The national flag carrier of Algeria, Air Algérie, and Airbus have announced an agreement for the plane manufacturer to supply seven brand new aircraft.
The deal, which was announced on June 1, 2023, includes an order for five A330-900neos and two A350-1000s.
Airbus said that the agreement will allow “Air Algérie to take full advantage of the flexibility of the Airbus product range, strengthen its regional services and offer an ambitious plan for transcontinental destinations.”
The A330neo and the A350 are the latest generation of Airbus widebody aircraft.
Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, the A330-900 is capable of flying 7,200 nm / 13,334 km non-stop.
The A350 uses Rolls-Royce’s new Trent XWB engines and has the ability to travel 8,700 nautical miles or 16,100 kilometers non-stop.
“By operating the A330neo alongside the A350-1000, Air Algérie will also benefit from operational savings such as a 25 percent lower fuel burn per seat and greater flexibility resulting from the unique commonality between members of the Airbus aircraft Family,” Airbus added in a statement marking the new agreement.
By the end of April 2023, the A330 Family had 1,775 firm orders from 130 customers worldwide and the A350 range had received 967 firm orders from 54 customers.
On May 17, 2023, Air Algérie also signed an order with Boeing for the acquisition of eight B737-9 MAX aircraft to be delivered from 2027.
With the Boeing and Airbus orders in place the 15 new aircraft will help with Air Algérie’s wider plan for fleet renewal and expansion.
Air Algérie currently has 56 aircraft in its fleet, including eight A330-200s, 32 Boeing 737s (of several versions, including five of the relatively rare B737–600), 15 ATR-72 turboprops and a single L100, the civilian version of the iconic Lockheed C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft.