TAAG Angola Takes Delivery Of First 787 Dreamliner
Intro
I have long had a deep fascination with the airline TAAG. Based out of the country of Angola and their main hub, the capital, Luanda, this is an airline that has mystified me in terms of profitability and fleet utilization. For those unaware, TAAG is the other carrier in Africa that offers a true first-class product.
Enough about the short backstory, as TAAG Angola has just taken delivery of their very first 787 Dreamliner, and it looks like a huge step up from their previous long-haul aircraft.
The Details
A couple of days ago, on January 29th, 2o25, the first TAAG 787 (with the registration code D2-TEQ) flew a whopping 16-hour and 59-minute flight from Everett to Luanda.
Some years back, the front offices of TAAG came out to announce that they planned to modernize the TAAG fleet, placing an order for four 787s, split across two -9s and two -10s. Well, they just took delivery of the first 787-9, and the new livery looks superb.
Configuration
Now, the question we have all been waiting for is: How will these new planes be configured? Well, for those also unaware, these planes were never originally intended to go to TAAG, instead to MIAT, and then Riyadhair for a brief stint before finally ending up at TAAG. Thus, the airline chose not to overhaul the interior that was already inside and instead stick with it.
As a quick breakdown, TAAG has decided to go against installing a first-class product on these jets for the time being. Instead, they have decided to install the following:
16 business class seats in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 configuration
21 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration
276 economy seats in a 3-3-3 configuration
The cabins do look beautiful as a whole.
I've always been curious to get an inside look at the margins for premium cabins at this airline, as I would imagine that there can't be enough demand to fill up 68 premium seats. Without knowing much, I would presume this layout will suit TAAG better despite it being a little sad to see First Class gone for Avgeeks.
Final Thoughts
TAAG Angola, the Luanda-based airline, has just taken delivery of its first of four 787 Dreamliner aircraft. While the premium capacity in terms of seats has definitely shrunk, it will be interesting to see if the overall economics are better. As of now, there is no set timeline for the first flight, but I would imagine it wouldn't be long until this beautiful Dreamliner takes to the sky.
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