to other countries, so Air Niugini can use them for international routes in the future.
Each plane will have both Business and Economy seats. Every passenger will enjoy free WiFi to stay connected, or watch shows while flying.
Air Niugini’s staff are now training hard. Engineers, pilots, and cabin crew are preparing for the arrival of the new aircraft in September.